Graham Coughlan backs Mansfield Town’s ‘good bunch’ to bury last season’s frustrations

Rebuilding and repairing Mansfield Town is Graham Coughlan's first priority this season.
Graham Coughlan. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Graham Coughlan. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Graham Coughlan. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

After finishing 21st last campaign, the Stags boss is demanding much better from his first full season at the One Call Stadium.

"I'd be daft to start talking about what we can and can't do," he said when asked about his targets this season.

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"You just don't know what's round the corner in football. We'll be honest, hard working and we'll be at them, fit and giving our all.

"We've got a really good bunch of lads. Who knows where that will take us? We will be giving it our all.

"There's no point saying we're going to do this, we're going to do that. There will be one or two dark horses in this division, every year somebody unexpected does well.

"We're just hoping we can do better than last year. Last year was relatively poor.

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"We've a long way to go, we've got to remember the team finished 21st in the division. It wasn't a relegation fight, I'm 100 per cent sure it wasn't, I don't think we were ever in serious trouble.

"But we were down there and in a bad way. It's picking them up, getting everybody together and trying to build and repair this football club."

The Stags will kick off their League Two season by hosting Tranmere Rovers this afternoon (KO 3pm).

While the buzz of a new season is evident, the manager admits it won't feel the same without the fans there to get behind the team.

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"I've been relatively lucky, the fans have been brilliant towards me. If the truth be known they've been excellent," Coughlan continued.

"They obviously can see what we're trying to do. They know my character, they know I won't leave them short and I'll do my damnedest for them.

"But it is very, very strange. My wife and kids say 'you must be looking forward to Saturday as there's no-one there to give you any stick'. But that's part and parcel of it.

"You can't beat football without crowds, football and crowds go together.

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"Without the crowd it's really strange, surreal. As a player I always needed that edge to my game and I suppose there's players in the same scenario. They're a big part of this football club and they will be missed."