Season still on the boil, but Stags boss hard at work on next season already

“There is always a lot to do. There’s rebuilding, rebalancing and restructuring,” he said.

“I have spoken to a few managers on pre-season games.

“There is a pre-season tour we are trying to sort out with ourselves and we are trying to get across abroad with the youngsters so I can have a really good look at them close hand and get that one club, one cause mentality right from the off next season.”
Flitcroft accepts there is no real closed season nowadays.

“You don’t really get that summer period now and you just get used to that as a manager,” he said.

“It used to shut down for eight weeks but now, fuelled by the media, everyone wants stories right through pre-season. It doesn’t stop – but that’s good and I understand that.”

Flitcroft is also ready to boost the squad with signings of his own.

“Over the last 12 years as a coach, a manager and an assistant manager I’ve been able to find out the agents that are good, the agents that are bad and the agents that are shocking,” he said.

“You stay away from the bad and shocking ones and you deal with the proper ones who do respect the world of football. There are some good ones out there.

“Then we will look to the recruitment. If we are going to bring people to the football club we need to make sure they are definitely of the right character and the right sort to bring to the club.

“I’ve not signed any one of the players that I currently work with.”