We’ve been chatting to Rusty from the Amber and Blue Twitter account about Mansfield Town’s season, after they narrowly missed out on a play-off spot, again.

How would you sum up your team’s 2022/23 season, and why?

It’s been very much Jekyll and Hyde, this is down to a few factors. Injuries have taken a massive toll on the squad this season. Nigel has only had a fully fit team three times this season, which is unbelievable. Playing players out of position has cost us, but this is in part due to injuries and also not signing adequate cover in the summer.

Away from has been brilliant; however unlike last season, home form has cost us we’ve dropped a lot of points. A prime example of our Jekyll and Hyde season is beating Swindon at their ground 4 – 2, only to follow it up with a 1 all draw with bottom-of-the-league Rochdale a few days after

Which players stood out for you and why?

Elliott Hewitt has been solid for us at the back when it’s been a season of constant change at the back. He has played centre back and right back, which is his natural position. He’s given it his all make some big challenges and fully deserved his Player the Season award from fans and teammates alike.

Alfie Kilgour is an absolute warrior at the back; tough tackling and he’s also popped up with some important goals, like his header at Bradford away in added time. We only signed him in January but made our defence better.

Davis Keillor-Dunn, I can’t say enough good things about this player. Exciting to watch when he gets the ball. You know he’s running at you or taking a shot. He has six goals since joining from Burton in January. Very excited to see what he can produce in a full season with us.

Last but not least, James Gale: he’s one of our own, a local lad who plays striker. He has come in the last part of the season and done really well. He took his goal well against Newport his first-ever goal for the club and also scored against Colchester. He runs for every ball and battles really well. He’s my Mansfield player to watch next season.

What were the biggest disappointments of the season, and why?

The Danny Johnson/Nigel Clough saga. When Johnson went on loan to Walsall he did really well ten goals for them and fitted straight in. When he came back to Mansfield in January, there was hope he might replicate that for us. That was a lot of fanfare about it and why wouldn’t there be? We’d just got a striker back in red-hot form. However, he scored just one goal for us and only featured in eight games and not even for the full 90 mins. Even with all the injuries, he wasn’t getting a game; we may never truly know what transpired between Johnson and Clough. But looking back the best option would have been to sell him to make player and manager happy alike.

Missing out on the playoffs by goal difference was disappointing, especially when you look back on some of the goals we’ve conceded. Some have been comical mishaps or poor keeping and others have been due to poor defending. You can’t help but wonder if we’d have got a defender in the summer it could have all been different.

Which matches stand out for you, good and bad, and why?

Doncaster away third of September stands out. We hadn’t won away all season, then a big 3-1 win with Ollie Clarke’s goal of the season. If you haven’t seen it have a look.  Plus the atmosphere our fans created was fantastic.

Carlisle away Valentine’s Day brought a big 4-0 win against a team that has finished above us in the league. We dominated the game even with the number of injuries we were carrying. A great had by all travelling Stags fans, even on Valentine’s Day!

Another big game was Bradford away ten days earlier. Three injuries and one nil down before halftime, most teams would have been downbeat and possibly conceded more. However, second half, we came out and went at Bradford and Alfie Kilgour scored the equalising goal in the 90 + 1-minute cue the knee slides in the away end.

Most negatives have been at Field Mill. Against Barrow, we let a two-goal lead slip to lose 3-2 and losing 2-0 to Harrogate was awful. The Harrogate game was especially poor: we could have played all day and not scored.

How do you rate the job your current manager has done?

If I’m honest, for me, it’s a seven out of ten. Nigel has had a tough season with injuries I understand that, and to finish where we have with so many injuries is a good achievement. However, the summer window was poor he didn’t address the defensive problems we had, opting to continue to play a striker at centre-back.

The stubbornness to stick to a formation that wasn’t working frustrated me, we play better in a diamond. I feel it’s a big summer for us, and Nigel needs to get this right. He’s got the backing of the fans, the board I and the owners.

What is needed over the summer if you’re to improve next season?

I think a left-back is the most important target for us, we don’t know how Stephen McLaughlin is going to come back from this third big injury; the best we can hope is we get back our player of the season from last year that position is vital to get right. Also, the goalkeeping situation: Christy Pym had a good season for us, but I imagine he’ll be on a lot of money. I think there could be better out there that are cheaper on wages.

Also, I’d like a forward to link up with Oates, he hasn’t had the season he had last season in fairness. He has had a couple of injuries. However, I feel if we can get someone that links up well with him then we could see the best of him again. Failing that, maybe a priest to bless the ground in the training academy to hopefully get rid of the bad luck we’ve had this season!

Don’t forget to follow @amberblue1897 on Twitter!

Don’t forget to have a listen to our play-off podcast, even if you are a despairing Mansfield Town supporter!