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Behind Enemy Lines: A Mansfield Town
Fans' View
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It's FA Cup weekend with Newcastle facing a tricky home tie against
Mansfield Town. Here we go behind enemy lines to get you the pre-match
views of long time Mansfield fan Rob, who helps run
the SSA
(Stags Supporters Association) website Rob gives us the lowdown on
his team and his thoughts on Newcastle.
Q: Your side is currently 19th in League Two, after a 0-0 draw
with Lincoln a few days ago. Do you see this as acceptable,
or is there some discontent about the club's situation? |
No this is completely unacceptable. We are a small club, we know we
are a small club and our aspirations match the facts. However, in
this division we should be competing for at least a play-off place
and our aim has to be to achieve regular League 1 status. We will
not achieve this under the current Chairman, who continues to take
very large sums of money out of the club, which to date including
loans to his other company, stands at £1-2m - to a club like
ours that is a massive amount of money.
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Q: What were your thoughts when you drew Newcastle in the draw
for the third round? |
Sadly, whilst most lower league club supporters would rejoice at this
cup draw because of the finances it will bring into the club, most
Stags fans are aware that it is likely virtually none of the money
will be invested back into the club. However, fans are of course excited
about seeing their team play at such a wonderful venue - a couple
of seasons ago we'd have given you a real game too!!
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Q: A quick glance at your squad seems to show striker Richard
Barker as the biggest threat to our goal. Can you tell us a
bit more about him? |
Ritchie is a typical Number 9, not the fastest, but great in the air,
has a good shot on him and gives absolutely everything to the team.
He is hugely popular at the club, as he has been at his previous clubs
Rotherham and Macclesfield, the latter even named a fanzine after
him.
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Q: Your manager, Peter Shirtliff, took over from Carlton Palmer
only a few weeks ago. Do you think this was a good appointment? |
Many fans wanted an experienced manager installed to repair the considerable
damage done by Palmer (personal friend of the Chairman!!). However,
Peter has done a good job since he took over, averaging almost 2 points
a game. He knows he need to strengthen the squad to get us up the
league table, he also knows that he is unlikely to get the money he
needs.
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Q: How is your club doing financially, in an era when many teams
are going into administration? |
The club has seen record receipts in recent seasons, in terms of gate
receipts, TV revenue and transfer fees. At the same time the owner
has taken a similar amount of money out of the club. Hence we are
where we are, nowhere. Not in any trouble at the moment, but not going
anywhere either until we get someone to run the club for the club's
benefit and not his own.
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Q: The FA Cup third round is famous for producing upsets, do
you foresee one on Saturday? |
Not on current form, but we live in hope.
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Q: Your goalkeeper, Kevin Pressman, is 38 years-old. Does he
still have what it takes or is he past his best? |
At first we all thought he was past his best, but recently his form
has been excellent. I've certainly changed my mind about him. He's
solidly built right enough, but is also consistent and makes few errors.
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Q: Some have said that lower league football is the closest
thing left to the game 'in the good old days'. Do you feel this
way or has the emergence of Sky had an effect? |
Like most football fans I enjoy Sky's coverage. However, the huge
amount of money they have put into the game has seen the Premiership
over-run with foreign players which cannot be good for our national
team. Many young English players are finding it hard to break into
Premiership sides and as a result are dropping down the leagues. In
recent seasons we have had Jonathan Fortune of Charlton and Leigh
Bromby of Sheffield United on loan and at present have Man City's
Jonathen D'Laryea on loan. Therefore, I would say the standard of
lower league football has risen because players who would previously
have broken into the first teams of bigger clubs are now having to
drop down the leagues to find regular 1st team football.
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Q: Mansfield have been in various playoff games over the past
few years, do you think they are a fair way of deciding promotion? |
The play-off system is superb. We had a fantastic day at the Millennium,
spoiled only by losing on penalties. Before the system was introduced
our season would be over now, however, we are only 7 points off the
play-offs. Everyone knows at the start of the season what position
they need to finish in to get automatic promotion so I have no sympathy
with teams who claim they should be promoted because had they finished
3rd or 4th under the previous system they would have been promoted.
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Q: How will your team line up on Saturday and what can we expect
from them? |
We have considerable injury problems at the moment, like you only
on a much smaller squad. Barker has a back problem, though he may
play, Brown, our quickest player, is almost certainly out. We may
have signed Darren Caskey in time for the game so his experience will
be important. Our best player is Alex John-Baptiste, a 19 year old
centre half and one being watched by many big clubs. We play 4-4-2,
two wide players who can beat players on their day. We are strong
(at our level) at centre half but our weakness is generally an inexperienced
midfield and a small squad unable to cope with many injuries.
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Q: Who do you view as the dangerman in the Newcastle team, a
player who might cause you problems? |
Not sure what players you'll have fit, though quick wide players would
give us a problem or two - N'Zogbia would be a real threat to us I
think.
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Q: If you were given the choice of swapping your current manager
for Graham Souness, what would your choice be? |
Q: If you were given the choice of swapping your current manager for
Graham Souness, what would your choice be?
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Q: Can you see any weaknesses in our team that you think your
team will try and exploit? |
Centre of defence, but without Brown I don't think we have the pace
to exploit it.
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Q: And finally, a prediction for Saturday? |
Head says 3-0 Newcastle, but the heart says a Stags 1-0 win, 92nd
minute OG by Bramble.
Many thanks to Rob for his answers and also to our
very own Aphrodite for setting the questions, much
appreciated lads.
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