Crawley Town travel to The Wirral to face Tranmere Rovers on Saturday. We caught up with Reds boss Scott Lindsey to get his thoughts on the game, a look back at Stockport and a focus on Jay Williams and Klaidi Lolos.
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00:00 Scott, thank you for joining us. After a tough battle on Tuesday night, we travelled to Tramway
00:05 Rovers this weekend. Can I get your thoughts ahead of that game?
00:08 Yeah, another tough game there. They're going well at the moment. They've had some really
00:14 good results. They beat Wrexham last week and the week before that they beat Mansfield.
00:20 So arguably two of the best sides in the division. So, Nigel's got them working really hard as
00:26 a team. You can see when you watch them play that they work really hard for one another
00:31 but also working hard for the managers. So, fair play to him. But we're also in a really
00:37 good place and my team are working extremely hard too. So, it should be a really good game.
00:43 Yeah, we've had a few days to recover from the Stockport game. You would have had a chance
00:47 to speak to the lads and have a meeting about it and have a watch back. Is there anything
00:50 else that you've picked up on since then?
00:53 Yeah, from a football point of view, I felt that we could have actually had more control
00:59 in the game. I think that we probably turned opportunity down to play a little bit more
01:04 than what I wanted to. So, I think that we could have been more in control than we was.
01:09 We have to respect obviously Stockport, they're a very good side. But on reflection watching
01:15 it back, really frustrated with two major decisions in the game. There was a clear handball
01:24 that he didn't give and their goal was a foul on Will Wright, a real clear foul as well.
01:32 What frustrates me is that the referee apparently was his first game in charge of a professional
01:37 game which baffles me really because it was the only game on in Europe and why are we
01:44 getting an inexperienced referee to referee a game where there's a team who's going for
01:48 automatic promotion and a team who's looking to try and get into the playoffs. It's a big
01:54 game for both teams, right? So, for me, having an inexperienced referee in a game like that
02:00 was a mistake in my opinion. But, listen, we move on and we look forward to Trammere.
02:07 Trammere's a tough place to go and again, from a refereeing point of view, I think Trammere
02:12 have had more penalties at their stadium than any other team in the division so we have
02:17 to be mindful of that as well.
02:18 Yeah, it will obviously be a tough game on Saturday. As you said, Prenton Park's always
02:23 a tough place to go as well. The Trammere side that we faced earlier in the season is
02:28 very different than the one we're about to face, isn't it? Obviously, Lijemakkers had
02:31 only just been appointed at that point and we were victorious on the day but they're
02:35 in a very different position now, aren't they? They're already touched on, they're playing
02:38 a lot better and picking up some very good points, aren't they?
02:41 Yeah, for sure. I don't know if it was Nigel's first game in charge, was it? Against us.
02:47 We scored quite late on. I think Clydie scored really late on in the game and we won the
02:52 game 3-2. But Nigel's really got them at it. They've got some real attacking threats. Luke
03:02 Norris is a big handful at the top of the pitch. Connor Jennings kind of plays just
03:06 off him. Rob Apter, kind of wide right, has been good for them. We've got some good defenders
03:11 as well in Jarnie and Turnbull, very good defenders. So, they've got good players, really
03:17 good players. And really speaking, when you look at their positioning in the table, probably
03:20 doesn't do them any justice at all. They should be further up the table than they are and
03:25 they probably will be come end of the season because of what the manager's kind of instilled
03:29 there. So, fair play to him. And we know it's going to be a tough game but, like I say,
03:33 we're in a really good place as well. We've got so much belief in the camp now. It's great
03:39 to be around and we're really looking forward to the trip up there and getting organised
03:44 for the game.
03:45 A couple of changes on Monday night. Is there any sort of plans to sort of fresh things
03:52 up as we approach the busy Easter period? We've obviously got the game on Good Friday
03:57 coming up and then the game on the Monday as well, which leads us nicely into the business
04:01 end of the season.
04:02 Well, we have to make at least one change because obviously Jay Williams is unavailable.
04:08 He goes away for international duty. So, we have to make a change there. I think Jay's
04:14 been brilliant for us so we're going to miss him but we've got good players in the squad.
04:17 So, yeah, we'll have to at least make one change for that reason alone.
04:22 Yeah, just touching on the Jay stuff. It must be frustrating for you to lose such a good
04:27 player, Jay. Obviously, the last two games he's been captain for us and he's done really
04:30 well but equally this is a great opportunity for him and it shows what a great lad he is
04:35 that he wanted to stick around a little bit longer and play on Monday night for us to
04:38 not miss as many games.
04:39 Yeah, I'm really proud of Jay. He was playing for Bambi United last season and for him to
04:46 come in and take on the information he's taken on and to actually go out there and execute
04:53 it in the manner that he does and to be a real leader. I think that he's improved his
04:59 game as well. I think he's improved in terms of his character as well. I think there were
05:04 times when he wanted to pick too many fights at times and I think he's settled that right
05:09 down and become really professional with that which I'm really pleased to see. He's been
05:13 outstanding. Certainly, since he came back from a suspension, he's come back and been
05:19 unbelievable in the middle of midfield as well. I know he's played in there on his own
05:23 a lot of the times as well. I know the early part of the season he played in there with
05:27 two, with him and Liam. But certainly, since he's been playing in there on his own, I think
05:32 he's been outstanding for us. Arguably our best player. So, yeah, we're going to miss
05:36 him but, like I say, we've got good players who are ready to come in.
05:38 Yeah, and a perfect example of that actually is Joy McKenna. He's had to wait a long time
05:43 for his chance to have some league action but Dion, many would regard as one of the
05:48 best centre-backs in the league, enjoys coming in and has filled that place perfectly and
05:52 it just shows, doesn't it, that the players that we've got in this squad have taken on
05:55 the information so well.
05:56 Yeah, it's been unbelievable, Joy. I've been really, really pleased with him and it hasn't
06:03 surprised me actually because I know he's a really good footballer. I wouldn't have
06:06 signed him if he wasn't capable of doing what he does but I think he's improved again under
06:13 us. Also, the fact that he's not played loads of football, he's actually trained really
06:18 well most days throughout the season. Even when he's not been on the bench and not even
06:24 been in the squad, he's trained brilliantly and this is why I say to the players, be ready
06:28 because in a minute you never know when you're going to be needed and all of a sudden, Joy
06:33 finds himself as a regular starter now and he's done it fantastically well and he couldn't
06:38 have done that had he not trained the way he's trained all season. So, good for him
06:43 and I want to see his progression really continue.
06:47 Yeah, and those players are going to be so important, aren't they, for the remaining
06:51 last nine games? Joy is a perfect example of when required, players will need to fill
06:57 in because despite there only being a few games left, there's going to be injuries,
07:01 there's going to be all sorts that we're going to have to deal with along the way.
07:03 Like Harry Forster's come in, you've touched on in interviews, to keep Nick Schroder out
07:07 the side, you've got to be playing very well and he's done that. So, it must fill you with
07:11 confidence knowing as we go into these last nine games that we've got a good squad of
07:15 players that can all have the impact that we need.
07:17 Yeah, I think so. I think what it does is it galvanises what we do on the training ground
07:23 and how we keep the boys in the background fresh and we coach everybody, we make sure
07:28 everybody keeps interested and it kind of galvanises that, the work that we put in.
07:35 But no, I've been really pleased with the boys that have come in. Harry Forster's been
07:39 fantastic for us, as most of them have, especially in these last seven or eight games, whatever
07:47 it is now. I think the boys have done brilliant, in actual fact they've been brilliant all
07:52 season. I know I've said it before that there's been times when we haven't won games or we
07:56 haven't played particularly well, but they're a new group. We're going to have to expect
08:01 that from time to time when there's ups and downs in the season. It's a long season, they're
08:06 a young group, they're inexperienced, but in the whole I'm really pleased.
08:12 Scott, going back to the training again, September when you played them, what have you seen this
08:19 week that's markedly different from what they were like in September?
08:23 I think just the togetherness that Nigel's built within the group. I think they look
08:27 more of a team now than they did before. They look like they're willing to work really hard
08:33 for one another. They look like they're willing to work really hard for the manager. He's
08:40 got them really organised, like I say, you don't go to Wrexham and win 1-0 if you're
08:43 not organised. You don't beat Mansfield if you're not organised. They drew at Gillingham
08:51 as well before that, and before that they beat Sutton, which is always a tough game.
08:58 So they've been fantastic, he's really got them going now. It's always a hard place to
09:03 go as well, trust me, it's always a really difficult stadium to play at. The fans get
09:09 right behind them, especially in the cop-in behind the goal, they really get them going.
09:16 Fair play to him, he's a good manager, a very experienced manager, and he's obviously doing
09:20 a really good job at the moment. I think like I said to you with the players, they've got
09:25 at their disposal, I think they're probably in a false position. I think they should be
09:29 further up the table than they are, and I'm sure they will be come the end of the season.
09:35 But like I say, we're also in a really good place ourselves, and the atmosphere at the
09:40 training ground today was just different class, and I'm really enjoying working at the moment,
09:44 very very enthusiastic about what the future looks like.
09:48 And will you be asking Nigel for some tips on Mansfield and Wrexham with them coming
09:52 up? No, I do all my own work myself, but listen,
09:58 he's a very experienced manager, I really like him as well, I like watching his interviews,
10:01 very positive man, so yeah, fair play to him.
10:04 And also, you'll tell me if there's any change in these, but you could be J this weekend,
10:10 Dion, Ben, Liam, if you had said that at the beginning of the season, there are four players
10:15 that would probably fall to first names on your team sheet. But the fact that we're here
10:19 now, and you're potentially missing all four of those, and that you still feel confident,
10:24 I mean it's testament to the recruitment and what you've done with the squad this year, isn't it?
10:28 Thank you, yeah it is, and the work that we've done on the training ground as well, we've
10:33 kept all these players really fresh and hungry to become part of the team, and the players
10:40 who have come in have taken that, and really taken it as well. So yeah, we're really pleased,
10:45 yeah, those players you just mentioned are obviously a big miss for us, and we want them
10:50 back as quickly as we can, but we're really happy with the way that we're playing at the
10:55 moment without them, so long may that continue. Obviously we want them back as soon as, but
11:00 it's all positive.
11:02 Yeah, and talk about Clydie, obviously a great goal on Monday night, you said after the game
11:08 that you're possibly relying on him a little bit too much, I know what you meant by that,
11:12 you're keeping him on longer than you probably feel you should do. Has he kind of exceeded
11:16 your expectations? I know you obviously thought he was a good player, otherwise you wouldn't
11:19 have brought him in, but has he exceeded your expectations this year by being as influential
11:24 as he has been in the last few games?
11:26 No, I don't think so, I think that I could always back that he would do what he's done.
11:31 I felt, we had a chat a couple of weeks back actually, just me and him, we had a moment
11:38 together where I spoke about why he is playing in League 2 when he's got the same attributes
11:45 as some players that play in the Championship, but the difference is that they have kind
11:52 of been more aggressive in front of goal and put the ball in the net. And sometimes I think
11:58 in the past Clydie's been probably accused of maybe trying to walk the ball over the
12:02 line in certain actions and we had a chat about it and I think he's been more aggressive
12:08 since our little chat and I've told him that the perfect goal sometimes doesn't exist,
12:16 you know, and I think that if you look at his goal the other night when Dan Orsi set
12:21 him, his first thought was 'I'm going to shoot', whereas I think probably four weeks ago he
12:28 may have had an extra touch and it might have not been, I think the goal might have closed
12:33 up on him, you know, and I think that he's now kind of learned that side of it that if
12:38 I do get in a good position, pull the trigger because, you know, it's like the same old
12:43 saying isn't it, when you don't buy a lottery ticket you don't win the lottery, you know,
12:47 you don't shoot, you don't score and I think that he's now kind of become more aggressive
12:50 in front of goal and if he adds goals to his game, collide his ceiling, he goes up even
12:58 further, I think he can go, you know, scars the limit where he can play. But no, I've
13:04 always thought that he could come into the team and produce the performances that he's
13:10 produced. I actually thought that he had a quiet night, Monday night believe it or not,
13:13 a lot of people would probably disagree with that but, you know, I watched it in real detail
13:17 and I felt that there was a lot of times where he'd come deep for the ball but Fraser Osvald
13:23 kind of followed him in there and was really aggressive with him and it was hard for him
13:28 to kind of get in the game but we spoke about maybe making the change at the top of the
13:32 pitch and I thought no, I need to keep them two on because in a minute one of them will
13:36 score and when I say we rely on him too much I probably didn't maybe phrase that properly,
13:44 what I meant by that was that we know he's such a good player and he is a game winning
13:48 player that you kind of keep him on the pitch because he may play for 89 minutes and not
13:54 be in the game but then bang, goal. And that's the type of player he is, you know, so he's
13:59 done fantastic for us.
14:01 Yeah, they're all big games at this time of the season and I'm looking at Saturday's
14:05 fixtures, just a couple, Crewe vs Wimbledon, Malkin vs Chillingham, Stockport vs MK Dons,
14:10 I know you'll only be focusing on Crawley during the 90 minutes, how quickly afterwards
14:13 will you be looking at those results?
14:15 About two minutes.
14:16 Yeah, it's just an exciting time isn't it?
14:20 Yeah, listen it's great, what we've got left, nine games is it? Nine games to go and we're
14:24 talking about getting in the playoffs, I think it's great, it's brilliant because there's
14:29 a real purpose behind what we're doing and I feel that when you're in and around the
14:35 training ground, the lads have an unbelievable belief now, I think it's probably not been
14:41 there as much as it is now, probably apart from me, and I've been the one that's believed
14:47 in them probably more than they've believed in themselves, but now I think they're really
14:52 feeling it and thinking, do you know what, we actually could get in there, and some of
14:58 them are really talking on a positive note and I want that, I think you asked me the
15:02 question a week or so ago about you mentioning the playoffs a lot and not a lot of managers
15:07 mention that, and you're right, they don't, they're scared to probably mention it and
15:12 they want to focus on the next game, which we are doing, don't get me wrong, we're completely
15:15 focused on the next game, but why can't we talk about what could be and what might be,
15:19 because I want players to feel that there's a belief there and there certainly is for
15:23 me and I think the players have that belief now as well.
15:26 Brilliant, thanks Scott.
15:27 Thank you.