Crawley Town travel to League Two leaders Crewe on Saturday looking to record their first win of the season. Here is Scott Lindsey's full pre-match press conference
00:00Scott, another exciting game on the horizon as we travelled to Crewe this weekend. Firstly, can I get your thoughts heading into that one?
00:07Yeah, tough game. Obviously, they've had two really good results in the league and find themselves at the top of the table.
00:14So, obviously, it's going to be a tough game.
00:17They've got a really good manager who's been there a number of years now, and I think that's always a worry when you come across a team who've got a manager in post who's been there a number of years
00:25because he's got his way of working and built a squad that are more than capable of winning games at this level.
00:32And I see that with Crewe and Lee. Lee's a very good manager, and I see that with the team.
00:37Having watched them, they're a really, really competitive team.
00:40They can play but work extremely hard for one another.
00:46They're very aggressive on the press. They land on second balls.
00:50They'll put ball after ball in your box.
00:51They create a lot, you know, and it's going to be a tough game.
00:58But it's one that we relish and we look forward to because we need to win a game, right?
01:02We need to win a game, and why not beat the team that are at the top?
01:07Yeah, definitely. And how has the reaction been from Tuesday night?
01:10Obviously, it was a very late return from Swansea.
01:13I don't know about you, but we got back about three o'clock.
01:15And it is important to talk about things like that because that eats into the brain.
01:18Come on, Sam. You can sleep at the end of the season.
01:22I'm more worried about the players, not myself.
01:23No, the players are fine. No, no, listen, yeah, a late one, but it's what job we're in.
01:29You know, we're fine. We recovered really well. The players have trained today.
01:34We debriefed both games, actually, the Newport game and Swansea game today, which was good.
01:41Kind of a lot of positive messages because I think that we're improving each game.
01:48And there's a lot of encouragement to take from both games.
01:51I felt that certainly in the Newport game, had we have taken our chances, we see a different end result.
01:57But we didn't. And we've got to improve on that. We know that.
02:01But in actual fact, the actual football we played, I was pleased with the performance I was pleased with before.
02:06Obviously, after the second goal went in, we went a little bit loose with one or two bits.
02:10But it's a new team. We have to be a little bit patient.
02:13We have to understand that we might be more of a slow burner rather than see an instant impact with the players that we've signed and what we've got.
02:22We probably need to be a bit patient. But I'm happy. I'm seeing improvement every day. I'm seeing the players work extremely hard.
02:33So, yeah, listen, this start of the season, you always want to start well because, you know, momentum's big in football.
02:42But I think that we are definitely seeing signs of improvement.
02:46Yeah, it's certainly not like we're not creating a lot of chances. We've spoken after the games.
02:49Because, you know, we have created a lot of chances, as we said. Cabby got his first goal on Tuesday night.
02:53So it's things like that that are going to give the team a lot of confidence, isn't it?
02:57Yeah, I think I'd be more concerned if we weren't creating chances, you know.
03:00I think that even the Grimsby game, as poor as we were, I think there was still opportunity to score goals.
03:06And certainly in the Newport game, there was, you know, a hatful we could have scored if we would have had our shooting boots on.
03:12But it wasn't to be. But, you know, listen, like I say, it's early. It will keep creating because of the way we play.
03:16I want us to be a bit more aggressive when we do get in that final third, or at least when we cross the halfway line.
03:21I don't want us to keep turning around and making too many passes when we don't need to, when we can attack and be more aggressive.
03:28I want to see the ball speed go up, you know, from when we build to when we get through the initial press to then attack.
03:35I want to see that ball speed change, which I think we kind of won paced at the moment, which is something that we spoke about and worked on.
03:41So I'm hoping to see a difference in that. So listen, like I say, early yet, 44 league games to play, plus cup games and all the rest of it says, what, 50 games to play.
03:54Long way to go.
03:55Yeah, what's the sort of medical room looking like, as you say?
03:58We haven't got 50 games to play, but we've got a lot of them coming up in quick succession at the moment.
04:03So how's the sort of progress there?
04:04Yeah, it has been difficult in terms of that. I think that, yeah, we've picked up probably too many than we wanted.
04:14We have got probably at least one player coming back from that injury list.
04:22But yeah, still too many for me, you know, still too many.
04:24And a lot of it is collateral damage from pre-season, probably too many, really.
04:29But we have to, and that's why we build a squad, you know, and that's why we have a squad of players,
04:35which I still believe that we're short in terms of numbers.
04:38You know, we speak about the recruitment side of things.
04:41I still feel that we need two or three in, which we're working extremely hard on, kind of in the background,
04:47you know, behind the scenes.
04:49And we're, a lot of hard work's going in for that.
04:52And we do need help.
04:53We do need some players in.
04:55I think it's clear to see.
04:56So, well, let's hope that we see some fresh faces soon.
05:02Last time you played crew, it was obviously a great day at Wembley last year, around this time.
05:08No, it wasn't.
05:09It was a long ago.
05:10Sorry.
05:11I'm jet-lagged still.
05:12I'm jet-lagged from one of that.
05:13Will you use that day as a sort of part of a pre-match talk for motivation and that,
05:19saying this is what we did last time, or is it just now two completely different sides?
05:23No, I think it's completely different, different circumstances, different, you know, two different
05:29teams in many ways.
05:32So, no, I don't see there to be any legs in that whatsoever.
05:37You know, I think that we're coming up against a really good side.
05:41Probably, you could argue whether Lee's assembled a team that are probably stronger than the team
05:47that played against us at Wembley.
05:49I'll speak to him after the game, he might disagree with that, I don't know, but I think
05:53looking at them, they look stronger now than the team we played at Wembley.
05:58So, yeah, we know it's going to be a tough game.
06:01And what, you know, listen, what I like about crew is that, again, when you listen to a lot
06:05of the media platforms, they talk about kind of predictions of where a team should finish.
06:11Crew are always down the bottom end in everyone's predictions.
06:14And, you know, they always, you know, similar to us in many ways, you know what I mean?
06:19And they always do well, you know what I mean?
06:22I know probably last season was a bit of a quieter season for him, but I'll back them
06:26to be around it again, I really do, because I think he's a very good manager.
06:30Yeah, and what players are the specific threats for you, do you think?
06:33I think they've got a number.
06:34They've got a number of threats, you know.
06:36You look at the forward, who's a real handful.
06:38You look at Dimitri, who we know from set pieces and that, and, you know, they've got
06:43some really good footballers in the middle of the pitch as well who can play.
06:46Younger, Tom O'Reilly, who I had at MK Don's on loan, so a very good player, again,
06:51can make things happen.
06:52Yeah, listen, they've got a lot of good players, a lot of really good players who can handle
06:55the football, but can also run and land on second balls and work hard for the team.
06:59So, yeah, they're very efficient in the way they play, and it's no surprise to me
07:04that they're at the top.
07:04Yeah, and I look at social media, so you don't have to, because I know you don't look
07:09at social media, but a lot of the fans have been asking about Louis Flower, why isn't
07:13he getting a start on that?
07:14I mean, he made an impact when he came on on Tuesday night, and more in a wide position.
07:18Is that somewhere where you see him playing as a wide, or is he a competitive caveat?
07:24I think he's both.
07:25I think it's a fair question.
07:29I think he's both.
07:30I think he can play wide, and I think he can play really well.
07:32He creates, you know, he causes the opposition problems.
07:39He can play as a nine, he can push Cabby for a place as well, and that's what we want.
07:43We want competition.
07:44I don't want Cabby to feel too comfortable and think that Louis is not knocking on the
07:50door, because he is, you know.
07:51So, that's down to me to make a decision.
07:54That's what I get paid my wages for.
07:56So, I have to make that decision, but Louis is doing great.
07:59He's really competitive in training, and I'm pleased that I've got Cabby and Louis to pick
08:05from.
08:06Yeah.
08:07And talking to fans as well, you mentioned about Harry McCurdy and their reaction to
08:10him.
08:11How has Harry handled that, and how is he doing?
08:14I think it's upsetting, if the truth be known.
08:17I'm not saying he is upset, but I think it can be upsetting for a player.
08:20And I know Harry, I've known him a long, long time, and he's got plenty of confidence and
08:26plenty of front.
08:27And when I saw him walk off the pitch and actually walk around the other side of the goal rather
08:34than past our fans, I thought that's not a good sign, because Harry's not frightened
08:38of anything, do you know what I mean?
08:39And he obviously shied away from walking past our fans, and I don't like that.
08:45And that's why I said it afterwards.
08:46It kind of upset me, because I want us to be connected, be together.
08:49Listen, the fans are completely, like, well within their rights to have opinions on players
08:54and get that.
08:55And I support kind of a lot of what they say, you know, I really do.
08:59But let's stick together.
09:01Let's support each other, you know what I mean?
09:03Because we're going to need you during the season.
09:07You know, we can't just perform out on the pitch.
09:09The atmosphere in the stadium helps us.
09:12The atmosphere away from home helps us.
09:14The way you sing, the way you are with me is amazing.
09:16And I couldn't do my job with that, the way the fans have been to me.
09:20Honestly, they make me feel so kind of proud to be the manager of this football club.
09:24They really do.
09:25But I do want them to support the players.
09:28Because, trust me, they're going to love him.
09:30He'll score goals.
09:31He'll celebrate with them.
09:32And we've got to remember, you know, what stage he's at.
09:37He's probably not played, well, I know for a fact, Saturday was his first 90 minutes in three years.
09:43Which is incredible, really, when you think about it.
09:45So, we're not probably seeing the best of him yet.
09:48Is he playing out of position?
09:50Potentially, yes.
09:51He is.
09:52Can he play wide right?
09:53Yes, he can.
09:54But is he better off probably inside the pitch a little bit, you know, closer to the middle of the pitch?
09:59Yes, he is.
10:00But we ain't got anybody else who can play there, as such, you know.
10:03So, at the moment, he's doing a job for the team.
10:06So, let's really support that and, you know, get behind the players.
10:11I think it helps.
10:12It really does.
10:12It doesn't help by getting on their backs, you know.
10:15I don't really think he's done a lot wrong to get on their backs, for the fans to get on his back.
10:20I don't think he's done a lot wrong, you know.
10:23He's certainly been quiet in the games, I think, from his standards.
10:26But at least we're trying to get him to us.
10:28Because I think each day, each training session, each game he's played, he's improved.
10:33And eventually, you're going to see a proper player out there.
10:36Yeah.
10:37And with Gav, I assume he's out for three games now, is he?
10:40That's a bit of a blow, isn't it?
10:41Yeah.
10:42I'm not kind of sure.
10:43I've got to probably speak to Lewis about this because we're appealing it.
