'My reality' - New Crawley Town head coach hints at his playing style in first interview
Newly appointed Head Coach Colin Kazim-Richards has given Crawley Town fans a taste of what to expect from his style of football in his first official interview with the club.
The 39-year-old's appointment was confirmed on Tuesday night following the sacking of Scott Lindsey two days before with the Reds currently 21st in League Two and 10 games without a win.
With no former managerial experience, Kazim-Richards will have the chance to show off his tactical set-up for the very first time.
“A Kazim-Richards team is not so much about formations,” he said. “It's about putting players in positions to be able to bring the best out of them that ultimately benefits who? Crawley Town.
“I'm not talking about the past or anything that's gone on before. It’s my reality of who I am and it's putting players and building relationships and trust and being able to have those tough conversations. Because they believe and they understand the relationship we have and [I’m] putting them in a position to be able to succeed.
“I don't want my striker playing right back, for example, because then it's not benefiting my team. I can be egotistical and play a type of system. I've got this great picture, but then we don't have the resources to do that so that's the type of coach I am. I'm a people first, human coach with a lot of humility.”
Kazim-Richards, while giving his assessment of the Reds’ squad, confirmed that assistant manager Jamie Day will remain a part of the coaching staff after assistant Neil Smith departed with Lindsey.
He said: “We have good players, especially for this level. We have some very good players. What I believe has gone on is some of our players have not been in a position to be able to affect the game as much as they should with their strengths. So, I hope that I can turn that around, and I know that I can turn that around and my backroom staff can turn that around.
“And Daysy - he knows the team well. He knows the guys. He knows the relationship. He's a big factor in this as well. But the strengths that we have - we have some guys that this club means a lot to. You have a captain there that this club means a lot to. We have a goalkeeper that makes some unbelievable saves. What we need to do now is start turning those saves into goals in our end and be able to get three points.
“We have players that are able to unlock situations, but when we're playing really deeper back it's hard for them to be able to do that. So, it's more of the strengths of putting them in their positions, getting higher up the field and allowing them to unlock magic because I don't think any coach can tell a player exactly how you beat him. It's a feeling - football's a feeling. But what I can do is make sure you get the balls in the positions that you need to get them in to be able to affect the game.”
The former Brighton and Hove Albion forward has little time to bed in but is relishing the challenge of getting out on the training pitch with his new side.
“I'm very excited,” he said. “That's where we want to be. We want to be out on the pitch. Ultimately, you would like to come into a new job and people would like to have loads of time and whatever. Do you know what this makes you do? This makes you appreciate and use up every second you have with 100% of what you have.
“You haven’t got time to wait around. You need to put 100% into everything. There's not enough time in a day now. You have to take a positive out of everything. That's a positive for me - I haven’t got time to mess about.
“There's no time to be worrying about other things that are not going to affect the game right now. What matters is not Colin Kazim-Richards. What matters is Crawley Town - that's the only thing that matters. Having clarity in the storm – you need urgency, but you need to be calm and collected and when we go out, that's what we're going to show.”
Kazim-Richards will immediately acquaint himself with the Reds supporters when they welcome Gillingham to the Broadfield Stadium this Saturday.
“I'm so looking forward to it,” he said. “I know these fans deserve something back. They’ve been giving a lot and that's not me having a go or a dig or digging anyone out in terms of players or in terms of anything that's gone on before.
“But enough is not enough. We have to do more. The fans deserve it. The staff working around the club, they deserve it. They've stuck with us, and now it's our turn to go and give something back for them but ultimately to save this club. The only thing that matters - I want everyone to understand this - the only thing that matters is Crawley Town.
“It's not the Colin Kazim-Richards show. We're going to work as a collective. We're going to have open dialogue. Daisy is still here - he knows the team. Open dialogue, have conversations, and we move from there.”