'I need you' - Crawley Town boss makes impassioned plea after fans boo side after Cambridge United defeat

It was a second consecutive defeat – and second below par performance – in front of the home fans. And one more than one occasion, the Reds boss reacted to fans comments and boos from the stand behind the dugouts.

Lindsey addressed this in his post match press conference and said he didn’t think his side deserved to be booed and said everyone needs to be measured and stick together.

"I think the expectation sometimes is deluded at times,” he said. “I think that we need to understand that we're in a battle. We're in a relegation battle and they're [Cambridge] at the top end of the table, so their quest is different from ours.

“But they're at the top of the table for a reason. They got relegated with us last year and they recruited really well in the summer and we probably didn't do as well in terms of that and we've now done some brilliant recruitment in January. So we're behind where they are, obviously and we've got to be measured and we've got to understand that.

“Did I set my team out to win that game tonight? Of course I did but we didn't. And then I'm getting shouts from behind me and boos and people flicking the V sign at me and stuff like that. Let's just remind ourselves of where we are. We're in a battle, we need you. We haven't been great, I'm not deluded, I'm not standing here saying we're amazing, support the team and sing loads of songs and that, but we haven't been great, we know that. But we need you, I need you. I need the fans with me and at the moment, it seems a little bit kind of like we expect to win that game tonight and whilst I set out to win the game, we should never expect to beat a team who are third in the league. The last two games have been really difficult. Crewe and Cambridge had tough games. Tough, tough games, whether at home or away. It doesn't make a difference.

“They're third in the division for a reason, because they're very, very good. We've just got to stick together and we've got to be measured. There's times when we'll win games, times when we'll draw, and there's times when we get beat. I certainly don't think the team deserves to be booed when you lose to a team who are third in the league and I want everyone to stick together.”

And Lindsey said he knows it hasn’t been the season anyone wanted, but he and his players are working hard to make sure they stay in this division.

He said: “It's not been a great season and I'm the first to understand that. I live this club. I live the job. I live every moment. I'll be working tonight until God knows what time. I'll be working all day tomorrow. I live this club and I give everything and this set of players now does as well.

“I know how hard they work. They're hurting in there. I've just heard the conversations in there with the captain and with players in there. They're hurting in there. It means so much to all of us. But let's be measured and let's stick together because it's not going to be perfect every game. It can't be when you're down there. It's not going to look nice at times.

"We're going to have to grind a few out and we're going to lose some games. That's the nature of where we are at the moment. But don't boo us after getting beat by the team who are third. I don't think we were great tonight. I'm with you. I understand it. We don't mean to play poorly. We all had intentions to go out and do well."

Crawley are back in action when they travel to Tranmere on Saturday.