Crawley Town travel to Grimsby Town in League Two on Saturday. We caught up with Scott Lindsey as he looks ahead to game. He talks about Grimsby, Liam Kelly and praises Brighton and Hove Albion for what they have achieved ahead of their Europa League tie with AEK Athens.
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00:00 Scott, thank you for joining us after yet another positive result.
00:02 We take a trip to Grimsby this weekend.
00:04 Can I get your thoughts on the Internet game?
00:06 Yes, obviously, we're in a good place at the moment.
00:07 So, a game we're looking forward to.
00:10 It's a tough place to go.
00:13 You know, they're very hard-working side.
00:16 Paul's a good manager, you know, very experienced manager.
00:21 Someone I've got a lot of respect for.
00:22 But yes, we're looking forward to it.
00:24 Like I say, we're in a good place at the moment.
00:27 So, it's another game that we're looking forward to.
00:32 Yes, we're about to hit a very busy run of games as we head slowly into October.
00:35 But a full week on the training ground.
00:37 How's it been this week?
00:38 Yes, a really good week.
00:39 You know, we've got some much-needed work put into the players.
00:43 So, yes, we're in a good place.
00:44 The mood around the camp is very good.
00:47 The players are very buoyant.
00:49 We've worked hard.
00:51 I think they always enjoy working hard.
00:52 I think they enjoy tough sessions, you know, early part of the week and some more structure
00:57 but kind of the detail of how we want to play at the back end of the week against a strong
01:04 side in Grimsby.
01:05 So, yes, we've had a good week.
01:07 We've had, obviously, three home games on the trot, all wins, with Charlton, Tramere
01:11 and Newport.
01:12 I suppose the lads are looking forward to getting back on the road and trying to convert
01:15 some more away wins, which we were able to do just at the back end of last year.
01:18 Yes, we're mindful of that.
01:20 We're mindful that we want to tidy that up really as quickly as possible.
01:25 We want to try and make sure that our record on the road is as good or somewhere close
01:33 to what we are at home.
01:35 We're very good at home.
01:37 Listen, we've done okay on the road this season already.
01:43 We've picked up some vital points at some tough places.
01:47 We want to try and get that first win away from home.
01:50 I think it's important that we try and, obviously, achieve that this weekend.
01:53 Do you think now is the best time to do it, on the back of those victories?
01:56 You've already touched on the morale around camp, it's really high, isn't it?
02:00 Yes, we're in a perfect place now to go and do that.
02:05 We're full of confidence.
02:07 The team are playing well.
02:08 We're scoring goals.
02:10 So, yes, if any time, why not now?
02:15 Against, like I say, a good side, a tough place to go.
02:18 The pitch will be nice.
02:19 So, yes, I'm looking forward to the game.
02:22 We've spoken a lot about selection headaches that you might have.
02:25 Obviously, J Ballou has come back in from suspension, potentially.
02:28 Is there any hard choices you're going to have to make this weekend?
02:31 I think there's always hard choices, given the squad that I've got.
02:34 We've got players who are coming off the pitch and scoring goals and making an impact,
02:41 and asking questions of me as a manager and making sure that they're in my eye line always.
02:49 That's what I want.
02:50 I want it to be difficult.
02:52 We've also got the players who are starting the team who are playing really well.
02:57 We've won some games of late, so wholesale changes are not needed, obviously.
03:05 But certain players are kind of knocking on my door, and rightly so as well.
03:11 But we build a squad for a reason.
03:13 Like you say, in October, there's a lot of games coming thick and fast, and we're going to need every one of them players,
03:19 which is why we work extremely hard on the training ground to make sure that players are always prepared and ready.
03:24 Like you say, you saw Lola on Saturday come on.
03:27 We worked extremely hard with him, and he wasn't a starter, but he came on and kind of won us the game with that strike.
03:33 So, it's important that we keep these players who are not playing,
03:39 we keep them kind of ready, because in a minute, we're going to need them.
03:43 Yes, not just at home, but away as well.
03:45 We're starting to see a lot more people coming to follow.
03:47 Our home attendances have increased to an average of 3,000, which in the last few years haven't been heard of.
03:53 That's a lot down to the football we're playing and how much fans are enjoying watching us play.
03:58 How pleasing is that to you as a manager to know that they're enjoying the football that you play?
04:02 Yes, exactly right.
04:03 It is really pleasing, obviously.
04:05 We want the fans to be proud of how the team play.
04:09 We want them to come and support us in their numbers.
04:11 We want them to be loud, like they are.
04:15 They've been brilliant, like I've always said about the fans and how well they've done since I've been here, certainly.
04:22 They've really supported the team.
04:24 They're very good.
04:25 But like you say, the flip side of that is that the players are playing well for them on the pitch.
04:32 They're spending a lot of money to get themselves all the way up to Grimsby, which is not round the corner.
04:37 It's a long journey.
04:38 It's a tough journey.
04:39 If they turn up in their numbers, fair play to them.
04:42 Hopefully we can give them a good spectacle on the pitch.
04:45 Hi Scott, when I spoke to you on Monday, I think you were just about to start watching the Wrexham-Grimsby game.
04:51 What were your main takeaways from that?
04:53 Obviously, they lost 3-0, but what did you see in the Grimsby side that could be a danger to you?
04:57 Lots, to be honest with you.
04:58 There's lots of dangers.
04:59 They've got really good legs in the middle of the pitch.
05:02 They're hard work inside.
05:03 They press really well.
05:05 There were moments in the game that they could have scored and should have scored.
05:11 But yes, they're a tough side.
05:15 I know results have been kind of indifferent in many ways for them,
05:18 but I think Paul's a really good manager.
05:23 Somebody like I've got plenty of respect for.
05:25 They're always a tough side to play against.
05:30 They're always hard-working and they'll press you.
05:32 They'll run hard.
05:33 They'll run after you.
05:34 They'll run off the ball.
05:35 They've got good runners off the ball, make good runs in behind you.
05:39 And they ask questions of you defensively.
05:42 So we're going to have to be on our guard for sure.
05:45 But we're going to concentrate on us as well.
05:47 We have to because of the way we're playing.
05:49 We have to concentrate on what we're going to do and how we're going to do it, which we have done this week.
05:53 But like I say, it's been a really good week in training.
05:55 So, yes, we're looking forward to the game.
05:56 And you've got Wrexham in a couple of weeks' time.
05:58 Is it hard to just focus on Grimsby or did you look at both sides?
06:02 No, I just focused on Grimsby.
06:04 I couldn't tell you anything about Wrexham.
06:08 I just focused solely on...
06:10 Obviously, I looked at their shape of what they played and where the spaces were and stuff like that.
06:15 But I solely focused on Grimsby.
06:16 I think it's impossible to watch two teams at the same time, if you're doing it in real detail, like we do.
06:22 So, yes, I focused on that.
06:25 I didn't just watch the Wrexham game.
06:27 I watched a number of games.
06:28 And like I say, especially games at home, they come after you.
06:32 They're a front foot team.
06:34 And I'm expecting the same on Saturday.
06:38 I saw a tweet earlier from... I can't remember who it was from.
06:40 It was like a League Two pundit who said,
06:42 'It's great to see Scotland getting the best out of Liam Kelly this season after a couple of tough seasons for them.'
06:47 A tough few seasons for Liam.
06:49 What is it about Liam that made you bring him to the club?
06:52 And are you surprised how quickly he settled in and hit the ground running?
06:55 I'm not surprised, no.
06:58 But, you know, listen, Liam Kelly's a really good footballer.
07:01 That's why he suits kind of what I want to do.
07:03 He's almost tailor-made to play in my team and to play in the position that I'm playing him in.
07:10 He's been fantastic.
07:11 Not only has he been very good with the ball, but you look at his running stats,
07:15 through the roof, he covers the ground really well.
07:18 He makes tackles.
07:20 He's an aggressive player as well.
07:23 But no, he's been great for me.
07:27 Why have I got the best out of him?
07:28 Just because it suits how we play, I think.
07:30 I think it suits him.
07:32 I've always been, I think he knows I've always been an admirer of him as well.
07:36 He came to Swindon a couple of seasons ago when I was the assistant manager there.
07:42 He had a pre-season with us and we never took him and I always felt we should have.
07:46 I thought we made a mistake in not signing him.
07:51 But that happens.
07:52 It wasn't my decision.
07:53 He went elsewhere and played a bit of football and did really well when he was at Rochdale.
07:57 In my opinion, I thought he was one of the best midfield players in the division,
08:01 even though they got relegated.
08:03 You've seen him score some good goals and there's moments where,
08:07 certainly when I watched him in real detail, like I do,
08:12 he was the best player on the pitch in a lot of the games he played in.
08:15 And I'd say he really suits what we're doing.
08:18 And you said to me earlier in the week you've pretty much got a clean bill of health at the moment.
08:21 Is that still the case?
08:22 And how hard does that make your job?
08:24 Yes, no, we are a clean bill of health.
08:27 You want that as a manager.
08:28 You want players to be available.
08:31 It does make it hard, obviously, which I want as well.
08:35 That's why I'm in this position, because I've got to make decisions.
08:40 But at the moment, with the team, the way they're playing,
08:42 there's not too many tough decisions to make, in my opinion.
08:45 I don't think there needs to be.
08:47 As well as the boys have done in the Charlton game and the boys have done when they've come on the pitch,
08:53 they've done great.
08:54 There doesn't need to be too many changes.
08:57 We're doing great.
08:58 The boys are starting.
08:59 So, hopefully, we don't get any injuries and hopefully we can rotate the squad around when it becomes relevant to do so,
09:09 in terms of Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, which in October is a little bit more like that.
09:13 So that's maybe when I do rotate it.
09:16 But at the moment, maybe there might be one change for Saturday, maybe two, but it won't be much more than that.
09:22 And just on a different note, just over the road tonight, there's going to be European football for the first time ever in Sussex.
09:26 Is that something you watch?
09:30 No, I actually nearly went to the game.
09:32 I was nearly going to go to the game tonight.
09:35 I speak to the Brighton first team coach quite a lot, actually.
09:39 Andy Crofts, a good friend of mine.
09:40 So I speak to him quite a lot and I nearly went to the game tonight.
09:43 But no, it's brilliant for the county, for sure.
09:45 I think it's the first time ever, isn't it?
09:47 So, yes, it's a big thing for the county, for Brighton.
09:52 And they've done great, haven't they?
09:53 I really watch them as well.
09:55 They play some great football.
09:57 And I speak to their first team coach quite often as well.
10:00 He's a big fan of us as well.
10:02 They watch us in their office at the training ground at Brighton.
10:06 He tells me that they watch us quite a lot and he's impressed with what we're doing.
10:10 So, no, we've got a good relationship with them.
10:12 Yes, so could that mean a link-up with the Loneys and stuff like that in the future?
10:15 Yes, for sure.
10:16 We have spoke, yes, definitely.
10:17 We have spoke about potential players coming in.
10:19 And we took, obviously, a couple of players last season from there, Teddy Jenks and Jack Spong.
10:24 you know. So, yes, there's definitely a good relationship going between the two clubs.