Crawley Town boss on creating an environment where 'it's okay to make mistakes'

The Reds boss slammed some of the players for not preparing properly for the game and not working hard enough and in his post-match interview said: “They have not shown any professionalism at all. They didn't prepare properly. Whilst they are not going to take their career seriously, then neither am I.”

It was the first first time this season Lindsey has openly criticised any of his players, but it was clear it was the lack effort that angered Lindsey.

At Thursday’s press conference for the Crewe game, he discussed how his team reacts to a poor performance, highlighting that it’s acceptable for players to not play well and make mistakes.

“I felt that we create an environment here that it’s okay to not play well, is it okay to make mistakes, but what we can’t afford to do it to have players not working hard and running and that’s where I felt we fell down a little bit on Tuesday night and I can’t accept that,” said Lindsey.

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“Especially the way we play we’re asking a lot of them and a lot of risks at times but it’s fine to make mistakes but what is not fine is not to run and work hard and I saw that a little bit too often on Tuesday night and I think that was the upsetting factor for me."

Individually, across the entire football pyramid players make mistakes week in week out. Anyone who watched the David Beckham documentary knows the impact a manager’s words and criticism can have on players, perhaps it’s more effective to focus on the basics and ensure that each player is putting 100 per cent effort in for the team despite the quality of their individual performance.

Lindsey continued: “I won’t accept it and the players know that whilst we want to move on quickly from a poor performance we always have to analyse it to a certain degree and speak to players about their performances and about how they prepared and how they felt that the night went for them I think that’s important.

"But like I said we want to create an environment that the players feel comfortable in, a learning environment and one that they’re allowed to make mistakes in, no problem at all.”