League Two

Mansfield boss Evans wants assurances

5th May 2017

283

Manager Steve Evans has said he wants assurances from chairman John Radford that Mansfield Town will back his desire to win promotion from League Two next season.

Last weekend’s loss to Portsmouth ^[1] means even victory over Crawley on Saturday would bring only a very slim chance of reaching the play-offs this term.

Evans told BBC Radio Nottingham he was “not a League Two manager”.

“I need to be sure I get supported to build a promotion squad,” he added.

“The first meeting I have to have is to sit down with the chairman and chief executive and make sure their ambition levels are where mine are.

“They have never ever flinched with anything I have asked, but I need to understand their ambitions. If they are at my level then we go forward together, if they aren’t then it’s a separate conversation.”

Mansfield, in 12th, must beat Crawley and would need results to go their way in four other matches to make the top six. But if two of the following results do not happen then the Stags will be playing League Two again next season.

Carlisle lose against Exeter

Blackpool lose against Leyton Orient

Stevenage fail to win (with Mansfield winning by four goals if it’s a draw)

Cambridge and Wycombe (who play each other), and Colchester fail to win

Evans is already resigned to missing out on the play-offs this season.

“We will try to win the game and hope squeaky bum time makes it difficult for the other teams, but you would think it has gone for us now,” he said.

But the former Leeds boss, who joined on a two-and-half year contract in November,^[2] said plans were already in place for next season and he is a “million per cent” committed to staying if the the club are able to challenge for promotion to the third tier.

“You can’t suddenly wake up in the second week of May and think about recruitment,” he added.

“The football club stayed in League Two this season because the recruitment last summer was pretty horrendous.

“We have the opportunity to keep everyone, so I will sit down with the staff and chairman but I will make the final decisions on who stays and who goes.

“I am not a League Two manager and I am not here to be in League Two.”