Crawley’s Early Alarm: Lindsey’s Choices Tested in Tough Start
Scott Lindsey may have a much bigger challenge on his hands than many expected at the start of the season.
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Crawley Town have endured a disastrous beginning to the season, losing 3-0 to Grimsby Town, 2-1 to Newport County and most recently 3-1 to Championship side Swansea City.
The tough fixtures show no sign of letting up with current League Two leaders Crewe Alexandra hosting the Reds at the Mornflake Stadium on Saturday, followed by matches against MK Dons, Tranmere and Chesterfield.
Given how the Reds have performed so far, there is little indication that this poor run will end soon. Although it is still very early in the season, there are signs that this could be a long season ahead for supporters.
But are there simple solutions that Lindsey is unwilling to implement?
Tactical Stubbornness
For the opening three games, the 53-year-old has stuck with his favoured 3-4-2-1 system which he has used throughout his three years at the club. However, the Reds currently lack the right players to effectively execute this setup, particularly in the wing-back roles that are vital to Crawley's style of play.
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Summer signing Harry McKirdy, a natural forward, has been deployed out of position on the flanks due to the lack of suitable wing-backs, leaving Crawley exposed defensively. This vulnerability has been ruthlessly exploited not only by Grimsby but also Swansea, who both overloaded the wide areas to deliver dangerous crosses into the box.
In the EFL Cup, the Swans crossing proved particularly troublesome, repeatedly challenging Crawley's defence and forcing errors. So far, all three opponents Crawley have faced have identified and capitalised on this weakness, scoring from wide positions and highlighting that no effective adjustments have been made.
Following the defeat to Newport, manager Lindsey admitted he lacked the players to effectively cover the wide areas, which hampered his ability to make tactical substitutions. Yet, questions remain over why he continues to persist with a formation that demands profiles his squad simply doesn't possess.
Even when fully fit, the former MK Dons boss has options like Harry Forster, Dion Pereira, Fate Kotey, Antony Papadopolous, McKirdy, Danny Cashman, and Ade Adeyemo for the wing-back roles but none provide the defensive solidity required. This glaring gap leaves Crawley vulnerable and raises doubts about the suitability of the current system.
Risky recruitment
Crawley's recruitment this summer has carried an element of risk, with Harry McKirdy and Reece Brown both arriving in Sussex with the same red flag.
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Throughout last season, McKirdy made 16 appearances across the Scottish Premiership and League Two, scoring just twice. The season before that, the 28-year-old missed over 180 days of action due to a heart problem, which limited him to just 12 appearances and 246 total minutes. His last full campaign came in 2021/22, when he made 44 appearances, scored 23 goals and provided 10 assists.
Like McKirdy, Brown has been handed a starting spot in Lindsey's XI, operating in central midfield. However, the 29-year-old has not played more than 20 games in a season since 2020/21, when he featured 43 times for Peterborough United in League One. Following the 2023/24 season, Brown was released by Forest Green Rovers and remained without a club until the Reds signed him this summer.
Both players clearly have an abundance of talent, but putting them straight into starting roles has yet to pay off. They appear a step behind the pace of the game, and that lack of sharpness could already be costing Crawley valuable points. With the League Two season still in its early stages, the question is whether they can play themselves into form quickly enough to make a positive impact — or if Lindsey will be forced to turn to other options before the gap to the top of the table widens any further.
If Crawley fail to address these problems quickly, what is now a slow start could soon spiral into a full-blown relegation battle.