Wigan v Crawley Town - press conference with Scott Lindsey
Crawley Town are looking to continue their perfect start to the League One season when they travel to Wigan Athletic on Saturday. Here is Scott Lindsey's full press conference ahead of the game
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Scott, thank you for joining us. A trip to Wiggins, a bit forward to this weekend. Can
00:05I get your thoughts ahead of that game?
00:07Yeah, looking forward to it. I think the players are chomping at the bit obviously when things
00:11are going well. You know we've played four games and won four. I know the last one was
00:21on penalties obviously, but the players are really keen to get back out there and compete
00:27again. So yeah, a game we're looking forward to, against a good side. So yeah, looking
00:34forward to the game.
00:35Yeah, as you say, we've got a decent side and they're at the other end of the scale
00:38aren't they? They're looking to pick up their first win of the season, so they're going
00:42to be coming at it. It should be an entertaining game shouldn't it?
00:44Yeah, but it's early isn't it? They've been really competitive in certainly the two league
00:48games that I've watched. I've fought against Charlton, they were really good actually.
00:53There was a lot of moments in the Reading game where I thought they were good as well.
00:59So yeah, I've actually enjoyed watching them play. Possession based, lots to look at, lots
01:06of rotations and people ending up in different positions. So we have to be very, very watertight
01:14in terms of how we go about our planning with it. So yeah, a lot of work for me, but I'm
01:21enjoying it.
01:22Yeah, and we're enjoying a good start to the season. I love the stat that came through
01:25today. We've scored the most goals away from home than any other side in the top four divisions
01:30other than Arsenal and Stockport County. So it's a pretty good time to be following the
01:34club away from home isn't it?
01:35Yeah, I didn't know that stat, but yeah it's good. I like that stat. Hopefully we score
01:43some more goals on Saturday. But yeah, like I say, the players are in a good place. I
01:49think they're really confident at the moment. Obviously we've gone and got some good results.
01:52So that helps snowball the effect of what we're trying to do here. So I'm really pleased
02:00at the moment.
02:01Yeah, and that effect is clear that it's taken over the last couple of years, the effect
02:05that you've had and as we spoke about before, the professionalism and the mentality. Because
02:09when you joined us, you'd only been in two away games per season. Now we're regularly
02:14competing for away wins and have scored the most goals. So the transformation has been
02:17incredible hasn't it?
02:18Yeah, but again, it's early still. We got a good result at Cambridge away last week
02:23and it is early. We've got to continue how we've started. We're respectful of the fact
02:30that it is just a start. We're happy with it, of course. We've played well in the games
02:35and obviously the results have been great. So we are respectful of that. We are respectful
02:42that it is just a start and we're humbled about that. So we've just got to continue
02:46with it as well as we can and to make sure we're competitive in every game and to try
02:54and play our style of football is important to what we're doing every day on the training
02:58ground. So yeah, let's hope that we see more of that on Saturday.
03:03Yeah, as we spoke about, it's been a very busy schedule, a very busy start to the season.
03:08How has the squad come through the first part of it as we head into another Saturday, Tuesday?
03:12Yeah, really well actually. They've been quite robust with the games that we've had.
03:16It's been full-on, hasn't it? And it's continued to be full-on even next week. We've got obviously
03:22Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday and then we've got a bit of a break, which I think the players
03:25will probably need a break by then. So there's a few bumps and bruises, a bit of soreness
03:30and that, which there's going to be. But I think that the players have coped really well.
03:36Yeah, and as you said earlier, they're going to want to keep playing, aren't they, when
03:39we're on a winning run, as we spoke about already. You just want to keep going, especially
03:44if we win these next two. We're already putting ourselves in a great position, aren't we?
03:48Oh, if we win the next two, we won't want a break. We'll continue, but we'll take the
03:53break because I think there have been some players that have competed in pretty much
03:59every minute of every game. So they will need a rest at some point. Like I say, this week's
04:04a long journey against a good side. And then obviously we play Brighton on Tuesday, which
04:11is obviously going to be a very difficult game. And then the following Saturday we play
04:15Barnsley at home. So it is full-on and it has been full-on, but we've enjoyed it and
04:22the players have done well.
04:23Yeah, full-on for the players and the staff, but also full-on for the fans as well, as
04:26you said. A long journey there, but when we're putting in such good performances at home
04:30and on the road, it makes following the team a lot more enjoyable. And I think we'll be
04:34back by some good numbers again on Saturday, but it's just incredible to see, isn't it?
04:38Just the away numbers that we're taking places to keep them rising.
04:41Yeah, someone told me it was nearly 500 at Cambridge, which is ridiculous really. We've
04:46probably never taken that many to an away game that early on in the season. So absolutely
04:53delighted with that. And then the noise that they made throughout the game was incredible.
04:57I thought they made the atmosphere at Cambridge. And if they turn up in them numbers again
05:02to Wigan, wow, that'll be impressive. And they are impressive. The fans have been fantastic.
05:08We talk about the players and how well the players have done and the fans have done great.
05:14They turned up in their numbers at Wembley and they've turned up in their numbers again
05:17this start of the season. So we're proud of them and long may that continue.
05:24Excellent. When their fixtures come out, Wigan was one of the games that fans were looking
05:28forward to going because they were a former Premier League side. How excited are you about
05:33going to a stadium like that with Wigan?
05:35Yeah, not excited at all. The game's a game, no disrespect. I think that we just really
05:43focus on the football and the surroundings mean nothing to me whatsoever. We could be
05:47playing in a park. We've got a job to do. I've really focused on them in real detail.
05:55I think they're a very good side. The results wouldn't suggest that but I take no notice
06:00of that either because in a minute they're going to really kick on because I think they're
06:06a really good side. I think they're really well coached. It's really clear to see when
06:08you watch them. And the surroundings mean nothing to me. I remember taking us back to
06:15when we played at Wembley. As much as it was everybody's day out and 33,000 people
06:21and the stadium and everything else, we had a job to do and it's very similar to that
06:26on Saturday. We've got a job to do and it's great for the fans. I think it's fantastic
06:32for the supporters to go to a big stadium like that but we'll be full focused on the
06:39actual football.
06:40Going back to that stat about scoring more goals away from home than anyone else, is
06:44there a secret to that success or is it just down to good preparation and how you prepare
06:48the players?
06:49I'm hoping it's down to the preparation. The amount of hours that go into it, I'd
06:54like to think it is that. The players take on the information. I've just got to deliver
07:03it and I try and deliver it very clearly. They take on the information but they actually
07:08execute it as well brilliantly. They're a new group and up to now they've executed
07:15it in a real professional manner and I think they've been brilliant so I can't complain.
07:27And talking about executing things brilliantly, Adi Adiemo's goal on Saturday, really well
07:30taken. I remember speaking to you, I think it was East Grinstead, when he made his first
07:35game as a trialist and you said to me, this kid's going to be special. You're starting
07:40to see that now, I know he had injuries last year but he's come on leaps and bounds hasn't
07:44he?
07:45Yeah he has, I really like Adi. He's capable of scoring goals with his left foot, right
07:51foot, from all sorts of angles and distances. He's got a hammer foot, he can really strike
07:58through the ball. I thought he took his goal brilliantly well. I thought he took it too
08:01wide at one stage but it was good action. We played in front of Cambridge and then all
08:05of a sudden brought their press forward which gave us space in behind and fantastic ball
08:12by Josh Flint down the sides of them. I thought he took his touch too wide but he was always
08:18comfortable to go and finish it. Great finish but he's done well for us Adi and he's going
08:22to be a big player for us this season.
08:25Talking of Josh Flint, that leads nicely into my next question. On who'dscored.com, after
08:30the first two games, he ranks as the sixth best player on just ratings and performance.
08:36Just talk about Josh, how well he's settled in.
08:38I'd like to know who the five are in front of him because he's been unbelievable. I don't
08:43know if there's five in front of him is there?
08:45There were but I can't remember who they were but whatever they were.
08:48They must be good because he's been outstanding. One thing I've been really pleased with Josh
08:52and when I spoke to him in the summer, there was one area of his game that I felt that
08:56needed to be improved and he would probably learn that through actually playing games
09:01in the English league. His actual defending, heading balls out of the box and being aggressive
09:09which he probably didn't have that in the league he was playing in last year. But he's
09:15been unbelievable at that. I think that's probably one area that's really not surprised
09:20me because I think he's a very good player but I've been really impressed with that side
09:26of it, how he's defended in 1v1 situations, how he's defended the box, how he's headed
09:32the ball out of the box, how he's headed the ball when balls are played down the pitch,
09:36how he's competed. I've been really impressed with that. Of course, on top of which, he's
09:42a very good player, a very good footballer. He understands positioning, he comes inside
09:49the pitch at the right moment, he receives passes forward, he plays back round. Very,
09:55very good player and he also steps in and becomes an attacking threat from time to time
09:59and he's capable of causing problems in the final third. I think he's done great. I think
10:06he's been a brilliant signing.
10:08And talking of signings, because this is all linking together very well, you mentioned
10:13on Tuesday that you're looking at maybe bringing someone in to strengthen numbers in defence.
10:17Is there any update on that?
10:19No update as of yet. I've not spoken to the owners today, so there could be some more
10:26information on that, maybe later on this afternoon, this evening. But up to now, I've got no update
10:32on it.
10:33I had a fan contact me as well just asking, can you ask Scott if any player is going to
10:37go out on loan or anything? Is there going to be any movement on this?
10:39There is a plan of that. At the moment we've got one or two injuries, so we're quite thin
10:44on numbers actually, even though the numbers are quite big in terms of the squad. But when
10:49you look at the amount of injuries we've got at the moment, pretty much every single player
10:55that's fit is actually travelling with the squad. So yeah, there is plans for players
11:00to go out and get game time. I think that's important that they do that for their development.
11:05So yeah, that is the plan.
11:06Cool. And someone we haven't talked to, we've talked about Dion and Gav and that, but Harry
11:10Forster, I haven't actually asked you about him.
11:11Yeah, so Harry's got a little niggle still, kind of in his thigh and he did get scanned
11:18again yesterday and there's still a little bit in there. So it's taking a little bit
11:22longer than we wanted. But what we don't want to do is bring him back too soon and it goes
11:28again. So we're hopeful for next week and he did a little bit of on the grass training
11:40today with Ricky and we're hopeful that he'll be included in the training next week.
11:46Excellent. And Ronan, he took a bit of a knock on Tuesday, is he okay?
11:49Yeah, Darce is fine. He was off feet today just to kind of give him an extra day, but
11:57he will train and travel with the group tomorrow.
12:01Excellent. Thanks Scott.