Boss Flitcroft ready to forgive if want-away Rose remains a Mansfield Town player

Mansfield Town manager David Flitcroft said he was ready to forgive and forget if striker Danny Rose opts to come off the transfer list.
Mansfield Town v Accrington Stanley. 
Danny Rose scores after coming on as a second half substitute.Mansfield Town v Accrington Stanley. 
Danny Rose scores after coming on as a second half substitute.
Mansfield Town v Accrington Stanley. Danny Rose scores after coming on as a second half substitute.

But he admitted the player could still go out on loan before the end of the month if another club came in with Stags’; market value on a permanent deal in January.

After requesting to go on the transfer list only to see his proposed move to Peterborough United collapse on deadline day, Rose has been left in limbo but came on a substitute in last night’s 6-1 hammering of Accrington Stanley and scored within a minute of joining the action.

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Flitcroft said Rose had been manipulated, lied to and deceived by Peterborough but, if he wanted to stay and was prepared to knuckle down, he could still have a future at Manfield.

“To score the goal he did, it was nice to see the Danny of old,” said Flitcroft.

“He ran for me like he did when I was at Bury and when I was at Barnsley.

“You could see Danny Rose at full flight tonight with a desire to go and score that goal which meant so much to him. It was important.

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“Anyone in football and in life will tell you that forgiveness is the best human quality. I am not stubborn in anything I do. I am always professional.

“He was worried about turning out tonight after some of the stuff about him on social media.

“But I thought it was the right game in which to put him on and introduce him back into what we are doing. He trained on Monday and got in a good half-an-hour against Accrington for some more fitness.”

Flitcroft was adamant that Peterborough failed to make the required offer for Rose while telling the player they had.

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“The valuation was not met for Danny so he is Mansfield Town player. He is contracted to Mansfield Town,” he said.

“Danny has made a mistake. We all do. I make hundreds and he now needs my support.

“He’s been led down the line. He’s been lied to and manipulated by the buying club.

“This is a kid that’s been manipulated, been lied to and been deceived.

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“He got told he was a Peterborough player and that they had put the bid in the chairman wanted.

“The chairman had a valuation that one million per cent was never met.

“Danny Rose got told ‘put your transfer request in because it’s been met’.

“When he put the request in – that’s not Danny Rose. I know him as a person.

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“He was being worked behind the scenes and it’s a shame as he’s a lovely kid. I have always had a good relationship with him and it was nice to see him back to his old self again tonight.”

Flitcroft said Rose now needed to win over Stags supporters, most of whom who cheered his introduction last night amid a smattering of boos.

“He was absolutely outright told he was a Peterborough player and Danny chose to believe it. Now he can knuckle down and what might come out of this could be a good thing,” said the manager.

“The fans have got to fall in love with him again. For that he has to work himself into the ground like Danny Rose does. He has to make himself available at all times and commit to his work as he is a Mansfield Town player.

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“He knows he has got to win his fans back over. He’s already done that once and he knows he’s got to do it again.

“He will fight for them, scrap for them and run for them. That’s what the Mansfield public need. That’s what they are desperate for and that’s what Danny has got to do now.

“He has not done that since I’ve been here. Certainly tonight I saw the Danny Rose of old and I am delighted for him.”

Flitcroft said he almost took Rose to Yeovil but decided to give him the weekend off.

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“We had a really good chat regarding the move not happening. He wasn’t right to feature on Saturday – his head space was wrong,” he said.

“He very nearly came with us to Yeovil. But I thought there was too much background noise – too much of a circus.

“We spoke on Sunday, then met up on Monday morning and had a good hour’s heart talking about what I wanted.”

He added: “The values of Danny Rose have always been - and will always be - hard work, sincerity and goals. That is Danny Rose.

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“They are his raw qualities. That’s what his family expects of him and what I expect from him.

“That was the Danny Rose of old last night – his willingness to go and score that goal was incredible. It was like turning back the clock.

“He hasn’t done that while I’ve been manager, that’s pretty obvious.”

The manager said the next step was the player deciding he wanted to come off the transfer list.

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“That’s another discussion,” said Flitcroft. “There are still 10 days or so of the loan window.

“If the valuation was met we might look to do business. But it hasn’t been and it never was. The chairman has stood strong with it.,

“We are a football club but we are also a business. The chairman and Carolyn (CEO Radford) support this club incredibly, funding it to a massive tune, and I have come to try to make it a sustainable business.

“Danny is a Mansfield player and will be treated like one.

“It’s been difficult to get him involved as I knew his head was somewhere else.

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“But when Ivan Toney got done Danny knew the deal was off. We just said no problem – you are not a victim. Let’s just knuckle down.

“You have a fantastic contact here so go and earn your money. That’s what we are working towards.”