Mansfield Town visit the Broadfield Stadium on Saturday. We caught up with Crawley Town boss Scott Lindsey ahead of the game
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00:00 Scott, thank you for joining us after a brilliant result last weekend against Colchester.
00:06 We're back at home as we face Mansfield. Can I get your thoughts ahead of that game?
00:09 Yeah, a tough game against a really strong side, a really experienced side, an experienced
00:16 manager as well. But yeah, it's a game we're looking forward to. They've not played for
00:22 I think 17 days, so whether that means that they come into this game really fresh or whether
00:29 they come into this game really rusty, let's hope it's the latter. And we're going to have
00:36 to be at our best no matter what they bring because they're a really good side.
00:40 Yeah, we know we're obviously very good at home. Our former home has been excellent all
00:43 season and as well as last season it was crucial as well. But we're going to need that, aren't
00:47 we? We're going to need to take confidence into this game as I think yourself and many
00:50 other managers describe Mansfield as one of the best outfits in the league this season.
00:54 Yeah, they are. I've watched them a lot. I've watched them over the months when I've been
00:59 watching other oppositions. Mansfield have popped up on a number of occasions and I've
01:03 always felt that they look a strong side. And then obviously got into watching them
01:08 at detail this week and they're a good side. They've got really good players, really strong
01:12 players and they've got a way of playing that's very pleasing on the eye but very effective
01:18 as well. It's going to be a tough game but we're in a good place. I think we've won five
01:26 out of seven so we're in a good place. The boys are really confident and we're looking
01:31 forward to the game.
01:32 We spoke about it with Ben after Kyle Chester as well. It seems that a lot of teams at the
01:36 moment will be looking at us and going this isn't a good time to play probably. As you
01:39 said, five wins from the last seven in all competitions and teams will be looking, including
01:44 Mansfield, probably looking at not fancy players really do you think?
01:47 Possibly. All we've got to do is just concentrate on ourselves really and possibly they are
01:51 thinking that. We've just got to make sure that we keep a level of performance throughout
01:57 and make sure that we perform and we play the way we've been playing and hopefully the
02:05 results will follow like they have done just of late. We're in a good place at the moment.
02:10 We're a full complement of players as well. I think there's only Jack Rawles who's got
02:15 a slight thigh problem at the moment, a little bit of tightness in his thigh but everybody
02:21 else is fit. We're looking forward to the weekend.
02:24 In games like this I suppose the only thing that can help us prepare for the busy run
02:28 that we've got ahead is the crazy amount of games coming up. Some of them against really
02:32 tough opposition. I don't know the actual stat for it but I think a lot of the teams
02:36 we're playing are certainly in the top half in the build-up to Christmas.
02:38 It's a really tough next part of the schedule, really tough in terms of who we're playing.
02:46 We looked at the start of the season thinking that and we picked up some real valuable points
02:50 then so I'm not fazed by that at all. I think we take who we take and we've just got to
02:55 make sure we prepare properly and recover properly because they're coming thick and
02:59 fast so it's important that we get the recovery right and it's important that we get the preparation
03:03 right with the staff and everybody, how we work here I'm sure we will.
03:07 It seems like we're almost five off of those games as well. We've always said that we do
03:10 well against the bigger teams. Do you think there's a reason for that? Is it not necessarily
03:14 a pressure off kind of thing but do you think there's a certain mentality with that that
03:18 comes with it?
03:19 No, not really. I think that we're a good side. I think that we've set off really well.
03:27 We've had a good campaign up to now. I think we've played in all competitions maybe 26
03:33 games and we've won 12 so when you look at that, that's 46% win ratio which is good and
03:41 I think we're a good side. Why can't we take on the likes of Mansfield and Gillingham's
03:47 and MK Don's and Wimbledon's? Why can't we? We're ready, we're prepared and we're looking
03:52 forward to this run of fixtures.
03:53 We're obviously in touch with them. We're going to get through this Christmas period
03:57 with a full compliment. You said there that it's only Jack Rowles that's missing out at
04:00 the moment. I suppose it's the perfect time to have people like Dion coming back, Kevin
04:04 Gladds, being able to constantly play 90 minutes because we've seen some other teams, I think
04:08 Stockport's an example. They've listed off the injuries they had and it's immense and
04:13 that can be really struggling for a team in this busy period, can't it?
04:16 No, exactly and I think a lot of credit's got to go to the medical department and the
04:20 strength and conditioning department here at Crawley and I think they've done fantastically
04:25 well. We've had, I think it's over 94 or 95 per cent in terms of player availability,
04:33 which is a credit to them and the players as well. The players have obviously managed
04:38 themselves really well on and off the pitch but we're going to need all them players,
04:43 like you say. As much as we don't want to chop and change the team too much, we might
04:48 have to because the game's coming thick and fast and we might have to use all them players.
04:53 The fact that we have them players available and we've seen some of them players play in
04:59 the cup games and have done extremely well, they understand how we play, which if they're
05:04 called upon they'll be ready and used appropriately.
05:07 Sticking with that theme, Scott, you said on Saturday it was Dion, Ben and Liam and
05:13 they started together, you've won all four games with them in, I think that was what
05:17 you said. That's right.
05:19 Given that Dion and Ben have had their injury issues, is it a case of, especially with this
05:24 period coming up, that you manage their time, if they're fit, that they just start or do
05:30 you manage their time because of that, because of the injuries in the past?
05:33 I think if they're fit and they're playing well, they start. I think so because they're
05:42 big players for us. I think Dion coming back in, you saw that real calmness from him as
05:47 we were building from the back. Obviously Ben Gladwin's the captain, I just feel that
05:55 the players feel a lot better when he's on the pitch than when he's not on the pitch.
06:02 He understands how we play. But yeah, I think if they're fit, they play, we've just got
06:06 to manage them through the week. We manage them now through the week, even if we've got
06:09 a clear week, we tend to off-feet them for a few days at the start of the week and then
06:15 they get introduced to the back end of the week. So we get the tactical stuff done ready
06:19 for the Saturday. But no, it's just about managing them.
06:23 Looking at Mansfield, what is it particularly that makes them the outfit they are and doing
06:28 so well this season?
06:30 Good players. Really good players and a good manager. He's a very experienced manager,
06:36 Nigel, but they've got some really, really good players. Aidan Flint obviously had an
06:41 unbelievable career, played a lot of football in the Championship. He's above the level
06:46 really even now. Lewis Reid in midfield, good player. Maris, good player. They've got good
06:51 players all over the pitch and they have a way of playing where they have an understanding
06:57 of each other and they're aggressive with it. They're aggressive with how they play
07:03 with the ball and they're aggressive without the ball.
07:07 I know you haven't come out and said your targets and ambitions for this year, but are
07:11 you on target for those ambitions or do you think you're overachieving?
07:15 No, we're on target for where I feel we should be. I think we're probably about right and
07:20 what we want to do is just maintain what we've done so far and keep in and around it and
07:28 have a push at the end.
07:30 We talked about a couple of weeks ago the January transfer window coming up. Have you
07:35 started having the conversation with players? Are you confident you can bring in and strengthen
07:39 where you want to strengthen?
07:41 No, we've certainly got lists of players and we're certainly looking now at players
07:46 on a daily basis and looking to see if they fit the remit of what we want and how we want
07:55 it. So we've certainly started that process. Speaking to the owners, there may be some
08:04 movement ins and outs, so we'll have to wait and see what happens.
08:09 Laurence Maguire wants to stay when we've spoken to him. Do you want him to stay and
08:16 is there any conversation?
08:17 I 100% want Laurence to stay, yeah for sure. I think it's just a case of us agreeing, Laurence
08:24 agreeing and Chesterfield agreeing and it'll be done. Laurence has been outstanding for
08:29 us, hasn't he? He's really taken that position up brilliantly. He's joined in attacks, he's
08:35 defended great, he's been a threat on set pieces. I think he's been smart with the ball,
08:41 he knows when to play long, he knows when to pass it inside, he knows when to come back
08:45 round and recycle it. He's just a very smart footballer and really understands what I want
08:50 from him. So yeah, I definitely 100% want to keep him.
08:53 Just to mention Will Wright, you pushed him forward into midfield on Saturday. Will we
08:57 be seeing more of that over the weekend? Is it just a case of who you're playing against
09:00 and who you've got available?
09:02 No, I think that it was something that we thought of a couple of weeks ago. We wanted
09:07 to put a strong back line in with still a strong defensive midfield but with two players
09:16 who can actually handle the ball really well. In Gladwin and Will Wright you've got that
09:21 and of course Will's a defender as well so it kind of suited. When you look at that back
09:28 three and them two midfield players, there's not very many times that you would think that
09:33 you can cut through that. Even though I felt that there were moments on Saturday where
09:39 we looked a little open but we put that straight on the training ground. We talked about it
09:44 when we analysed the game and it's just kind of readjusting one of two things and I think
09:52 that we will become more solid with that. I think Will's a lovely footballer so even
09:57 though he comes as a defender, I like to think that all my players can play in different
10:02 positions and I'm the type of manager that will try things as well. For me, some might
10:10 say it might be a gamble but sometimes you've got to gamble to see if things work or not
10:16 and I felt it worked perfectly. I thought he did the role brilliantly.
10:20 Thanks Scott. Ash.