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Stags boss Paul Cox apologises to Mansfield Town fans after Newport defeat
FURIOUS boss Paul Cox slammed his side’s display in today’s 1-0 defeat at Newport and said sorry to the 89 away fans who endured a dire display in South Wales.
“We never turned up today,” he said. “We were second best from start to finish.
“From our six games unbeaten, that wasn’t the same team today. We were just inept with the ball from the first minute to the last. I apologise to the supporters who came all the way down here.
“You can make excuses to say we’ve not played for three weeks and the pitch was heavy but that’s a load of crap in my eyes. The pitch was the same for both sides but their quality was better on it.
“I tried to change things at half-time but with the ball we were poor and without it we were awful. We lost a game we never looked as if we had any intention of winning.
“The quality of the balls up to our strikers was crap. You could have had a Champions League striker up there and they would not have had a chance.”
He added: “We looked a yard off the pace all over the pitch. You can’t blame the three weeks off. We have worked them hard and they are professional players who are paid to look after their bodies and keep themselves fit.
“Newport probably had that bit more desire than us to win a football match.
“It sums our season up that we are a very good team in grinding out results which makes this more alarming. Teams that win championships and get promoted come here today and get a result of some kind.
“We need to put it right straight away. We have only lost six games all season and god players don’t become bad players overnight.
“I never thought we would stay unbeaten in our last 16 games. But whenever these boys have been questioned they have bounced back this season. I include myself in that. I have had a bad day at the office and now we need to put it right on Tuesday.”
Debut-making defender Paul Edwards added: “We are all disappointed as you want to win every game you play in.
“I think Newport played the conditions a lot better than we did.
“We pushed on in the second half and put them under a bit of pressure. We might have nicked one near the end when we possibly could have had a penalty.”
Edwards’ loan spell from Fleetwood ends this week and he said: “It’s been frustrating as I have not had much of a chance with all the games called off. I can play much better than I did today.
“I will speak to the manager later in the week and see if he is going to extend it and then hopefully I can show what I can do.”
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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Comments
There are 80 comments to this article
Page 1 of 6
skegbymick
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 06:17 PMHe could go with 3 strikers tonight, but i know he wont
skegbymick
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 06:14 PMThis is going to be like the Chester game the oter season, men v kids
Simmo
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:58 PMDarlo haven't won since November, so this is definately an easy 3 pointer tonight and a chance to increase our goal difference quiet considerably. 7 goals would put us on par with Grimsby and up we should be up to 8th on 52 points, 2 behind Kiddy as they will lose to Wrexham tonight and Barrow will lose the Luton. Good night all round me thinks, bet Del will give Coxy an extra sugar at training after tonights emphatic victory lol. No room for losers tonight at the Mill, won't get an easier game all season.
Simmo
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 04:44 PMDon't panic, after we have thrashed Darlo tonight all will be well in the "Happy Clappers" camp, onwards and upwards they will proclaim. Dyer will be back to his best scoring a well deserved hat-trick and will have the doubters eating their words. Oh I forgot the average age of the Darlo Team will be about 18 years of age with about 8 of them under 18 lol, but don't let that stop the happy ones proclaiming we have turned a corner lol. I think the Tamworth and Lincoln games will be more of a test, be disappointed if we don't score at least 6 tonight, fill your boots lads, think of the goal bonuses you will get paid.
stagstown
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:29 PMGot to admit JJ we can all get players wrong i didnt rate Shaw at all. sometimes players settle at certain clubs. Take Barrett who went to Southend. He was star man for them, but he only looked average at the mill. It can make a diffrence to some players if there at a club close to there roots and family. Things we dont see behind the scenes. The money at this level doesnt compensate on unfamilar surroundings like the higher leagues.
Lloydystag
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 03:13 PMCould`nt agree more about the `ugly` bit JJ. Stevenage and Crawley in particular `battered` their way out of this league and on Sat. Stevenage frustrated Spurs by playing the same way.
Jumpin John
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 02:31 PMLloydy, i see your grandson at the away games too! I thought there were more than 89 as well at Newport! I've got a struggle to get to the game tonight too, though still trying, I have no idea who and what PC is going to play tonight. i wil say this it will defy all logic if he doesnt give Louis Briscoe a run. I know that this league requires ugly, we also know that Louis is a finsher. I'd definitely would play him and Rheady from the start.
Lloydystag
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 01:39 PMJJ (71), nice way of covering my 44 again. We are back to managing again and, clearly, many of us who post here have been senior managers and decision makers and that is what PC (consulting MM ) will do for tonight based on how he thinks Darlo will play and, more importantly which of his players have performed in training. It will be interesting to see how the selections on here compare with his starting line up. Can`t get tonight but my Grandson (drummer ) will have my voucher so approach him in the SP bar if you have`nt got one. Free of course.
victor "a" block
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 11:12 AMPeace has broken out in the trenches!.................Del......your team selection and mine for tonight are in total agreement!!!!!!...............if only our trusted management duo with the marker pens and white boards would agree..........INSTEAD..expect to see Riley in another episode of Defenders bloopers.......the ball punted aimlessley to Dyer for the odd flick on towards the Alan Meale toilet block (corner of North Stand) which Green will have to run and chase(before he gives up)...........and a cameo disaster appaerance in the second half from Howell....Will Cox finally see the light??????....Darlo under 18's never had it so good.
Jumpin John
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 10:39 AMDelboy there has always been a difference not just in football but any sport between how athletes appear in training and how they appear when the real whistle or bell goes. That is even more basic for a coach's understanding, anyway I could quite easily write a book on the subject. The basic principle though is simple: what is in the athlete's skill set tool box and what is his or her mental strength and competitive focus.
Jumpin John
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:40 AMDelboy, your observation on Adam isnt wide of the mark, and that makes the Chapman thing even more vinegar. I'd give their centre backs Rheady to chew over to start with and give Green a tresquartista role. Let him make some runs link the play up, with the wingers and late arriving midfielders,, mix it up and then get in behind. Lets use our qualities properly as a team.
Delboy the stag
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:35 AMJJ, going back to the Chapman issue. To be fair to PC, from what I saw on the training ground, I wouldn't have taken a chance on Chapman AT THIS TIME..... If you remember, I said he looked a broken young man, with the whole world on his shoulders, so it would have been a hell of a gamble. Added that he was recovering from a broken ankle & probably the correct decision was made. Hindsight is wonderful though... With Loan signings being restricted (I don't know how many we've got left, though I doubt it's many), if PC HAD taken the risk & it'd backfired, we'd be calling him for wasting an opportunity to bring someone else in, if needed?.... There's always next season if he's available. Remember, he does live locally, which must give us an advantage.
Delboy the stag
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:24 AMJJ, I agree that tonight should see an ATTACKING line up & personally I'd start with Louis & Lindon... My team? Though it makes no difference, because PC is the Manager & it's his call..... Mazza, O'Neill, Sutton, Dempster & Edwards..... Briscoe, Roberts, Murray Meikle.... Green & Hutchinson..... Bench; Redmond, Stevenson, Rhead, Todd & Riley.... To upset most of you, I might even be tempted to give Murray a `Rest` & put Todd in.... That should wind one or two up...lol
Jumpin John
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 09:09 AMOldster I use Shaw as an illustration based on one of Del's past post. I don't really wish to criticize PC on the Chapman thing. Everybody knows how keen I was and stil am on the lad. But I dont judge selection on one game or the pattern of play unless I am fixing it within that game. What I do know is that the definition of madness is repeatedly making the same mistaken act. Whether we can declare a manager mad over repeatedly making the same selection mistake is a moot point. However, if he justifies his selection and long ball on the one headed assist in the last 18 at Ebbsfleet, It makes it difficult not to think the manager is mad. There are no headed goals at all the entire season from the selected individual either despite more than a good chance in the very same Ebbsfleet game, not to mention the fluffed right foot tap in that followed that glaring miss. Any way the bottom line is that I am being driven mad here, as I know that most players will get stressed out taking the negatives from the goal scoring misses and not the positives from the one headed assist. If it was one game, you put your arm around the lad's shoulder and you move on, Stagstown Smith in common with all the midfielders and strikers played poorly and as an individual, I'm looking forward to tonight but am in fear of being committed. In Briscoe, PC has a creative player proven at this level both as a provider and scorer of goals and if Louis cant get selected then Delboy you tell me how I should regard PC?.Sane or Insane?
Delboy the stag
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:59 AMIf EVER we had the opportunity to put a poor performance behind us & restore our confidence, then tonight HAS to be one of those nights...No excuses!!!... Darlo are at their LOWEST ebb & we have to take full advantage.. No if's or but's... Craig Liddle was complaining, only yesterday, that the Conference are not helping them in any way. They won't allow him to strengthen the squad, even though there's money in place to do it, so he's having to continue using Youth team players & running them into the ground... There should be NO MERCY shown whatsoever tonight, until the final whistle blows & we've secured all 3 points... 1-0 would get the points, but I want us to totally batter them & send out a signal to the rest of the Conference that we're still in the mix.... Come on you Stags!!!!......Will there be any announcement tonight? Will it be Saturday, sometime between now & March 1st, or will JR wait until our derby game against Lincoln?
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