Crawley Town boss Rob Elliot on his side's 1-1 draw with Reading

SussexWorld

Crawley Town drew 1-1 with Reading at the Broadfield Stadium. Here is Rib Elliot's full post-match reaction

Transcript

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.

Category

Transcript

Recommended