Crawley Town are looking to continue their good form in front of a packed Broadfield Stadium on Good Friday – and Scott Lindsey cannot wait. Crawley Town moved into the play-offs last week with a 3-1 win away at Tranmere Rovers and will be looking to firm that position up with good results against Doncaster and Newport County over the Easter weekend. We caught up with Scott Lindsey at today’s press conference.
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00:00 Scott, thank you for joining us again after the high of last week's away victory at Tramiere
00:08 Obis. We're back in action this Good Friday as Doncaster make the trip to the Broadfoot
00:11 Stadium. Can I get your thoughts ahead of that game?
00:14 Yeah, a game we're looking forward to. Obviously we're at home so that's always a good thing.
00:20 But a game we're looking forward to because I think it will be a really good game. Two
00:26 teams who are in form and two good teams in my opinion. I think that after watching them
00:32 this week, I've been really impressed with them. They play really good football. A real
00:38 strong possession-based team, similar to ourselves in many ways. Grant McCanson did a fantastic
00:44 job there. I think that it'll probably be a tough start to the season. But having said
00:51 that, I think he had or suffered with a lot of injury problems. But they've got players
00:55 who are back slowly now and you can see that they're a good side and probably in a false
01:00 position. But no, Grant's a really good manager and I think that they're a really good side.
01:07 They've got some really good players as well, especially at the top end of the pitch. They've
01:11 got good forwards, they've got good wide players as well who can score goals and can cause
01:16 you problems as well. So we know that we have to be at our very best in order for us to
01:21 win from the game. But like I say, it's a game that we're looking forward to. I think
01:25 it'll be a good game.
01:26 It is one of those football clichés, isn't it? Although we're at the latter stage of
01:29 the season, this is probably one of those ones where you look at the league table and
01:33 you can't actually pay too much attention to it because Doncaster are one of the most
01:37 in-form sides in the league at the moment. They're coming off the back of three straight
01:40 victories. So when you look at the fixtures that we've got coming up, it equally is one
01:44 of the harder ones, isn't it?
01:45 I was really impressed with them when I watched them. Really impressed. They look a really
01:50 good outfit, really organised. They use the pitch really well. They've got players positioned
01:56 around the pitch really well in order for them to play through and around you and through
02:00 you. They've got good movement at the top end of the pitch, like I say. But yeah, they're
02:05 a good side. They're a really good side. Don't read too much into where they are in the division.
02:11 I think that, like I say, they had a rough start to the season, to the campaign, but
02:14 mainly because of injuries I think more so. But like I say, false position for sure. And
02:20 like I say, good, good experienced manager who's done great there.
02:24 Yeah, as you said, both teams in great form in the league. The lads after the Tranmere
02:28 game seem to have had so much confidence. Is that something you noticed at the training
02:33 ground? Because it almost seemed like they just walked in the stadium and they almost
02:36 knew that they were going to win, put in such a professional performance. That must give
02:41 you really good confidence building into these last eight games.
02:44 Yeah, I've never felt it before anywhere I've been as strong as this. I think the feeling
02:48 is fantastic at the moment. And I've been asking for that for many months, to have that
02:54 belief. And it's finally come through now. If anything, I have to call them off a little
03:00 bit because they're chomping at the bit. They can't wait to get out there and play tomorrow.
03:04 I can feel it in the group. And it's a great feeling. It's a great feeling, the buzz around
03:09 the training ground is fantastic. And they have a real belief now and a real togetherness
03:14 as well.
03:15 Yeah, that's perfect timing, isn't it, for them to have probably clicked like that? Because
03:19 as you said, Doncaster is going to be a very tough game, as is Newport. And then we're
03:24 taking trips to two sides that are fighting for automatic promotion. So, to have that
03:30 confidence now must be a great feeling.
03:32 Yeah, we have to build on that. We have to really build on that. The fact that we're
03:37 in such good form at the moment and winning games and playing really well as well. But
03:41 I also have to make sure that we remain grounded and know that we've got eight games left,
03:47 but eight really tough games, let me say. Really, really tough games. And we have to
03:54 take each game at a time and really concentrate our focus on the next opponent, which obviously
04:00 is Doncaster. And that's what we're doing. But like I say, the players are in a really
04:05 good place at the moment and we do need to kind of feed off that, but also remain really
04:12 grounded.
04:13 You'll be serving your second game of the touchline ban. You said after the game against
04:18 Tranmere that you actually really enjoyed being up in the stands. You were very calm and it
04:23 gave you a different aspect. Are you looking forward to that again or is it still that
04:27 sort of anger of wanting to be down pitch side?
04:29 No, I think I actually did really enjoy it, truth be known. I thought it was obviously
04:34 Tranmere's main stand is massive anyway, so it gives you a really good viewpoint. And
04:39 I was in touch with the technical area throughout the game. Not loads, might I add. I didn't
04:45 feel that the performance needed for me to be on the phone all the time. But I was really
04:51 calm, sat up there. I had a little tactics board and my notepad and a coach next to me
04:57 as well. And it was good to watch the team play from kind of up in the stands like that.
05:03 What will it be like tomorrow? Hopefully the same. Hopefully I'll feel that same calmness.
05:11 Of course the main stand here is not as big as Tranmere, so I'll probably feel a little
05:17 more closer to the pitch than I did at Tranmere, which I'm hoping will keep me calm anyway.
05:23 And I hope that we see a good spectacle.
05:26 Yeah, I suppose it's naturally obviously not what you would think about at the time. But
05:30 looking back at it, it almost gives you an insight as to what the fans can see during
05:34 a game, which is something that managers aren't used to. So, Tranmere was a great example
05:39 because as we said after the game we played some really nice football. So that must have
05:42 pleased you as well, from that angle as well, how great it looks and how much we've improved
05:47 over the past year.
05:48 Yeah, I do watch all the games back. So we do watch it from a camera angle anyway after
05:53 the game sort of thing. So we do kind of get the same view, obviously afterwards. But like
05:58 I say, I think the performance was really good at Tranmere. I didn't have to feel any
06:03 anxiousness because of the way we played. But I think when you are in that technical
06:09 area, you become more of an animal to want to win a game aggressively because you're
06:19 down there with the guys, you feel like you're part of it and you want the players to see
06:23 an energy from you down there. And of course you can't have that same manner about you
06:32 when you're sat in the stands. You've got to be calm or you'll get chucked out.
06:35 Yeah, the fans were excellent and Tranmere have been excellent on the road. This Friday
06:41 should hopefully be no different. We've got a sold-out Ballroad Stadium. We've actually
06:45 gone on sale this morning with 550 tickets that we've taken back off of Doncaster. So
06:50 we're aiming for a record league attendance. It's not all down to the tickets being £2.
06:55 Obviously that will have a big interest to people as well. But it's testament to the
06:58 football we've been playing this season and how with eight games to go we're right in
07:02 the mix. It must be really exciting knowing that we're going to have a properly packed
07:06 stadium to play in on Friday.
07:08 Yeah, I think, listen, you get to Easter and we're talking about playoffs, then you know
07:13 you've had a good season, right? Let's hope that we're talking about it after the Easter
07:17 holidays. But yeah, listen, the fans have been fantastic home and away. They've travelled
07:23 in their numbers, they've spent a lot of money up and down the country and I'm grateful of
07:27 that and so are the players. We hope that we've given them something to cheer about,
07:32 which we feel that we have. I think that we've played some really good football this season.
07:37 We've scored some really good goals this season and long may that continue. And hopefully
07:43 with the eight games left that we have enough points on the board to continue the season
07:49 for a couple of weeks into the playoffs.
07:53 Is there a temptation to join the fans tomorrow in the stand rather than sit up in the stand?
08:00 Yeah, probably. But no, listen, I've got to remain professional and watch the game from
08:08 a tactical point of view and make sure that I do my job properly. And yeah, let's just
08:14 see where that takes us.
08:16 Yeah, absolutely. Going back to the players, you're saying you have to feed off the confidence
08:21 at the moment but also keeping grounded. How difficult is that to manage with this group
08:25 of players? Is it quite simple?
08:26 I think it's a good problem because I've been asking for them to believe in themselves for
08:31 long enough now and I've felt that they've probably not really showed that all season
08:36 until probably the last two months. And when they start looking at what we've got left
08:43 and what we can actually achieve, there is a real belief amongst the group. But like
08:49 I say, we have to really respect what we've got in front of us, which is eight tough games
08:55 starting on Friday tomorrow. You know, a tough game, a really tough game and we'll be really
09:02 grateful of them. But we know what we've got to do and the players are really focused.
09:09 Yeah, and it seems like it took a while to actually get into the playoffs. You were there
09:13 and thereabouts but you finally got in there last weekend. Is there a different pressure
09:16 now that you're in that position and you've got to stay there?
09:19 No, not really because we're not supposed to be there anyway. We were supposed to be
09:23 in the bottom two, according to a lot of people. So we've got no pressure on us at all. I think
09:29 if anything we build our own pressure because we know what we want to do and what we want
09:33 to achieve. But you know, you see teams nearly every season come from nowhere and end up
09:40 in that last playoff place. I'm not saying that we are going to be that team. Obviously
09:43 we want to be. But you see it year on year. I remember a couple of seasons ago, Bristol
09:49 Rovers under Joey Barton, early part of the season didn't start off particularly well.
09:55 In fact, probably up until maybe January was probably in the bottom half of the division.
10:00 Ended up getting automatic I believe that season and went bang, bang, bang. Towards
10:05 the back end of the season went and won an unbelievable amount of games straight off
10:09 the bat and got automatic promotion. So it just goes to show, these last games anything
10:15 can happen. There could be a team from mid-table come from nowhere and make a challenge. We've
10:20 just got to make sure that we really concentrate and focus on what we've got to do. I'm sure
10:26 with the eight games left and I'm sure with what we know we can achieve, I'm sure we can
10:31 get there.
10:32 And with the quick turnaround for Monday's game, I know you're quite meticulous in watching
10:37 games, watching your position. Have you been cramming Newport in as well or do you wait
10:41 still until after the Doncaster?
10:43 No, so I've mainly focused on Doncaster. However, I did spend a bit of time on Tuesday watching
10:52 Newport because I wanted to make sure that if I am going to rotate it around who's better
10:59 suited to play in what game. So I think that was probably the first time that I've done
11:04 that throughout my managerial career. I usually just focus on one team at a time. Don't get
11:11 me wrong, I have totally focused on Doncaster but I did spend some time on Tuesday to look
11:15 at Newport briefly. But that will be done mainly on Saturday where after Friday's game
11:22 I will spend hours on Newport and making sure that we get that right as well.
11:27 A few lane highs this weekend then!
11:29 Yes, always!
11:31 And with the squad, where are we? Any news on Liam and Dion?
11:36 Yes, so Liam and Dion both trained as did Ben Gladwin today with the squad. So there
11:45 is a chance that at least maybe two of them could be included in the squad. Well, I'm
11:54 saying could be included in the squad, could be included in the squad over the weekend.
11:58 So whether it's Friday or whether it's Monday we'll have to wait and see.
12:01 Excellent, thanks Scott.