Martin Paterson: 'Notts County must not get caught up in the occasion against Mansfield Town'
Notts County manager Martin Paterson wants his side to focus on their performance and not the occasion of the derby this weekend.
Paterson will get his first taste of Nottinghamshire Derby action on Saturday but he has stressed he doesn’t want his team to get caught up in the occasion of it all.
Notts County returned to League One following their promotion back in May, adding the local derby back onto the season calendar.
Speaking to club media ahead of Saturday’s visit to the One Call Stadium, Paterson made it clear the team’s game plan is to focus fully on performing as they would any other week.
“We’ve got lots of rivalries but I’m clear of what game we’re going into, so are the players. But what I have to say is that we’ve got to be mindful that you play the game of football in front of you,” the manager said.
“We obviously know it’s got a lot on it in terms of supporters and the emotion of both sets but the most important thing is we remain calm and do what we do well and don’t play the occasion.
“I think sometimes people can get caught up far too much in the feeling and emotion and the grey matter around it, while forgetting their job is to play football, run, compete and create moments with the ball. So, we’re fully aware but I like to focus on ourselves.
“Every game is almost a derby match for us. We approach every game as the three points absolutely matter and this is no different, it just adds a little bit on top because of what it is.”
Mansfield Town and Notts County both enter the derby clash following positive results last week. Stags earned back-to-back wins on the road, scoring seven goals in the process, while the Magpies played out two unbeaten fixtures at home. They started with a 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday before drawing against Stockport County.
Paterson praised Stags’ record at home so far this season and cited their upcoming visit as a chance for them to make a statement and break their impressive unbeaten run. Mansfield Town haven’t lost a league match at the One Call Stadium since February.
“I think their home record has been good, so it’s an opportunity but one that we approach quite humbly with the confidence in ourselves when we do things right,” Paterson said.
“We’ve got to carry that confidence because rarely this season have we been out of games. We’ve been inside all of the games in my opinion, it’s just those small margins.
“So we’ve got to be really focused and if we can, let’s enjoy it as well. There’s a lot of talk about games like this – I look forward to them and so should the players.”