Crawley Town manager Scott Lindsey on 'the most important game' of his managerial career
Crawley Town host Grimsby Town in a game they must win to stand a chance of securing a League Two play-off place. We spoke to Scott Lindsey about the importance of the game for him and the club and what a brilliant season his side has had.
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00:00 Scott, thank you for joining us. One to go for the regular season anyway, we're hoping
00:06 to make it a big one here at the Borderfoot Stadium. Can I get your thoughts out of that
00:09 one?
00:10 Yeah, let's hope it's not the last one, eh? So, yeah, big game obviously, one to go and
00:17 we're really focused. We know what we've got to do now, you know, we've just got to win
00:19 the game and see where the land lies at at the end of the game and let's hope that results
00:29 go for us and we're in there. We've put a lot of effort in this season, a lot of hard
00:35 work has gone in from everybody behind the scenes, all the staff, the back office, the
00:41 players obviously and it will be a real sense of achievement getting in that last place.
00:49 So, we know what we've got to do, we're really focused on it and we're looking forward to
00:53 the game.
00:54 Yeah, we'll obviously be focusing on ourselves but I'm sure on Tuesday there was a few eyes
00:57 on the other games, I'm not sure if you went to any yourself but I'm sure there was a few
01:01 eyes on that one and it sort of puts us at ease in terms of we know what we've got to
01:06 do, we know we've got to win to get in those places. Obviously, some results have to go
01:10 away as well but there's a good chance that we get in there if we win. So, the plan is
01:14 even easier now, isn't it? It's just to go out there, be professional and win the game.
01:17 Yeah, it's very simple, win the game and there's a lot that's got to happen for us not to get
01:24 in. So, we've just got to win our game and concentrate on that. Of course, we'll have
01:32 an eye on the results, I think we have to from a tactical point of view but yeah, just
01:38 win the game and we're really focused on that. I went to the game on Tuesday night at Colchester
01:43 Doncaster and me and Jamie Day cheered when Colchester scored quite early but of course
01:49 it wasn't to beat and fair play to Doncaster. But like I say, there's some nervy finishes
01:55 to the season from teams above really. So, let's just see what happens but we've just
02:03 got to focus on us.
02:05 Does it make your team talk on Saturday afternoon, about 10-3, that little bit easier because
02:11 the goal is obviously to get in those player places and as you say, we need a win to get
02:15 in there. So, does it make it a little bit easier and the lads sort of fully focused
02:18 on that already throughout the week?
02:19 Well, I think team talks are never easy. I think that you've got to try and get a balance
02:23 of what your message is. Whilst I don't want my team to be nervy, I want us to still play
02:32 our way but I also want us to be aggressive. You look at the last game where I felt we
02:40 were aggressive to a point in the first 20 minutes certainly and we get to the point
02:47 of putting the ball in the net and then we became nervy in the last moment. So, it's
02:51 important that we hold our nerve, we do our job properly and I'm sure if we do that we'll
02:57 be fine.
02:58 The lads I'm sure will be ever professional approaching this game. We're going to have
03:03 a big crowd and they can have a real impact in games like this, can't they? As we've been
03:07 saying all week, it's one final push together and together we could achieve a really, really
03:13 great goal considering everybody had us as favourites to go down at the start of the
03:16 season.
03:17 It's going to be a really positive day. We're going to come in and really look forward to
03:21 the game and I'll look forward to walking out and seeing the fans. They've been fantastic
03:25 all season. The players enjoy playing here, I know that for a fact. The fans get behind
03:31 them really well, home and away mind. We're hopeful that it's going to be a really positive
03:37 finish to the day and we can celebrate getting through and then we've got to focus on what's
03:42 next but it's a day I'm looking forward to.
03:47 We've spoken a lot about the hard work from everybody behind the scenes. It's not just
03:51 yourself and the 11 players and the substitutes that come on. There's a lot of hard work that
03:55 goes on behind the scenes. I suppose it would mean a lot for everybody at this club to get
04:00 into those places which I suppose adds some extra motivation as well.
04:03 Yes, a lot of work goes in. A lot of work. There'll be a lot of people in the background
04:08 that the fans don't even know about who put a lot of work in and they've got to deal with
04:14 me as well which is never easy. I want to do well because I'm a winner but I also want
04:22 to do well because I know how much work everybody's put in. The players have been fantastic throughout
04:28 the season. They've really taken on the information and executed it brilliantly for me. There's
04:36 been some players who have not played at this level of football, certainly the amount of
04:39 games they've played so credit to them but credit to the staff as well. The staff have
04:43 been fantastic. They've put a lot of hours in. We travel in every morning, we're setting
04:48 off from my house at six o'clock every morning. We're in, we're working, we're working all
04:52 day and everybody's put a lot of effort in. I want to do well for them as well, for everybody
04:58 that has put the work in because I think you only get out of football, as my dad used to
05:02 say, you only get out of football what you're prepared to put into it. We've certainly put
05:06 a lot of effort in and let's hope we get the rewards.
05:08 Yes, let's hope we get the rewards. Regardless of what happens on Saturday, it has been a
05:12 great season. Fans will agree, from the position we were in last year, excitement on the final
05:18 days of the season but for the complete opposite reason. Other than that, in the past decade,
05:22 we probably haven't had that end of season excitement. By now, the season's done and
05:26 dusted but to be fighting at this end of the table is incredible and it has been a great
05:31 season all round, hasn't it?
05:32 Yes, I'd hate it if we're sitting here with one game to go and there's nothing to play
05:38 for. I would hate that. I think it's a good feeling. Last year was not so good in the
05:46 fact that we had to get the right amount of points in order for us to keep in this division
05:52 so it was a different feeling. This feeling is different now in terms of it's more positive,
05:56 it's more like we know we can extend our season if we win and obviously we've got to rely
06:02 on one or two things to happen as well. If we extend the season, we know we've got a
06:06 real chance because our backers are against anybody over two games and if we get through,
06:11 our backers at Wembley are the way we play. This is the message I've been telling the
06:15 players and I firmly believe that. You're right, we've had a good season but let's not
06:26 sit here saying we've had a really good season because we've finished 10th or 11th or whatever
06:30 we finish. I want to finish in that 7th spot if we can. If not, I'll take a 6th.
06:37 Scott, people will look at Grimsby and say 'you've got nothing to play for, home banker'
06:42 and that. It's never going to be that simple is it?
06:45 I wish, yeah. One team that's ever took the foot off the gas, ever, in the history of
06:52 football has never happened. In actual fact, the fact that they're safe makes them probably
06:57 play with a bit more freedom than they have done and then makes for a harder game, right?
07:03 So we're not taking them for granted, we'd never do that. I know the manager isn't going
07:11 to turn up and take his foot off the gas. They'll be full throttle and it's going to
07:18 be a tough game. By the way, they're not bad side, let me tell you that now. They're not
07:21 where they should be. So we've just got to be at our best and we've got to really focus
07:26 on ourselves and focus on what we need to do in the game.
07:29 You mentioned earlier, a bit nervy on Saturday and I think edgy was a word you used after
07:33 the game. How do you manage that? How do you take that out of the players' minds about
07:39 being nervy and edgy because it's quite a natural thing isn't it for someone to get
07:43 a bit nervous on such a big occasion? How do you as a manager take that out of them?
07:47 Well I think what we do is we focus on us in terms of how we're going to play, how we're
07:51 going to win the game, how we're going to attack them, how we're going to defend against
07:55 them and we get the game plan in place and we get the players to really focus on that
08:00 which may take away their edginess, their nerves because they're really focused on what
08:04 their job is. So that's important that we do that. I think that looking at the squad,
08:09 we're quite inexperienced so there's not many players in there that are being used to playing.
08:14 I think this is game 53 now. There's not many players being used to playing that many amount
08:19 of games during the season so we're new to this. And they've done fantastic, the players
08:26 have done great. We have to accept that we're very young, we have to accept that they probably
08:33 will be nervy. We've just got to make sure that they focus on their job and whilst they're
08:39 really focused on the job, they could be playing in front of 25,000 people and it could be
08:44 the World Cup final. But if they're focused on their job, it won't make a difference and
08:51 that's the thing to really focus.
08:53 You mentioned that you'll be keeping an eye on the scores on Saturday because you have
08:57 to, just possibly tactically. How is that going to work? Is there somebody in the stand?
09:01 Is there somebody in the dugout? Have you got someone in your ear? How will that work?
09:04 I'll have my phone on me. I'll probably have it on the scores live anyway. We've got iPads
09:13 and all sorts of stuff in the dugout anyway so we'll just probably have one of them connected
09:18 up to the scores live and we'll know what's going on throughout the game. I think it's
09:22 important from a tactical point of view to see what's going on. It might mean a shift
09:26 in shape or a shift in our tactics depending on what's happening, depending on our score
09:31 line as well obviously.
09:33 And obviously you've been to a playoff final yourself. Where does this game rank in importance
09:38 in your career?
09:39 Highest. The highest because I've been to a playoff final as an assistant manager. I'm
09:45 now a manager so this is my team. I'm in charge of this group of players and I'm in charge
09:51 of the group of staff and it would be a fantastic achievement if we were to win on Saturday,
09:58 get into the playoffs. I think that's an achievement in itself. People will want to celebrate that
10:06 fact but I know me and me will want to win it. If we get in it we want to then go on
10:13 and win and get to Wembley and then when I get to Wembley I want to win that as well.
10:17 That's the way I'm built. I think that this is as good as it's got for me in terms of
10:25 my managerial career for sure and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
10:30 Just a quick one on squad wise, anyone unavailable for this weekend?
10:33 We've got a few little bits that we're just assessing back end of this week now. I'm hopeful
10:41 that we've got a full complement but there's two players certainly that we're assessing
10:47 as we go.
10:48 I just want to say on the record, whatever happens on Saturday it's been an absolute
10:52 pleasure talking to you this year and watching you this year.
10:54 Thank you, same to you.