Crawley Town v Accrington Stanley | Reds boss Scott Lindsey's full press conference
Crawley Town face Accrington Stanley in League Two on Saturday. Here is Scott Lindsey's take on the game as he gives an injury update on the squad and looks at the threat John Coleman's side pose
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00:00 Scott, thank you for joining us. Another exciting game to look forward to this weekend as we
00:05 face Accrington here at the Braunfield Stadium. Can I get your thoughts as we head into that
00:09 one, please?
00:10 Yeah, pleased to be at home. Feels like we haven't been at home for an age. I think it's
00:16 only three weeks, but it feels longer because we've had some tough away journeys. So, pleased
00:22 to be home. So, yeah, we're looking forward to the game. We want to try and get back to
00:30 winning ways very quickly. And it's a good game for us. They're a tough, tough side.
00:37 I know John and Jimmy really, really well and their sides are always hard to play against.
00:45 They're in the play-off position for a reason. They've got good players, players that can
00:48 hurt you. But, you know, so have we. We've got players that can make a difference as
00:54 well. So, yeah, it's a game we're looking forward to. We've had a good training session
00:59 today and we'll top it up again tomorrow with some fine detail and look forward to the game.
01:04 Yeah, I'm sure now we've obviously looked back and reflected on that Aston Villa game.
01:08 There's some thought going into the selection for the weekend. Is there any sort of headaches
01:11 that you're having to get past after some good performances on Tuesday night?
01:15 Yeah, there is, definitely. You know, the players did really well Tuesday night. You
01:23 know, I kind of had a little bit of a moan about certain aspects of the game. But that's
01:29 me kind of, you know, striving for standards all the time and want to always improve and
01:33 look better than we look at the moment. And whilst I had a moan, I do believe that we
01:40 played well. I do believe there was really good actions in the game, some good goals
01:44 and some good performances. So, yeah, it definitely gives me a headache for the weekend.
01:48 Yeah, Acklington are obviously going very well, as you've said, in the play-offs so
01:52 far. You know, we've dropped slightly down the table compared to what we were at the
01:56 end of September. But it shows, doesn't it, three points on Saturday and we're right back
02:00 in the hunt again. I know we're not necessarily looking at the league table, but I suppose
02:03 that just shows how competitive this league is.
02:05 Yeah, it's so tight, isn't it? You know, I think we're, what was it, five points away
02:08 from the play-off place ourselves with the game in hand. So, I know we're in a good
02:13 position still. We've had a good start to the campaign and even though the last month's
02:19 been a bit rocky, performances have still been good in large. I've always said that
02:26 we always go after performances and if the performances are right, the results will follow.
02:33 We're just around the corner now from hopefully getting what we deserve.
02:36 Yeah, obviously, as you've mentioned as well, back at home, we know how good we are at home,
02:41 how much of an impact the home crowd can have. It must be a great feeling after, as you said,
02:45 what feels like an age and what's been a lot of travelling as well.
02:48 Yeah, it's been tough. It's been tough, obviously, but it is kind of League Two football for
02:53 you. We have to have them weeks and sometimes months where you travel away a lot and we're
02:58 just coming out the back end of that. So, like I say, we're pleased to be at home. Hopefully
03:02 see good numbers through the turnstiles and good voice from the lads, from the crowd and
03:10 get behind the players and support like you have done all season because you've been brilliant.
03:17 The players certainly feel it, I feel it and long may that continue.
03:21 In terms of the workload for the rest of the month, is there something slightly more bearable
03:26 would you say than what we've had in the last couple of weeks? Obviously, we've got a mid-week
03:28 game which is always nice and then, other than Barrow and then another horrible away
03:34 over Tuesday night at Notts County, we've then got the Saturday after that. So, is that
03:37 something that you look at at this stage or do you just take it as it comes and go game
03:41 by game?
03:42 I think we take it as it comes but it is always nice to get them clear weeks. I think that
03:48 it's always good to play on a Saturday and then not play until the following Saturday
03:54 because we can debrief the last game properly and prepare for the next game properly without
04:00 that disruption of a Tuesday night. But it is what it is. Like I said, the next Tuesday
04:06 night I think is Notts County away so we go up there again, a long journey, tough opposition
04:11 again but we just take each game as it comes and the next game is the most important which
04:17 is Accrington on Saturday.
04:20 Scott, I know you look forensically at the opposition each week that you're going to
04:25 play. What have you spotted this week with Accrington and what are you expecting from
04:29 them in terms of style and formation?
04:33 Opposition wise they're predominantly 4-2-3-1. They have certain rotations, full backs like
04:39 to come in the pitch, wide players like to come in the pitch, they've got frets at the
04:46 top of the pitch, they've got good players. They kind of mix it up from being expansive,
04:54 playing out to sometimes being direct so you can never predict what action is coming next.
05:02 So they're a difficult side, they're a good side. I know John Coleman really well and
05:07 Jimmy Bell really well. Always had competitive teams in every division that they've been
05:15 in, always had competitive teams and always been a tough place to go and a tough opposition
05:22 to play against. So yeah, we're expecting a difficult game, a tough game but like I
05:28 said, one we're looking forward to.
05:29 And you've obviously played against their sides before, what's your record like against
05:33 them? Can you remember? Have you had much success against them?
05:36 I haven't played against John's team for a few seasons now actually.
05:43 Because you've avoided each other?
05:44 Yeah we've kind of avoided each other. Obviously they've played a lot of football in League
05:47 One as well but my recollection would be, I wouldn't actually know, I'd have to look
05:54 back. But they're always tough games, I always remember that. In fact I think his record
05:59 is probably better than mine, I think they've beaten us more than I've beaten them in FIFA
06:03 record.
06:04 So going back, I know Sam Hinton done selection headaches for this week and Jack Rowles performed
06:09 really well on Tuesday. We've mentioned the Keepers on Tuesday as well, obviously you've
06:14 been alternating those. Is it set in your mind yet or are you still deciding?
06:19 Yeah no I've made my mind up. Yesterday afternoon once I watched Ackrington play, I kind of
06:28 made my decision on what I'm going to do and then started planning. We've done some work
06:33 today in training with that team in place and so yeah I'm already kind of there now.
06:43 And on Tuesday afterwards you mentioned you used the word 'soft' quite a bit, soft goals
06:47 you laying on that. Is that something that's a mental thing with the players or is it a
06:52 physical thing or is it a technical thing? How do you fix that, not letting in soft goals
06:57 because it's probably just wanting to attack the ball or is it something more?
07:02 Well I think from a coaching point of view there's always going to be something, there's
07:06 always something to work on and improve on. And if we spend the next two weeks talking
07:15 about defending and coaching the team to defend more resiliently, more aggressively, then
07:23 probably our attacking prowess would suffer and our possession would suffer. So you're
07:28 constantly going round and round and round in a circle making sure that you cover all
07:33 bases as best as you can to make sure that we defend properly, we attack properly and
07:39 we hold possession properly. So that's kind of my job to make sure that there's a balance
07:44 between when we do what and how much we do it for. And also the players have got to want
07:52 to defend well. I think that we run up the pitch really aggressively, we press really
08:00 aggressively, but I do believe that there's not an intense about, or there hasn't been
08:06 an intensity about us when the ball goes behind our initial press and I think that we can
08:11 run harder back into our slots quicker and become a little more solid. As you can imagine
08:18 in possession we're expansive, we use the whole pitch, but it's on them turnovers of
08:23 possession that we need to run south quicker. That is a desire, there's nothing to do with
08:34 ability or anything else. If you can run really hard that way then what's stopping you from
08:41 running hard that way? There's no slope on the pitch, the pitch is level, it's just a
08:44 desire and a mindset. And on Saturday if I gave you two options, winning 2-0 or winning
08:50 4-3 which one would you take? 2-0. 2-0, fair enough. Injury wise this week obviously we
08:56 know Deon is out, I believe, Jade Williams, what happened with him last week, is he still
09:00 in pain? No he's not a doubt, he kind of had a hip flexor issue. So we trained on Friday
09:13 on route to Nottingham and he was in the team, we were finishing the set plays and he stretched
09:21 for a ball and felt his hip and it was really uncomfortable for him and we were quite worried
09:26 that there might be a little tear in there. So we waited 24 hours for the morning of the
09:33 game to see how he woke up and he woke up pretty sore. So we had to rule him out that
09:39 morning and change things about in terms of the team. And then we sent him back down south
09:47 straight away to get a scan and the scan came back with bruising but no tear, nothing major
09:55 so we monitored him early part of this week and then he's trained for the first time today
10:00 and come through the training session no problem at all. So he comes back into contention.
10:05 You're right, Deon Conroy is still a no at the moment but everybody else is fit.
10:13 I'm slightly connected with injuries, you've had quite a few captains this year because
10:16 of injuries, you've had Ben, I believe Deon, Harry, Liam, the wheelwright on Tuesday night.
10:22 Is that a disruptive thing or is it just a testament to your squad that you've got so
10:26 many leaders in there?
10:27 I think that we've got, first of all we've got players in that dressing room who care,
10:35 we've got players in there who lead by example, we've got players in there who lead by voice,
10:40 we've got players who are natural leaders and we've got players who are not so natural
10:47 leaders, they kind of look after what they want to do which is fine as long as the performances
10:52 are good. I think that with the injuries that we've had, the arm band has been swapped around
10:59 but I don't think there's anything wrong with that, I think it gives responsibility for
11:02 the whole group sometimes. But we've got a really good dressing room, I've got to say
11:08 it's been brilliant even through this sticky patch, the work that's been done in the background,
11:13 not just as me as the head coach and my staff, we've even got Ben Gladwin doing unit meetings
11:20 now with the players, sitting down and looking at clips of the midfield, looking at clips
11:25 of the defence, the attackers and the fact that the players are really buying into it
11:30 is fantastic and it shows that we all care and we all want to do the right thing and
11:36 win games of football. We're sticking together, that's the main thing, there's been no kind
11:41 of arguments or fall outs or people showing a bad attitude, if anything people in and
11:47 around the building and certainly at the training ground, they've probably gone up a gear since
11:52 we've been not picking up the points and rightly so as well because there's only one thing
11:57 that can happen, if you work hard you get to where you get to eventually.