Midfielder Aaron Lewis says Stags’ ‘competitive squad’ is a significant factor in Mansfield’s impressive form ahead of his prospective return to previous club Newport County this Saturday at Rodney Parade.
The versatile performer has enjoyed a bright opening campaign in amber and blue, and highlighted the squad’s quality and competitive nature as one of the reasons for Stags’ current top league position in Sky Bet League Two.
Speaking to iFollow Stags in a news conference today, Aaron said: “It’s great. We have such a competitive squad; we can make changes every game and still put a really good team out there.
“Everyone is on the same page.
“This season, we’re in a great position in the league.
“The way we’re playing is paying off but we can’t get ahead of ourselves.
“We have to keep our feet on the ground and keep doing what we’ve been doing up until this point.
“Everyone is working really hard in training whether you’re starting or not.
“Everyone wants to come away with three points.
“H [Hiram Boateng] has gone in [and performed well since starting against Harrogate] and has done so well since he’s gone in.
“Everyone is buzzing but everyone knew that he could do that at any moment.
“It’s no surprise to us really.
“You always want competition for places, and I think we have got that in abundance here – keeping each other on it every day.
“You know you have got to perform to be in that team on the weekend.”
On his season so far, he added: “I have enjoyed every minute of it.
“The team is doing really well which helps settle me in.
“We’re in a great position and we are ready to keep on going as well.”
Mansfield won four matches from five games in February, scoring 20 times.
“It’s [February] been fairly good I would say,” said the midfielder.
“I think we scored the most goals that the club have scored for a long time [nine against Harrogate] but nothing has changed from what we’ve been doing all season.
“I think we’re obviously just putting more chances away if you look at the goals and the shots; we’ve been creating all season so we’re just putting them away and it has been coming with the way that we have stuck to our style of play.”
The Welshman went on to assess this weekend’s opponents, and Aaron’s former side, Newport County.
“I always keep an eye on how they’re doing, I think they’ve been on quite a good run.
“At the end of the day, it’s about us.
“Wherever the team is in the table, sometimes it doesn’t reflect how they have been playing or how good they are as a squad.
“I think we’ve just got to try and make sure we’re doing the things that we’re doing.”
