Rose can blossom with watering from new team mates

With constant speculation over an exit to another club coupled with the arrival of three new signings, two being front man and one a very attack minded midfielder, you’d be forgiven for worrying that the rumours of his exit have an element of truth to them – but for me, I think Danny Rose can actually blossom, thanks to arrival of the attacking trio.

The popular 24 year old front man enjoyed his best season for the Stags last term finishing as top scorer, but since being injured early doors at Forest Green Rovers in March – Rose wasn’t quite the same and his goals dried up – some better bloggers than me may even suggest the Rose, wilted.

Personally I am a big believer in players reacting better to some managers than others, almost like a jigsaw puzzle – isolated you’re looking at a funny shaped coloured square, but put together with the others and you end up looking at a beautiful landscape.

Looking at Roses’ Mansfield career you could argue that Peterborough’s finest Steve Evans got the best out of him which statistically thus far is true – but over the course of his career, ask yourself who has developed Rose the most with senior opportunities? The answer, David Flitcroft.

Flitcroft brought Rose through at Barnsley and then secured the young front man’s services again upon joining Bury, where Rose played much more of a part and flourished into the talent which Adam Murray then brought to the Stags.

I think sometimes people forget that mild-mannered Rose is just 24 and towards the tail end of last season, I think the long season of carrying the Stags front line in the Evans system had taken its toll – hence why the injury occurred and the goals dried up, for me he needed help.

Rose really impressed me with his conduct and his game, in cricketing terms I would class him as an all-rounder – he’d not an out and out target man, he’d not a six-yard box poacher – he’d good with both feet and in the air and clever with it, looking at the players David Flitcroft has brought into the squad in the attacking ranks, I can only see Rose starting to flourish.

He’ll be allowed to play his game again and keep defenders guessing learning from the experience of Craig Davies who is practically a more experienced Rose, as well as benefiting from the pace and flair of Tyler Walker and Otis Khan, both players who like to run at defenders, create pockets of space and exploit from ridiculous angles.

Rose, like any young player, is about confidence – you can see how much Mansfield Town means to him and how much the crowd rally him, I can think of countless chances last season he spurned and then let that frustration grow on him as, other than Hemmings there were few around him contributing and that expectation in a side chasing promoting can carry a huge weight.

Another issue was fitness, especially again towards the last part of the season, Rose would visibly tire after 75 minutes when we really needed a 95 plus minute player – I personally think that will improve this term and the return will be extremely valuable.

I almost wrote the return would be goals there, but we should know better – strikers shouldn’t be judged entirely on goals but on contribution and work rate – Rose is certainly up in that bracket of players who would probably play with two broken legs and still positively contribute.

Having Davies and Walker to call upon around him, plus let us not forget Lee Angol and the un-tapped raw ability of Omari Sterling-James, can only be described as a positive and hungry strike force - one which a character such as Rose can really bloom in.

I’m sure I will touch upon this more over the coming weeks, but this is a clean sheet for all involved here – the failure to reach the play-offs is done and gone, it can’t be changed and some of the personnel involved with that have moved on – what we have is a squad who are being worked hard and who create the right environment for us to be successful, and for players like Rose to really shine.

David Flitcroft has to be commended on his approach to pre-season, it hasn’t been a case of “off you go lads, we’ll see you on this date” – there has been continuous work over the summer and this trip to Portugal will not be an easy ride, highlighted by the fact we’re playing Dundee United who will provide a proper work out, rather than having a kick about with a bunch of random fellas, picked for a one-off match.

​Flitcroft’s work with the team will pay off, as it will with Rose – speculation is just that and will always be there with your key players, sometimes you’ve got to ignore the hearsay and gossip and somewhere down the line – everything will come up Roses!