OPINION: Mansfield Town's defeat to Wigan exposes frailities, but seeing the bigger picture is a must

The defeat was perhaps even more frustrating with Stags largely the architect of their own downfall.

Two uncharacteristic defensive lapses, coupled with two moments of quality from Wigan, proved to be the difference in a game where there really wasn’t much between the sides.

It wasn’t Frazer Blake-Tracy’s day with his lack of care with the football gifting Wigan possession to open the scoring. Though, in fairness, you have to say hats off to Raphael Borges Rodrigues for that cracking pass to open Stags up.

Blake-Tracy was then beaten all ends up for pace by Joe Naylor before conceding the penalty that ultimately lost the game.

In fairness to Frazer, he wasn’t the only one who had a defensive display to forget with Nigel Clough particularly unhappy with Ryan Sweeny finding himself out of position for the first and Deji Oshilaja for not making better decisions in the lead up to the second.

Every team, especially at League One level, is going to make mistakes and it cost Stags yesterday.

But that shouldn’t detract from the overall picture that Stags are still a solid defensive unit and will continue to be so. They don’t have the fourth best record in League One by accident.

But the defeat - coupled with the draw against Burton five days earlier - does

show that Stags really need that little bit of added quality in forward areas if they are to kick on.

Both Burton and Wigan were there for the taking. At the very least those two games should have yielded more than a solitary point.

More often than not Borges Rodrigues’ pass would probably have been overhit or mis-placed, it was just Mansfield’s luck that it was delivered bang on the money. But, if the boot had been on the other foot, would Stags have had a player to have delivered a pass that good?

Stags huffed and puffed to no avail against Burton and Wigan and, aside from a few isolated moments, they never really looked like finding the goal they needed.

Fifty goals in 40 games isn’t great, but it’s also not disastrous. Bradford sit third having scored two more and Stevenage are in the play-offs having only banged in 43 goals.

Four defeats in 21 games is an impressive record, but 10 draws during that run is telling and if Stags are to continue climbing the table and progressing then double-headers such as the Burton and Wigan scenario have to start returning at least four points.

Nigel, of course, knows this and he’s already signalled what his early intentions will be this summer with more attacking edge the order of the day.

In football there’s nothing like a defeat or a flat performance for causing panic amongst the fans and calls for big changes.

If you’re playing post-game bingo then one phrase that ‘s sure to be muttered by any manager up and down the land is ‘not getting carried away when we win and not getting too down when we lose’ - so basically keeping perspective.

That perspective is important right now with elements of the Stags fanbase calling for big changes to the squad and for more ‘ambition’ to be shown.

But let’s just take stock of where we are. Stags are only in their second season back in League One after two decades away and it takes time to put a squad together who can challenge for the top six. There’s far bigger clubs than Stags in the league right now who are also struggling to challenge.

The bigger picture though is encouraging. Stags will survive this season and do it with an improved points tally and, most likely, an improved finishing position.

Of course, it’s important to get back on track at Orient on Tuesday night, And it’s just as important to remain level and calm after WIgan.

The bigger picture is looking positive with Nigel steering a very steady ship right now. Let’s not try to run before we can walk.

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