'Ruthless' - Former Swindon Town forward sends transfer window warning to Crawley Town teammates
Crawley Town forward Harry McKirdy warned all his teammates that their places could be under threat when the January transfer window opens later this week.
The Reds were booed off at the Broadfield Stadium after falling to a 3-1 defeat to League Two leaders Bromley on Monday night, leaving them winless in their last eight league games.
With the winter transfer window opening on January 1, the 28-year-old admitted that the players ought to be looking over their shoulders if new additions arrive.
“Football’s ruthless, and if we keep playing like that then you’re going to get replaced,” McKirdy said. “I think if the gaffer signs someone in anyone’s position, no-one can complain. We haven’t been good enough.
“I don’t know what the budget is. Obviously, I’m not in that department at the football club, but I imagine if you look at the group they’re probably not too happy with us right now. We need to buck our ideas up really fast.”
The majority of football fans would have dreamed of playing the game at a professional level and would envy the careers they achieve. However, McKirdy was philosophical in addressing the harsh reality that can come with tricky spells like the one Crawley are in.
He said: “Football’s a different industry to most industries. Everyone says: ‘You start at 16,17 – you can earn loads of money. You can do this, do that and you retire at 35.’ It’s not that simple at this level where boys have one-year contracts, two-years tops probably.
“You retire at 22, you retire at 24, 18, 19, 28 – whatever age you are. Football doesn’t owe you anything, and we’re in a situation now if we keep playing like that.”
Attention will turn to two successive away trips for the Reds now, with Barnet first up on January 1 before they travel to Cheltenham Town just three days later.
Manager Scott Lindsey has previously expressed hope that new signings can be made early in the window, but he will be reliant on his current squad for those two encounters.
Picking up points will be even more essential after Crawley’s loss to Bromley given other results in the division. Newport County’s 2-0 win over Crewe Alexandra on Monday night has tightened the bottom-five teams to just two points.
The Reds sit in 20th position but are now five points adrift of 19th placed Barrow. Strengthening of the squad in January will be essential if McKirdy and his teammates are dragged into a relegation battle.