Mansfield Town expect to switch formations to cope at League One level
His diamond formation did so well for the club in getting promotion last season, but with injuries and opposition, he has tried 3-5-2 this week which has also worked well for him, claiming two wins and two clean sheets in the process.
“It was a new formation for us on Saturday, so we were not quite as secure and solid as we’d have liked to be,” he said.
“But we were a threat at the other end and rode our luck with the keeper making two or three magnificent saves. That is how we got the win and the clean sheet.
“It was forced upon us really with the personnel available.
“Last season we just about stuck with the formation all the way through and we were good enough to dominate teams with that formation at times.
“I don’t think we will have that in League One, especially having lost such a key ingredient from that in terms of Davis Keillor-Dunn.
“So we have to look at other options and that is one of them. We might well go back to it in the future.”
Promoted sides taking League One by storm as depleted Mansfield Town shine brightly
Only height prejudice has stopped Christy Pym playing higher believes Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough
Mansfield Town manager Nigel Clough believes that only a certain level of ill-judged prejudice against smaller goalkeepers has stopped Christy Pym from playing at a higher level.
But he made more crucial saves this week to help Stags to two crucial clean sheets inside four days to go third in League One.
“At Northampton on Saturday Christy was outstanding from start to finish from the bad backpass by Elliott Hewitt after two minutes to the saves he made all throughout the game,” said Clough.
“Some people say you have to be 6ft 3ins or 6ft 4ins to be a goalkeeper at the top level.
“But there were plenty of smaller ones a few years ago like Shay Given, who was exceptional. Christy is very similar to him in that he is a good all-round goalkeeper.
“He is good at every aspect of it, but the main thing is that he has good hands and does not spill many.
“He is also good with his feet and that is improving all the time.
“He is as good a keeper as we can get at this level.”
