Crawley Town boss Rob Elliot looks ahead to Shrewsbury Town game
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.