Two more new faces on Stags' shopping list

Mansfield Town added Omari Sterling-James to their ever-growing squad yesterday with the promise of possibly two more new faces to come.
Mansfield Town's Manager Steve Evans - Photo by Chris HollowayMansfield Town's Manager Steve Evans - Photo by Chris Holloway
Mansfield Town's Manager Steve Evans - Photo by Chris Holloway

Boss Steve Evans moved quickly to land the services of the 23-year-old Sterling-James, who is best known as a winger but could be employed by Mansfield down the middle as a quick striker.

However, Stags fans are still desperate to see an experienced goalscorer join the 13 new signings and ahead of tomorrow’s return for pre-season training, Evans said he had two more players on his wanted list – one an out-and-out striker and the other more of a No.10 role behind the centre forward.

“If both said yes, I’d expect to sign both provided the chairman and chief executive agreed, of course,” he said.

“For me those two names would just complete the group.

“They are a striker and a centre boy in the middle of the park who can play an attacking role or any one of two or three positions in there.

“The chairman always laughs when I say we’re looking at two more. He said ever since the day he met me I have always said ‘two more chairman’.

“He and Carolyn are working so hard right now to try to get one done for me. I have two names on a piece of paper that the chairman is in possession of. And if we can’t do either of them we can go with what we’ve got.

“I don’t think people know how good (Lee) Angol and (Jimmy) Spencer are, let alone (Danny) Rose and Amari (Sterling-Thomas).

“We are very well equipped though we don’t hide where we need to strengthen the group – in the striker department and maybe centrally behind him. It is a specific type of play in each of those areas of the pitch we are looking for.

“If we get that done we will be very fortunate and thankful to our chairman and chief executive. If it doesn’t happen we could kick off next week with the squad we’ve got.”

Evans is not worried by fans’ fears over the lack of an experienced ‘big name’ goalscorer.

“I think Lee Angol has got a claim to be a big name striker,” he said.

“I could name you 10 clubs off the top of my head who were having chats with Peterborough about signing him.

“We think the world of him – he is a special talent. We are going to love him.

“We will nurture him and we will tell him off as we need to get him working harder out of position. When he adds that to his game this kid is a Championship player all day long.

“But I think the world of Danny Rose. When we arrived here he was seen as a right or left winger or a substitute. But he is a key man is Danny and he shouldn’t be forgotten.

“If he plays 40-odd games he will be up near that (20-goal a season) mark. People forget he got 10 goals from open play in 17 or 18 starts compared to others that may have taken penalties.

“Jimmy Spencer with a free run of form would be looking forward to life in League One certainly. Speaking to the people at Plymouth they would have been keeping him other than the fact he just got injured at the wrong time.”

Stags fly out to Malta on Monday, backed by several hundred fans, for a week-long pre-season training camp and a friendly with a Malta Select XI.