Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Fans and team both want winning football – Andy
at the end and maybe some of the chances that they were frustrated not to take, I think they were really disappointed.
“It’s really easy to be frustrated on the night, but when you come away and take yourself out a little bit, we’ve moved up to 12th and have a game in hand. We are one win away from getting into the top ten, which is fantastic, so it’s all progress.”
Mangan added: “It’s all about winning. You have to win games of football. The fans expect winning football. The squad demands winning football so nothing changes in that sense. There are a lot more meetings that I’m having and a lot more press but it’s part of the job. I’ve loved it.
“You just want the games to come constantly but the amount of books I’ve read I understand why the managers have said that they love the games and the days before when you’re preparing. It’s very exciting.
“We’re four games unbeaten so we’re not in terrible form. There’s loads of areas that we can improve on and we’re trying to work on those in training. We’ve got another great game against Carlisle and hopefully we can get the right result.”
Mangan offered an update on midfielder Grant Ward, saying: “He is really close, which is another positive for the squad. The legs that he gives us, the distance he covers, the quality that he has, we’ll be really lucky when Wardy comes back.
“He’s just been unfortunate really. He had that period of time out and then he plays in that game against Burton and then it’s just a niggle really so you just have to be careful.
“What we can’t do and what I can’t do is, even in the situation that I’m in at the moment, I’m not going to risk Wardy. It’s the wrong thing to do. I’m not going to risk him for one game. You have to have an obligation to the player to make sure he’s looked after so Wardy will come back when he’s fit and ready to come back. He’s very close and we can’t wait to have him.”
As well as Ward, right-back Jack
Hunt has been a major miss having been sidelined for a month, while Luke McCormick could return ahead of schedule after picking up an ankle injury in training recently.
James Maddison has been ruled out until January with an ankle injury, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed.
The 26-year-old midfielder has withdrawn from the England squad for November’s Euro 2024 qualifiers.
He sustained the injury in Spurs’ chaotic 4-1 defeat by Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday.
Teammate Micky Van de Ven pulled up with a hamstring injury in the same match and is also likely to be out until the new year.