Stevenson the difference for the Stags

All my life of supporting Mansfield Town, I have never seen the stags involved in a title race, I’ve seen us involved in the play offs but never the opportunity of becoming champions. The start to this season wasn’t what we all wanted but since the two nil defeat to Kidderminster we’ve never looked back. What has been the cause of this amazing form? Our defence? Matt green? Change of tactics? For me all of those have been huge factors but one that stands out to me is Lee Stevenson, since the tricky attacking midfielder was introduced to into the starting eleven, the stag’s fortunes have changed, coincidence? I don’t think so. After the home loss to Kidderminster our season didn’t look so good, there was no F.A cup run to smile about, and sitting in mid table and not much hope for the play offs. Stevenson then started away at Stockport and scored helping the stags to a 3-1 win, this was the start of the magnificent form we have seen in 2013. With the introduction Stevo, this brought a new system and new tactics, we saw a different formation of 4-4-1-1 or you could look at as 4-2-3-1 with Stevenson playing behind the striker.  Earlier this season I wrote a blog about how Stevenson would change the team and I was so pleased to see his inclusion in the starting eleven. The stags had started play ‘football’, it looked a lot better. Also Exodus Geohaegan was side lined with injury and this saw a new defensive partnership of John Dempster and Luke Jones, this meant no more focusing on long throws and we started to play football. The new partnership has been another changing factor with both centre backs having a great understanding of each other. Wins just began to come along, the fans all started to believe of the play offs, despite the loss against Newport, the team carried on winning afterwards with the free flowing passing game still intact. The attacking midfielder Stevenson acted almost acted as a second striker, with most teams concentrating on Matt Green, Stevenson was unmarked and began to net goals and proving to be crucial with assists. Many teams have one or two players with that quality that wins you those tight games. Stevenson is one of Mansfield’s. As well as Stevo you can’t forget Matt Green, the striker has again been the talisman this season and rarely has a bad game. Now I write this with my team on a record winning run of nine games and having the chance of becoming champions after been 11^th in late 2012. The Mansfield fans deserve this more than many other fans. Paul cox may have had his critics and I’ll admit I was one, but how can someone be a bad manager after leading a team to third one season and then into a title race the season after. This last month is going to be a nervous one but the stags need the fans to be the 12^th man even if the record run comes to an end. Even if the title doesn’t come to Mansfield the play offs will be here once again.

Turning point for the stags?

No defeat in the last six games. Could this be the turning point of our season, I really hope so for the supporters. A great win last night at Macclesfield and also a clean sheet and a match with Luton which we deserved to win has given me and many other fans some new found hope that our season could be turned round. Many people forget the position we were in at Christmas last year and we managed to finish 3^rd in the league, we’re 7^th now and things are looking up with some pleasing performances from the stags. With the momentum the stags have got now, it is really unfortunate that we have to wait so long for our next league game. Let’s just hope this is a start of the run of form we need to get us back up at the top end of the table, I believe once we get into our stride and hit form like the 2^nd half of last season we could beat anyone in the league. But I’m not going to get carried away by saying ‘we’re going up’ and all that, because this is only the start. We have to build on this and carry it on, the only time you’ll hear me say we’re going up is if we are 5-0 up in the playoff final until then I’m not getting ahead of myself. I’ll admit I did criticise Mr Cox but if you look back I always said I wouldn’t mind at all if he turned it around, was just saying it was going to be too late if something isn’t done quickly and hopefully this is the start of it all. We have something to build on now, so it’s time to push on up to Christmas and be the form team going into 2013, we’ve got players to do it! And I don’t need to say anything more about the fans, the best fans in the league, even the Luton commentators were shocked how loud we were they said on the radio that it sounded more like there was 12,000 in the one call, so that tells you a lot. Get behind your team and let’s pull together because this could be the defining moment in our season. Come on you stags!

Papering over the cracks!

Papering over the cracks. A one nil win against Southport and a win on penalties against slough, very unconvincing if u ask me, yes we got 3 points on Saturday and not to forget we beat the lowest rank team left in F.A cup, on penalties! That doesn’t change anything, Paul Cox is still under pressure and a lot of improvement is still needed. I’m hoping he turns us round but it’s not looking likely, for me, no win this weekend, no more Cox. It might seem a bit drastic to some funs but I want our club to go up and if we don’t do something quickly its bye bye to our football league hopes for another year. I still see some fans on Facebook and Stagnet showing their ‘blind loyalty’ and saying to give PC some more time, if we do and nothing changes then our season is over! Crowds are dropping and our promotion chances are slipping. It’s not over YET! But it will be soon, if we performances don’t change or we don’t change the manager. This may go against people’s opinions but I can’t stand to see our club perform like this and have an unsuccessful season in this tin pot division!! I just want our football team to do well like any other supporter, I don’t care whether it’s with Paul Cox or without but for me his time is up and it has to be if we don’t win this weekend, lets just get back to the side we were last year!! Come on you stags!!

Huddersfield Town vs Blackburn Rovers match report

Despite a goal from a returning Jordan Rhodes and a penalty from Captain Danny Murphy, Blackburn still couldn’t manage to gain all 3 points against Huddersfield drawing 2-2. Lee Novak scored his second goal of the game to salvage a point deep into injury time for the terriers.

Huddersfield Boss Simon Grayson wasn’t surprised Rhodes managed to grab a goal against his former side “it was inevitable that Jordan was going to get on the end of chance to score” Grayson came from the match satisfied with a point against the Lancashire side “I think over the course of the game it was a fair result, we were up against a good team with good players”.

Blackburn began brightly and put pressure on Huddersfield from the first minute, coming close when Ruben Rochina connected with a volley from long range forcing Alex Smithies to tip over.

Rovers dominated the early stages with Rochina having been the key man. But it was Huddersfield that took the lead on the 15^th minute mark against the run of play, as Oliver Norwood delivered a free kick into the penalty area which caused a mass scramble of bodies which eventually ended with Novak stabbing in the opener.

Blackburn responded well with Rochina having a low shot saved. On the stroke of halftime the equaliser was found as Rhodes came back to haunt his old side when broke the offside trap and fired home through the legs of Smithies.

Rovers began the second half with confidence and looked dangerous when going forward, it wasn’t long until they found a way through as Marcus Olsson was brought down in the area by Joel lynch. Murphy stepped up and sent Smithies the wrong way to celebrate in front of 3000 plus travelling fans.

The introduction of Alan Lee and Danny Ward sprung life into Huddersfield as they looked for the equaliser. They piled bodies forward but couldn’t find a way through Blackburn’s defence, up until the 93^rd minute when Adam Clayton launched a ball into the area where Novak converted sending the home fans delirious and earning the terriers a good point.

Enough is enough! (MTFC)

Saturday’s game just backed up my point in my last blog that Paul Cox’s time is up as MTFC manager, failure to score, never mind beat slough who are now the lowest rank team left in the F.A cup. Not beating slough also means we will have to have a reply on a Tuesday or Wednesday night, which is another match added to our fixture list when we are supposed to be concentrating on our league matches. It is just becoming more frustrating as a fan and now as a journalist, I take a step back and look at it as a neutral and it’s just embarrassing and I wouldn’t put my money on the stags winning a match against anyone right now. I know this is a hard league to get out of and I know anyone can beat anyone, but we should at least be contending and worrying other sides in the league, but no, we are an inconsistent mid table team at the moment and that is nowhere near good enough. We have a great chairman and some amazing fans and the fans more than anything deserve more than this. We have the squad to be competing at the top of the league and I’m sure most of the fans will back me up on that, we just need to get out of this horrible league which a club like ours shouldn’t be in but we are and we won’t get out of it in the current state we are in. Come on JR! Listen to the yellow and blue army! Do what is right! This may seem daft but as soon as we get out of this league I’m backing the stags to go straight up into league 1, the first thing I will do is put a bet on that. We have an amazing club and it is sad to see how negative everyone is at the moment and I’m one of those people! We deserve better, Cox you’ve had your chance well done last season, now off you pop!