League 2 General Chat Thread

[LeonTheGreen]

Man managed the game well, you were fortunate to win but that’s purely down to our inability to score absolute sitters and like I said you managed the game well and obviously got the result. Referee was ridiculous with his whistle but it did not affect the score.

CJ Hamilton went through 1v1 in the first few minutes and his touch literally passed it to the goalkeeper, the lad looks like he cannot play football anymore and we turned down £750,000 for him last January

Hopefully just what we need to start hitting some form! Didn’t you lads sarcastically applaud him off today?

You’ll be fine. Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard and Andy Cook should all start to score goals soon enough. I wish we had one of those 3 in our squad. I feel like it’s what we’re missing most.

 

[Vanni]

The league this year is like proper shite*. Poorest it's been in the six years we've been here. That's all. Cheerio.

*though some will claim it's more 'balanced' or something. Depends where one's coming from I guess.

 

[AdamStag]

Hopefully just what we need to start hitting some form! Didn’t you lads sarcastically applaud him off today?

You’ll be fine. Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard and Andy Cook should all start to score goals soon enough. I wish we had one of those 3 in our squad. I feel like it’s what we’re missing most.

You didn’t need to do anything to win today, yet another abject clueless performance from Mansfield. Poor john dempster so hopelessly out of his depth against a limited Plymouth side which offered the sum of fuck all yet were worthy winners

Being in the 1861 suite today, If there were any doubt that there was a board room struggle (for the more basic Mansfield fans out there) today proved it, wow.

Needs resolving ASAP

 

[pontoonlew]

I don’t mind the league being shite this season, gives the rest of us a chance as opposed to getting smashed by Pompey, Luton etc

 

[Stringy]

Hopefully just what we need to start hitting some form! Didn’t you lads sarcastically applaud him off today?

You’ll be fine. Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard and Andy Cook should all start to score goals soon enough. I wish we had one of those 3 in our squad. I feel like it’s what we’re missing most.

I'd like to agree but I've seen absolutely no evidence whatsoever that we are about to improve in any of the games I've seen. I do think we'll eventually be safe but we are at risk of being drawn into the relegation battle if we don't improve/act soon.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Under 4000 home supporters at Field Mill for one of the bigger games of the season. That's another reason Mr Radford won't be happy.

 

[Stringy]

Under 4000 home supporters at Field Mill for one of the bigger games of the season. That's another reason Mr Radford won't be happy.

As much as I appreciate the Radfords, the club's leadership has to accept a large portion of responsibility for this situation. It was their decision not to advertise out the manager role. It may have been evident that JD was severely lacking had they interviewed other candidates.

 

[Conker]

Stringy we have been unlucky in some instances too, I think we are a mid-table team under Dempster so our current position is a bit false.

Agree re the owners though, I have always said JR is a great owner but we cannot appoint a decent manager and he’s only got it right once in Paul Cox.

Crazy league so far though, I mean Plymouth and Mansfield are not up to much and they were two of the top pre-season favourite. The current teams at the top keep dropping points too.

 

[Stringy]

Where do you consider we have been unlucky?

 

[AnotherStagsFan]

We’re clearly not a mid table team.

Expect lower and lower attendances until this Hymas pet project is over. It’s embarrassing, it’s abysmal, it’s typical Mansfield.

Plymouth were rubbish but deserved to win in my view (shows how bad we were)

 

[Indian Dan]

There is no outstanding team at the moment. Tbh, I thought we would be that team, but our home form is dreadful and we’ve been absolutely fucked with injuries. Dion Conroy, who has only been back from an ACL for about 20 games did it again yesterday. Left the pitch in tears.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

As much as I appreciate the Radfords, the club's leadership has to accept a large portion of responsibility for this situation. It was their decision not to advertise out the manager role. It may have been evident that JD was severely lacking had they interviewed other candidates.

Don't let Adam read this Stringy, the golden rule is don't let John Radford take any of them blame.

Instead blame that Hymas chap

 

[Stringy]

Don't let Adam read this Stringy, the golden rule is don't let John Radford take any of them blame.

Instead blame that Hymas chap

I don't know for certain who is responsible but in any case we should have advertised the role.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Yeah it usually helps for barometer purposes at the very least. Bit naive that

 

[AdamStag]

I don't know for certain who is responsible but in any case we should have advertised the role.

We were in the hospitality yesterday, Hymas was there bigging dempster up (which of course he would do) then you’ve someone else on the board saying in the loo that he should be sacked Monday - the “upstairs” at the club isn’t a happy place and there’s a lot of different agendas going on.

Mansfield haven’t been unlucky in the slightest, we’ve been absolutely fucking dire - that’s what we’ve been.

 

[Stringy]

There is incongruence running right through the club at the minute. Expensive squad, expensive tickets, talk of a luxurious hotel but an inexperienced and cheap manager and if rumours are to be believed, certain board members insisting on cutting costs i.e overnight away trips and bringing through youth. I would suggest that the golden thread running through the entire club, given the wealth of the owners, at least for League Two, should be quality. I'm not saying we are Real Madrid but we should be shopping for the top lower league managers and should have a recognisable brand of football.

I hope that doesn't come across as arrogant. I realise Mansfield is a dump and we have been in the lower leagues forever, just like everywhere else, but this is the way I see it.

 

[Indian Dan]

Nothing wrong with aiming for, and demanding, quality. It just highlights that for any club to be successful off pitch is just as important as on pitch.

 

[valefan16]

Nothing wrong with aiming for, and demanding, quality. It just highlights that for any club to be successful off pitch is just as important as on pitch.

Always one or two basket cases at this level every single season. Oldham and Mansfield turn this season! Had four or five last season with Vale, Notts, Macc and Bury!

 

[Chris FGR]

Nothing wrong with aiming for, and demanding, quality. It just highlights that for any club to be successful off pitch is just as important as on pitch.

Demanding quality at League 2 level is pointless. You just need to not be as shit as 21 other teams.

 

[Indian Dan]

Demanding quality at League 2 level is pointless. You just need to not be as shit as 21 other teams.

That’s not true. If any team wants to progress beyond L2 it has to be built upon. What’s the point of shithousing your way to promotion only to be canon fodder in L1.

Newport are a prime example. Brilliant at what they do but, ultimately, it’ll get them nowhere. Probably why Flynn stays put - those ‘tactics’ aren’t really wanted by many clubs.

 

[Chris FGR]

That’s not true. If any team wants to progress beyond L2 it has to be built upon. What’s the point of shithousing your way to promotion only to be canon fodder in L1.

*See Lincoln.

 

[James Frost]

That’s not true. If any team wants to progress beyond L2 it has to be built upon. What’s the point of shithousing your way to promotion only to be canon fodder in L1.

Newport are a prime example. Brilliant at what they do but, ultimately, it’ll get them nowhere. Probably why Flynn stays put - those ‘tactics’ aren’t really wanted by many clubs.

So getting to the play off final and last year and 2 points off the top is getting nowhere.

What a load of bollocks

If anything the reverse is true. If Flynn stays we have a good chance of going up. If he leaves our results and league position will spiral downwards.

 

[Indian Dan]

My point is Newport getting promoted using their tactics will get them nowhere apart from getting relegated back to L2. If you are happy about getting to L1 as the pinnacle of your ambition, then fair enough.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Denzel is another one who while not being on Devon Lads level, will never accept a bad word said against his team of angels and will never accept when he’s wrong.

Eh?

 

[Stringy]

Demanding quality at League 2 level is pointless. You just need to not be as shit as 21 other teams.

I just don't understand why we'd invest in one of the most expensive squads in the league and then let a rookie manage them and skimp on overnight trips.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Completely agree with Stringy, the superior Stags fan on here. Quality post, I think even Mr Radford's patience would wear a little thin after this length of time and more importantly that considerable amount of money spent. To date he's got very little return.

The expensive squad + bargain basement managerial appointment was always a strange combination and approach to adopt. Although the Luxurious hotel sounds really nice, just what Mansfield the town needs.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

It's not a shit league at all this season, it's a wide open and competitive league so far and that's far more entertaining than seeing Portsmouth, Luton and the like run away at the top.

The four relegated sides have flattered to deceive this season, whilst the two promoted sides have been reasonably poor. This has opened opportunity for clubs who are carefully crafting a long term project (like ourselves, Exeter, Cheltenham and Grimsby) to rise to the top ahead of the big budget clubs who spend spend spend. Obviously, supporting a beneficiary of this has led to my bias, but it's better to have a wide open league than one dominated by big spenders. Although if any of us go up to League One, that's what we'll come up against next season.

As for wanting ambition and demanding success. Let's be real. All 24 clubs here have no chance of permanently establishing themselves in the Championship in their current guises. League One is more than possible, but that'll be as good as it gets for all of us. The gap between the second tier and the third and fourth tiers is at an all time high. A few clubs (like Swindon, Plymouth and Bradford) may be able to do it one day if they got significant investment like Luton have. But as the gap widens, I think League One is the vast majority of our clubs ceiling.

 

[valefan16]

It’s a shitter quality league which has led to a better more open division as it stands.

The cream (big spenders such as Bradford, Mansfield and Plymouth) may rise to the top as the season progresses and tweaks are made but so far it’s not as cut and dried.

Reminds me a bit of 2009/10 when you had the likes of Dagenham, Aldershot and Morecambe make the plays offs (and go up in Daggers case).

Fairly open.

 

[Casey]

Walsall came to town and did a number on Crawley yesterday.

Their first goal was a worldy. Cracker from twenty five yards. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up. The second and third were about watching the videos of us and realising that there is a big gap between our midfield and defence. Quite easy to get someone between the lines and then to run at the exposed defenders.

Our penalty was a discussion point but only because the way the ref gave it. Bloomfield in a race to the ball with the keeper, gets there first and the keeper catches him. Bloomfield tries to stay on his feet but the ball goes out over the goal line. It was a penalty. Ref then looks at lino, lino looks at ref. Bluebirds sing a little song about love and families. Lino looks at ref and gives a goal kick, ref looks at lino and gives a penalty. It was probably one of the easiest penalty decisions he will get this season and they created a row with the players about the way he gave it.

Walsall closed the game down in the second half really well. Hey, 3-1 up away from home. Why chase? I don't think they had a shot at all and barely came into the attacking third in that second half. They look like a team struggling with form who are fighting for the badge and putting a lot of effort into the game, blocking shots, bodies in line etc. and they got their reward for it yesterday.

Annoyed with us though. Player of the month left on bench for no good reason doesn't help but the subs were odd. ANG who scored the pen and was troubling them taken off, Ferguson who was very quite left on. And our game management!!! Score a penalty and then let the opposition go straight down the other end to score. Woeful.

Casey

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

It’s a shitter quality league which has led to a better more open division as it stands.

The cream (big spenders such as Bradford, Mansfield and Plymouth) may rise to the top as the season progresses and tweaks are made but so far it’s not as cut and dried.

Reminds me a bit of 2009/10 when you had the likes of Dagenham, Aldershot and Morecambe make the plays offs (and go up in Daggers case).

Fairly open.

I think League Two was just like that in the early years of the decade. The new stadium teams like Shrewsbury and Chesterfield turned into contenders thanks to revenue increases and you had an anomaly like Notts throwing ridiculous money at it. But I think the turning point was when Swindon came down and were managed by Paolo di Canio and Crawley came into this league and both started throwing money about like it was going out of fashion. The next season, Fleetwood did the same and Rotherham hired Steve Evans and he started chucking ridiculous money there too. Suddenly you had others coming into the league and chucking daft money at it (Mansfield, Bury, Luton and Pompey the latter once they got on sound financial footing) and then you had teams like Newport (benefitting from the Euromillions bloke) Cambridge and Lincoln (FA Cup revenue) and more hobby clubs making the league (FGR, Salford) that your other existing clubs felt the need to drive up the wages themselves or face non league oblivion like Torquay, York, Hartlepool etc.

This year has the feel of a proper old school League Two where cash isn't exactly king. But I'm sure that'll change over the next 35 games or so.