DAVID Holdsworth today began his first day in the Field Mill managerial hot seat after meeting his new charges for the first time last night.
Having turned around the fortunes of Ilkeston Town, the former Watford and Sheffield United star will now begin plotting how to revive Stags' season of struggle.
- Ilkeston coaching staff 'join Mansfield'
And he insisted it wasn't a hard decision to walk way from all his good work at Ilkeston to sign an 18-month deal with Mansfield with an option for an extra year.
"I have moved here for footballing reasons so it is not a wrench to leave Ilkeston," he said.
"This is a good club and it is a step in the right direction for me.
"From day one I ran Ilkeston on a professional basis and those players came there for one reason and that was David Holdsworth.
"Me leaving will be hard on them and me but you have to be progressive and this is a step in the right direction on the managerial ladder."
Holdworth (40) did not see the better side of his new players as they tamely went down 2-0 to runaway leaders Burton at home last night but he insisted: "We are in a false position here and quickly need to build a winning structure.
"I have been aware of Mansfield as they are on my doorstep and we played them pre-season. I have done my homework on every team and I know the type of players here.
"It was a no-brainer to come and I am delighted to be here.
"My brother Dean has given me his congratulations. He knows how good this club is and can be and he was full of encouragement."
Although he is seen as a rookie manager at BSP level, Holdworth has soaked up a wealth of knowledge from working with top managers like Sam Allardyce, Howard Kendall, Neil Warnock, Graham Taylor, Glenn Roeder and Trevor Francis and is keen to put all he has taken on board into action at Field Mill.
He said: "I learned a lot at Gretna, working with the chairman there on every aspect of the game and learning how a club functions. I believe you have to go down to those levels to do your homework.
"It was working under Graham Taylor that taught me discipline and professionalism and that has been echoed at my other clubs.
"I learned a lot more in a short spell under Sam Allardyce at Bolton. He typified the spirit of professionalism that I want to bring to the dressing room.
"The players will get regular body fat checks and weigh-ins as well as checking diets and other nutritional aspects. The fitter they are the better they will be and the higher their concentration levels. You need to be able to play 95-96 minutes these days.
"I learned all about Prozone and that side of things under Sam Allardyce. And Howard Kendall taught me man-management skills."
Holdsworth begins his new job alone with the possibility of bringing in an assistant further down the line.
Already the rumour mill is speculating who that may be with caretaker bosses Mark Stallard and Adie Moses mentioned along with Holdsworth's assistant at Ilkeston Kevin Philliskirk who was at the game last night.
"More people want to be my assistant here than on Come Dancing but I have to respect the people here at the moment. I will go down the Fabio Capello route and wait for a bit," he said.
"I met Mark and Adie for the first time tonight and thanked them for their efforts. I will be working closely with them and all the players this week.
"I need to assess everything first but I will make some changes. I want to create a structure I can believe in or I wouldn't be doing my job."
One of the fhe first problems he wants to tackle is the number of goals that Mansfield leak.
"I had a good defensive record at Ilkeston," he said.
"The amount of goals they shed last season almost saw them relegated but they stayed up through luck rather than judgement. But they have the best defensive record this season.
"If the ball goes out you have to switch on like a lightbulb. And you have to be effective defending at set pieces.
"As a defender I was always very happy with a 1-0 win – that is a great result. George Graham made a successful career out of it and I don't see why we can't emulate that.
"This is a wonderful opportunity now for the players to kickstart the season and progress up the league."
Another immediate task will be for him to draw up a shortlist of players wanted for the January transfer windown which opens this week.
"Shaun Wright-Phillips and Robinho are on my list," he smiled.
"I won't scare the current players, there is no need. I will evaluate over the next few days.
"But any player I bring in will be the type of player I expect to take Mansfield forward. I don't just bring in journeymen. I want players who are hungry for success.
"I want them to be focused and driven and have an impact. They need to be professional and adhere to my rules.
"I also want to see a massive workrate. My players must be fit and strong and know their jobs on the pitch. There can be no grey areas or they will be sat with me.
"There are plenty of players if I need to bring them in and this is a good club that will attract them."
Last night's game was the last on loan for Adnan Ahmed and Paddy Gamble who will quickly need to know their futures.
"I do have some very quick decisions to make almost instantaneously," said Holdsworth.
"But I believe in giving everyone a fair crack of the whip. I always base my judgement on facts."
A return to 4-4-2 under Stallard and Moses saw a return to winning ways after Stags struggled under Billy McEwan's 4-3-3. But Holdsworth said he would be very fluid over formations game by game.
"I will manage each game individually," he said. "Formations sometimes have to change because of injuries and suspensions. Also you evaluate the opposition and their formation and sometimes change yours. You change to win the match and certainly not lose it.
"The most important thing now is to get things working to a pattern.
"I want to get points on the board to cheer the fans up and base the rest of the season on clean sheets. Everyone needs to work hard out there from one to 11 to 16.
"The board have a dream for the club they love and we have to try to fulfil those dreams but we will take it one step at a time.
"The fact is we have not won enough games which we must address and get points on the board. We must turn this season into a positive."
