After a recent increase in ‘performance levels,’ assistant manager Lee Glover has stressed the importance of ‘consistency’ if the Stags are to collect points in their upcoming matches.
The amber and blue found themselves with two wins and one draw ahead of Tuesday evening’s defeat to Salford City at One Call Stadium, a game in which they recorded 20 more shots than the opposition and held 70 percent possession.
Lee says that if Mansfield carry that level of performance into their remaining games this term, they will record victories more often than not.
“I’ve found that the league is very up and down,” he told iFollow Stags. “The teams at the top have shown quality and we believe we have people in the building that can do that.
“Early on in the season we haven’t been consistent enough, but I believe over the last five or six weeks, training and games have been better.
“We have shown consistency and looked how we want to look, and we need to maintain that.
“You’re searching for the consistency that you want to see, as you know it will get results. Recently we have shown more consistency, but early on in the season we didn’t know quite what we were going to get.
“Was that the hangover from the play-offs last year? I’m not sure. But I have seen a more positive impact on the group over the last five or six weeks.
“This consistency needs to be day-in, day-out in training as the games will become easier and the level of performance will become higher.
“I think we need to keep the performance level like we played on Tuesday [against Salford], then I have no doubts that we will win more than we lose.
“Some of the performances and individual performances, you can see them developing.”
Reflecting on Tuesday night’s loss to Salford, the assistant boss says the Stags ‘let themselves down in both boxes’ following a positive display.
“If you look at the chances we created [against Salford], we’d have taken it before a ball was kicked. There was a good level of performance from the lads, but we let ourselves down in both boxes.
“We were very much in the ascendancy and with the overall performance, we should have at least taken something from the game.
“The best managers and coaches I’ve worked with, they’ve always said put performance over results, which sounds a bit crazy. But what they mean is that, if you perform at a [high] level consistently, you win games.
“Football is a cruel game, as in you can perform well and not get what you deserve. On Tuesday night, a lot of the fans applauded the fans off the pitch because of the work rate and the endeavour they showed.
“I sit here disappointed that we lost, but buoyed by the way we played. I know that if we can continue that, we’ll win games.”
Lee Glover also looked ahead to Mansfield’s next test, away to Walsall on Saturday, adding: “I know they [Walsall] have got some good players and are probably searching for some consistency, like ourselves.
“They’re a club that came down and made a lot of changes. We’ve watched them and will get a plan ready to go there.
“They look to play football – it’s a nice tight ground which I think will suit us and the surface looks good to play on.
“We’ll treat them with respect, but we’ll go there looking to be positive and trying to dominate possession. We want to go there and really get after the game and put in a good performance.”
There were also injury updates on midfielder Jacob Mellis, striker Danny Rose and wing-back Hayden White.
“I think Mells [Jacob Mellis] will train this week and will come into consideration [for Saturday] for the manager [John Dempster].
“Jacob is obviously a very good player and is someone who can unlock doors, so it will be good to have him back.
“Danny [Rose, below] is improving and signs are positives, so we’re hoping it won’t be that [five weeks out] now. The medical team have reported this morning that he is a lot further on than they expected him to be.
“We want Danny back because he’s had a great start to the season. He’s very much a fans’ favourite and is great to have around the group. We’re looking forward to him coming back.
“I wouldn’t be able to put a timeframe on it [Rose return] – that will be in the hands of the medical department.
“That’s also the case with Hayden White, who had to take some painkillers to play at Grimsby. He was in a bit of pain that day and that’s the sort of attitude we want, people who are going to push themselves for the club.
“He is a situation where we have had to leave him for a while to get pain-free from his injury, which is taking a little while to settle down.
“White just has a little bit of pain around the fracture site [from last season’s injury]. That’s settling down a lot but we’re just waiting to see what the medical team say about it.
“We want him now to have a period of time where he can settle it [injury] down and get pain-free.”
Lee Glover also spoke of long-term absentees Craig Davies (below) and Jordan Graham, confirming that both strikers have returned to training after significant spells on the sidelines.
“Both of them [Graham and Davies] have been back in training. Jordan is doing the full training and Davo is doing little bits.
“We have to be careful with them and bring them on slowly. But it’s good to have them around the group.
“The reserve game on Tuesday [against Peterborough] will be too soon for him [Davies]. Davo in training, the little bits he’s done, he looks like he will be a very good addition when he’s fit.
“Very much the word from the medical department is ‘let’s have him on a slow burner’ because we don’t want to rush him back. We’re looking forward to getting him fit.”
iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Lee Glover’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today.
