Crawley Town face Shrewsbury Town in League One on Saturday. We spoke to manager Rob Elliot about the game, injury updates and who his mentors are
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00:00Rob, thank you for joining us. Obviously an exciting game coming up this weekend as we
00:04face Shrewsbury. Can I get your thoughts ahead of that game?
00:07Yeah, no. Looking forward to it. I think the first two games obviously in quick succession,
00:12the third sort of finishing off the first nine, ten days. But no, it will be good to
00:17be at home and it will be good to carry on what we've been working on from Wickham in
00:23terms of where we're a bit more solid and then sort of making sure we bring that attacking
00:30football and effect in the goal, which we did really well Tuesday. And it was good to
00:33see I think the concepts and what we're asking the lads, which is slightly different, they're
00:37just starting to grasp. And I think hopefully with that, we'll see a lot more freedom in
00:43the final third in terms of putting the ball in the box and putting the ball at risk. And
00:45yeah, like you said, it's not going to all be, not just going to click and it'll be perfect
00:49on Saturday, but hopefully it's a step forward for us. And we just need to attack the game
00:53and like we would any game and just try and enjoy it and entertain and back ourselves
00:58because we've got a lot of young players and a lot of talented players and we need to back
01:01that talent.
01:02Yeah, you've had a chance to see pretty much the entire squad now over the course of the
01:05last two games. Are you feeling sort of happy and content with the XI for Saturday or are
01:09you still having some sort of selection headaches?
01:11No, definitely. I won't pick the teams until after Friday because you never know what happens
01:14and I think what's been good is we've seen what the depth and quality of the squad is.
01:19And like I've said, I don't think it's going to be a case where we'll have a strong XI or
01:22a start XI. It'll be the strength of the squad that defines us. So, yeah, like we saw, the
01:27lads who come on on Saturday helped us and the lads who definitely come on on Tuesday
01:31helped us. So, yeah, it's a squad game. We need everyone to be switched on and alert
01:35because ultimately, like you said, with the injuries we've had so far and internationals
01:40and suspensions, we're going to need everyone available as and when.
01:42Yeah, and Shrewsbury, what do you make of them? Have you watched a lot of them this
01:45week so far or is that sort of a job for tomorrow and the game coming up on Saturday?
01:49No, we've obviously watched a bit of them already since Tuesday and now they're a good
01:53team. I think they're very solid. They've got the option to go into a back five or a
01:56back four. They like to lock you up on their press and they try and make it difficult for
02:00you. So, we'll have to be aware of that and they're very hard to break down. They're very
02:05much a counter-attacking team. So, a bit like Tuesday, for all our strengths being in possession
02:10and wanting to get players higher up the pitch, they're very good in transition and counter-attacking.
02:15So, in that sense, you can see why a lot of our games are open and we need to make
02:19sure we get the lock-up right and we also need to make sure we make good decisions in
02:24possession to push them back and limit the opportunities they get to counter.
02:28Obviously, three points is the aim of the game. Is there anything else you're looking
02:32to take out of the game on Saturday? Is there something performance-related? We've spoken
02:36a little bit about how we've got to get the performances right. So, is there anything
02:39specific you'll be looking for the lads to show?
02:41Yeah, there's a few things we spoke about this morning in the meetings and I just think
02:44as long as I can see that, as long as I can see the lads taking the information and trying
02:47to implement the concepts and the processes we like to put in, then that will be fine
02:51by me and I genuinely believe that if we do that, we'll get the rewards in terms of the
02:55wins and the three points. What I don't want us to do is chase three points from the start
02:59of the game and lose our shape and structure and then we fall into that trap and probably
03:02play into opposition hands. So, we've got to understand that the team we are, we're
03:06a possession-based team and we want to be able to put the ball at risk more in the final
03:10third in terms of crosses and runs and people using their ability to take people on, which
03:16is probably what we saw on Tuesday a lot more. But we also need to be a bit leaner and a
03:21bit more switched on in terms of our defensive actions and because especially where we do
03:25go forward in such numbers, we put a lot of responsibility on the back lads and we need
03:29to make sure as a group and as a team we're able to negate opposition as best as possible
03:35and also understand ourselves more.
03:38This will be a chance for you to finally meet the Crawley fans as a whole in a away match
03:42as your first one and then a slightly lower crowd on Tuesday night. So, with the international
03:47weekend we should be hoping for a big crowd at the Broadfield Stadium. So, how much are
03:49you looking forward to relishing that and also what would your message be to them? Is
03:53it just get behind the lads? They can have a massive impact, can't they?
03:56Yes, I don't think anything has to change from what I've seen. The fans have been absolutely
04:00brilliant this year and I think they understand the task that's in front of us and I just
04:05look forward to it and try and enjoy it the best they can. We've got a young team, inexperienced
04:09at this level I suppose. It's going to be tough times but you know what, I think we
04:13can see that the team's developing and getting better. We've got some really exciting individuals
04:17and I think that when we do get flowing and get going, it's a brilliant place to play
04:22and the atmosphere behind the goal. When we were attacking, especially second half on
04:26Tuesday, it got going and for me personally and from the other coaching staff, it's been
04:30a lovely welcome and I thought the response after Wickham and after Tuesday was really
04:36positive with the fans and I think we all understand where we're at. It's something
04:42that I'm relishing and looking forward to and I'm looking forward to seeing the players
04:46back themselves and seeing them play with freedom within the structure that we give
04:50them because there is some exciting things here and that's what fans want to see. Fans
04:55want to see an exciting attack in football and that does come at a cost. You do leave
04:58yourself open but I think for me, my philosophy is we've got to back what we do over worrying
05:05about the opposition. We'll obviously do our reviews and we'll make sure we limit them
05:07as best as possible. We understand their strengths but we want to concentrate on ourselves. We
05:11want to attack everything we can this year within our own power and back what we do more
05:19than anything.
05:21If you look at the league positions, Saturday looks like a big game and I've even seen some
05:26fans call it a six-pointer already. It seems ridiculous this early in the season but how
05:30important is it that you and the players treat it just as any other game?
05:33That's massively important. Every single game should have the same expectation to win. When
05:38you look at the league table, you play top of the league away or you play bottom of the
05:40league at home. There's that mindset that you think we have to win or it's a free hit
05:46whereas for me, the development of this group and what we implement is that no matter what
05:50situation we're in, no matter who we play, where we play them, when we play them, our
05:54mindset is the same. We want to impose ourselves on the game and stay in control. We want to
06:01be in control of all the moments and we want to be able to back our shape, our system,
06:05our players against anyone. That's what I'm looking forward to Saturday. I want to see
06:09the players attack the game in every single possible way. I want to see them relish the
06:13challenge of this year, of being written off, being the underdogs, being whatever we
06:18might be and relish it with no fear. The same with the fans. Just come to the game and enjoy
06:22watching these young players, watching people give everything because the one thing these
06:25lads do is they give absolutely everything and they play good football and we have some
06:30real good ability in the squad. So, for me, it's something that's exciting and good to
06:33look forward to. You lose a game, you lose two games, whatever it might have been previously,
06:39it doesn't change the whole landscape. We're still only in October and there's still a
06:43lot to play for. Like I said, the one thing that goes past every single week is these
06:47players gain that experience at this level, gain understanding. So, when it comes up again,
06:52second half of the season or next week, whatever it is, they're a bit better and a bit more
06:55savvy and a bit more aware of what's needed to be successful and we'll just keep showing
07:01them, keep working with them and keep that intensity.
07:03Can you give us a squad update? We've seen, obviously, Nox to Joy and Charlie recently.
07:07Can you give us any updates on their relationship?
07:10No, Charlie, it's one of them ones. It happens a lot in football and it can be quite serious
07:13if the doctors did the right thing in terms of he got bashed in the eye, basically. He
07:18poked in the eye, he caught an elbow to the eye, but actually to his eyeball. So, there's
07:22lots of things you have to be really careful with that. So, precautionary, he had to come
07:25off and went to hospital, got the all-clear, which is good. Joy's got a long-going ankle
07:29issue that he's had. So, we're just monitoring that to see how he is and then otherwise,
07:33we're pretty much where we were. So, we'll just have to monitor a few leading up to the
07:38game and we'll see. Like we said, that's why we don't think about the team selection
07:41too much until Friday afternoon because, like you say, you never know what happens and we'll
07:45see where we're at come Saturday.
07:47Can you give us an insight into your process into analysing an opposition? How much work
07:51goes into that or is it mainly focused on what you're doing?
07:54No, you have to watch the opposition a million percent because they're key individuals, consistent
07:59patterns of play. If we can give that information to the lads and we can prep them for it on
08:02the training pitch, then at least that way they have an understanding of what they're
08:05going to come up against. But ultimately, it's been the way at this club for the last
08:10two or three years, which is one of the reasons I'm here. It's mainly about what we do, not
08:15what the opposition do. I think that as long as you get that balance right and understand
08:19their threats, understanding what they're going to try and do, how they're going to
08:22try and play, then we can negate that and concentrate on our strengths. Also, what I
08:27said to the boys is that because we are such a possession-dominant team and we move the
08:32ball really well, teams may not do what they do normally against us. Then you can plan
08:39a week for a team to do X, Y, Z and they change it on a Saturday and all your work's gone
08:43to waste. We just want to make sure that we cover as many bases as possible so the lads
08:46have as much information as they need.
08:48We're still getting to know you. I just wondered if you could tell us who your heroes and mentors
08:54are in terms of coaching. Is there any former coaches, managers that you turn to for a bit
08:59of advice?
09:00It's a weird one. I suppose what I tend to do is reflect on managers that I've had in
09:06the past for good and bad reasons. All managers have massive strengths, they all have massive
09:10weaknesses. They're human beings. I always try and look at what strengths I've brought
09:14into with certain people and what weaknesses that I always felt that I would try to not
09:18have myself but I'll have my own weaknesses, same as anyone else. I think it's more a reflection
09:23of who I've worked with and how I've worked with them. I speak to Andy Woodman a lot who
09:27is obviously my goalie coach and mentor at Newcastle and he's obviously managing at Bromley
09:31and he's done really well. I speak to people like him who've maybe just had a bit more
09:34experience and stuff and then really just being open and speaking to people because
09:38you can learn from anyone in any walk of life. I think people have been in those situations
09:43before. You try and lean on them a little bit and get advice but you've also got to
09:46have fresh eyes and judge things as you see them because you don't want to prejudge any
09:50person, you don't want to prejudge any situation. You've got to try and back your own beliefs
09:53and be firm with it because if I get it right or I get it wrong, or we as a coaching team
09:57get it right or wrong, we can learn from it. If we don't back ourselves then we're never
10:02going to improve ourselves because we're not standing here saying we've got the finished
10:05article, we're still learning. There's things we believe in, non-negotiables, and we'll
10:09stick to them no matter what and we'll work to get better at them. There's other things
10:12that we'll learn and adapt from.