Important week as Mansfield Town target top three placings with two home games

Two home games in four days could propel Mansfield Town into the early chase for automatic promotion.
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Bradford City are the visitors on Saturday followed by Carlisle United on Tuesday and, after Saturday's fine 3-1 away win at Doncaster Rovers, boss Nigel Clough admitted: “These are two very important games now.

“We have got ourselves on the fringes of things and by the middle of next week we could be right in the thick of chasing the top three, which is our aim.

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“There is certainly no complacency, despite how good our home form has been. These will be as tough as any.

Stags boss Nigel Clough - crucial week.Stags boss Nigel Clough - crucial week.
Stags boss Nigel Clough - crucial week.

“Our home form has been incredible for almost a year now, so let's keep it going.

“People may see we have Bradford and Carlisle and think that will be six points.

“It doesn't always work out like that, though we hope we can get it. But they are two unbelievably tough games.”

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He continued: “Bradford have made a steady start but I think there is a lot more to come from them.

“They probably have one of the strongest squads – certainly in terms of numbers – in the league.

“Mark Hughes will still be putting his stamp on things there, so it will be – as we found out last year – a very tough prospect.

“We lost 3-2 at home to them early on in the season. We went toe to toe with them but just lost out in the last few minutes.

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“Bradford will have a big following. In terms of the crowds they get, without doubt they are the biggest club in the league. And they will be looking to get back up into League One and beyond sooner than later.

“I would expect them to be up among the pacesetters once the league has settled down after 15 games or so.

“But we just want to go out there and play the same way no matter who we're playing against – and that is at home or away.

“We took almost a third of the crowd to Doncaster on Saturday but we say it's at home where we have to do our business. We know we'll get a fantastic following behind us.”

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Ahead of the two home games, Clough took his squad into Nottingham for a team bonding meal this week.

“We always try to do it this time of year after the transfer window so new players can settle in,” he said.

“This is the squad in place now bar maybe a free agent coming in, so it's a good time to get everyone together.

“We do encourage players to organised their own things as well. Some do it with partners and without partners. They have their own social gatherings.

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“It is an absolutely vital part of the team building and bonding. No one goes silly and gets absolutely legless or anything like that.

“We have two big games coming up and we're training in the morning. It is more about sitting down together to eat – and not a pre-match situation.

“We do it for pre-match for away games but this is different. It's more relaxed and you get to know a lot about your team mates in these sort of scenarios.”