John McGreal calls on Colchester United to do the basics right against on-form Mansfield Town

Colchester United boss John McGreal says his side must do the basics right if they are to get anything out of on-form Mansfield on Saturday.
Picture Andrew Roe/AHPIX LTD, Football, EFL Sky Bet League Two, Mansfield Town v Colchester United, One Call Stadium, 10/03/18, K.O 3pm

Mansfield's Joel Byrom battles with Colchester's Tom Lapslie

Andrew Roe>>>>>>>07826527594Picture Andrew Roe/AHPIX LTD, Football, EFL Sky Bet League Two, Mansfield Town v Colchester United, One Call Stadium, 10/03/18, K.O 3pm

Mansfield's Joel Byrom battles with Colchester's Tom Lapslie

Andrew Roe>>>>>>>07826527594
Picture Andrew Roe/AHPIX LTD, Football, EFL Sky Bet League Two, Mansfield Town v Colchester United, One Call Stadium, 10/03/18, K.O 3pm Mansfield's Joel Byrom battles with Colchester's Tom Lapslie Andrew Roe>>>>>>>07826527594

Stags go into the game in red-hot mood following their 6-1 hammering of Accrington Stanley in the Carabao Cup.

But despite that McGreal is confident his United side can inflict the first defeat of the season upon Stags.

“We will try and win the game – that’s how we try and do it and it’s put us in good stead over the last couple of years being in and around the play-offs,” he said.

“We know what we’re good at and I think we’ve proved that over the years.

“We’ve had a good start to the season but it can all go out of the window if you don’t take on your tactical information and in and out of possession.

“You have to do the basics well and that’s something we’ll have to do on Saturday, because Mansfield are confident.

“But we’re confident too and it could be a little bit like a boxing match – you just don’t know.”

The experienced manager was also quick to praise his opposite number in the work David Flitcroft has done in transforming Mansfield through the summer.

“David and Futch (Ben Futcher) have done terrifically well there,” said McGreal

“They have a terrific start and had a good win (against Accrington) the other night.

“We’ve had them watched and watched tapes back and he’s trying to implement his style – you could see that last year when he took over, that he was trying to change the style a little bit from that of Steve Evans.

“It’s taken until pre-season to get that under their belt but he’s changed one or two things around.

“But that’s David and his philosophy – we’ve got our philosophy and what we believe in.

“We’re confident ourselves and believe in what we’re doing.”

The visitors were dealt a blow earlier in the week as a sickness bug hit the camp, though the majority of the players now seem to have come through the worst.

McGrea added: “Everyone is more or less fit – there are obviously boys coming back from it and still not 100 per cent.

“But as we get nearer to the game, we’ll be hoping they’ll recover.

“It was more the early part of the week but we had the day off on Wednesday which gave us a day to recover and a lot of the boys have got through the session today, whether it’s by hook or by crook!

“We’ll all looking forward to the game on Saturday.”

Follow the game with our live matchday feed on Saturday via www.chad.co.uk