Newly-installed Stags' boss Steve Evans says his new group of players are embracing his football principles but insists there is much work to be done on the training ground.
The manager kick-started his reign with a 3-1 victory over Crawley Town at the weekend thanks to a brace from midfielder Chris Clements and an acrobatic finish from striker Pat Hoban.
And after seeing his charges play with a high-tempo against the Reds on Saturday, Evans says it is important that they continue to implement the changes he makes on the training ground.Â
âWhen you come in to a football club and youâve got such a big job to do, the one thing that I was very clear [with] on Saturday is the players have got lots and lots to learn here,â Evans said at this morning's news conference.
âWeâve got some talented boys. I donât think thereâs any doubt as we go forward weâll be adding to it (the squad). What we add will be dependent on them. I would love nothing more than saying to the chairman and the chief exec, âweâre good to go as we areâ.
âWeâve got a lot of raw ingredients that we need to harness and we just need to get a little bit more in to them. Can I call it streetwise? Thatâs one of the characteristics and two, [they need to be] a little bit tactically more aware of what theyâre going to play against. Weâre going to furnish them with information but not overload it, so itâs a fine balance.Â
âWe may change one or two little things. Itâll be nothing major of course, we donât have time to do that. This will be a lot different when we go to January and that doesnât mean players, that means just how we do things.Â
âWeâre almost trying to bring a structure in to the football club around the team. Weâre trying to bring a structure in that takes this club to having standards that can operate in League One and the Championship.â
The Stagsâ chief expects Blackpool to pose a different challenge when they visit One Call Stadium tomorrow evening (7.45pm kick-off) but says all of his focus will be on his own squad.Â
âIt wonât be what Blackpool do tomorrow night that determines whether they win the game or not, it will be about what Mansfield Town do. Do we get our game-plan right, do we get our tactics right on the training ground?Â
âI heard a wonderful interview with Jurgen Klopp and I just wonder whether heâs stolen it from me! Last year when I said 95 percent on a Saturday at three oâclock is (about) the players. The head coach and the manager can affect very little other than at half-time when you become 95 percent important."
The former Leeds United manager revealed that defender Lee Collins is 'doubtful' for tomorrow's clash with the Tangerines, whilst fellow defender Kyle Howkins will also be missing with a knee injury which he picked up in training last week. Midfielder Kevan Hurst and long-term absentee George Taft (both hamstring) will also sit out tomorrow evening's match.
Meanwhile, defender Alex Iacovitti will serve the second of his three-match suspension.
Supporters can view Steve Evansâ news conference later today, in full, on Stags PlayerHD.Â