Evans unhappy with Argyle boss after defeat

Adams certainly saw a different game to everyone else in the stadium as his side won 2-0 with their only two efforts on target midway through the second half, having survived a battering from Mansfield, but then said Stags hadn’t had a shot on target, despite them having eight.

An angry Evans said: “We absolutely slaughtered them, yet at half-time their manager tells us all he’s the best manager outside the Premier League! Strange how people see it isn’t it? That is hard to palate.

“He failed last year and he’s got a huge budget this year.

“It was a big result for him today so we’ll give him the credit.

“But you can’t tell people you’re the best in the business. I wonder why he’s not managing Scotland?

“It’s the lowest I’ve felt since I became gaffer here. We didn’t deserve that. But then again we’ve come up against the best manager in British football, so he told everybody!

“I’m not being funny, it’s probably the best Mansfield have played here in five years with the quality of football against Plymouth, who are a very good team that we’ve made look like a bad team today.

“Their manager will probably say something different and will talk about character and that stuff. But he can say what he likes. He normally talks nonsense anyway.

“If I had been here at the start of the season or like at Plymouth last year with their resources, we’d be in League One.

“We were outstanding today and just got done by two set plays though some big-headed person will be taking credit for that.”

Adams said: “It was an outstanding performance from start to finish, our best of the season.

“The 11 who started the game and the 11 who finished the game were terrific.

“Mansfield did not have any chances on target, which was good from our point of view. They didn’t really trouble us all afternoon.

“We were dominant defending and from start to finish it was a top-class performance from a group of players who have done exceptionally well this season.

“Graham Carey is the best player in the league, there is no doubt about it.

“He has got the ability to play, he is without doubt the most talented, creative. He has played a lot of games this season and has a lot of assists and a lot of goals. He is the best player in this league.

“He has done well for us, but the other players in the team and the substitutes did well also.”

He continued: “To come here on the run that Mansfield have been on and keep a clean sheet and score two goals against them tells you how good an afternoon it was. It was just a thoroughly top-class performance.

“The fans who were here were exceptional. The backing they gave us from start to finish just shows you that if you give your team the backing they did today, the players really respond to that.”