Crawley Town host Birmingham City at Broadfield Stadium in front the Sky Sports Football Cameras. Here is Reds boss Robb Elliot talking about the game and the congested fixtures over the festive period.
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00:00Rob, thank you for joining us. It's the big one on Monday night before Christmas, live
00:05on Sky Sports Football against Birmingham. Can I get your thoughts over that one?
00:08Yeah, it'll be a great occasion for us. Obviously, the fixtures haven't been too... it's not
00:13as fortunate in terms of the fact that we've got to play late on the 23rd and early on
00:16the 26th. But no, I think that this is a fixture that probably everyone will look forward to,
00:21a bit of a David V Goliath sort of story. And one we're just going to sort of attack
00:27in our own way and just go and showcase ourselves. And I think it's a great reflection of where
00:33the club's at coming up against Birmingham. Obviously, it's all about the stature of the
00:37club, their history, and obviously the finance difference between the two clubs is enormous.
00:43And I think it's something we should all be proud of, the fact that we're hosting teams
00:47of that calibre, not just Birmingham, but other teams in that league. But we just want
00:51to continue what we've been doing in terms of the performances and the results other
00:55than Saturday. Obviously, the performance was pretty good. The result obviously wasn't
00:59what we wanted. I felt like it was more three points lost than a point lost in the end.
01:03But no, we just want to continue that against Birmingham. And I think it's a good opportunity
01:07for our players, especially a lot of our younger players who haven't been at this level, to
01:10test themselves against the best players at this level.
01:12Yes, and everybody knows what Birmingham's about. I think even you said after your interview
01:16on Saturday that this season they are pretty much guaranteed to go up. They're probably
01:20going to get automatic promotion and potentially win the title as well. But this is a great
01:24opportunity for us to cause, I suppose, a little bit of an upset because, as we've
01:28already spoke about live on the TV, there's that added bit of pressure for both sides.
01:33We've seen a Crawley side over the last few years perform really well on these occasions.
01:36Yes, and I think that's probably what the lads have done well since I've been here,
01:39is that the bigger games against the bigger clubs, they've really risen to the occasion
01:42because it's an opportunity for me and the coaching staff and obviously the players themselves
01:48on the pitch to go and test themselves against the very best. Obviously, Birmingham definitely
01:54fall into that category. I don't think there's any doubts they'll get promoted this year.
02:00I think the occasion for us has to be something we learn how to manage. So, hopefully, when
02:05we play in bigger games going forward, we know what they're like, how to handle that,
02:09how to handle it on Sky, all the things that come with taking yourself up the leagues,
02:12playing in front of bigger audiences, etc. I really hope we relish it because I think
02:17it's a great occasion for everyone at the club and hopefully everyone who comes along
02:20will enjoy the night.
02:22Yes, and I suppose that is a big thing that you can take about it. For a lot of the players
02:25in there, obviously we had a crop of them last year, but a lot of the players in there,
02:29it's going to be their first time playing in front of a sell-out crowd at the Broadfield Stadium.
02:33It's going to be the first time playing in front of not just Sky Sports Plus, Sky Sports
02:36Football. We're the only game on in the United Kingdom that day, so there's going to be millions
02:40watching at home. So, it adds a little bit of extra incitement and it can be a great
02:45learning opportunity as well.
02:46Yes, 100 per cent. If you want to play at the top level, that's exactly what you've
02:49got to deal with every week. The lads in the Premier League, for example, there's people
02:53watching, scrutinising all the time and the lads will get a glimpse of that on Monday.
02:57But what they've got to understand is what has been making us become more effective as
03:01a team, what's been making the performances a lot better, what's got us results against
03:04the likes of Cholton and Rotherham and obviously pushing Peterborough all the way.
03:09And obviously the big thing for me is just the reaction from Peterborough, not in terms
03:12of the performance, because I thought the performance overall was good, but understanding
03:15of why we've lost the game, which is a game which we really should have won and reflection
03:18watching it back. We should have defended moments better.
03:21I don't want to take anything away from Peterborough because they're a good team and their front
03:24three causes problems, but we've got to learn to deal with that because we get attack and
03:28threat. So, we're going to come up against 11 very good players or 16 very good players
03:33on Monday, but I think it's a really good test for us and I think it's something that
03:37we have to attack.
03:38I think we'll have massive regrets if we go there and we don't give an account of ourselves
03:43in this sort of game on telly, etc, all the things that come with it.
03:47But ultimately, there's still three points to play for and we want to get the three points.
03:50Now, whenever we play at home, we want to expect to win every game.
03:53Now, we know that's going to be extremely difficult against Birmingham, but it's just
03:58a game of football at the end of the day and I want us to stress what we've been doing
04:01to the maximum degree and Birmingham will do that and we can really see where we're
04:04at and what we can improve on and hopefully show the things that we can do well and where
04:08we can hurt teams.
04:09Yes, whilst playing on TV on the Monday night is great excitement, it has really sort of
04:15packed together that week, that Christmas week, hasn't it?
04:17Because we're playing obviously Monday, we're then on a boxing day and then we're away to
04:21Exeter on the Sunday, which is a mammoth journey, one of our longest of the season.
04:24So as exciting as it is, it has sort of killed us and I suppose you can start to see why
04:29a lot of these Premier League managers have discussed moving games for TV in the past.
04:34So is it some sort of annoyance there or is it just one of those things you have to deal with?
04:39It's a catch story.
04:40It's both really.
04:41It's an annoyance because there's no sort of thought into our situation.
04:44We're playing late in the morning, it's probably going to be a tough game, but a team that's
04:49sort of near us in the table and they get five days rest and prep and we have to play
04:54late on the Monday.
04:56The lads won't get to bed until three or four o'clock in the morning after a night game,
04:59that's just how it is.
05:00And then 36 hours later, you're playing a game against some of the lads who have trained
05:05on the 24th and are starting a game.
05:08But then the other side of it, that's part and parcel of being a professional footballer
05:11and if you want to play at the highest level, then you've got to be expected to play Sunday,
05:15Wednesday, Sunday.
05:16The top players do it, Champions League, Internationals, all of it.
05:20And I think it's got to be something you embrace.
05:22And the question should be, do you want to play loads of games of football against top
05:25clubs in high-pressure games or do you want to have a rest every week?
05:30We haven't got the strongest squad, we've got a bit of illness through the camp at the
05:32moment, but we just have to manage it.
05:36It's going to be tough in every department, whether it's fixture congestions, whether
05:38it's the teams we play, injuries, suspensions, whatever it is, it's always going to be tough.
05:41So, yes, it's a bit frustrating because you sort of think, well, is there a fairness to it?
05:48But we get the occasion on Monday to showcase the club on Sky and go up against what is
05:53the juggernaut of the League One, probably the strongest team, club.
05:59I can't remember the last time someone had the finances and the ability to do what Birmingham have done.
06:05But credit to them because it's all right having all them finances and it's all right
06:08having the big clubs and stuff, but you've still got to spend it well, you've still got
06:11to coach them well.
06:12And I think it's a massive credit to them and the manager because they're playing good
06:16football, they're playing effective football and they're using all their resources to the
06:18maximum.
06:19So, no complaints from us or anything like that because we're at the other end of the
06:23scale and we're just trying to maximise what we've got and I think we're doing that.
06:27Perfect, marvellous.
06:28Yes, talking about it a bit on Sky now, is that something you'd use in a team talk where
06:32you try and get the public and all the cameras on the spectacle of it all?
06:36Yes, I think they're not stupid, you know, they know that.
06:37And I think, you know, there's always going to be a selfish part as a player where you
06:40think, right, I want to go and showcase myself now and, you know, for your family, for your
06:44friends and everything.
06:45And you don't get the opportunity to do that as much in, sort of, League One, League Two.
06:48So, to be able to go out there and play, like you said, it's the only game on Sky, so it's
06:53a feature game.
06:54It means that there's a bit more on it and, yes, I think the big thing for me is, all
06:57I'll be saying to the lads is, when the whistle goes, don't regret anything in terms of leaving
07:02anything out there because all the work they've put in where people aren't watching or maybe
07:05focussing on us and the run we've been on and how we've played, let's make sure that
07:12we showcase that and keep improving, you know.
07:15It's not just about a one-off game, it's not a cup game, it's about us continuing our development
07:19since we've come in and the improvements that we've seen and putting a couple of things
07:22right from Peterborough as well.
07:23Yes, and they've got the play of, like, Jay Stansfield, who I think cost £15m or something
07:28ridiculous like that.
07:29You said after the game on Saturday, didn't you, that it's like a cheat code this season
07:32for them.
07:33It's crazy they're in this division, isn't it, really?
07:35Yes, it is and obviously that's their journey, you know, and I think the big thing I can
07:39say and the only thing that I can say watching them this year is that you can have all the
07:43finances in the world and we've seen it so many times and you can have the best players
07:46etc but unless they're not willing to work and they're not willing to buy into what the
07:49managers do etc and I think that's the one thing you can say to Birmingham and I think
07:53that's why they are the best team because not only have they got the best players but
07:57they're playing good football, they're playing aggressively, the players are all bought in,
08:01the manager sets the team up so well, they can be quite fluid in what they do, they can
08:06be direct, they can obviously play some of the best pass in football, you know, they're
08:09really brave when they play out so it's going to be really hard to stop and I think that's
08:13the biggest compliment I can play because when you're expected to get promoted and win
08:15the league, I've been there before with Newcastle and Watford and Cholton before and it comes
08:21with a different type of pressure and so I think a lot of respect to Birmingham for what
08:25they're doing, I think it's obviously been an excellent start to them and I'm pretty
08:29certain they will get promoted, you know, especially with Jamie around the corner,
08:31I imagine they'll strengthen again, however, all we can concentrate on is ourselves and
08:36what I'm going to concentrate on is how we can be aggressive in our way, in the way we
08:40play and how we can just keep adding a few more notches to our performance and our bottom
08:45line, so our bottom line has raised massively since we've come in to the point where we
08:50lose against Peterborough and, you know, never want to lose a game of football but I can
08:53accept how we lost on Saturday, I don't like it and I think there's things we can do better
08:57but I can accept if we're going to go down, that's the way you go down, you go down by
09:00taking the game to the opposition, by making your mistakes, not by them punishing you through
09:06overrunning you etc. So, yeah, we're just trying to get the identity of the team, we're
09:11just trying to get the compactness and we're just trying to get the structure right so
09:14that we're always in games and we're always looking to progress and get forward and as
09:19long as I see that I'll always be happy, you know, football, you win, you lose but as long
09:23as you're consistently getting better and you're keeping the standards, that's all we
09:26ask for.
09:27Yeah, and yeah, is there any injury update, can we expect to see Junior and Dion involved
09:31this week?
09:32Yeah, hopefully we'll see Junior and Dion in some capacity, again like Junior's a bit
09:37unwell, we've got a couple of lads off unwell at the moment but, you know, that's, hopefully
09:42we're still a few days out so that should be fine. Dion's looking good, you know, he's
09:45had a real tough one with a couple of setbacks so it's been brilliant to have him, he's been
09:49excellent around the place, you know, coming to the games, supporting the lads off the
09:52pitch so, you know, with Joy being suspended, you know, it's an opportunity for other players
09:58there and obviously whether Dion's ready to start or not, we'll see how he is closer to
10:02the game because we still need to get his load and it's his first four weeks training
10:05and Junior coming back is a massive plus for us because he gives us that extra bit of threat,
10:08you know, he was excellent before he got injured and he's worked really hard in the gym so
10:12hopefully he recovers and, yeah, we'll get him hopefully involved in some capacity but,
10:16yeah, no, other than that we're pretty much as we was, a few issues, a few niggles, you
10:21know, the squad's quite light and, you know, we've got a few lads playing with injuries
10:23but it's always going to be the case and one thing I say is they never pull out, they always
10:27give everything for the club so I think probably what we're looking forward to on Monday myself
10:32is seeing the lads who go out there are going to be lads that give us absolutely everything,
10:36100% buy-in to everything we do and give us the biggest work rate we can ask for because
10:42that's what it's going to take just to compete against a team like Birmingham.
10:44Yeah, and finally on the fixtures, I remember on fixture release day Scott Lindsay was particularly
10:49perturbed by the Exeter fixture at Christmas away on a Sunday just after Christmas. Is
10:53it time for the EFL to sort of think about more about those Christmas fixtures do you
10:58think because every year it seems to throw up a horrible trick for lots of teams?
11:02Yeah, I'm pretty certain there's, I mean Exeter, I don't know who they play that's local but...
11:06Yes, I think we're probably one of their local players.
11:09One of their local ones, yeah, like look, it's not ideal, it's not ideal after you play in,
11:12I think the thing that you've got to sit down with and maybe it's worth speaking to ex-players
11:15and ex-managers when you do the fixtures because I imagine it's not easy to organise, you know,
11:19but you've got to think about this, you know, you've probably got to get fixtures released
11:24and then maybe ask clubs to put through any issues, you know, logistics, fans, for example,
11:29I mean you're seeing, I mean you're seeing like cup games on a Monday night, on a Tuesday night,
11:33fans travelling 300-400 miles etc and it's, and similar to the Exeter one after Christmas,
11:38you know, things are tight for people around Christmas and people spend a lot of money and
11:42then trip to Exeter on top and people, you know, will prioritise their football and it's just
11:46making sure that you make it inclusive for everyone and then on the footballing side,
11:51to be honest with you, I think it's just about having a competitive fairness, so
11:54yeah, it's brilliant that we're on Sky against Birmingham but not to the detriment of then
11:58having to play two free games in, what is it, four and a half days? Yeah. Like, come on,
12:03like do you know what I mean, like let's have a bit of realism to what it's asking and also
12:07look at the club, you know, we haven't got the resources that other clubs have to have a big
12:11squad of 25 first-team players who all experience, you know, so the fact we have to play the night
12:15at the 23rd and the morning of the 29th, five days apart, three games in five days, it's just,
12:22you know what, it is a bit unfair to be honest with you, it's not unfair to, it's not unfair in
12:26terms of life but it's unfair to the lads because we, and to the club, because we've got to give
12:30our utmost just to try and survive at this level and then you still feel like you're trying to do
12:34it with one hand at your back at an important time and I think there's a congested point,
12:38difference can really rally, you know, you're with your Christmas period and you can really
12:42jump up and lose them in the same sense, so a bit frustrating to be honest with you and I think it's
12:47a bit unfair. I suppose the fact that it's such a big game against Birmingham has probably shadowed
12:52that in the fact that it's a fixture everyone's looking forward to but it's about picking up the
12:56pieces, it's about doing the recovery, you know, Ricky and Tom and the team here, we'll look after
13:01lads the best we can and then we'll just have to attack it and, you know, give everything we
13:04possibly can for that period and, you know, deal with the adversity and challenge because we'll
13:09get written off, no doubt, and we'll have to keep going. Brilliant, thanks Rob. Thank you.
13:13That was a waffle that one, sorry lads. That's all right.