Stags squad kept on tenterhooks
Published Date:
24 April 2008
STAGS boss Paul Holland looks likely to have a full squad training with him tomorrow, but will leave it until the very last minute before making one of his most crucial team selections of the season for Saturday's home clash with Rotherham.
Mansfield could be relegated if everything goes wrong for them on Saturday and Holland know he has to get the combination exactly right to keep the Great Escape on course.
Gareth Jelleyman is back in training today after his Achilles' tendon injury while skipper Jake Buxton is available again after completing a two game ban and Holland said: "It is important to have everyone fit and there are going to be some disappointed faces in that dressing room.
"I will leave it until the last minute before I announce the starting side.
"You can only pick 11 and those who are not selected I expect to be mature and professional about it.
"I have not decided which 11 I will go with yet. I will be watching the players very closely in training.
"That's how it should be. If you are doing it in training then you should deserve a chance on the Saturday – nothing should be set in stone.
"You can't coast through training at this standard."
Last weekend's thrilling 3-1 home victory against Shrewsbury kept their hopes of the Great Escape alive for another week and Holland said: "I was pleased to have this week free to enjoy last Saturday's victory and let the other sides down there worry about the form we are in.
"We are at home where we have taken seven points out of nine and should have had nine, being 2-0 up against Barnet.
"I probably should have changed things in that game but you have to learn by your mistakes so you don't make them again.
"It is important I stay calm and positive for the players but come Saturday I will be as nervous as anyone.
"I am a Mansfield Town fan and I think that is important as I do care where this football club is going.
"We have given ourselves a great chance after it looked so slim not long back. But we have to grab it with both hands.
"You do look at the table and all the possibilities and permutations. But it's what we do on Saturday that is important.
"If we win we could be out the bottom two and even go up three or four places going into the last game which would be a great filip.
"We could have gone down last weekend but we didn't. We could go down this weekend but we are not going to. We are very positive."
Top scorer and last weekend's hat-trick hero Mickey Boulding is avoiding full training on his ankle injury but working hard and Holland added: "Mickey will be following the same programme he did last Thursday and Friday which certainly seemed to work. Hopefully it will have the same result this Saturday!"
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Last Updated:
24 April 2008 1:29 PM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Mansfield