Crawley Town skipper Jimmy Smith: '˜Our new signings could push us to the play-offs'

After five games, Crawley have a respectable seven points after two wins and a draw, and Smith has praised the impact of head coach Harry Kewell’s additions.

When asked if he thinks Crawley now have a better squad than the one that finished 14th last season, Smith said: “Yeah I think we do. We’ve got a very good squad.

“We’ve got people who have played at a higher level and achieved things like promotions like Fillipe (Morais).

“There is definitely a belief in the changing room that we can push for the play-offs.

“We’ve said it from the day we came back. We’ve signed good players in the summer, some good characters and there is a good spirit in the team.”

Smith reserved particular praise for new striker Ollie Palmer, whose impressive five goals have left him joint-top scorer in the league.

He feels that Palmer’s clinical finishing could make all the difference for the ambitious Reds.

Smith added: “It’s fantastic (to have Palmer). He is a big lad but he can run as well.

“He works hard, runs the channels and he’s got a lion heart.

“Five goals is fantastic for him at the beginning of the season so well done to him.

“Last year we lacked that a little bit, as myself and Enzio were up there as the highest scorers with just ten goals.

“We needed strikers to be putting them in after losing James Collins but Ollie has been fantastic for us.”

However, Smith thinks promotion can only be possible if Crawley find more consistency in their results - which was their Achilles heel last term.

“Everyone wants to work hard every day, pushing each other and that comes from the manager,” he said.

“I think we have been playing well. We have been creating loads of chances and the gaffer has told us we have got to be clinical and take our chances.

“The players are setting standards and we want to achieve something this year but the main thing is being consistent this season as we weren’t last season.

“We’ve got to be consistent week in, week out, keep picking up points and see where it takes us.

“It’s down to me to lift everyone (when things are not going well) but I’ve got other people around me doing the same thing.

“The likes of Cat in goal (Morris), Conns (Connolly), Romain (Vincelot), Bullie (Bulman), Fillipe and Ollie (Palmer) are demanding the best from each other and that’s what we’ve got to do.”

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