00:00 So Scott, next Thursday I think it is, it's a year since you signed for Crawley, how has
00:07 it been? It's been quite a rollercoaster hasn't it since you joined?
00:10 Yeah it has been really enjoyable, it's a great football club, the fans are brilliant,
00:15 the staff, the people who work behind the scenes are fantastic, the owners have been
00:18 brilliant as well, really supportive. I've really enjoyed my time, when I first came
00:23 in we obviously had a job to do to keep the club up into the Football League, which we
00:27 did, that was hard work, enjoyable in many ways, but hard work and sometimes nervy, but
00:34 I enjoyed it and we got safe and then we had a really good pre-season, we changed a lot
00:42 on the pitch in terms of the style of play, we signed players who were not proven and
00:50 we coached the team to play in a manner that we feel gives us a chance and I've been really
00:56 impressed with how the players have taken on the information and how they've attacked
01:01 each game and I think we've done extremely well.
01:03 Yeah there's a lot of things that have changed, not just off the pitch but on the pitch and
01:07 off the pitch, is there anything in particular that you are particularly proud of, is it
01:12 the on the pitch stuff that you're really proud of?
01:14 I think so yeah, I think because when you go and you play against the likes of Wrexham,
01:19 Gillingham, MK Dons, Notts County and you dominate the ball against these teams, it
01:28 kind of secures in your mind that you're doing the right thing because for me there's only
01:35 one way of playing football and that's to have the ball and the players have been brilliant,
01:42 they've taken on the information so so well and executed the game plan on nearly every
01:47 game perfectly and it's not easy, there's a lot of information that goes into the players
01:52 and they've taken it on brilliantly well and I'm really proud of how we've played
01:56 and it's a nice feeling to sit back and watch these games and look at how well we've
02:01 dominated the ball and how well we've kind of attacked these teams and even against the
02:05 MK Dons game, we don't win the game but we're so so good in that game and I think
02:11 I showed the players on the next day or the day after when they come in and we had the
02:16 recovery session, we always debrief the game, I think I showed them 18 clips from final
02:22 third actions of where we could have scored a goal, 18 clips, we were so good in that
02:29 game yet so not good in front of goal, where we could be better but we're a young side
02:34 and we're learning and we're improving all the time and what's pleasing for me is that
02:39 we come off the back of that game where we felt like we couldn't score and then we go
02:44 and score three against Swindon so the players are working so so hard and I'm really proud
02:48 of them.
02:49 And yeah you brought in a lot of young players, a lot of unproven like you just said, is there
02:54 anyone that you did sign over the summer that you've actually been really surprised, I mean
02:59 obviously you wouldn't have signed them if you didn't think they could perform, but is
03:02 there anyone in particular that you thought bloody hell he's doing really well?
03:06 Yeah I think there's a few that could probably get onto that category if I'm honest with
03:10 you, you know, you look at Liam Kelly, he got relegated out of this division last season
03:14 with Rochdale, he's been unreal, unbelievable, almost to the point where he is the best midfield
03:21 player in this division, like ridiculously good.
03:24 You look at Will Wright, Will Wright is now one of the best midfield players in this division
03:29 but come here as a centre half right?
03:32 So again we develop and we see different strengths in his game and we feel that he can probably
03:37 play that position, we try him and he does it, unbelievable, been outstanding.
03:41 Jay Williams, I played for Bambury United last year, has come in and played like an
03:45 experienced player, he's 22 years of age, been unbelievable.
03:50 You know, Clyde Lola has come from non-league and again, had unbelievable moments in games,
03:56 Addy come from non-league, I could go on, the list goes on, all of them have done unbelievably
03:59 well.
04:00 I saw Joy on Saturday, coming for his first start, I know he's been a bit more patient
04:06 but again, playing for St Albans last season, come in and looked accomplished for me on
04:11 Monday.
04:12 So no, all of them, all of the players that we've signed have done brilliant.
04:16 And when you first came in, I think your first player signing was Ben Gladwin and obviously
04:21 you brought Jamie Day with you and you got Karl Larriman in, how important have those
04:24 three been in the development of this side?
04:27 Massive, like literally, I couldn't do it without them.
04:32 I just couldn't, you know Jamie Day's just different class coach, has a brilliant relationship
04:39 with all the players, his training sessions are very, very good, top, top level and the
04:48 players like him.
04:51 Karl Larriman, again, very experienced coach, you don't spend 26 years in the Premier League
04:56 if you don't know what you're doing, he's 16 years with Arsenal, worked with some top,
05:00 top players and just his detail with individual stuff that he does with the players, he's
05:06 just on a different level to where we're working.
05:11 And of course Ben as the captain, he's just great at managing moments and just little
05:17 things like he'll be walking around the pitch with Raf, with his arm around him, teaching
05:24 him the rights and the wrongs and then he'll be having a meeting with the lads about the
05:30 away form and then he'll be having a meeting with the defensive unit about how can we keep
05:34 clean sheets better and he's very keen Ben and he's doing his A licence, he'll be a very
05:40 good coach, manager one day I'm sure.
05:43 But yeah he's an integral part of what we do moving forward and as is Karl Larriman
05:48 and as is Jamie Day, I couldn't do it.
05:52 And on top of which obviously Steve Hale, the goalkeeping coach, has a big part to play
05:57 in terms of our defensive set pieces, Ricky McFarland, the strength and conditioning coach.
06:03 The team behind me I've got is probably not of this level and they work extremely hard
06:09 every day.
06:10 And I think it was a two and a half year contract you signed, so you're still going to be hopefully
06:14 here in a year.
06:15 I know you're not one for revealing targets and ambitions and that, but how do you see
06:20 Crawley in a year's time?
06:22 Well hopefully an improvement again, that's what we want, we just want to keep stepping
06:27 forward as a club on and off the pitch and I think that's important that we do that.
06:32 I think there's been a clear improvement from last season and hopefully we'll see the same
06:39 again next season.
06:40 And, let's talk, we always finish on the fans when we do previews and that, but how good
06:43 have the fans been since you started?
06:45 Just brilliant.
06:46 They've just been so good and it just makes me enjoy the job so much more than if there
06:57 wasn't because you feel as if you're being appreciated, which is always important for
07:05 everybody.
07:06 As tough as I am and as thick-skinned as I am, it's always nice to be appreciated because
07:14 there's a lot of work that goes in, a lot of work.
07:17 I live this football club, I live it.
07:20 Every day I'm looking at games or I'm watching us back or I'm clipping this or I'm talking
07:25 about the training session, what we're doing, I'm on the phone to Jamie or Larry or the
07:30 owners and I live it, I absolutely live it.
07:33 And when you have an appreciation with hundreds of people, the fans, it's a good feeling and
07:43 I appreciate them, let me tell you that now, I really do appreciate them because they're
07:46 fantastic.
07:47 They've been very, very supportive, even through the times where we've lost games on a bounce,
07:54 they're still buyers and I've really enjoyed walking out and seeing them at every game
08:00 home and away.
08:01 Brilliant, thanks Scott.
08:02 Here's to another year.
08:03 Thank you.
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