Evans: '˜New signings making us stronger'

Steve Evans believes the new signings have made Mansfield Town stronger.
Steve EvansSteve Evans
Steve Evans

Stags have signed four this transfer window and will look to add to that number ahead of Saturday’s trip to Notts County.

Goalkeeper Jake Kean, striker Yoann Arquin and midfielders Joel Byrom and Ben Whiteman all started in the win over Crewe.

Arquin and Whiteman were both on target in the victory at the One Call Stadium, as Stags moved to six points from the top seven.

Evans said: “We have a lot of work to do. We’ve signed three or four. Whether they will be successful going forward is down to those guys. We’ve got a lot of good players here.

“It’s like anything, if you’re building a house, you’ve got to get the base right. If you don’t get the base right the house will fall down.

“The problem for John Radford, Carolyn Radford and the supporters is that the base was never right. We’re trying to get the base right and build on something.

“Unless you get that right you’ve no chance. We’re gradually building the base, putting strong blocks in place, good for this level and if we can continue to do that we’ll get better.”

Stags have moved up the table in recent weeks and sit 14th going into the Notts derby - but Evans said there is much work to be done to get into the play-off picture.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do to get near those play-offs,” he said. “Maybe when we came in we needed a few snookers, a few behind the black to get in there, but the signings have made us stronger.

“We’ve added to the good players we’ve already got. We’ve always said it, we’ve inherited some good players and Adam (Murray) must take enormous credit because there are some good players here.

“But you need strength in key departments and that’s what we’ve lacked. We’ve done some of that and we’ll continue to do some more of that.

And added: “In respect to the league table, I think it’ll take shape at the end of February that’s when you know who possibly the top three from four or five are going to be and then it’ll be down to three or four for two positions.

“That’s how it normally shapes out year after year. We’ve got to make sure that by the end of January we’re within six points and then it’s game on. The Mansfield Town train will be coming when others are trying to stop us.”