Crawley Town travel to Shrewsbury Town on Saturday for their last League One clash of the season. The Reds boss faced the media ahead of the game and talked about the club's relegation, building his squad for next season and why he thinks there shouldn't be big expectations for their League Two campaign next year
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00:00Scott, thank you for joining us. One game to go of the 2024-25 season. Unfortunately,
00:06our relegation to League Two has been confirmed. Firstly, let's get your thoughts on that as
00:10a whole. Yeah, listen, I think at the end of the day, you usually end up in the division
00:16where you're supposed to. So ultimately, we haven't been good enough as a football club
00:21to remain in this division. Through the course of the season, we haven't been good enough
00:27and ultimately, we go down. I think that it's really sad and it's heartbreaking to think
00:36that I know, because I was here, of all the hard work that went in to get us into that
00:42division. I think that's the upsetting factor for me, is that a lot of good body of work
00:49was done from a lot of people last year to get us into that division. And then for us
00:54now to be back to the start again is a bit criminal in many ways. But yeah, it's just
01:03sad to see. We did think that maybe Ronan Darcy gave us a glimmer of hope on Tuesday night with
01:10his goal with a minute to go. I was glued to the TV watching and hoping and praying that
01:19Wigan went and won that game. But listen, at the end of the day, when you're relying on
01:23other teams to do your job for you, it's never a good sign. So unfortunately, we were doing
01:27that for a number of weeks. And yeah, we haven't been good enough throughout the course of the
01:32season. And that's just where we find ourselves. We've got one more game to go. Like you say,
01:38I want to win that because I want to create a winning environment here, which I think we
01:45have done really well. Certainly in the last nine games since I've come back, I think that
01:51we've won against some good teams. We've played well. We've kept clean sheets. We've scored
01:57a lot of goals. And we picked some good points up. Unfortunately, we were just short of picking
02:03the right amount of points up. But it was a big mountain to climb when I come in. We
02:08knew that. But I think we can safely say that the players give it a go in the nine games that
02:16I've been here, or certainly in the last eight. I know we've got one more to go. And I want
02:20to go to Shrewsbury and win because I want to build a winning mentality for next season.
02:25Yeah, we obviously wanted to stay up. We were doing everything we could to stay up. Is there
02:29any sort of aspect of weight off the shoulders? Because it was so sort of to it and fro in
02:35the weeks before it was actually confirmed that now we can start prepping for next season
02:40because we know obviously you're big on the prep.
02:42Yeah, I don't think there was ever any weight on my shoulders. Certainly, I always kind of
02:47felt it was a free hit these nine games. We went for it and it got close. We were hopeful
02:54that we would take it to the last game. But unfortunately, Burton hit a lot of form towards
03:00the end as well as we did and it's just the way it went. But no, I never felt weight on
03:07my shoulders anyway. So, I would just continue. I've enjoyed, I've really enjoyed it. And
03:12I was saying this morning to the staff that it's never felt like a relegation battle to
03:16me. I've been really happy with coming in day to day, seeing the atmosphere, seeing the
03:23attitude of the players has been great. And it doesn't feel like a relegated club. It
03:28really doesn't. And I know that's easy for me to sit here and say, but I'm being really
03:32honest with that. I thoroughly enjoyed my time back. The training's been immense. The players
03:39have been great. And I think the supporters would probably agree as well that we've seen
03:45some really good football in these last eight games. Really good football and some good goals.
03:52And yeah, listen, it's a vehicle for us to move forward next season for sure.
03:58Yeah, I think the fans would have probably sat there a few months ago and looked at the
04:02squad and would have struggled to sort of handpick the players that they would want to
04:05remain in the club for next year. But it seems the narrative of that has really sort of shifted.
04:09Has it obviously shifted for you since you come in knowing who you sort of want to keep
04:13in the building? Because it seems like there's a really good feeling out there at the moment.
04:16Oh, it's not shifted. No, because I've literally assessed the squad as I've gone along from day
04:23one really to now and still are doing. And I kind of know who's going to help us moving
04:28forward and who won't. And, you know, I'll be having meetings with players next week
04:33and trying to put a squad together, which I don't think we're far away from having the squad
04:41already for next season. I think if we keep the players that we want to keep
04:46and we add one or two more, I think that we've got a really good squad.
04:51And I think it's clear to see, listen, we dominated a lot of the games
04:56and we played well in a lot of the games. We fell short on a number of occasions.
05:01Yeah, we did. But to come in, certainly the last eight games we'll win four
05:06and probably deserve to win another one. I think we probably did enough.
05:10We probably did enough in the Peterborough game. So, you know, we deserve,
05:14we deserve a lot more than we got in that game for sure. Late in Orient game,
05:18we probably deserved to get beat on reflection. And yeah, I think that we've done,
05:29Stevenage game, I thought we were fatigued in that game. I think we looked tired.
05:32I think the players have put a lot in since I'd come in and I thought that game
05:35was probably one too many that week. I think the players have done really well.
05:38And I also think that if we kept that team together now, I think they'd do really well in League 2.
05:44I really do. If we can add one or two more and tidy it up a bit and streamline it,
05:49which is what we're working really hard behind the scenes even now.
05:52And I've been really, since I've come in, to make sure that our plans are in place.
05:57And yeah, I've been really impressed with the players. I've got to be honest with you,
06:03I think the players have given me more than what I expected, if I'm honest with you.
06:08To say that I've come to a team that are in the relegation zone and for them to perform like they have,
06:13I'm really surprised.
06:15Yeah, it would be good to see as many Corley fans down up at Shrewsbury as possible.
06:20Obviously it's been a tough season, not just for the fans, but for the players as well
06:25because relegations are easy. So it would be nice to see them cheered off in the best manner possible, wouldn't it?
06:30Yeah, definitely. I want to see lots of fans there. I think it's good.
06:34Listen, I know we're relegated. We're relegated now. You know what I mean?
06:37We're not going to get relegated Saturday. We're already relegated.
06:40So just come and enjoy. Come and enjoy, watch a game of football and watch the team play and support the team.
06:48Listen, what's gone on in the past has gone. We have to now move forward and look to the future
06:53and just come and support the team like I know you do anyway.
06:56The fans have been great. They have. I've been super impressed.
07:00It's normal for me to know kind of what the fans are like here, but they've been amazing,
07:04being super impressed with them. Again, you wouldn't think that we're a relegation team.
07:11The way the fans have been, have been amazing. I know there's been one or two kind of moans and groans.
07:15I get that. That's understandable. But yeah, come in your numbers and just enjoy.
07:21Have a day out. It's the last game of the season.
07:23Just come and have a day out before we have, you know, whatever it is,
07:2910 weeks to the start of the next season. You know, come and enjoy.
07:33Brilliant. Going back to Tuesday night's game, you watched it.
07:37You said, I know you can't rely, like you said, you can't rely on other teams to do a job for you,
07:41but were you disappointed that there wasn't more of a fight from Wigan against?
07:45That's not for me to say about what Wigan do or anything like that.
07:49You know, I think that you're kind of willing Wigan to win and score and do all that
07:58because of the situation we find ourselves in, which we can't ever find ourselves in that situation again
08:04where we've got to rely on another team.
08:06You can only rely on yourself really, you know.
08:08I mean, Ronan Darcy scores quite late and you think,
08:12it's written in the stars here, Darcy's going to save us, you know.
08:16But scored probably too late. I think there was only a minute left, weren't they?
08:20Yeah.
08:21So, yeah, it was a big ask after that. But like, yeah, listen, fair play to Burton.
08:25They had two kind of really important games for them and they got through them, didn't they?
08:33And good luck to them. All I can say is good luck to them.
08:36We wanted to take it down to the last game, but unfortunately they have not allowed that.
08:41So, good luck to them and at the end of the day we are finished where we've finished for a reason
08:48because we've not been good enough over the course of a season.
08:50Yeah. And how have the players reacted in these last couple of days?
08:54We've not spoke about it.
08:55No.
08:56For the truth be no, we've not spoke about it because we, I don't like talking about negativity
09:04or talking about things that are not good.
09:08If I go in there and mention the word relegation, it's just a negative vibe.
09:13I don't want that.
09:14I've actually come in and not mentioned it to the players.
09:16We've trained and trained well, enjoyed training.
09:19Players have really enjoyed training.
09:21We put a squad out this afternoon that will travel tomorrow and will train en route up there,
09:26get prepared.
09:27I've done my work as normal.
09:28I've watched Shrewsbury in detail.
09:30And I think that nothing changes in terms of our preparation.
09:37We just go there and try and win the game.
09:40Yeah. And given what's happened since you've returned in terms of performances and results,
09:46going into next season, it's going to probably be your first season where you're not the underdogs in the league anymore.
09:52I know that's nothing you can control, but people from the outside looking in will be going...
09:57But why?
09:58But why aren't we?
09:59Because two reasons why we should be.
10:03Because we've just got relegated.
10:05We were favourites to get relegated last season.
10:07We were favourites to get relegated the season before.
10:10So what makes us special this next season then?
10:13Well, from looking at the performances and the results you've got in these last nine games,
10:18people will look at that and think, well, they're coming down.
10:20And like you said, you want to give that winning mentality going into next season.
10:24People will be fearing playing Crawley Town if they're watching these last few games,
10:28if you keep the same squad that you've got.
10:30Yeah, OK, I'll take that.
10:32But what we don't want to do is heighten our expectations for next season.
10:37Because we have to be realistic.
10:39We are a team that have got relegated.
10:41We are a team that should have got relegated the season before.
10:44And we are a team that should have got relegated the season before that.
10:47We overachieved in one of them seasons.
10:50So that doesn't make us promotion favourites next season.
10:54However, I will want to get promoted next season.
10:59Should we get promoted? No.
11:01Will we get promoted? I don't know.
11:03Will we be going to get promoted? Definitely.
11:05And that's how it works.
11:07But people have to kind of be realistic about it.
11:09Really speaking, we've had three seasons where we should have got relegated in all three.
11:15And we did get relegated in one of them.
11:17Yeah.
11:18If the truth be known, you know.
11:20So yeah, expectation can be sometimes clouded.
11:26But I know what needs to be done.
11:31And I know how I'm going to speak to the players within the four walls of the dressing room.
11:35And I know what the targets will be.
11:37And you have to be left to imagine what they are, unfortunately.
11:42Because I'm not going to speak publicly about what the aims are.
11:45All I will say is that hold on to your seats because it could be a good ride.
11:50Yeah.
11:51And you mentioned earlier, you've got the makings of a good squad for next season.
11:56Given what happened last summer, have you had assurances that you can keep the players you want from this squad?
12:01We're trying.
12:02We're trying.
12:03You know, there's a couple of players that are out of contract that we want to keep.
12:09The fact that we've gone down a division might be a factor in that.
12:13Yeah.
12:14So we're trying.
12:15We're trying our hardest to do our best to keep the players that we want to keep.
12:20But like I say, this group of players have played League One football now.
12:26And do they want to play in League Two?
12:28Who knows?
12:29We've just got to make sure that we do our best to keep what we need to keep and then add to that as well.
12:34It's difficult.
12:35League, League Two, we know because we was in it last year.
12:38It's a very, very difficult, uncompromising division.
12:41There'll be a lot of teams with a lot more money than us, bigger budgets than us, better players than us in respects of budgets.
12:48We've just got to make sure that we get what we get and we coach the life out of them.
12:52And hopefully play a style of football that allows us to be successful.
12:57Yeah. And in terms of the retained list, how quickly do you expect that to happen?
13:02I'm kind of holding meetings today with players.
13:05I'm holding meetings again on Tuesday next week with players.
13:09And then it'll be pretty much done by Tuesday evening.
13:12It'll be all kind of done in our minds.
13:14And I don't know in terms of media when that gets released.
13:17Yeah. And have you had a conversation with the owners just about the relegation?
13:20What's their message to you for next season?
13:22The owners have been great, to be honest with you.
13:24They kind of was desperate, like I was, like we all was, to stay in the division.
13:31And they feel I've done a good job since I've come in.
13:37So they pretty much said they don't think I could have done much more than I've done.
13:43And the message is to get ready for next season and let's have another go, you know?
13:51That's all we can do.
13:52Yeah. Brilliant. Thanks, Scott.