Crawley Town boss Rob Elliot looks ahead to Shrewsbury Town game

SussexWorld

Crawley Town face Shrewsbury Town in League One on Saturday. We spoke to manager Rob Elliot about the game, injury updates and who his mentors are

Transcript

00:00Rob, thank you for joining us. Obviously an exciting game coming up this weekend as we

00:04face Shrewsbury. Can I get your thoughts ahead of that game?

00:07Yeah, no. Looking forward to it. I think the first two games obviously in quick succession,

00:12the third sort of finishing off the first nine, ten days. But no, it will be good to

00:17be at home and it will be good to carry on what we've been working on from Wickham in

00:23terms of where we're a bit more solid and then sort of making sure we bring that attacking

00:30football and effect in the goal, which we did really well Tuesday. And it was good to

00:33see I think the concepts and what we're asking the lads, which is slightly different, they're

00:37just starting to grasp. And I think hopefully with that, we'll see a lot more freedom in

00:43the final third in terms of putting the ball in the box and putting the ball at risk. And

00:45yeah, like you said, it's not going to all be, not just going to click and it'll be perfect

00:49on Saturday, but hopefully it's a step forward for us. And we just need to attack the game

00:53and like we would any game and just try and enjoy it and entertain and back ourselves

00:58because we've got a lot of young players and a lot of talented players and we need to back

01:01that talent.

01:02Yeah, you've had a chance to see pretty much the entire squad now over the course of the

01:05last two games. Are you feeling sort of happy and content with the XI for Saturday or are

01:09you still having some sort of selection headaches?

01:11No, definitely. I won't pick the teams until after Friday because you never know what happens

01:14and I think what's been good is we've seen what the depth and quality of the squad is.

01:19And like I've said, I don't think it's going to be a case where we'll have a strong XI or

01:22a start XI. It'll be the strength of the squad that defines us. So, yeah, like we saw, the

01:27lads who come on on Saturday helped us and the lads who definitely come on on Tuesday

01:31helped us. So, yeah, it's a squad game. We need everyone to be switched on and alert

01:35because ultimately, like you said, with the injuries we've had so far and internationals

01:40and suspensions, we're going to need everyone available as and when.

01:42Yeah, and Shrewsbury, what do you make of them? Have you watched a lot of them this

01:45week so far or is that sort of a job for tomorrow and the game coming up on Saturday?

01:49No, we've obviously watched a bit of them already since Tuesday and now they're a good

01:53team. I think they're very solid. They've got the option to go into a back five or a

01:56back four. They like to lock you up on their press and they try and make it difficult for

02:00you. So, we'll have to be aware of that and they're very hard to break down. They're very

02:05much a counter-attacking team. So, a bit like Tuesday, for all our strengths being in possession

02:10and wanting to get players higher up the pitch, they're very good in transition and counter-attacking.

02:15So, in that sense, you can see why a lot of our games are open and we need to make

02:19sure we get the lock-up right and we also need to make sure we make good decisions in

02:24possession to push them back and limit the opportunities they get to counter.

02:28Obviously, three points is the aim of the game. Is there anything else you're looking

02:32to take out of the game on Saturday? Is there something performance-related? We've spoken

02:36a little bit about how we've got to get the performances right. So, is there anything

02:39specific you'll be looking for the lads to show?

02:41Yeah, there's a few things we spoke about this morning in the meetings and I just think

02:44as long as I can see that, as long as I can see the lads taking the information and trying

02:47to implement the concepts and the processes we like to put in, then that will be fine

02:51by me and I genuinely believe that if we do that, we'll get the rewards in terms of the

02:55wins and the three points. What I don't want us to do is chase three points from the start

02:59of the game and lose our shape and structure and then we fall into that trap and probably

03:02play into opposition hands. So, we've got to understand that the team we are, we're

03:06a possession-based team and we want to be able to put the ball at risk more in the final

03:10third in terms of crosses and runs and people using their ability to take people on, which

03:16is probably what we saw on Tuesday a lot more. But we also need to be a bit leaner and a

03:21bit more switched on in terms of our defensive actions and because especially where we do

03:25go forward in such numbers, we put a lot of responsibility on the back lads and we need

03:29to make sure as a group and as a team we're able to negate opposition as best as possible

03:35and also understand ourselves more.

03:38This will be a chance for you to finally meet the Crawley fans as a whole in a away match

03:42as your first one and then a slightly lower crowd on Tuesday night. So, with the international

03:47weekend we should be hoping for a big crowd at the Broadfield Stadium. So, how much are

03:49you looking forward to relishing that and also what would your message be to them? Is

03:53it just get behind the lads? They can have a massive impact, can't they?

03:56Yes, I don't think anything has to change from what I've seen. The fans have been absolutely

04:00brilliant this year and I think they understand the task that's in front of us and I just

04:05look forward to it and try and enjoy it the best they can. We've got a young team, inexperienced

04:09at this level I suppose. It's going to be tough times but you know what, I think we

04:13can see that the team's developing and getting better. We've got some really exciting individuals

04:17and I think that when we do get flowing and get going, it's a brilliant place to play

04:22and the atmosphere behind the goal. When we were attacking, especially second half on

04:26Tuesday, it got going and for me personally and from the other coaching staff, it's been

04:30a lovely welcome and I thought the response after Wickham and after Tuesday was really

04:36positive with the fans and I think we all understand where we're at. It's something

04:42that I'm relishing and looking forward to and I'm looking forward to seeing the players

04:46back themselves and seeing them play with freedom within the structure that we give

04:50them because there is some exciting things here and that's what fans want to see. Fans

04:55want to see an exciting attack in football and that does come at a cost. You do leave

04:58yourself open but I think for me, my philosophy is we've got to back what we do over worrying

05:05about the opposition. We'll obviously do our reviews and we'll make sure we limit them

05:07as best as possible. We understand their strengths but we want to concentrate on ourselves. We

05:11want to attack everything we can this year within our own power and back what we do more

05:19than anything.

05:21If you look at the league positions, Saturday looks like a big game and I've even seen some

05:26fans call it a six-pointer already. It seems ridiculous this early in the season but how

05:30important is it that you and the players treat it just as any other game?

05:33That's massively important. Every single game should have the same expectation to win. When

05:38you look at the league table, you play top of the league away or you play bottom of the

05:40league at home. There's that mindset that you think we have to win or it's a free hit

05:46whereas for me, the development of this group and what we implement is that no matter what

05:50situation we're in, no matter who we play, where we play them, when we play them, our

05:54mindset is the same. We want to impose ourselves on the game and stay in control. We want to

06:01be in control of all the moments and we want to be able to back our shape, our system,

06:05our players against anyone. That's what I'm looking forward to Saturday. I want to see

06:09the players attack the game in every single possible way. I want to see them relish the

06:13challenge of this year, of being written off, being the underdogs, being whatever we

06:18might be and relish it with no fear. The same with the fans. Just come to the game and enjoy

06:22watching these young players, watching people give everything because the one thing these

06:25lads do is they give absolutely everything and they play good football and we have some

06:30real good ability in the squad. So, for me, it's something that's exciting and good to

06:33look forward to. You lose a game, you lose two games, whatever it might have been previously,

06:39it doesn't change the whole landscape. We're still only in October and there's still a

06:43lot to play for. Like I said, the one thing that goes past every single week is these

06:47players gain that experience at this level, gain understanding. So, when it comes up again,

06:52second half of the season or next week, whatever it is, they're a bit better and a bit more

06:55savvy and a bit more aware of what's needed to be successful and we'll just keep showing

07:01them, keep working with them and keep that intensity.

07:03Can you give us a squad update? We've seen, obviously, Nox to Joy and Charlie recently.

07:07Can you give us any updates on their relationship?

07:10No, Charlie, it's one of them ones. It happens a lot in football and it can be quite serious

07:13if the doctors did the right thing in terms of he got bashed in the eye, basically. He

07:18poked in the eye, he caught an elbow to the eye, but actually to his eyeball. So, there's

07:22lots of things you have to be really careful with that. So, precautionary, he had to come

07:25off and went to hospital, got the all-clear, which is good. Joy's got a long-going ankle

07:29issue that he's had. So, we're just monitoring that to see how he is and then otherwise,

07:33we're pretty much where we were. So, we'll just have to monitor a few leading up to the

07:38game and we'll see. Like we said, that's why we don't think about the team selection

07:41too much until Friday afternoon because, like you say, you never know what happens and we'll

07:45see where we're at come Saturday.

07:47Can you give us an insight into your process into analysing an opposition? How much work

07:51goes into that or is it mainly focused on what you're doing?

07:54No, you have to watch the opposition a million percent because they're key individuals, consistent

07:59patterns of play. If we can give that information to the lads and we can prep them for it on

08:02the training pitch, then at least that way they have an understanding of what they're

08:05going to come up against. But ultimately, it's been the way at this club for the last

08:10two or three years, which is one of the reasons I'm here. It's mainly about what we do, not

08:15what the opposition do. I think that as long as you get that balance right and understand

08:19their threats, understanding what they're going to try and do, how they're going to

08:22try and play, then we can negate that and concentrate on our strengths. Also, what I

08:27said to the boys is that because we are such a possession-dominant team and we move the

08:32ball really well, teams may not do what they do normally against us. Then you can plan

08:39a week for a team to do X, Y, Z and they change it on a Saturday and all your work's gone

08:43to waste. We just want to make sure that we cover as many bases as possible so the lads

08:46have as much information as they need.

08:48We're still getting to know you. I just wondered if you could tell us who your heroes and mentors

08:54are in terms of coaching. Is there any former coaches, managers that you turn to for a bit

08:59of advice?

09:00It's a weird one. I suppose what I tend to do is reflect on managers that I've had in

09:06the past for good and bad reasons. All managers have massive strengths, they all have massive

09:10weaknesses. They're human beings. I always try and look at what strengths I've brought

09:14into with certain people and what weaknesses that I always felt that I would try to not

09:18have myself but I'll have my own weaknesses, same as anyone else. I think it's more a reflection

09:23of who I've worked with and how I've worked with them. I speak to Andy Woodman a lot who

09:27is obviously my goalie coach and mentor at Newcastle and he's obviously managing at Bromley

09:31and he's done really well. I speak to people like him who've maybe just had a bit more

09:34experience and stuff and then really just being open and speaking to people because

09:38you can learn from anyone in any walk of life. I think people have been in those situations

09:43before. You try and lean on them a little bit and get advice but you've also got to

09:46have fresh eyes and judge things as you see them because you don't want to prejudge any

09:50person, you don't want to prejudge any situation. You've got to try and back your own beliefs

09:53and be firm with it because if I get it right or I get it wrong, or we as a coaching team

09:57get it right or wrong, we can learn from it. If we don't back ourselves then we're never

10:02going to improve ourselves because we're not standing here saying we've got the finished

10:05article, we're still learning. There's things we believe in, non-negotiables, and we'll

10:09stick to them no matter what and we'll work to get better at them. There's other things

10:12that we'll learn and adapt from.

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