Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray says a new addition will bring the best out of his team as they look to reclaim a place in the Sky Bet League 2 play-offs.
The Stags are looking to bolster their attacking options as they aim to be more clinical in the latter stages of the campaign.
Speaking in Monday morning’s news conference, Murray has stated that a fresh face could maximise his squad’s potential for the remaining ten games.
“We have got goalscorers in the team but we need help – at the minute we’re asking them (the players) to do jobs that probably don’t suit them.
“We’re trying our hardest to get someone in that can fill that void, it’s not easy at this stage of the season. I’m not stupid, I know Matt Green plays better with somebody [alongside him]. There’s good players out there and it might be that we get the right ingredient to help the good players we’ve got.
“You don’t want to split the group up. You don’t want the group to think, ‘he doesn’t think we’re good enough’. It’s not very often in the last couple of years we’ve been in this position (challenging for the play-offs).”
Murray added: “Every time I close my eyes now, I see centre forwards. At this time of the season, will we be able to go out and get an out-and-out goalscorer? I doubt it.
“It might have to be a gamble; Gary Lineker’s not available at the minute! When you do lose games, confidence gets ‘hit’; belief gets hit and it’s our job to pick them up.”
Murray believes that chasing the top seven could work to their advantage, and he has acknowledged that everyone must improve in the coming weeks and months.
“Everyone will write us off now but that’s the worst thing you can do. The league is still that tight that we’ve just got to win a football match now; ‘get back on the horse’. We’ve all got to be better. I learnt a lot last year, and I’ve learnt even more this year.”
In addition, Murray thinks that his side must not give up the fight, and has reaffirmed his confidence that he will get Mansfield promoted from Sky Bet League 2.
“I’m 34-years-old, I’m not going to say I know everything because I don’t. We can affect this league, we do need a little bit of hope. It’s important now that we don’t lose focus of what we can achieve. It’s not over; the team knows it’s not over, I know it’s not over.
“Will I eventually get us out of this league? 100 percent. I’d hate it if anyone said I hadn’t brought the club on in 18 months and I haven’t progressed us, because I have. It’s not very often that I’ve let this football club down and that won’t start now. When I say I’m going to do something, I always stick to my word.”
Briefly looking ahead to the challenge of Portsmouth at One Call Stadium on Saturday (19 March), the gaffer has said that the pressure is all on the South Coast outfit to come away with the victory.
“They’ve got a very good group of footballers but we went down there and more than matched them and we will be looking to do the same on Saturday. They are probably the biggest club in this league.
“The expectation on them is real expectation. When you’re at a club like that and they have the resources they have, you are expected to get promoted.”
You can view Adam Murray's news conference, in full, on Stags Player.
