Crawley Town face Lincoln City in the FA Cup second round on Saturday. The Reds beat the Imps 3-0 in League One last month and will be looking to repeat that and book themselves in the third round draw. Here s Rob Elliot's thoughts on the game.
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00:00Rob, for the second time in a couple of months we're facing Lincoln at the Broadfield Stadium.
00:04Can I get your thoughts ahead of that one?
00:06Yes, it's going to be a good game. I think we were talking before about their depth in
00:09the squad. They've got some seriously good players. They're all four of their strikers
00:14for me personally, which everyone's played a real problem. I think it's going to be a
00:18tough game. It's probably our toughest test this year. I thought it was a brilliant performance
00:22for us to get the win against them, but I thought they were excellent. I thought they
00:25were probably the best team we've played. We know it's going to be a really tough day,
00:30but the FA Cup brings a bit of magic, brings a good feeling around. I'm looking forward
00:34to attacking the game, especially the run we've been on. I just want the lads to carry
00:37that momentum forward and keep improving. It'll be a really good test against a very
00:41good team.
00:42Exciting, isn't it? Being in the second round, knowing that only one win away, you could
00:45be playing the likes of Man City away, all the big Premier League teams, and also some
00:49good Championship teams as well. It adds a little bit of spark, doesn't it? When you
00:53get through that first round, you just think, I really want to get through to that third
00:55round. As you said before, it can be a good moneymaker as well.
00:58Yes, it's brilliant for clubs all round. It's good for the players, it's good for the fans.
01:01It's just a brilliant occasion, the FA Cup, and it always has the carrot of the big games
01:06and the carrot of the Cup upsets. Obviously, the first thing is Lincoln and probably one
01:11of the toughest draws we could get. Thankfully, we're at home at least. I think the big thing
01:16for me is, yes, we want to win the game 100 per cent, but I really want to see the consistency
01:23and the improvements that we've been showing and the way we've been playing. The lads have
01:26been brilliant in terms of taking on the messages. I think it's getting clearer and clearer after
01:29each game. I just want to take that into Saturday and test ourselves against one of the strongest
01:35teams in the league.
01:36Do you see it as a benefit that we've only just played Lincoln? Does it make the preview
01:40a little bit earlier? Because rather than watching clips of Lincoln playing against
01:43other teams, you can actually, this time, watch clips of, I suppose, you playing Lincoln
01:47and beating 3-0 at home. Does that make it a little bit easier?
01:49Yes and no, because I think, like we said, it was such a tough game. We had to defend
01:52for our lives and the lads showed some real determination and grit that night. It was
01:56a brilliant night and occasion, but I think when you look at their squad and the changes
02:02that they made when they played the last game, and the players that they can bring in, they
02:06can give different dimensions to the game. We'll review them as we do, we'll prepare
02:11as we always do. I'm trying to get the message over to the lads, you can prepare all week,
02:15but rather than change five players, change system, change shape, you have to always be
02:18adaptable and be ready to go no matter what someone throws at you. I thought the lads
02:21did that well Saturday, so I'm hoping that we can continue that and take that into this
02:25Saturday.
02:26What's the mood been like in camp? I can imagine it was a great feeling back at the
02:29training ground the week after the win, because so many of our performances have deserved
02:33three points. It must feel like a big weight lifted off the shoulders for a lot of the
02:37players, doesn't it?
02:38Yes, I think so, and I think the three points come off the back of progressively better
02:42and better performances and hard work. The pleasing thing for me on Saturday with Rotherham,
02:48especially the first half, was the continuation of the second half in Bristol. When we got
02:53to the crossing areas, the crossing zones, we were putting the ball in the box. Our forward
02:57running was excellent and our wide play was good. Again, it's just a case of not getting
03:03too high or too low with it, but just making sure we stay consistent and keep building
03:06the reasons why we get the results, the reasons why we keep clean sheets and keep doing those
03:11things right. Like I said, the challenge for the players is to keep getting better at it
03:15and keep improving every day.
03:16Perfect, Mark. Brilliant. You mentioned the magic of the FA Cup. What does the FA Cup
03:20mean to you and have you got any specific great memories from the FA Cup in your playing
03:24days?
03:25Yes, I was just trying to think. I never got too far down the line in the competition,
03:30but I remember when I was at Chorlton and we were in League One and we drew Spurs away
03:33in the third round and I got to play against Leixer Modric and Defoe, Crouch and I think
03:38Bale. I can't remember, but all these top superstars. When you're a young player making
03:43your way through the lower leagues, it's a great opportunity to test yourself against
03:46the very best. I was pleased with my performance that day and it probably gave me a little
03:50bit of belief and hope that I could get to the Premier League if I kept working hard
03:53and I kept improving. So, the FA Cup is a great occasion for that in terms of if you
03:57do ever play against higher or lower opposition, you can really show where you're at as an
04:02individual. But, yes, it's something that I really enjoy. I think the best thing about
04:08it is it's a bit of a release from the league, but it's about winning the game, isn't it,
04:15ultimately? The FA Cup is more about winning, but I think for us and the way we do things,
04:19we want to keep the performances and the continuation of how we play because for us to continue
04:25doing well and progressing and climbing up the league table, we need to be consistent
04:28in our performances and we need to make sure that we have that solid base and it's the
04:34togetherness that will keep us in this league and keep us improving. So, yes, just a bit
04:41of everything on Saturday, but it's something I'm looking forward to, especially against
04:45such a good team. It's going to be a really tough test.
04:47Yes, and you've obviously got a long list of injuries and obviously that's not a good
04:50thing at all, but has it benefited you in being able to see all the plays from the squad
04:56because you might not have had that if everybody was fit all the time?
04:58Yes, and I think also it gives players an opportunity that they deserve and maybe haven't
05:01been able to get because of other people playing well or whatever it might be. I think Saturday
05:07when we had two goalies on the bench and every outfield player was on the pitch, it showed
05:12that what I was so pleased with the takeaway was that everyone's in it for the cause, fighting
05:16for the cause and going on and doing everything they can for each other.
05:21Gav took a massive whack to his ribs and carried on playing and, yes, Raf coming on at the
05:26end and it's one of those ones where football's... I always say to lads, the team that starts
05:31this first game of the season to the one that finishes will be completely different and
05:36you have to just keep being consistent and keep doing well and one little disappointment
05:40on a Saturday could turn into the best Saturday night of your life because you've come on
05:43and scored the winner or you're starting the next game or whatever it might be. So, hopefully
05:48we can not have as many injuries or we've been unlucky, a lot of them, 80-90% of them
05:53will impact injuries, which I think is just the physical robustness of the league. But
05:57as we adapt to that and as the players get more opportunities, get more experience, I
06:00feel we'll get better and we'll be able to manage it more.
06:03And have you got anyone back for Saturday that's been on the injury list?
06:06I think it is as was. We'll have to assess a few people. A few people like Harry Forsyth
06:12are not close to coming back because Harry had a dead leg so we just have to monitor
06:16that. We have to be careful with them once they go past a certain point because they
06:19can turn into something more serious. A couple of lads might need a bit of rest and TLC with
06:25Tuesday as well because you've got to have half an hour on Tuesday. We'll have to assess
06:29it but I think we're pretty much as was, to be honest, other than Brad coming back from
06:33the suspension.
06:34And looking ahead to Tuesday quickly, Charles, a special one for you. Are you looking forward
06:39to that going back to the Valley?
06:40Yes, do you know what? It's one of the fixtures I look for first when we come in because I've
06:45never had a chance to go back as a player. The paths never crossed. It's my home club
06:50and it's where I come through the academy and it means a lot to me, being a Cheltenham
06:54fan and there'll be friends and family in the crowd. Obviously it won't change the fact
06:58that I'll be going there to upset a lot of people but it'll be a nice personal touch
07:03to go back. It's such a brilliant place to play and hopefully the lads enjoy it as well,
07:06the occasion and the game, but we'll worry about that after Saturday.