Stags 'excited by unknowns' of League One - Clough

Nigel Clough was last year voted League Two manager of the season

Manager Nigel Clough says there is a mixture of “excitement" and "trepidation” as Mansfield Town prepare for their first season back in England's third tier for 21 years.

The Stags finished third in League Two to go up automatically last term after a number of near misses in recent season, including a play-off final defeat by Port Vale in 2022.

Mansfield have spent just one season in the third tier in the past three decades.

"We were excited last season and now it’s a little bit more formidable this season, we go into it with a bit more trepidation because of the unknown standard," Clough told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"When we finished at Colchester the season before we said how excited we were because we knew we had a squad that, with a couple of additions, was capable of competing at the top of the league.

"We can’t say that this time going into League One because it’s a little bit of an unknown for us. But we are still excited."

Mansfield have made four summer additions since sealing promotion to League One, with Australia international Keanu Baccus, full-back Frazer Blake-Tracy, striker Lee Gregory and versatile midfielder Deji Oshilaja moving to the One Call Stadium.

A number of key members of the promotion-winning side have also recommitted to the side, with veteran Stephen Quinn and strikers Lucas Akins and Rhys Oates among them.

Clough, who was voted League Two manager of the season last term, said the Stags' transfer business remains ongoing.

After one of the Nottinghamshire club's first pre-season training days, the 58-year-old was quizzed about Mansfield's expectations and asked if stability in the third tier - a level they have not remained steady in since the late 1980s - is the ambition.

"That has to be the aim, the club hasn’t been in League One for 21 years and I couldn’t tell you the last time it stayed in League One, but it’s a good few years," he said.

"So that has to be our aim, to stabilise, and that could be anywhere from just staying in the league and just above the bottom four or finishing just outside the play-offs.

"Ideally what you don’t want is a relegation battle at any point. And if we can keep people fit and with a couple of additions, I think we can avoid that."