Crawley Town beat Lincoln City 3-0 in League to record their first win since August and first under manager Rob Elliot. Here is Rob Elliot's post-match interview
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Rob, congratulations, your first three points as Corley manager. I can imagine that's a great feeling.
00:05Yeah, it's a really lovely feeling. Football's a strange game sometimes.
00:11Yeah, I genuinely couldn't be prouder of this group. They're a young group,
00:17but I think everyone in Corley could be proud of every single player tonight because
00:23sometimes in football it doesn't always go the way you want it to do with the ball,
00:27but you show that fight, you show that determination, which we talked about,
00:32and the rest will come. I'm so pleased for the players because they deserve that.
00:38It's great for the coaching staff, but those players have been through a lot over the last four or five weeks,
00:43even before we come, and to show that character after probably criticism, fairly or unfairly,
00:51it doesn't really matter, to show that character to go and win against a very, very good team, by the way.
00:57Lincoln are a very good team. And to defend the moments, the set pieces, the crosses,
01:01which we knew maybe in the past hasn't been our strength, just shows that these players,
01:08as games go on, they give absolutely everything for the club and the badge.
01:13Yeah, it was a real performance to be proud of tonight because it's easy to play nice football.
01:19It's not easy, sorry. It's incredibly hard and the lads did it really well.
01:22But it's easy when you play nice football, when you have to do everything you can to win for the football club,
01:27to give a lift and everything. The players stood up, every single one of them,
01:31off the pitch, on the pitch, the subs, and it just shows we've got goals in this team
01:35and we just have to believe in ourselves a little bit more, that we can do both sides.
01:39And yeah, just an incredible night for the club.
01:42But again, don't get too high, don't get too low, stay consistent and we'll work to Saturday now.
01:47Players get to enjoy themselves for a night and a day, but we need to be ready to go again
01:50and take all the good parts of what we've done and just try and get the consistency
01:53because I think we've shown in the very limited time I've been here,
01:58there's nothing these players can't achieve if they believe in themselves and work hard for each other.
02:03And I think that's what we've come through tonight.
02:05Yeah, it was quite a cagey first half, wasn't it?
02:08It seemed like the lads were really battling out there. It was quite an even affair.
02:13In the second half, the players just sort of took the game by the scruff of the neck, didn't they,
02:17and put in a real shift. Was there anything at half-time said or was it just a case of
02:22conveying that message of believe you are some great lads out there and playing some good stuff as well?
02:27Yeah, they did. I think when we look back, there'll be some really good football in there in the first goal,
02:32which I missed. But then I think we just need to settle down in the first half.
02:40And I think that's why the performance comes. The lads were so desperate to do well
02:46and I think they've been so frustrated in the anxiety and everything that comes with not winning.
02:51That probably over-bubbled a little bit in the first half and maybe didn't have the control we normally did.
02:56And we probably tried to score with every attack and whatnot.
02:59So I just said to them to settle down, to keep doing the crossing zones and the defensive stuff
03:06and the set-pieces. Keep doing the horrible stuff that people don't always want to talk about
03:12because their quality will always come through. That's exactly what happened.
03:15Talk about moments from Jez and Swanee. Darce is just an incredible person and an incredible footballer for this club.
03:21He's just stepped up to another level. And then Rushy, for me, he can be anything he wants to be.
03:29We just need to work with him to make sure he understands what a threat he can be and he gets his goal.
03:34And I think the character of Rushy at the end is because he had the chance and misses it.
03:38But to then do it again, just shows your character.
03:42Toby Malarkey, he did everything for us.
03:46Jay Williams is a decent, proper captain and performer for his age and everything he's done.
03:50Charlie Barker, you know you're going to name all of them.
03:53Jojo, they're just all fantastic young lads, fantastic human beings.
03:58But we just need to keep working because this is going to be a long process with this group at this level.
04:04And I'm just trying to make sure we have that consistency of not getting too high, too low.
04:08It's like half-time, trying to settle them down and realise that when it does come, they'll always hurt teams.
04:14So, yeah, that's what I've offered on for there.
04:16But I can't not talk about them because what I have been impressed with is how well they've dealt with adversity.
04:21And Louis' story summed up perfectly in the meeting yesterday at the end.
04:24Don't give anyone your power. Only we can control what we can control.
04:27And if you can find moments and togetherness and strength in the toughest of times when you've lost six games in a row,
04:35when you do win, it's solid. There's solid foundations to build on.
04:40And that's what hopefully we need to build on now.
04:42It doesn't mean we're going to win Saturday. It doesn't mean we're going to play well.
04:45It doesn't mean anything. It just means we get a little bit better each time.
04:47Yeah, as you sort of alluded to, it's great, obviously, talking about the goals,
04:51but you have to give massive credit to the defensive unit as well.
04:55You know, it's been, I suppose, one of the things that we've been needing to work on in the past few weeks.
04:59And, you know, we've been craving a clean sheet, haven't we?
05:01So, massive credit also has to go to the defence.
05:04Because while it's great that we're scoring goals at one end, you know,
05:06as you've said, so many of the players out there are putting a real shift at the other end as well.
05:10Yeah, 100 per cent. Two of the goals come from that.
05:12They come from brave, honest defending, transitions, counter-attacking.
05:15And, yeah, the lads are incredible.
05:17Incredible man for man.
05:18Flimmy, Toby, Jay, Charlie, Harry coming on towards the end.
05:22You know, Gav, Pan, Brad, Abraham, 19 years old.
05:26Max Anderson running himself into the ground again.
05:30You know, like, just the thing that the lads have to understand is that, you know,
05:36everything they can control, they need to control.
05:38And what's nice is we talked about a lot of different things over the week
05:41in terms of the defensive responsibilities, and they took it on.
05:44But the fact is, I can't go and do that.
05:46You know, it comes from them, and that's why they deserve all the credit.
05:48And I think from Jojo through to Swanee, and then the lads who come on.
05:52They deserve massive credit tonight.
05:53You know, Lincoln were excellent, by the way.
05:54Let's not take away from Lincoln, they were excellent.
05:57They really stressed us and caused us problems.
05:59But we stood up to it, and we just need to make sure we take confidence from that.
06:03And we still need to review.
06:04We still need to get better.
06:05There's still things we could have done better.
06:06But I'll take a performance like that and a win like that
06:08because that's shown me the character of this group.
06:11Yeah, and I suppose, as you've already touched on, you know,
06:14we've got to focus on, you know, channelling this positive mention
06:17into the upcoming fixtures.
06:18But in terms of just a moment, you know, as you've already said,
06:22for the club, you know, you saw how much it meant to the players,
06:24like Jay and Darcey at the end there,
06:26and yourself obviously celebrating with the fans,
06:28not just for yourself and the players, but for the fans as well.
06:31You know, that's almost, it feels like a bit of a weight lifted,
06:34sort of, you know, shaking the monkey off your shoulder sort of thing.
06:37How much is this win going to sort of benefit the group as a whole
06:41as we take into the rest of the season?
06:43Yeah, if I sound like I'm flat panicked, it's because I'm gone.
06:45I'm absolutely knackered. My emotional energy's been drained.
06:48So, no, yeah, you have to take confidence from it
06:51because we've probably shown the things that have probably been a question mark
06:54about the lads, they've shown that they can do.
06:56And then, you know, you take the performance from Saturday
06:58and the performance tonight, and that's where we want to get to.
07:00We want to be both, you know, we want to have that control,
07:02that unbelievable football we were ready in,
07:04and we want to be able to have that resilience
07:05and that defensive determination whilst still carrying a threat.
07:09So, yeah, it's, we have to take confidence from it.
07:12They have to because they were absolutely superb tonight,
07:15and I think the fans' reaction, you know,
07:17you see how proud they were of every single player, every single person,
07:20because being a good footballer is one thing,
07:22but being a warrior and doing the running, doing the hard yards
07:24and the heading and the tackling, you know, that's like,
07:26that's non-negotiable, and we did that to the umpteenth degree.
07:30And we just need to make sure that we don't get carried away,
07:33we keep working. It's going to be a tough game against Northampton.
07:35You know, they've had a tough week.
07:36The lads were tired, they were leggy, but this kept going,
07:40and then the subs improved us.
07:41So, yes, we've got to take confidence from this,
07:43but we've got to keep doing the work,
07:44keep doing the things that have got us to this point
07:46and keep improving from that.
07:50Armando went off with a bit of a knock in the second half.
07:53Is he OK, or do you know much about that situation at the moment?
07:55It's probably too early to say.
07:56I think he obviously cramped up a bit with his hamstrings.
07:59You know, he's been a fantastic junior in terms of the output,
08:02but, you know, playing at this level, the consistency of it.
08:05We took him off on Saturday when the game was 4-1
08:07because we wanted to save energy for him.
08:09We hope he won't be anything too serious.
08:13But, yeah, so, unfortunately, that's the level,
08:16this is the level we're at, you know,
08:18and players push themselves, which juniors do.
08:20You know, he's still trying to get his fitness.
08:21You know, he hasn't played loads of games in his career,
08:23but I thought, you know, since I've been here,
08:26he's shown real promise in Northampton,
08:28and he's a lovely lad to work with,
08:29and I think he's going to be a really important player for us,
08:31so hopefully it's not too serious.
08:32Yeah, just one on Jojo Wollekot.
08:33How impressed were you by him?
08:35Two really crucial saves, obviously, in that second half.
08:38Jojo is absolutely excellent today, I think.
08:40The saves, I know Jojo can make saves.
08:42You know, he's an unbelievable shot-stopper,
08:44but I thought his decisions in the crossing,
08:46when he comes across, he's relieved so much pressure,
08:48and, yeah, he's someone that he's a joy to work with
08:51because he wants to get better.
08:52He's driven. He's a great lad.
08:53He's got, he's really calm,
08:55and, you know, we're very fortunate to have him
08:57because, you know, to have a Ghanaian international here
09:01is a huge thing, and Chris Dixon,
09:04who's come in as the goalie coach,
09:05has worked with him for such a short time,
09:07but, you know, he's going to be a real asset to the club as well.
09:09So, no, really pleased.
09:11They deserve that clean sheet.
09:12Jojo, the back four, the whole team, you know,
09:14everyone deserves the clean sheet,
09:15and, yeah, we just need to make sure we build on it.
09:18And you mentioned, obviously, the effect of not winning games
09:20is having on the players,
09:21but for you, yourself, as a manager,
09:23waiting for that first win,
09:24how much of an effect was that having on you,
09:26and how much of a relief is it to get that first win,
09:29and how much easier would it make the job from this point?
09:31It doesn't make the job any easier, trust me.
09:33It just means that the lads get rewarded
09:35for everything that we've asked them to do.
09:38Genuinely, I'm huge on the players and the people,
09:41and they deserve that.
09:42Yes, we set the team up in a certain way.
09:44We probably didn't play as cleanly as we'd like,
09:47but the players took the responsibility,
09:48and they got through moments,
09:50and they never once allowed any moment to get on top of them.
09:54And, like I said before,
09:55we will play better in possession at times,
09:58but the lads now know that they can always hurt teams.
10:00They've got to have belief that they can always hurt teams
10:02and score goals,
10:03and I think we just need to be consistent,
10:06stay calm, keep working and getting better,
10:08because there will be ups and downs
10:10between now and the end of the season.
10:12But as long as we're getting better every week,
10:13it's not always reflected in the results.
10:15But when you do get results,
10:16and you do get the night's night tonight,
10:18you've got to enjoy it.
10:19Great, thank you very much.
10:22Just one question, Rob.
10:23All the goals came from very direct passes to the players.
10:26Is that something you've been working on in training?
10:28And if so, how good does it feel
10:30when it comes off like it did tonight?
10:32Yeah, we did talk about their distribution and transitions
10:35from when they do go to more direct,
10:37when the space is left because they do sort of split.
10:40But it's one thing me telling the lads
10:42and them having the ability to do it.
10:44All three goals were excellent goals tonight.
10:46And it just showed individual quality,
10:48it showed composure and understanding.
10:50Yeah, I think because we carry that threat,
10:55teams will have to be more wary,
10:56and hopefully that will help going forward in time.
10:59But football's a strange game sometimes.
11:03We probably should have scored multiple goals against Reading,
11:05and we don't.
11:06And then what we do tonight,
11:08probably for the best chances,
11:09but being in the clinical.
11:10So I'm just really pleased.
11:11I'm really pleased we've over.
11:12And I think, like I said before,
11:14there's things we spoke to the lads about,
11:16but you can ask the lads to do anything,
11:18it's just whether they believe in it.
11:19And they believe in everything tonight,
11:20and that's the thing I'm most proud of.