No hard feelings after Lambe rejects Stags' '˜value for money' deal

Lambe, 25, had spent two seasons with the Stags and Murray told club website www.mansfieldtown.net: “Obviously we offered Reggie something at the end of the season/start of the summer, and Reggie’s been offered a better, more financial-better off deal up at Carlisle.

“So we respect his decision. We felt that what we offered Reggie was value for money.

“We spoke to Reggie a lot last season about his end product and that final pass or more of a goal input from that position was needed to take the value up on the player.

“I think Reggie scored some important goals for us, but probably not quite enough for that position, so we felt the deal we offered Reggie was good value for the player.

“He’s been brilliant for me, but he’s chosen to take a better offer at Carlisle and we don’t hold that against him, we wish him all the best.”

He added: “A little bit of our conversation was obviously getting the value for the player and the output that we got from Reggie in terms of assists and goals, but also balancing that up with the fact that we lose Reggie for a few weeks every season (on international duty), which is a bit of a pain in the backside.

“He’s chosen to go away in two seasons now when we’ve come to the ‘nitty-gritty’ part of the season, so that was all weighed up in the contract we offered and Carlisle have chosen to put something on the table which Reggie finds interesting and we didn’t think that the value was to match that.

“Fair play to Reg, we wish him all the best in the future and as long as he has an off-day against us, we’ll be fine.

“We’re happy with what we’re bringing into the building and we’ll get on with our business now, we’re not really bothered about what the boys who haven’t signed are doing, we’re bothered about the boys who have signed.”

The only outstanding contract now not signed is centre half Ryan Tafazolli, who is expected to be unveiled at Peterborough United.

Lambe said goodbye to the club via Twitter, stating: “Salutations to all the staff and players at Mansfield Town for all they have done for me the past two years. I wish you all the best.”