Let's talk about the Crewe Alexandra first leg game

[selby]

  It is not often a small miracle happens but it has in this instance, if we step back and take it in we realise just how unlikely this game coming about was to happen, the only confident person publicly Grant McCann who never gave up, and to be fair quite a few of us must have thought in your dreams Grant.
  I admit that after losing to Bradford in the EFL trophy game I just hoped for a good reasonable finish to the season away from the drop that was drawing us in, and adding Close and  Connor Carty to season ending injuries just seamed to top our troubles off, How lucky we were with Adeluken and Craig signed as replacements, their contribution to our season has been outstanding and now on the the hardest challenge of all, the lottery that are the playoffs, and hopefully Close and Carty recover well and get back to full fitness.
  So it's on to a new start to a competition, one where everything including current league form goes straight out of the window, and every player taking part knows they have a chance for a Wembley appearance and promotion up the league, all that has gone before apart from giving them this second chance meaning nothing, nada, and only the three potential games having everything riding on them.
  Crewe will be just as up and confident as we are, the results will be who handles the pressure and play with confidence the best, and their whole concentration over the coming days until the game will be on how to defeat us, the way we play, the weaknesses we have and how to nullify our strengths, it will not  by any stretch of the imagination easy, after all for much of the season, in fact until just this week they have been the better side.
  The playoffs are where the manager has the most influence on the final result I have always thought, not always do the best sides win these mini competitions, where just one individual mistake or a piece of brilliant skill can win a game with little time to nullify the resulting outcome.  We can be confident in our management team that they will be well prepared and they will want the team to play with no fear, we just have to go for it, to be fair most sides we will come up against have been better organised defensively than we have over the season.
  So a full seasons work comes down to a lottery of three games at the most and luck will most probably play some part in just who wins the mini competition, lets hope for a change it is on our side.
  Crewe's home record is not that good or bad scoring 35 goals but also conceding 35 their season tailing off somewhat since their loan players in the first half of the season left and a number of injuries took a toll of their playing strength, although Nevitt with 16 league goals will want some watching and came up with the equaliser at Colchester yesterday.  Our run means nothing now in this new mini  competition.
  So a little extra time to gather our strengths and rest to this bank Holiday fixture, tension will rise over the week, and we need to do what we have been doing well and go into the game in the best possible frame of mind and composure and carry on the good things we have been doing. The club is in the best place it has been for a long time no matter what happens, it can only get better, the prize is there for us to grasp, give it our all and if we fail giving our all and are beaten by a better side so be it, the ride has been fantastic and promises even more if we play well and have a little luck on our side.
   Just go for it.

[Chris Black come back]

Not great home form.

They finished with 12th best home record, way below their finishing position of 6th. It is their away record that we need to be more concerned about (6th best in League Two).

Recent form really not good. They've won twice in their last 12 and only one of these was at home, and that was a 1-0 win against Sutton United.

They are currently on a three game losing streak at home, including against Forest Green and Grimsby (and Wrexham) losing each of them 3-0, with a 9-0 aggregate result at home over these games.

This is not a side in any kind of form and certainly not at home.

Their last three home games of the season were all defeats

[selby]

  All that has gone before for both clubs mean nothing, it is a new competition where all four teams start on equal footing, and what happened in yesterdays games gives no indication of what lies ahead.
  It is knock out football and there is no second chances, the first round is over two legs, a different format from league games where tactics can make a big difference, and teams feel the pressure they have to do well in their home fixture, which can inhibit a teams performance.
  If you get over that hurdle you come up against the fact that the football world are watching you play at the National Stadium Wembley in a one off game with the whole world watching and a winner takes all outcome.
  These are not just games of football, they are a mental and personality test as much as skills set, the teams that handle all that the best, and not always the best football team generally take the day. There are many examples of teams not having much of a chance by so called experts in the past that have overturned the odds Barnsley, Blackpool, Hull City, and little old Doncaster Rovers to name just a few who handled the qualifying  and final games better than more fancied sides.
  We have to be on it attitude and playing wise to win the day and do not underestimate any of the teams we have to overcome, confident yes, but then prove it.

[selby]

  Apart from the winning football, the best thing that has happened is the coming together again of the club and supporters.
  It is the best part of the story.

[scawsby steve]

Brian, I think you're downplaying the importance of form going into these games. None of the teams will relish playing a side that seems to have forgotten how to lose.

Of course, anything can happen in football, but if we play to our full potential, I can't see any of these teams beating us.

[Nudga]

I'm more worried that nobody has said they can't make it yet. This could sell out to season ticket holders

[colincramb]

“Our run means nothing now in this new mini  competition”.

Sorry, I usually enjoy the summaries you provide, but I can’t agree with this one. The run means everything. It’s just another game, that’s all

[Alickismyhero]

Have they announced the red card decision yet?

[ncRover]

Not great home form.

They finished with 12th best home record, way below their finishing position of 6th. It is their away record that we need to be more concerned about (6th best in League Two).

Recent form really not good. They've won twice in their last 12 and only one of these was at home, and that was a 1-0 win against Sutton United.

They are currently on a three game losing streak at home, including against Forest Green and Grimsby (and Wrexham) losing each of them 3-0, with a 9-0 aggregate result at home over these games.

This is not a side in any kind of form and certainly not at home.

Their last three home games of the season were all defeats

21st in the 10 game form table behind FGR and Accrington to name a few.

They only scored 5 goals in those 10 games too.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Not great home form.

They finished with 12th best home record, way below their finishing position of 6th. It is their away record that we need to be more concerned about (6th best in League Two).

Recent form really not good. They've won twice in their last 12 and only one of these was at home, and that was a 1-0 win against Sutton United.

They are currently on a three game losing streak at home, including against Forest Green and Grimsby (and Wrexham) losing each of them 3-0, with a 9-0 aggregate result at home over these games.

This is not a side in any kind of form and certainly not at home.

Their last three home games of the season were all defeats

21st in the 10 game form table behind FGR and Accrington to name a few.

They only scored 5 goals in those 10 games too.

Good stats in here. On a 10 game basis it's top Vs nearly bottom.

https://thefishy.co.uk/formtable.php?table=4&tab=tab-last10

If only it was that simple.  But it's a form Vs out of form side no doubt.

[selby]

  I am not downplaying our form at all Steve, and I am not downplaying the respect I have for the other three teams in the competition for promotion.
  What I do know is the minute anyone does not respect the opposition is asking for trouble, just as Tyson Fury did a couple of months ago you are likely to end up with all the trouble you want.
  We can be confident, we can be proud of what we have achieved just getting into this position, and hopefully we will take that form into the next three games if we are fortunate enough to get to the  final.  They will be a hard games, with a different feel to them, more pressure and against a team looking at the game just the same as we are, it is their chance of promotion earned over a full season and they will want it as much as us .

[Reg of the Rovers]

I think the end of the winning run takes a bit of the pressure off a little bit, we're not trying to win for the history books, we can relax in to the games - keep it tight and even at their place then knock five in at the Keepmoat - the 'Southend' as it's known.

[steve@dcfd]

Let’s hope after the first leg that TLT is not regretting his decision to come for the ball at Gillingham.

[adamtherover]

Let’s hope after the first leg that TLT is not regretting his decision to come for the ball at Gillingham.

we have so many goals in the side, we can suely overcome a first leg deficit?? (not that there will be one)

[drfchound]

Let’s hope after the first leg that TLT is not regretting his decision to come for the ball at Gillingham.

Do,you mean perhaps that Jones will have had a blinder and TLT can’t be sure of his place for the second leg and final. 

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Let’s hope after the first leg that TLT is not regretting his decision to come for the ball at Gillingham.

Do,you mean perhaps that Jones will have had a blinder and TLT can’t be sure of his place for the second leg and final. 

He won't need to, he's going to have nothing to do

[Campsall rover]

Selby ( Brian ) The fact is though Crewe have not been better than us up to the last week.
Look at the league table from 2nd Feb to now. We are top of that league. Crewe are nowhere near. Way down.

Now that doesn’t mean we will beat them obviously but going into these play offs with the momentum we have is massive.

[drfcsteve]

Out of interest what has caused Crewe’s drop in form? Do they have a lot of injuries?

[GazLaz]

Out of interest what has caused Crewe’s drop in form? Do they have a lot of injuries?

Injuries and they over achieved earlier in the season. They weren’t quite as good as their position reflected.

[Campsall rover]

Out of interest what has caused Crewe’s drop in form? Do they have a lot of injuries?

Injuries and they over achieved earlier in the season. They weren’t quite as good as their position reflected.

Over 46 games they are the 7th best team.

Yes they did better than I thought they would do but over 46 games the table does not lie.
Injuries look at injuries we had and we have finished 5th.

[scawsby steve]

Out of interest what has caused Crewe’s drop in form? Do they have a lot of injuries?

Injuries and they over achieved earlier in the season. They weren’t quite as good as their position reflected.

Over 46 games they are the 7th best team.

Yes they did better than I thought they would do but over 46 games the table does not lie.
Injuries look at injuries we had and we have finished 5th.

Sorry to be pedantic, Camps, but they are the 6th best team. Crawley are the 7th best.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

I'm sure McCann and Byrne will have done their homework. If you recall McCann said one of his regrets was the way they approached the first leg v Charlton, saying they were maybe too cautious. Of course with the first leg away, it's a slightly different dynamic, but the way we've approached all games home and away these last couple of months has been brilliant. More of the same please.

[Campsall rover]

Out of interest what has caused Crewe’s drop in form? Do they have a lot of injuries?

Injuries and they over achieved earlier in the season. They weren’t quite as good as their position reflected.

Over 46 games they are the 7th best team.

Yes they did better than I thought they would do but over 46 games the table does not lie.
Injuries look at injuries we had and we have finished 5th.

Sorry to be pedantic, Camps, but they are the 6th best team. Crawley are the 7th best.

Put reply in wrong place SS so deleted. I will try again.

Just put that it was a deliberate mistake just to test your football knowledge. 
You will be pleased to know you passed with a distinction.      

[KeithMyath]

The team they fielded for the last game was very young, quite a few 19/20 year olds. Even brought another 20 year old. Is that because of Injuries?? I know Crewe were always one for bringing on new young talent though so maybe not that significant. When you know we have the better form, better team, way more Goals and a better manager. Hopefully that will all go in our favour

[selby]

  It is our biggest game of the season, the TV and national coverage is like nothing we have come across this season, and it is a different competition with just teams that have been moderately successful this season, non of us being top draw in division 2 over the season playing second fiddle to three teams that have left us all in their wake.
  But set off with the same chance of promotion, the Crewe players , management, and supporters well aware that we have finished better than any team can seriously expect to gate crash the play offs at the last possible moment.
  We will be looking to take that form into the play offs and they will be equally determined to upset the apple cart and progress to Wembley instead of us. Like us they are a decent side on their day, like us will want to play well and are capable of doing so, it will not be easy although I think we have more than enough in us to overcome them, but in no way is it a certainty and people need to accept that we have a fight on our hands and need to play well ourselves to have any chance, it is not a given.
  The sense of over expectancy in some supporters frightens me slightly and I hope it doesn't spread to the players, its football the  unexpected is what makes the game so great, I am confident and think we can win if we play well, that is the crunch, performing on the day, and I repeat it  will not be easy, but a game to look forward to.   

[ravenrover]

We underestimate them at our peril
2 one off games form goes out the window

[adamtherover]

Anyone who thinks this will be Easy, just cast your mind back to half time v barrow?

[steve@dcfd]

Let’s hope after the first leg that TLT is not regretting his decision to come for the ball at Gillingham.

Do,you mean perhaps that Jones will have had a blinder and TLT can’t be sure of his place for the second leg and final. 

If you want to put that way hound then that’s your choice it’s not the way I’m thinking. But I hope he does have a blinder and can get to crosses and move his feet better.

[steve@dcfd]

Last time we were in the playoffs under Grant Marco Marosi lost us the first leg with two errors let’s hope its not duplicated away at Crewe

[ravenrover]

Marosi did not lose us that tie