Mansfield v Luton

[That Fat Centre Half]

Well that sounded pretty appalling.

At the risk of being reactionary after a poor defeat I think the results against the sides like York, Cheltenham and now Mansfield have shown we aren't quite good enough for automatic promotion.

 

[StagsForLife]

Get in!

 

[THE TERRACEMAN]

Very happy with the 3 points for the Stags !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Calstag]

Backs against the wall 2nd great battling from us , picked up another injury with lamb nall , was impressed with stockley for looun , showed some very good touches , can see why they are where they are but it's not about them it's about the 3 points staying in Mansfield ... Get in !

 

[WH_Stag]

Jack Thomas, 18 and running the game against a top side in this league. Finally we are producing players again! good result! COYS!

 

[Stringy]

Good win that we had to work hard for. Thought that like the Northampton game we needed to push up and have more faith that we could score again.

I did expect a strong performance from Luton. Overheard some of their fans on the way out calling us atrocious and saying that we dragged them to our level. Apparently we were timewasting from the 10th minute. Think it was more a case of them not showing up and not really fighting for the win.

As for Jack Thomas, I have seen him play twice now and he looks like he could go far in the game. He seems to read everything, carries the ball really well and plays passes that normally we only spot in the stand. Looks a talent.

 

[Calstag]

Murray had a dream , to build a football team , he had no money so he signed the players on loan , we play from the back with kee in attack , we're Mansfield town we need a wing back !

 

[mowgli]

Thank you Mansfield. It seems every time we need a favour you help us out that's why i want you to stay up.

 

[AdamStag]

Highlights of the game. The ball from Thomas for our goal was as good as you'll get down here, what a pass.

The finish by the Luton lad after such a turn, well....

 

[Judge Dredd]

The finish by the Luton lad after such a turn, well....

Would have been some goal if he had stuck it in. Our manager after the game said Cullen (and the players near him) thought the keeper got a touch on it to put it around the post, it doesn't really look like it on that replay though but hard to tell.

Have to agree about the pass for your goal, that is some ball. Not sure where our defence had gone mind you, but hard to begrudge a goal from a moment of real quality like that.

 

[northstandexile]

All your defence was still up field following your corner kick.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Jesus Christ that's a really bad miss from Cullen, did the hard part and fluffed the finish.

 

[djs]

It's a long time since I left a game feeling so angry (actually it's only a few weeks, since the game at Cheltenham). Having spent a week or so talking up the need to win the game in hand, get into the top three and stay there, what does the manager do?

Negative team selection, set up to hold on to a point. Both newly signed and bloody quick wingers on the bench; no width, no pace, too many players scared of any physical contact, failing to string a pass together, lack of basic ball control. poor movement if any, lumping the ball at every opportunity, usually straight at a defender with no Luton player near him. Two halftime subs looked as if they could make a difference, so after ten minutes they are switched wings and are hardly involved for the rest of the game. No ideas at all. Utter dross. I know, let's blame the pitch for not letting us play flowing football or pass the ball - it didn't stop Mansfield playing two superb passes in the move for the goal.

Yes, we had McNulty, Wilkinson, McGeehan (all suspended), Lawless, Doyle, Ruddock, Benson (all injured) and Guttridge (although he did come on a sub for the first time in ages) unfit - all first choice players, but I just don't believe that the majority of the team last night are happy playing hoofball - most (not all) of them are much better players than those tactics are making them look.

I've said this before - John Still has built up a lot of credit over the last 18 months, otherwise there would be a lot more questions being asked. Too many people are already unhappy with the way he sets up and tells his team to play. His approach has changed totally since last season, when we set out to win every game and let the opposition worry about us. And again as I've already posted, it's becoming clear why and how he has had success at Conference/League 1, but hasn't done anything higher.

Rant over.

PS. I don't want to sound sour, but I honestly thought that Mansfield were very poor, and I can see them involved in the relegation dogfight right to the end. Luckily for them there are at least two sides even worse!

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

It's a long time since I left a game feeling so angry (actually it's only a few weeks, since the game at Cheltenham). Having spent a week or so talking up the need to win the game in hand, get into the top three and stay there, what does the manager do?

Negative team selection, set up to hold on to a point. Both newly signed and bloody quick wingers on the bench; no width, no pace, too many players scared of any physical contact, failing to string a pass together, lack of basic ball control. poor movement if any, lumping the ball at every opportunity, usually straight at a defender with no Luton player near him. Two halftime subs looked as if they could make a difference, so after ten minutes they are switched wings and are hardly involved for the rest of the game. No ideas at all. Utter dross. I know, let's blame the pitch for not letting us play flowing football or pass the ball - it didn't stop Mansfield playing two superb passes in the move for the goal.

Yes, we had McNulty, Wilkinson, McGeehan (all suspended), Lawless, Doyle, Ruddock, Benson (all injured) and Guttridge (although he did come on a sub for the first time in ages) unfit - all first choice players, but I just don't believe that the majority of the team last night are happy playing hoofball - most (not all) of them are much better players than those tactics are making them look.

I've said this before - John Still has built up a lot of credit over the last 18 months, otherwise there would be a lot more questions being asked. Too many people are already unhappy with the way he sets up and tells his team to play. His approach has changed totally since last season, when we set out to win every game and let the opposition worry about us. And again as I've already posted, it's becoming clear why and how he has had success at Conference/League 1, but hasn't done anything higher.

Rant over.

PS. I don't want to sound sour, but I honestly thought that Mansfield were very poor, and I can see them involved in the relegation dogfight right to the end. Luckily for them there are at least two sides even worse!

Understand the frustrations if not fully agreeing with everything!

One thing that does piss me off is how hung up he seems to get about pitches. I think he even stated last night that he changed the team based on turning up and seeing the state of the pitch. We had a similarly poor result at Cheltenham where the pitch was heavily criticised by Still.

I'm not being funny but our style of play isn't really so superb that we need a decent surface to operate, I know you have to play the conditions to an extent but it really grates on me when he comes out after a poor result and mentions things like that often in a "I'm not saying, I'm just saying" manner. The wind being another favourite of his.

 

[AdamStag]

N

It's a long time since I left a game feeling so angry (actually it's only a few weeks, since the game at Cheltenham). Having spent a week or so talking up the need to win the game in hand, get into the top three and stay there, what does the manager do?

Negative team selection, set up to hold on to a point. Both newly signed and bloody quick wingers on the bench; no width, no pace, too many players scared of any physical contact, failing to string a pass together, lack of basic ball control. poor movement if any, lumping the ball at every opportunity, usually straight at a defender with no Luton player near him. Two halftime subs looked as if they could make a difference, so after ten minutes they are switched wings and are hardly involved for the rest of the game. No ideas at all. Utter dross. I know, let's blame the pitch for not letting us play flowing football or pass the ball - it didn't stop Mansfield playing two superb passes in the move for the goal.

Yes, we had McNulty, Wilkinson, McGeehan (all suspended), Lawless, Doyle, Ruddock, Benson (all injured) and Guttridge (although he did come on a sub for the first time in ages) unfit - all first choice players, but I just don't believe that the majority of the team last night are happy playing hoofball - most (not all) of them are much better players than those tactics are making them look.

I've said this before - John Still has built up a lot of credit over the last 18 months, otherwise there would be a lot more questions being asked. Too many people are already unhappy with the way he sets up and tells his team to play. His approach has changed totally since last season, when we set out to win every game and let the opposition worry about us. And again as I've already posted, it's becoming clear why and how he has had success at Conference/League 1, but hasn't done anything higher.

Rant over.

PS. I don't want to sound sour, but I honestly thought that Mansfield were very poor, and I can see them involved in the relegation dogfight right to the end. Luckily for them there are at least two sides even worse!

Sides like you are beatable as they don't like the rough and tumble.

Id also like to say well done to adam Murray, still moaned and bleated before the game that Luton have had injuries and suspensions, when we probably had an equal amount of players out with injuries or carrying knocks but kept quiet.

I userstand Luton fans thinking we are poor from our game at the kennel, but after last nights showing Id be surprise if they thought we weren't upto much.

Still, lolton never win at Mansfield. NEVER

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

N


Sides like you are beatable as they don't like the rough and tumble.

Id also like to say well done to adam Murray, still moaned and bleated before the game that Luton have had injuries and suspensions, when we probably had an equal amount of players out with injuries or carrying knocks but kept quiet.

I userstand Luton fans thinking we are poor from our game at the kennel, but after last nights showing Id be surprise if they thought we weren't upto much.

Still, lolton never win at Mansfield. NEVER

We very much do like rough and tumble it's just the majority of our players who do weren't available for the game!

 

[Judge Dredd]

Yeah we are as well equipped as anyone in the league when it comes to a scrapping battle, the spine of our team thrives on exactly that sort of game. Problem is four of our five key scrappers were out injured/suspended, so you caught us at the ideal time if that was your game plan.

Our misfortune this season isn't just in the number of enforced absences, it's that they all seem to strike in the same position at the same time. Earlier in the season we lost basically every creative player in our squad bar one (we still haven't got them back really but signed some new ones in January to sort of compensate). Now we lose our three central defensive lynch-pins all in the space of a week.

 

[AdamStag]

I know it isn't either of your points, but talking to Mansfield fans about injuries won't get you far, we've probably had the worst deal of all sides this season.

 

[Chippy]

I agree it was a negative team selection however he went very negative at Plymouth too and we played well and got a good win 1-0. If Cullen scored when he should have we come home with a decent point at leat, maybe go on to win the game

 

[BelizeHatter]

Second or third comment on Cullens miss that I think's a bit unfair. Lighten up. Doubt there are many strikers at this level that would have fashioned that chance in such a tight spot and by the time it comes down the keeper has done really well to get right on top of him. I think it's a very hard chance and if anything needs to sidestep to his left and go past the keeper but that would have been World Class and despite some thinking - we aint no Barca.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Very frustrating loss as much due to who the opposition were than anything else - Conf hangover on my part from eating huge doses of humble pie rammed down my throat from Xmas onwards on the Blue Sq forum!!!

We always seem to play the Stags away midweek, in crap weather, turn in a woeful performance and lose. Reality is probably closer to how often we play everyone else midweek in bad weather and Mansfield deserve credit for shutting us down/out. We do always lose though.

 

[StagsForLife]

Very frustrating loss as much due to who the opposition were than anything else - Conf hangover on my part from eating huge doses of humble pie rammed down my throat from Xmas onwards on the Blue Sq forum!!!

We always seem to play the Stags away midweek, in crap weather, turn in a woeful performance and lose. Reality is probably closer to how often we play everyone else midweek in bad weather and Mansfield deserve credit for shutting us down/out. We do always lose though.

The last time you played us away it was on a Sunday

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Second or third comment on Cullens miss that I think's a bit unfair. Lighten up. Doubt there are many strikers at this level that would have fashioned that chance in such a tight spot and by the time it comes down the keeper has done really well to get right on top of him. I think it's a very hard chance and if anything needs to sidestep to his left and go past the keeper but that would have been World Class and despite some thinking - we aint no Barca.

Lighten up?! LIGHTEN UP?!

Pull yourself together man we've just lost a game to bloody Mansfailed! The end of the world is surely upon us! Can you not see the Sky falling all the way from Belize?!

 

[AdamStag]

Certain teams have random things over other teams, its what makes football football, we've not beaten burton in about 10 attempts or something, one of those things

 

[WH_Stag]

Luton saying mansfield are poor? sorry but how are you a top team in this league playing like that?? We comfortably passed it around you and deserved the win. Luton will be in the playoffs but they won't go up.

 

[BelizeHatter]

You may be right but you are basing our season to date on one game with a team prob missing half it's first choice starters who pretty much are all through the middle and are the heartbeat/creative impetus of the side.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Recognise you also have the same sort of issues if not worse with less resources and dwindling crowd (wtf happened there - you were reg getting 7k in Conf) so a level playing field on that game - fair play well done..