Satisfying first year in management for Mansfield Town boss Adam Murray
“It’s been a long year, but I’ve learned a great deal, especially last season,” he said.
“This season I’ve learned to stick to my beliefs. What we have done so far got us into the play-off places, so we don’t need to tweak much or change things much. We do need to cause more trouble at home.
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“Last season, what people don’t understand was my career was on the line – my livelihood.
“So this season from the start of it I made sure I wouldn’t put us in a situation where we were 17th or 18th, winning one 4-0 then losing three. I wouldn’t do that.
“Now what I’ve got to do is cut the reins a little and wipe away that scar a little bit and make sure that, especially at home, we are a little more positive.
“We are one of the most organised and efficient teams in the league. We only look like conceding from our own mistakes. But we’ve got to be better at the other end. That comes from me and the work on the training ground.
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“But let’s chase the play-offs. As I look at it last season wasn’t mine. This season is mine.
“People will always judge me from the outside world and I judge myself on how I progress the football club. In 12 months I have progressed it at a rapid pace and for the next 12 months I will continue to do the same.
“If we keep on that growth we will be a very successful football club. The thing is we all want it now. Unfortunately in football, as in life, it doesn’t work that way.”
Murray added: “It’s fine lines at the moment. Performances aren’t bad, the lads are giving everything and we feel as a team that someone is close to being on the end of a drubbing.
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“I think for the 23 games, and I think the lads would agree with me, we’ve only been at 75-80 per cent. We’ve still got more in the tank which is good for us.
“For the next 23 games if we do what we did over the first 23, we’d end up on 70 points. I think over the last five years it’s been 68, 72, 69, 71 and 71 that have got in the play-offs for that final place.
“At the minute, the trait would say we’d end up on 70 points. That would be touch and go whether we got in the play-offs. We need that extra five to 10 per cent out of this group that gets us onto 75,76,77 points and over the line. I believe we can do that.”