OPINION: Nigel Clough is the man to take Mansfield Town back to where they belong

Nottingham Forest legend Nigel Clough has been unveiled as the new manager of League Two outfit Mansfield Town on a contract until 2023.

The former Reds ace checks in at One Call Stadium with the Stags yet to win a match in the fourth tier this season.

Clough replaced Graham Coughlan who was sacked last month with the club’s poor start leaving the Irishman in a position that proved untenable.

The 54-year-old has been out of work since May when he left Burton Albion to help the League One side balance the books.

He arrives in North Nottinghamshire with his trusted right-hand man, Gary Crosby and his brother Simon, who will take up a role as the club’s Head of

Recruitment.

Clough spent eight years at the City Ground in total, scoring 130 goals and helping the club to four cup finals.

He also spent time at Manchester City and Liverpool and is a respected man when it comes to English football.

The Stags have badly lost their way in recent years.

An astonishing capitulation at the end of the 2018/19 campaign saw Mansfield throw away automatic promotion and then lose in the semi-final of the play-offs.

Quite simply, they’ve not yet recovered from that gut-wrenching escapade.

Last season, Coughlan’s men toiled and finished in a lowly 21st place with the campaign curtailed after 36 matches.

Supporters cited a lack of any real strategy under the ex-Bristol Rovers man and in Clough they have appointed a meticulous manager who will have a clear plan.

Attacking football is typically the order of the day for the son of the legendary Brian Clough and that should delight the Stags faithful.

Clough has opted for a number of styles during his career, with 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 often showcased during his time at Burton Albion.

He remarkably led the Brewers to the Carabao Cup semi-final during the 2018/19 campaign - with his team beating Forest along the way.

Clough might not be the most glamorous appointment to some Mansfield supporters.

A trendy, modern-day manager he is perhaps not but that shouldn’t worry Stags supporters.

The man who served Forest with distinction has taken the old-fashioned values from his dad’s style of management and adapted them accordingly to today’s game.

He will command the respect of the dressing room and working hard will become a trait that is non-negotiable in the Mansfield dressing room on his watch.

Too often in recent years the Stags have settled for second best - and that simply won’t do.

For far too long managers have taken liberties with the ambitious John Radford and his backing.

Clough won’t do that. Okay, he might want a couple of his own players in January - name a manager who wouldn’t?

What he won’t do though is expect the financial backing to be a given and he’ll be more than happy to work with what he has at his disposal.

The Radfords deserve immense praise for what they have done for the town’s football club.

They warrant a manager who matches their commitment to the club’s cause and Clough might finally be that man.

A proud history when it comes to academy players and them graduating to the first-team should also excite the club’s supporters.

The Stags and the people behind the scenes have big plans for their academy.

They do some great things at the club’s RH Academy and it would be no surprise to see a few young players graduate during Clough’s tenure.

The ex-talisman looks like being a safe pair of hands for Mansfield Town and he’s arguably the biggest name to have ever worked for the football club.

Watch this space, but some light seems to have appeared at the end of a dark tunnel for the Stags.

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