Let's talk about the Mansfield Town game

[selby]

  A local derby against a team that were a cut above us the last time we met, were the team and manager most of us  fancied to be nearer the pop of the league than where they are at the moment, and in their last league game surrendered a two goal advantage at home to Barrow who ran out winners at 2-3.
  Both sides have also lost players to other clubs in the last week or so and no doubt will have new players on show for their fans in this game, all trying to make first time impressions on both the fans and new managers, so more interest in the game than usual, and our fans of a certain age we will naturally be looking for another Mansfield moment to lift the spirits.
  Our squad looks to be in the process of a player turn over that is likely to carry on into this week after this thread is started today, or hopefully so, with two signings a full back and central defender through the welcome door and potentially a striker from Scunthorpe who seems to have ruffled the feathers of the entitlement brigade of  supporters just being from Scunthorpe, what a joke.
   With Olowu Barlow and Faulkner now back training we should be in a much better place, Hopefully Anderson is also fit, and hopefully we can get someone in the midfield area before the weekend  and finally look forward to better things, at least the bench should look much stronger.
  One thing is for sure this game will not be easy, going to Mansfield never is, and in Nigel Clough they have a manager who knows the game inside out, and fields teams that are a least competitive and strong.  The team is sprinkled with players that are experienced like Hawkins,  Swan, and McLoughlin who have been around the block and the keeper Pym once touted for a much higher place in football when leaving Plymouth for Peterborough, but ran into Ferguson and his player development scheme.
   So lot's to look forward to all the usual questions carrying even more weight and intrigue this week.
     What team will we field?
     Will new players mean a change in tactics?
     Will the new players start?
     Are you thinking of another Mansfield moment?
 lots to discuss, lots to look forward to in the days to this game, Please have your say.
     
   

[Dutch Uncle]

Hawkins has joined Lapslie at Gillingham

[Reg of the Rovers]

Got my tickets, hoping for another afternoon like Grimsby - get on the front foot and get them running backwards. Be good to see the new Miller in action, but Hurst and Molynuex should start for me - if we've a new striker in for Sat I'd throw them in the deep end and play two up top. Feeling a win on the cards for Sat!!

[selby]

 Thanks for that info Dutch let's hope those that come in are not as good as those two and their team is weakened rather than strengthened, it could be a good time to play them as it looks like us they are going for a reset, although they start from probably a stronger place, hopefully not.

[Colemans Left Hook]

they have always been weak defensively from crosses and are specialists in getting their players sent off ( see the Harrogate home game last season (2 off) plus many other examples both last season and this.

Player wise they run a very tight ship a squad of only 16-17 -- so when the "Gillingham Piper" (no Robin Hood !!) raided them twice they very quickly used the cash to buy 2 replacements

that's why ( injuries plus red cards) they were bottom (or next bottom) when they drew us in the F A  Cup and one poster on here said "easy easy " draw to the next round

as we know they have a couple of Notts Forest "ringers " on loan centre half plus center forward

to boost our confidence watch this Mansfield 2 Swindon 5 from earlier in the season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK2dmOh0jK8

and of course Mansfield got a player sent off

[Padge_DRFC]

They were miles better than us when they beat us at our place. We're now weaker also than then. Knoyle and Tomlin both played that day. Tomlin certainly hasn't been replaced at all

[roversdude]

Have we sold out

[ravenrover]

Do you mean the Club?

[roversdude]

Lol

[Jimmydee]

There’s going to be a big rovers following so that should boost our players enthusiasm.

[ForsolongaRover]

You might guess that since Gillingham’s new wealthy owner(s) are both desperate for success and in need of it urgently that Mansfield might well have got the asking price for those they sold.

Thus they will have money themselves to invest in replacements that could be better than those they have shipped out. So we might hope that the players in question will not have arrived in time for Saturday. Clough doesn’t have to rush and may well hang out for the best deal and the window doesn’t close till the middle of next week.

[Campsall rover]

they have always been weak defensively from crosses and are specialists in getting their players sent off ( see the Harrogate home game last season (2 off) plus many other examples both last season and this.

Player wise they run a very tight ship a squad of only 16-17 -- so when the "Gillingham Piper" (no Robin Hood !!) raided them twice they very quickly used the cash to buy 2 replacements

that's why ( injuries plus red cards) they were bottom (or next bottom) when they drew us in the F A  Cup and one poster on here said "easy easy " draw to the next round

as we know they have a couple of Notts Forest "ringers " on loan centre half plus center forward

to boost our confidence watch this Mansfield 2 Swindon 5 from earlier in the season

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK2dmOh0jK8

and of course Mansfield got a player sent off

Sorry to be pedantic CLH but who the heck are Notts Forest.  It really annoys me and I am not a Forest or County fan. Sorry.   
The other thing that annoys me is calling the Premier League the Premiership.  That’s in Scotland or the Rugby Union version.  Not you that one CLH that’s a dig at my friend Brian ( Selby ) and a few others.
Sorry Brian.   

[ravenrover]

Mansfield new signings Reed, Kilgour,, Johnson they've acted quickly

[Campsall rover]

Mansfield new signings Reed, Kilgour,, Johnson they've acted quickly

Johnson is a very good signing. Big blow to Walsall where he had been on loan this season and scored goals.
Surprised he is surplus to requirements at Leyton Orient who were his parent club.
They do have a few strikers though at Brisbane Road, but they are all firing blanks at the moment !

Think I have got the wrong Johnson ravenrover. It’s Callum Johnson they have signed not Danny Johnson from Walsall. Danny was at Mansfield last season on Loan.   

[ravenrover]

Yep this Johnson is a full back from Scotland

[ravenrover]

New Skipper now Claytons gone, Big Tom

[ncRover]

28 tickets left. Let’s get it over the line

[Silkscarf]

Back to the football. I’m really looking forward to this. I’m also optimistic for a good performance.

[Spud]

28 tickets left. Let’s get it over the line

Just been cancelled for a weekend job, managed to get two this morning, there were three left after mine.
Now, where's that parking thread....

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Not quite near the 'Mansfield moment' all those years ago but the effect of a win could be just as significant.

I'm slightly concerned about the gap between games fearing we come out looking rusty but, DS has to make sure they're chomping at the bit,

With a big crowd behind us there's no excuse for not playing up to it. The new lads, whoever takes to the pitch will be out to impress so our key players need to lead the way and get the fans in positive mood. 

From now on, there's no room for doubts, erring on the side of caution, it's full on until the end of the season if we are serious about achieving the big 'P'

[Arsenal Of The North]

I hope we put on a show for the 1800 travelling fans. Guttered I won’t be making the trip, would have loved to be there with a cracking atmosphere.

Hope we can blow off any cobwebs and finally start putting some back to back preformances together and getting a string of results.

Horrible stop/start season to date

[Sammy Chung was King]

We should be after Danny Johnson, he would fit into our team. Just how much they would want for him. We don’t like paying fees for players, especially with little resale value.

[DearneValleyRover]

We should be after Danny Johnson, he would fit into our team. Just how much they would want for him. We don’t like paying fees for players, especially with little resale value.

He’s made it clear he doesn’t want to sign for anyone so he can demand what he wants in the summer

[sedwardsdrfc]

Wonder if we ,ight eventually drop the 343 and play 3 in midfield if Lakin turns out to be decent. Sounds like he’s come here expecting games but don’t see us dropping Biggins or Close.

[Sammy Chung was King]

I would go 4-4-2 for this game. Mansfield play a form of 4-4-2 anyway.



                       Mitchell

                 Williams.   Anderson

         Brown.                            Maxwell

                  Biggins.      Close

         Hurst.                          Molyneux


                Miller.        Lavery

Subs. Agard, Todd Miller, Lakin, Barlow, Long, Nelson, Jones.

We need to slowly integrate the new signings. Two in the starting line up is enough. At least then there is mostly cohesion in the rest of the side, in knowing each others games. I would play two up front and want the wingers to produce crosses.

 The cutting in from the opposite wing has been a luxury we can ill afford, they have produced hardly anything. Get them playing like old fashioned wingers. Early balls into the box for the strikers to have a go at.

[Chris Black come back]

We’ve got a terrible record against them at their place in the league. We’ve won 3 times in the last 40 years and the last victory was the 2004 game. All those 3 victories were by a single goal.

[NickDRFC]

We’ve got a terrible record against them at their place in the league. We’ve won 3 times in the last 40 years and the last victory was the 2004 game. All those 3 victories were by a single goal.

That’s a little misleading, we’ve only played there once in the league since 2004 and we drew that game. You could also point to the fact that we haven’t lost at Field Mill in any type of game in over 25 years (five games).

[colincramb]

Can’t say I’m hopefully given our flaky away performances this season

[Campsall rover]

We’ve got a terrible record against them at their place in the league. We’ve won 3 times in the last 40 years and the last victory was the 2004 game. All those 3 victories were by a single goal.

That’s a massively misleading set of stats even if factually correct. As was said in above post from Nick.

We had a terrible record against them in the 90’s.  We were a pretty awful team for the majority of the 90’s

[Chris Black come back]

You are perhaps confusing yourself. Whether we are good, bad or indifferent in any historical period is irrelevant to a statistical fact. Particularly when the control criteria is league games, so we are broadly at the same level of the game at the point of analysis.