Khan hoping on home double for Mansfield Town

Still struggling to really get their season going, the Stags welcome Northampton Town on Saturday before Oldham Athletic visit on Tuesday – and six points would make a huge difference to their disappointing 16th position in the table.

Midfielder Khan said: “We are crying out for it. We need to get the three points from both games in quick succession and then we will be right up there.

“It’s a quick turnaround, but getting six points in two games really takes you up in the table. We can use it as a springboard to carry on up.

“Some teams in this league have got off to a flyer – like we probably should have done and everyone expected us to do.

“Six points from these next two games will put us in a place where we need to be to kick on.

“We have got the fans behind us every home game so we will use that to help us.”

Although they have only lost once in their eight games, Stags have drawn too many and Khan said: “We have giving ‘nearly performances’ every game really.

“Every match we have had chances to see off the game and should have got a lot more points than we have got.

“But the positives are still there as we are making chances and it’s just about completing them now.

“Personally I know I should have scored more goals and a few more assists. We just need to keep working hard in training and it will come.

“We need to be a bit more clinical and more ruthless in front of goal.”

He added: “When we get chances earlier on in the game we have to finish them as early as we can and then get that all-important second goal.

“When teams play Mansfield we know they always want to put their best performance on, but if we can get those first and second goals we can see off the game.”

Manager David Flitcroft has employed a 3-5-2 formation this season and Khan believes it will ultimately bring success.

“Everyone can see we are not far away,” he said.

“So if we give up on the plan now then we throw all that hard work away.

“It’s just about getting that last bit of the plan together then we will be fine. It’s just about fine-tuning.

“It’s a good system we play and we all know it well.

“Every game we have played I feel we’ve been on top, dominating possession. But we can’t get into the habit of just playing nice football, we need to hurt teams and get those all-important goals.”

Visitors Northampton have had a similar start to Mansfield, only winning once, but Khan knows they will provide a stiff test.

“You can take a little bit of encouragement from their position, looking at the table,” he said.

“But it’s still early in the season and no one knows where Northampton will finish.

“They have obviously just been relegated from League One, having been there a couple of seasons, so they are a good team.

“So we can’t look at it as if it’s going to be an easy game. Any team can beat anyone in League Two on the day.

“I think it will be a very possession-based game, but we have good players who can dominate.

“We can play how they do but we can do it much better. I think it will be a really interesting game.”

Khan has now moved up from Yeovil following his summer transfer and is happy with his new home and club.

“I am fully settled in the area now,” he said. “It’s a lot busier here than Yeovil, which is a bit in the middle of nowhere. This is close to everywhere and close to my family

“The lads are really good and everything is going well.

“It has been the right move for me and I just want to repay everyone here now and the fans, who are crying out for three points which I hope we can get them on Saturday.”

Khan is enjoying his No.10 role for the side.

“I get a lot of the ball there,” he said.

“I can pick the ball up in some nice areas. It gives me a free role and I can go and look for the ball. I prefer doing that.”