Crawley Town drew 1-1 with Reading at the Broadfield Stadium. Here is Rib Elliot's full post-match reaction
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00:00Rob, thank you for joining us. A point here against Reign. Can I get your thoughts on
00:04the game first?
00:05Yeah, a scrappy game, wasn't it? Obviously, it wasn't for two teams that pride themselves
00:11on trying to play football. It was really tough because we sort of counted each other
00:13out so it had become a bit of a battle and transitional. I thought we handled it pretty
00:17well most of the time. I think probably there were a few chances in both boxes which sort
00:21of reflected the game. A disappointing goal to give away but a great attitude and mentality
00:27from the lads to get the goal back and then go on and win it, obviously. You can't keep
00:31talking about it but, yeah, just at the end there. The game's got a see-through in the
00:36final third. There's even four minutes in a game like that in the first place and then
00:41the opportunity at the end could have been even better. I just ask the lads, please be
00:46a reflection of me in terms of your mentality and your desire and winless to run, winless
00:51to give everything. Ironically, probably all the tactical stuff went out the window because
00:56of the state of the game and obviously the pitch, which I think is documented, was poor
01:01so we weren't able to play and it was dry because of the heat. Ben does an amazing job
01:06with groundsmen but obviously it's getting to that stage of the season where it deteriorates.
01:10The work they've done to keep it as is is brilliant. Once it gets dry and sticky it's
01:14hard to play for both teams. Red are a fantastic footballing team. That's it really. I was
01:20just pleased with the fight and the determination and the willingness considering where the
01:23squad's at. We're completely depleted again. I'm proud of all the lads.
01:28We spoke in the last few games about the frustrations of not really getting a foothold in the game.
01:33It seemed like we did have the foothold in today's game but in another sense the frustration
01:38probably came from not being able to get the ball over the line until the 90th minute.
01:42We controlled a lot of the game in the middle areas of the pitch but we were just unable
01:46to convert that into a few chances.
01:48No, that's bodies in the box. I'm so pleased with Pam. Pam was really on during the week
01:52and obviously it's Ramadan so he's fasting and he gives you everything so it's brilliant
01:56to have Pam on the pitch and he gets the goal. From willingness to run, willingness to do
02:02everything so I'm really pleased with him.
02:04The amount of box entries we get, we talk about crossing zones and getting three, four
02:07bodies in the box every time and that's probably where we've let ourselves down in games. We've
02:10got into really good areas but haven't gotten the end of it and that's something we need
02:13to improve on 100%. It also comes with control in the build so you're able to get numbers
02:17in. It comes with physical aspects and everything but we're better at it. We get the goal because
02:22of it and you keep doing it and we need to keep doing that but if we show that mentality
02:26and that desire and that willingness to work, willingness to run, willingness to do the
02:29horrible stuff, we know we've got quality and there were some really good performances
02:33today and it's a point towards where we need to be. We kept the two at the back at the
02:40end and still trying to get the winner but it wasn't to be for different reasons and
02:44we just need to make sure we regroup and the lads recover ready for Tuesday.
02:47Even though we're hunting three points, as you say it's a point in the direction we want
02:52to go and I suppose even we've used that phrase before, it's not a nice race but stop the
02:57rot and get ourselves back in to point score and it's going to do the lads a lot of confidence
03:02heading into Tuesday.
03:03Yes, especially like you say, in the nicest possible sense, the state of the squad. With
03:10people being out of position, we're having to play, find solutions and just the amount
03:14of people unavailable. They gave us absolutely everything there. People I was really proud
03:20of, not just today but over my whole time here. I said it in the changing room but Charlie
03:27Barker is just an exceptional human being and probably an exceptional captain today
03:32so I'm really pleased for him and pitimised everything that's good about this group.
03:36Yes, Lee and Fraser obviously slotted back in but as you say, Tyler's in there putting
03:40on a really good performance for 90 minutes, as did the likes of Will and obviously Tyree
03:45is up there. We didn't have a recognised striker on the bench today because we've got two of
03:48them suspended. How tough has that been when we're searching for goals but you're the only
03:54real attacking threat other than the wide options on the bench. It must be really difficult.
03:58It is difficult, yes. Ty has been absolutely exceptional since he's come in. He had seven
04:03or eight months out, he's worked so hard and he hasn't had the opportunity to get his goals
04:06but he's done so much for the team. Same with Swan, he had to come out of the team just
04:10with pure fatigue. It's the most game he's ever played in the season. He's been brilliant
04:14for us, never stops running, gives us everything. Lee and Fraser just playing with a gash that
04:20won't close, eight stitches in his leg and that's just elite mentality. He would give
04:27everything and he's been a fantastic addition and a fantastic human. The big thing for me
04:32will be that hopefully we'll have more players coming back onto the pitch to help us. Toby
04:38coming back today was massive for us, hopefully Radders is okay, took a big impact. That fight,
04:45that determination from the individuals was exactly what's needed.
04:48I forgot to mention Louis Watson as well. A few fans were perhaps questioning why he
04:53came off so early because it was the 57th minute and he was playing well. Again, it
04:58has to be the appreciation. He's probably played 60 minutes of football in the last
05:01calendar year maybe.
05:03I'll be really honest, we very rarely make tactical substitutions because of tactical
05:09reasons and it might seem strange. We've had to manage Junior for two months, we've had
05:13to manage Louis. Louis has played 45 minutes on Tuesday night, he's now played 58 I think
05:20he got to but we can't risk Louis getting injured and obviously he's missed eight months
05:23of football. Addy obviously as well. Unfortunately the state we're in, we're having to manage
05:29bodies because we can't lose any more. It's getting to that stage and that's a wider issue
05:33that we obviously need to address. I understand sometimes it can be frustrating, you think
05:39someone like Louis, who was fantastic by the way, absolutely fantastic, has to come off
05:43considering how rusty he must feel. But you have to do it for the good of Louis because
05:46you want to see Louis on the pitch as much as possible to know at the end of the season
05:49so I completely get it. I thought Pan come on, gave us energy and obviously gets the
05:53goal so it's going to take a lot of players for us to keep holding forward, get the points
05:58and be safe. We need to manage those situations as best we can. I'll be honest with you, we're
06:04trying to figure out what we can do up front. Gav, who's been exceptional behind the scenes
06:08as a leader and as a person, coming on, I thought he affected the game and gave us that
06:12bit of bite. He'll be disappointed the minutes he gets and I completely understand but he's
06:17an important part of it as well. It's not just one or two, it's a collection of players
06:21that genuinely care and want to give everything and they're the ones we need to rely on.
06:26Going back to Charlie, still a very young player, what are his qualities that made you
06:31pick him as captain? First and foremost the person he is and then I think secondly it's
06:39just mentality, elite mentality. I think it's something that when you're at the toughest
06:46and when you're having the hardest times, it's the people that stand up to always be
06:51counted and it's the people that don't allow the moments to pass them by and they keep
06:55going no matter what it is, no matter what the situation, no matter the criticism. That's
06:59just in life and Charlie's done that. Dion's the same, Dion's given everything in terms
07:04of for me, he's been available for every game obviously, pulled up on Tuesday but I felt
07:08his fit in that Charlie was captain because he epitomises me, the mentality I want from
07:13players and the character and he's just getting better and better and he's going to have a
07:16fantastic career if he carries on the way he is.
07:18And mentioning Dion there, any update on him? I know you said he was having scans on Thursday?
07:23Yeah, hopefully Dion isn't as bad as we think, should be back in a bit and obviously Dion
07:26went from not playing for four or five months to playing every game so that takes a toll
07:30on him but fingers crossed we'll hopefully get some positive news for Dion in the next
07:34week or so. But yeah, Fintan as well is looking really strong in training which is good, Jez
07:38is coming back as well which is good. So yeah, we've got some positives there with players
07:43coming back in.
07:44And Toby Malarkey today, fitted back in like he hasn't been missing for ages, I thought
07:48he was absolutely quality today.
07:50Toby for me is a fantastic guy, got a great mentality, he played through serious pain
07:54and bad back injury for so long until he couldn't and then he's had the recovery and he's trained
07:58twice and played like that today so that says everything about him and the more players
08:01we have like that the stronger we'll be, the more points we'll get and the better the club
08:05will be for it.
08:06Yeah and then obviously we look at Charlton on Tuesday night, last time you played them
08:10obviously you won, it was a great night but they've been on a great run since then but
08:14you will have to use that night for positivity going into that game and the point today,
08:18getting that point today as well.
08:20Yeah, yeah, we'll give it till Monday and start thinking about that or at least tomorrow
08:23but now Charlton are an exceptional team, Nathan's a top, top manager, they've got some
08:28seriously good players and they are where they are because they deserve to be and I
08:31think Nathan's the prime example of you have to keep going and doing the right things no
08:34matter what and they come out the other side, whether that's through players coming fit
08:37or being consistent with your messages and who you are as a person so it'll be a brilliant
08:41game and it's one we've got to look forward to, play Reading and Charlton at home, as
08:45disappointed as the results have been recently, it's a fantastic reflection of where the club's
08:48got to in the last 12 months so we have to look forward to it, we have to have the reception,
08:52sorry the reception, that's not the right word, we have to have the energy and the intensity
08:57and the mentality towards that game on Tuesday and that's when you get the reception of the
09:00fans at the end because whether you argue about quality today from both teams, the effort
09:05and determination was there to go and win, to go and get the club up the table and get
09:09points on the board.
09:10Brilliant, thanks Rob.