Mansfield Town on the up, but no room for complacency says Stephen McLaughlin
Mansfield Town have managed a good early season points return, despite a string of injuries, and seen more facilities open at the One Call Stadium and RH Academy.
It is without doubt a club on the up, but veteran defender Stephen McLaughlin, one of the club's longest-serving players, warned against any complacency as the side continue to try to establish themselves in League One.
“This club has been developing over the years I have been here,” he said.
“Our facilities have been growing. More and more of the Academy players come to train with us and you can see that bit by bit it is developing.
“These things do not happen overnight – it is a long process.
“But we see what everyone behind the scenes is doing and it is a good place to be involved.
“The facilities and everything here are League One standard without a shadow of a doubt.
“But you can't get too comfortable in this league. You can't just assume you are a League One club. It doesn't work like that.
“You have to get results. Once you get too comfortable and sit back then you will get egg on your face. I have seen it happen over many a year.
“So we are fully focused on cementing our place in this league this year again and building on it.
“We had League One players in the team last year and have added some more, so we are very aware of what it takes to stay in this league.
“The league chops and changes every week. Anybody can beat anyone at any given time, so you cannot relax.
“You just need to pick up a nice run of games, it goes a long way.
“And you can't dwell on defeats around here as if you do, one defeat becomes two then becomes three. And before you know it you are in trouble.
“You just have to dust yourself off and go again.”
McLaughlin recently achieved his 200th game in a Stags shirt over his five year stay and said: “I am pleased, but I have had a couple of injuries so I wish it were more.
“But to achieve that at Mansfield, I am very proud of that and I hope there are many more to come as well.
“I don't like moving too much and if I like a place I will do everything I can to stay there. I don't like moving my family around.
“And the only way you get to stay is by performances on the pitch.
“So my main objective is to play here as long as I can, play as many games as I can and put the performances in to have the trust of the management team, which I think they have in me.
“Until that changes I hope I will be staying here.
“I love it here. I have been saying for the last couple of years that I really enjoy it here. The fans are great and the staff are great.
“It goes part and parcel when you are enjoying it that you play your best football.”
McLaughlin was again given the honour of captaining the side for last week's home win over Rotherham United with skipper Ryan Sweeney suspended.
“I only found out when the team sheet went up and I was happy to be captain,” he said.
“It is a job I enjoy. It puts more responsibility on you on the pitch with more communication and talking and making sure everything is all right.
“Your mentality out there is always the same though, you try to be yourself.
“Talking to people and stuff is what I do anyway. But when you get the captain's armband it probably lifts you 5-10 per cent.
“There is more onus on you to instruct and the boys are listening to you. But it does not change how I play.”
Stags have soldiered on with a long injury list, though have just welcomed back Deji Oshilaja and Rhys Oates, despite both being well short of full fitness as yet.
“They are massive players and when they are not playing they are a big miss,” said McLaughlin.
“Deji is rock solid at the back and you know what you are going to get from him, and with Oatesy you are never quite sure what you're going to get.
“He just causes danger with his pace, power and direct running.”
With that injury list, McLaughlin said it was hard to really assess the start to the season.
“It is difficult as we have had so many injuries. We have not really had a settled team in the last couple of months,” he said.
“So the 10 game line we reached last week, which is usually first base, is not really a reflection of what we are capable of.
“I would like to see where we are in 10 games time when we have the boys back and fit and everyone fighting for places like they were at the start of the season.
“That will be interesting. But, overall, we can be quite happy with what has been dealt us.
“We have got some good results and some poor results as well. That is the way football is and we move on.”
Mansfield head for Reading on Saturday – a club they have never beaten away from home at either of the Royals' stadiums in the past.
“Reading are a big football club with a nice pitch and a good stadium – I can't wait,” he said.
“It's another big game for us.
“We will probably still have the same players we had last weekend, I don't think anyone else will be back. So we will go again and we will fight.”