‘Surely you can see we’re doing the right things’ - Crawley Town boss responds to boo boys

Manager Kevin Betsy, has worked hard to transform their style of play and drive the Reds out of the English fourth tier. However, following their recent loss to rivals AFC Wimbledon, fans have started to voice their frustration with the lack of positive results.

“I totally understand the supporters’ thoughts but it’s a bit harsh,” said Betsy, after his sides fourth loss of the season last Saturday. “I’ve come into the club with new ideas.

“In the modern game, teams who dominate possession end up winning the most games. You have outliers like Leicester winning the Premier League playing on the counterattack but mostly possession dominant teams win more than they lose. If we just kick the ball up from a goal kick and we don’t pick up the second ball, we’re giving the ball away.”

On paper, Crawley have so far failed to live up to the hopes of promotion put on the team at the start of the campaign. Across their four out of five defeats though, the Reds have averaged 58.2% possession throughout.

“When we’ve lost it’s been by small margins,” said Betsy on his sides 2022/23 performance so far. “It’s not like the whole team hasn’t been turning up.

“We dominated against Carlisle, but we weren’t creative enough going forward. Against Leyton Orient, we dominated possession again and played quite well but got done by a set play.

“Then we beat a League One team in Bristol Rovers, and we nearly defeated Harrogate after that. Against Northampton too, we dominated the possession but were robbed in the last minute.”

Under the clubs’ new owners, WAGMI United, Betsy has had the difficult task of integrating 14 new signings into the club this summer. With fans starting to mount pressure on the 44-year-old, he said: “I’ve come from a high level of coaching; I have worked for England and Arsenal. I’ve played in League Two, League One, Championship, Premier League, and I’m aware of all the levels of all these leagues. I 100 percent know what I’m doing at the club. We just need a bit of time and togetherness, and things will improve.

“Successful clubs give their managers time. If people want to make snapshot decisions and constant change, you’re never going to be successful. Give us a chance to get these players up to speed and things will improve.

“Surely you can see we’re doing the right things. Leyton Orient and Northampton are at the top of the league and look at how we played against them when we had five or six players missing. I understand the fans’ frustration, but we need our players to be supported.”

Crawley will face Fulham in the second round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday. A strong performance against Bristol Rovers last time out gave the club their first win of the season. Should the Reds get a result against a Premier League side, the atmosphere around Betsy could transformed.

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