Boss Steve Evans aiming to improve the game of Jacob Mellis

Mansfield Town boss Steve Evans is aiming to improve the other side of midfield maestro Jacob Mellis' game.
Jacob Mellis of Mansfield Town during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Mansfield Town and Stevenage at the One Call Stadium, Mansfield, England on 18 November 2017. Photo by Leila Coker / PRiME Media Images.Jacob Mellis of Mansfield Town during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Mansfield Town and Stevenage at the One Call Stadium, Mansfield, England on 18 November 2017. Photo by Leila Coker / PRiME Media Images.
Jacob Mellis of Mansfield Town during the Sky Bet League 2 match between Mansfield Town and Stevenage at the One Call Stadium, Mansfield, England on 18 November 2017. Photo by Leila Coker / PRiME Media Images.

Mellis was left out at Port Vale on Tuesday but was outstanding going forward against Stevenage last Saturday and is hoping on a recall for tomorrow’s derby with Chesterfield.

Evans said: “I think Jacob is so gifted that he probably thinks when he goes into a club in the summer he gets fit by playing football.

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“But the way modern day football is, you get fit to play football.

“We are working so hard with Jacob behind the scenes, telling him what to do – and he is working so hard and putting the hours in to get there.

“You see some of the passes and movement, he sees things, I have to say it, no one else on the pitch and no one else in the stadium sees.

“That’s why he was at Chelsea and I had people like the great legend Ray Wilkins calling me the day we signed Jacob and telling me we had signed technically as good a player as anyone in the Chelsea squad at that time.

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“Of course, they were up there competing at the top of the Premier League. It shows you the type of player we have got.

“But we need his focus and concentration. If we don’t get that and he doesn’t do the defensive side, then he’s going to spend a lot of Saturday afternoons sitting next to me up in the seats.”

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