OPINION: Splashing the cash wouldn't guarantee success for Mansfield Town, it's all about what you do with it that counts

Now that’s not to say Stags aren’t a great club. They are a brilliant club, a club that is the heart and soul of our community, a club that does things right and one that makes us all proud.

But are Stags a club that are going to - or even capable of - splashing the cash to surge up next season’s League One table? No, not really.

There’s been plenty of interesting debate amongst fans in recent weeks as to which avenue Stags should go down during the summer transfer window.

The fans who want to see the Radfords/Clough splash the cash on a few ‘marquee signings’ are very likely going to be disappointed.

Stags have slowly but surely improved the squad over the last three seasons, with impressive results, by effectively dipping into the loan market for the likes of Jamie McDonnell and unpolished gems such as Davis Keillor-Dunn.

It’s a tried and trusted strategy for Nigel and one that he is certain to pursue this summer. He’s already signalled his desire “to find the ones that others might just miss or the ones that have gone under the radar, whether they have been injured for a while or have lost form.” and to add just three of four to bolster what is currently a solid squad.

No-one is doubting that the Mansfield squad is tough to beat and has the foundations to be at least a top half side. Do they have the quality to be a top six team? Not just yet.

Spending big is often seen as the quick-fix solution. Who wouldn’t want to just buy their way out of League One Birmingham City or Wrexham style?

Stags will never have that sort of cash of course but, even with money, success isn’t guaranteed.

Plymouth spent £1.3m on Lorent Tolaj in August, and more than £2m in total, and they have had it all on just to get into the top six.

Huddersfield spent a more than tidy £1.4m on Alfie May, and over £2.5m in total, for their expected promotion push and their season has been an underachieving disaster.

Luton awash with cash and it’s not exactly worked out for them either.

Last season Carlisle United went big, very big, on players and wages in a bid to get out of League Two. It worked. The trouble is they invested that money so badly it ended up with relegation to the National League.

My point being, it’s all about how you spend those transfer funds. You have to find the right player at the right price to compliment what you have already got and fill in the gaps that the squad is missing. Goals in Mansfield’s case.

They may not play very attractive football but you simply can’t question what a good job Alex Revell has done at Stevenage with very little resources at his disposal.

It’s a squad that has mixed promising Premier League 2 youngsters and a lot of free transfers with some experienced campaigners to create a team that has consistently challenged for the play-offs all season and given the big boys a run for their money.

Money helps, but it’s not an instant recipe for success. We’re all going to be waiting with interest to see which players come through the door at Stags during the summer.

For now we have to keep the faith in Nigel and trust him to get it right. Afterall, his time at Stags certainly shows he knows how to keep building and improving his squads.