Steve Parkin - 15/4/99

Q: I understand you have Sciatica ! Care to elaborate ?
A: Basically I've had a bit of a sore back for a while, off and on. Barry (Statham) has given me some exercises which you need to do 8 or 9 times a day religiously to do any good but it's difficult to fit it in.

Q: Has the job put you under any strain, and what do you do to unwind ?
A: Er, no. I haven't felt any strain. I do get upset if we lose, obviously, and it takes a long while to shake that off. If you lose and everyone gives it 100% then that makes it a little bit better. But I don't feel stressed or lose sleep at nights. To relax I play with the kids and watch football with my mates. Oh, and golf, but thats out of the question at the moment with the bad back.

Q: What are your opinions on the new Mansfield 103.2 radio station ?
A: I've found appearing on it OK, some of the callers have been fine and the questions they ask are not too personal and very constructive. The backing from the actual station has been tremendous and the coverage is first class. They are 100% behind the club and I think it's great for the area to have its own identity. We've perhaps been in the shadow of Forest and County for a while and I think it's nice for us to have our 'own' station.

Q: So do you think it's raised the profile of the club ?
A: I think it has raised the profile, yeah, and I think that people probably find out more about the club over and above just watching matches on Saturday and they've become more familiar with the players and generally it's just great publicity for the football club.

Q: Since I was last here, the form has not been as good. Is there anything you've identified as the possible cause ?
A: Conceding too many goals I think definitely had a detrimental effect because we'd need to score two or three ourselves to win a game. Especially away from home. The players are disappointed they've not performed as well as they can, they are a good bunch of lads and they'll give it their best shot in the last few games.

Q: I think you've already said that they are getting a bit 'jittery' ?
A: I'm not sure jittery is the right word. They've become at times slightly apprehensive. Oviously the crowd reaction obver the last 2 home games hasn't helped confidence either and perhaps the less experienced players have become a little bit tense. We'll get through it, the experienced lads will help and I'm sure we'll be there at the end.

Q: Since the introduction of the three new defenders, you've looked more like a 'long-ball' side. Any comment ?
A: We haven't consciously done that in training. I think we've put the three lads at the back and defensively we've looked far more sound - the record speaks for itself. Possibly we have hit more long balls because the guys who've come in are not straight away familiar with the way we play. The other lads have got very used to the way we play - bringing the ball out from the back. The priority was to stop conceding goals and that is what they've done.

Q: Have you considered changing your style to achieve a desired result, then ? In this case the play-offs.
A: No, I don't think there's any change we've thought about making, other than personnel. We will try and get to the playoffs playing the right way, trying to entertain. But at this time of the season the results are of the utmost importance.

Q: Is the sudden goal-drought worrying you ?
A: It's not worrying me but it's obviously something we need to improve on. It's sods law that you sort the defence out and start to struggle to score at the other end. I think some of our play has been too much in the middle third and perhaps that's why we haven't been creating so many chances.

Q: Has the recent poor crowd reaction (ie booed off) affected things ?
A: Not so much booed off. We were booed after about 5 minutes which was dissappointing and upsetting. They perhaps didn't play as well as they have done this season but they gave 100% and to be sat 7th in the league in a play-off position before the game started and to be booed so early on was...hard to believe really.

Q: What do you think you need out of the remaining 5 (pre-Barnet) games ?
A: The way the results are going it's very difficult to say. I know teams have got games in hand but some of those are very difficult. Possibly we need to pick up a result away from home. Tony Ford: If you set out with an aim and don't achieve it then you're really let down by it. If we sat here now and said 'If we get three more wins it'll get us to the play-offs', and it doesn't, then what ?

Q: 16 players out of 21 out of contract and you can't offer new ones. Is this true ?
A: 14 players, and no it's not true. We don't know the situation at the football club. I am dictated to by the Chairman who basically tells me what we can do. He doesn't tell me which players I can keep but he does determine financially what I can and cannot keep. Obviously he has been pretty open about his willingness to sell the club so contracts cannot be decided until we know whether the present chairman will be staying on.

Q: Have the buy-out situation caused any problems ?
A: Not really. I don't think it's caused any football problems but I think people are reading too much into the contract situation because so many are up. They had 13 up at Port Vale last year. With the situation in football and the tightness of money you aren't able to sort players out through the season and give them pay rises and contracts because you can't afford it. A retained list will still come out, and people outside will be let know as soon as I let the players know.

Q: Are there two lists ie one for promotion and one if not ?
A: Certainly.

Q: While I'm thinking about it, any news on the new ground.
A: I'm afraid I don't know anything. I wish I did.

Q: Given the overall situation, would you been tempted to move if the right offer came in ?
A: Well, the immediate answer is no, because I have a contract here until the end of next season and I intend to honour it. Obviously with the reaction of the supporters recently and some of the things they've shouted at the players - that hardly fills me with encouragement to be truthful. Somewhere along the line me and my staff need some backing, whether it be in Division 3 or Division 2.

Q: Has it been a blow losing Cyrille and Karl ?
A: Cyrille...where obviously disappointed. We brought him back to try and mould him into a midfield player but Cyrille played a few games and openly admitted he didn't think he'd be able to get used to the speed of the game in midfield in this country. He suggested to me the only place he really wanted to play was at the back but with the new lads in the opportunity was not there so he elected to go back home. With Karl Rose it was deeply upsetting because we managed to get him out on loan which was a bonus and he was perfectly fit and trained well but he had a problem with his knee that we didn't know about and it flared up.

Q: What are your favourite goals/performances of the season ?
A: Goals, I would say the second goal against Brighton gave me a great deal of pleasure. The goal where we put all the passes together ? Rochdale at home, that is my favourite. Er, the games which gave me the greatest pleasure, for two completely different reasons, were Brentford at home and Scunthorpe at home - and I'm not telling you why !!

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