Crawley Town are looking to bounce back from their defeat at Notts County when they host Barrow at the Broadfield Stadium on Saturday. Here is Scott Lindsey's full press conference.
#CrawleyTown #FootballJourney #TeamSpirit #SportsAnalysis
#CrawleyTown #FootballJourney #TeamSpirit #SportsAnalysis
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00:00Thanks for joining us. Back at the Broadfield this weekend, Barrow the visitors. What are your thoughts heading into that game?
00:04Yeah, a game that we're looking forward to because we're at home. We obviously had a long journey on Saturday with a negative result,
00:14a negative feeling kind of coming away from Nottingham. So we're glad that we're at home, which is always a good thing.
00:22We like playing here. We feel that it's a tough place to come for any opposition, certainly one that's travelling the distance that our opposition is on Saturday.
00:36It's a game in which it's another challenge for us, but one that we're looking forward to and one that we feel that if we get everything right, we get what we need from the game, which is three points.
00:48Yeah, and how did this week at training look? Because after we spoke on the game on Saturday, you weren't sure how you were sort of going to manage that process.
00:55If you can give us any insight, what was the process that you ended up doing?
00:58Well, training's looked good and it always does. I've never come away from training thinking, no, that was rubbish today.
01:04I think that every day the players are on it and we debriefed the game. I wasn't sure whether I would, but I think it's important that we keep that process going.
01:13I don't want to get away from how we process or how we work. And so we did do that.
01:21We looked at a lot of things that I felt that was wrong in the game.
01:28I think it's important that we learn from them things that were wrong and we've got to improve from them things.
01:34Normally when we win and play well, and even when we lose and play well, which we have done, I go really positive and show them good actions to kind of keep the faith, as it were, and keep believing in what we're doing because there's so much good.
01:55Monday, Monday, I didn't do that. I felt that I needed to be, not negative, but I needed to be honest and say a few things that were true.
02:07And I didn't think that we worked hard enough. I didn't think that we, I think that we were capable of going to Notts County and winning.
02:14I felt that we were capable of going to Notts County and playing well. I think that we, we went there and we, we didn't fill our potential is what I would say that we didn't do.
02:26We didn't fill our potential and therefore that's disappointing because it's an opportunity to, to do that.
02:31And we turned that opportunity down. It feel, it almost feels like we wasted a game.
02:37So yeah, so a few harsh words, but honest words. And, and the players know they're not, they're not cheats.
02:44They're good lads and they, sometimes you can't always perform at your best.
02:49That's sport and that's football. Sometimes that's life. And we, we had probably one or two off it.
02:56Um, certainly Saturday and, and maybe the result of the game and the result of the performance was because we had one or two off it.
03:04And that can sometimes happen. And hopefully we don't see that again, uh, sometime soon anyway.
03:10But yeah, and it's just about being honest and understanding, you know, what we are and who we are.
03:16And, and having that little, that level of consistency is important as well.
03:20And I think it's hard when you've got a new group, because you're constantly trying to coach the team to play in a certain manner, um, which they do.
03:29Um, and then there might be days when we're just off it.
03:33And I think that was a day, you know, that that happened on Saturday at Notts County.
03:38And consequently, you're playing against a good side who are not going to let you off the hook and they're going to punish you every time you let them.
03:44So, and we let them too many times and yeah, come away disappointed.
03:47Yeah, we spoke to Badge after the game and he said that you could tell the general consensus in the changing room was that that wasn't good enough.
03:54And it had already enlightened a hunger in the players to, you know, get out there as soon as possible and get a win.
03:58Is that the sort of attitude that you've seen in training?
04:00Yeah, definitely. I think the attitude of the lads has been top class.
04:03I've got to be honest with you. I think that, I think, I think the players are on it.
04:08I do. And whilst there wasn't Saturday, I know, but, um, they have done this, this week in training.
04:15And, you know, I think that, um, from a management point of view, it's important that I show my teeth to the players at times.
04:23You know, after the Chesterfield game, I did it because I felt that it was, it was an opportunity to get three points.
04:29And we let it slide and got one. Um, and Saturday I showed my teeth because I didn't think we were present in the game.
04:36I thought we pretended to play a game of football and not really went for it.
04:40And I think it was an opportunity lost. And whilst I will show my teeth, but I want, I want it to be understood that I'm doing it because I'm,
04:47I want to, I want to win games of football and I want everybody to get on the bus with me and, and, and be winners with me.
04:55Because that's what we're going to try and create eventually, you know, and I know it takes time because they're a new group and new players understanding how I work and how intense I can be, because I can be, um, and how demanding I can be.
05:08Um, I expect to go to Knott's County and win is what the truth is. And when we don't go there and we kind of pretend to perform, then I've got a problem.
05:17And the players know that. And the players have, their reaction in training has been top class. I've got a real problem, a real problem this week, because I feel after a 4-0 loss, you've got to make changes.
05:28But I've got so many players performing in training that it's got to the point where I need a, probably another night to sleep on it tonight before I make my decision tomorrow to prep the team, which is good to have that problem.
05:40And everyone's training really well. And I think the players feel that. I think they know that maybe I'm going to pick the team based on how we train. And sometimes that can happen. And it certainly is this week because they're all training really well.
05:53Yeah, after a game like that, it is the cliche, but you would want to be at home straight away. You know, it's something you want to build on.
05:59Especially, and no disrespect to Barry, with the amount of fans that are likely to bring. Obviously, we know how long that journey is.
06:05In many ways, it's up to the Corley fans to create the atmosphere on Saturday. So it can play a huge part, can't it?
06:11Yeah, but we've got to give the fans something. You know, we've got to start the game really well. We've got to bounce out the tunnel like Zebedee and ready to go.
06:19And I want the fans to feel that we're present. And, you know, I think that we were probably not that on Saturday. We want to be that this Saturday.
06:28And I want to give the fans something to sing about. And then, yeah, right. So they create the atmosphere.
06:33And that's why it's so hard to come here and play against Crawley because of the fans and because of the tight-knit ground and the atmosphere that's created in the stadium.
06:43But that can only be created by us playing well on the pitch.
06:48You sort of answered the question I was going to ask about selection. Last week you said it was really clear what the team should be. Obviously, you're struggling this week.
06:55Like, is the instinct that you should make changes or are you still genuinely thinking?
07:00Yeah, I think that, no, no, I think that, listen, there needs to be changes. I think it's clear to me that that needs to be happening.
07:09And what's not clear to me is what the starting line-up looks like. Yeah, we're on Thursday. I think I'm close in my mind. Every day in training, I'm watching everybody.
07:21And I think that sometimes, not always, but sometimes you pick the team on what you've seen in training.
07:26And I've seen some really good trainers this week. So, has it helped me? No. It's probably made it worse. But that's what I want. I want, listen, at the end of the day, come probably tomorrow morning, I've got to make a decision because I've got to prep the team.
07:43And, you know, I've got to make that decision and somebody's going to be unhappy with it and somebody's going to be happy with it.
07:49And, you know, that's just the nature of the job that I'm in. And it's not through, you know, not liking somebody or I like them all and I love them all and I all want them to play every minute of every game.
08:04But I've got to make a decision, right? And I felt that we wasn't up to it on Saturday. So, there needs to be changes made, in my opinion.
08:09But, like I say, everyone's trained so well this week that it almost becomes impossible to pick a team, if that makes sense, in a good way, you know?
08:19Yeah. And do you feel you learn more about your players and the team from a resultant performance like that than you do, say, previous week when you beat Chowndon too now?
08:29Yeah, I suppose I should. But what have I learned from losing and not playing well?
08:36I've learned that we have missed an opportunity. You know, it's not really learning, is it?
08:43No.
08:44I think the team did not perform last week to their full potential, which to me is a waste. And I don't understand that. I honestly do not understand that.
08:55I can understand having off days. I can understand... I can understand having off days. I can understand having off minutes during the game.
09:03I can understand one minute you're brilliant, and the next minute you turn the ball over. I kind of get that can happen.
09:09What I can't accept is that the opposition run harder than you do.
09:13That is not something I want to see very often. And I felt I did see that at the weekend.
09:19I did think that Martin Patterson's team was driven and hard-working and ran and stuck to their game plan better than what my team stuck to our game plan, in my opinion.
09:37And I felt that that was a waste. So, therefore, there needs to be a little shake-up.
09:44I think that's only healthy for the team as well. And it stands for me to pick the players, what I think can win this game on Saturday.
09:56And looking at Barrow, what are their strengths and what are the dangers you've got to look out for them?
10:01Defensively, really, really strong. Almost to the point where you look at it and you think, right, we've got to be very inventive on the pitch.
10:10We've got to think of different ways of winning this game. It may become frustrating at times when they block in a real deep 5-4-1 block and you kind of can't see any spaces or gaps.
10:24They nullify spaces really well.
10:26We're going to have to be very, very clean on the counter-attack to get through and before they get into their defensive block.
10:38Or we're going to have to be very, very good at shifting the ball from left to right, right to left and trying to find spaces by moving it quickly.
10:44And be inventive, you know, try and think of there's more than, you know, there's more than one way of winning the game of football.
10:54We've got to try and find different ways of scoring because they're very stingy at the back.
11:00They nullify spaces. They're very, very structured.
11:03They look like they do a lot of work on their out-possession shape.
11:06And of course, because of that, there's going to be times when we have a lot of the ball and there's going to be times when we turn the ball over because it's natural that that will happen and they spring on you really quickly and can hurt you on the counter quick.
11:18So they're the things that you can probably look out for.
11:23Saturday, I think that they've got players in the team that can press you as well.
11:28So I'm not saying that they're not going to press because I think they could.
11:32All I'll say is once you cross the halfway line, there's not many spaces to try and hurt them because they get in their block really well and they're very good at it.
11:39Yeah. And not to harp back to the promotion winning season, like I tend to quite a bit.
11:44But early on in that season, you had quite a bad run.
11:47You had a couple of bad run. I remember the 6-0 against Swindon.
11:50So people shouldn't look at the Notts County game and think, oh God, doom and gloom, should they?
11:54Listen, we were rubbish at the start of the promotion winning season.
11:58Not, we weren't great. I'm saying we were rubbish.
12:01We weren't the finished article and you never are when you've got a new team.
12:04We've got a new team this year.
12:06I think it was October, we never picked up one point in the whole of October, the year we got promoted.
12:11And I think because of the way we play and the way I coach, it takes time.
12:16I think you're going to see probably a more finished article towards the end of the season rather than now.
12:21If we can accumulate as many points as we can between now and after Christmas
12:27and be in and around it, then we can have a right push at the end.
12:30That's what we did that season.
12:32And I think that I'm not worried about where we sit in the division or how far off we are
12:37in terms of points at this stage of the season.
12:40I think you asked me a question.
12:41Actually, he wasn't here, he wasn't present.
12:42But you asked a question through Sam and your question was, is this the most pressure you felt
12:48having lost six games?
12:50And no disrespect, I thought it was a ridiculous question, Mark, because we were in August when you asked me that.
12:59And I think that, no, there's never any pressure when you're in August, September.
13:02When you're a team that holds possession, you want to play a certain manner.
13:07There's a lot of detail in the way I coach the team.
13:10It's a new team.
13:10It takes time to get bed in.
13:12And, you know, the early part of the season, we're not going to be anywhere near where I want us to be.
13:20And listen, the sooner we get there, the better for me.
13:23Obviously, I want to be like that now, but we're not.
13:24We will be because I know how hard the players are working and learning all the time.
13:29So, yeah, I think that it can be a slow burn and I think it will be a slow burn.
13:37Let's hope we have a really strong kind of back end of the season because I know it's a slow start.
13:43I'm not deluded to think that we're brilliant because we're not.
13:49We're close to being something, but we're not there yet.
13:52But we will be because we've got good people in the building who are working hard, good staff and the players.
13:58The players are working hard.
13:59Listen, we didn't turn up Saturday, in my opinion.
14:01We had a two or three off.
14:02We know that.
14:03But it can happen.
14:04It is sport, you know.
14:07So, yeah, you have asked me better questions than that before.
14:10Thanks, Scott.
14:11Cheers.
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