Nigel Clough wants Mansfield Town players to 'play like he knows they can' until the end of the season

Nigel Clough wants his Mansfield players to ‘play like he knows they can.’
Nigel Clough wants his players to show what they can do until the end of the season. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)Nigel Clough wants his players to show what they can do until the end of the season. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Nigel Clough wants his players to show what they can do until the end of the season. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Stags are now six games without an away win following the 1-0 defeat at Crawley Town on Saturday.

It capped another Jekyll and Hyde week for Mansfield who had beaten league leaders Cheltenham in midweek to keep up their good run of home form.

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“I want the players to play as they can from now to the end of the season,” said Clough.

“We know we can do it and we need to do it week in week out.

“You have to do that every week if you’re going to be successful in this league.

“You can't beat the league leaders and then go and lose the next game by conceding such a soft goal.

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“We were in a position of comfort against Crawley and lost the game from nothing.

“The pattern that has emerged in away games is giving away soft goals. I don't know why it's different between home and away. Generally speaking we are creating chances and situations away, but we are not putting them away

“We seem to be more wasteful away from home.”

Stags begin a run of three home games in a row on Tuesday night against Carlisle, with Grimsby Town to follow on Saturday and Forest Green next Tuesday.

They go into the Carlisle game likely to be without the injured Ollie Clarke and George Lapslie.

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It is a run of games which Clough is keen to start and knows it could officially seal survival.

“We have been very good at home, even in the games we have lost,” he added.

“We had good wins over Morecambe and Cheltenham so we are looking forward to having a run of games at home.

“We seem to have been on the road a lot recently and have just had two long away trips from one end of the country to the other with Barrow and Crawley.

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“The next three games can go a long way to securing our safety.”

Once safety is assured Clough will turn his attention to preparations for next season and has warned his players that they are playing for their places.

“We know where we are in terms of the team and where we need to progress,” said Clough.

“Each game highlights what we need and where we need to get to in order to be a team that will challenge.

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“Most of the players are in contract for next season, there are a few out of contract, but that is irrelevant.

“They are playing to stay at the club if they want to be a part of what we want to do.

“We are having discussions and we know the positions we need to strengthen.”

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