Manager Steve Evans has re-iterated the importance of unity throughout a league campaign in a frank interview this afternoon.
The Stags’ chief said that ‘we all bleed’ for the club during and after every match whilst restating the need to ’pull the rope in the same direction’.
The gaffer’s comments follow Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Colchester United, which saw Stags unable to find the net despite creating a hatful of opportunities in front of goal.
Following the final whistle, a minority of away fans voiced their frustrations at the result as the players and staff walked across to applaud their support.
Speaking at his weekly Monday news conference, the manager said: “If our players bleed, the management team bleed and our directors bleed and our supporters bleed [for the club]. Nothing changes. You win together and you lose together, especially when you have high ambitions for the season.
“Before every game, whether it be home or away, whether it’s a win, a draw or a loss, myself and Paul [Raynor, assistant manager] have always insisted that our players, and staff when appropriate, go over to the supporters and acknowledge them for, first and foremost, turning up and secondly to appreciate them whether they’ve watched a win, draw or loss.
“I’m the first to say every week that it is hard-earned money that these supporters pay. But when I see three to four lads pass me in the middle of the pitch and into the dressing room almost shell-shocked because they’ve given it everything in the second half, that’s a professional opinion and with a view of looking at it [the match] back.
“We just have to say that we’re in it together, win lose or draw and we need our supporters. There are going to be ups and downs.
“I heard Kenny Jackett [Portsmouth manager] talk about Portsmouth’s win at the weekend and saying it was a new group. This is even more of a new group, so consistency is always going to be a factor and that’s why I’ve always spoken about the [upturn] of the second half of the season.”
Despite chalking up 14 shots towards goal on Saturday, and the players’ work-rate never in question, an improvement will be sought ahead of this weekend’s match at home to Swindon Town (3pm).
"All of our supporters were disappointed, even the ones who clapped us off.
“Probably 90% did clap the team off and they will be disappointed because after a sterling performance against Notts County and an emphatic victory we should be going there and getting the type of result that sees us in that promotion pack.
“We found ourselves short but they [the players] have come back in today and gone back on the training ground.
I’ll say this for a final time and won’t discuss it again – they bleed [the players], all the staff bleed. We’re all together and more importantly our supporters are the same
“They have thanked me for my support. I am the leader, the person ultimately responsible for them.
“I’ll say this for a final time and won’t discuss it again – they bleed, all the staff bleed.
“We’re all together and more importantly our supporters are the same. The words of supporters coming into the stadium and up to the training ground this morning is heartfelt and taken with the right thought process.
“We all need to be together. We will all learn from Saturday. We’ll learn tactically, our players will learn. We’ll try and improve on it.
“We want our supporters to be with us all of the way because only if you all pull the rope in the same direction do you get rewards.
“If you get any form of percentage pulling in a different way, it never happens for you. So we will continue to applaud the supporters before and after every game, home or away, win lose or draw.”
Supporters can watch the manager's news conference, in full, on iFollow Stags.
