Former Scotland international Stephen Crainey is enjoying a baptism of fire in his first season in management with Fleetwood Town after stepping up from a role as U16 coach.
While learning the ropes in the top job, Crainey can call upon a wealth of experience from his playing career having spent seven years with Celtic before joining Southampton in 2004.
He quickly departed for Leeds United before spending the majority of his career with Blackpool, with whom he made 228 appearances.
Crainey took in Wigan Athletic, Fleetwood and AFC Fylde over the final three years of his playing career.
At international level, the 40-year-old represented Scotland for nine years, winning 12 caps including one during qualification for the 2004 UEFA European Championship.
Crainey on the loss to Wycombe Wanderers midweek:
“In terms of the performance, I thought it was outstanding. [The team] showed real grit and determination to see the game through to get a clean sheet, but then luck didn’t go our way.
“Wycombe are going to be delighted at winning the game, but to lose the game in that manner was disappointing.
“I’ve been pleased with the group’s determination over the last four or five weeks. We’ve just not had any luck at all, but if we keep playing like that, then we will get results.”
On the mentality of the squad moving forward:
“I thought we were outstanding to a man, but we aren’t getting any rub of the green at the moment.
“Results will turn if we keep playing like that. I have every confidence in this group of players that they can win games of football, and, hopefully, that will start [against Doncaster Rovers].
“We’ve got real characters in that changing room. They do it every day in training – not just in games. That’s the mentality I instill in training every day, and they do that for each other.
“Everybody who watched the game [against Wycombe Wanderers] can see the fight and determination they give, and they will continue to do that.”
On games moving forward for the club:
“Every game is massive now in the run-in. We’ve got Doncaster Rovers on Saturday. So, we will be going into that looking to win the game and hopefully, we can do that.
“The fans at Highbury have been outstanding, and we are going to need them at the weekend. We’ve had no luck, but we will keep fighting.”
On the younger players doing a job for the team:
“We’ve got a lot of top young players. But the senior lads have bene outstanding as well.
“As a collective, we’ll keep fighting. The performances have been good, but no points. We’ll keep fighting.”
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