Counting chickens

[Branton Rover]

We were dominant yes, Crewe were crap, yes. But as Jimmy Greaves said again and again “it’s a funny old game”. I’m not taking anything for granted, it’s only halftime and anything can happen - a Red card in the opening 10 minutes and we’re hanging on.

Im enjoying the euphoria around the team currently but we haven’t seen any chicks hatch as yet.

Ps if there’s any doubt whatsoever about Biggins and his fitness it’s not worth the gamble to play him when we’ve got Rowe, Westbrooke and Broadbent on standby chomping at the bit.

[MachoMadness]

There's always a 'story' in the play-offs, like Wensdi coming back from 4-0 down last year. We've started well, but let's not become the story in the second leg. Boring, flat, 1-0 win please. The last thing we need is to concede an early goal and let Crewe believe.

[ForsolongaRover]

It is always interesting to hear the opposing manager's take. Goals are always explained by "mistakes". Lee Bell encapsulated it in abbreviating his teams performance to "two mistakes". Thus his public position makes them error-free for the rest of the game. Certainly Rovers made considerably more than 2 mistakes...

I can understand why some managers will resort to this defence and I should imagine that he will not be similarly limiting the assessment he presents to his players, but I'm not sure whether it convinces the Crewe faithful that he has really appreciated what needs to be done to turn things around. 

[Mike_F]

I'm sure we've all seen the Rovers throw away much bigger leads in the space of 45 minutes before. We have to build on this platform over a full ninety minutes on Friday. We're favourites to progress but I'm certainly not feeling relaxed about it!

[normal rules]

It’s easy to say Crewe were crap. I don’t think they were. They a
 a young side and they finished where they did for a reason. Them long throw ins were, and will be a threat in the second leg.
On another day and with a different goalie, we would have been one down after 10 mins. And that would have put a whole diff spin on the game. Had their right winger been a little more unselfish and squared the ball to an obvious goal scorer, then again, things could have been different.
Rovers were the better side overall for sure yesterday. But we must not take the second leg for granted. I know Mcann won’t be.

[DRNaith]

I'm sure we've all seen the Rovers throw away much bigger leads in the space of 45 minutes before. We have to build on this platform over a full ninety minutes on Friday. We're favourites to progress but I'm certainly not feeling relaxed about it!

Yep. From experience, the best thing Crewe can do is to have a man sent off, early in Friday's game.

[DearneValleyRover]

I expect Crewe to start Friday exactly as they did yesterday but with an extra striker, hopefully that will leave space behind for us to exploit. It certainly isn’t cut and dried yet and I’m sure the players know that, hopefully they go into the game thinking it has 0-0 and we need to win.

[mushRTID]

I expect Crewe to start Friday exactly as they did yesterday but with an extra striker, hopefully that will leave space behind for us to exploit. It certainly isn’t cut and dried yet and I’m sure the players know that, hopefully they go into the game thinking it has 0-0 and we need to win.

I agree, I think we will let them come at us to a degree then pick them off, quite easily I believe.

I think we win 2 or 3 nil.

[Pliskin]

Nobody gave us a chance at the Valley in 2019 after losing the first leg against a Charlton team in great form.

We ran them ragged that night and only a goalkeeper slip and the lottery of a penalty shootout stopped us from turning it around.

This tie isn't over. It's football, anything can happen.

[moses]

Two things:
If we press them high up like yesterday and keep at it, then we will create chances again.
I am really pleased the game is Friday night, I can't cope with another weekend just waiting for Rovers to play.

[West Stand Willy]

It’s easy to say Crewe were crap. I don’t think they were. They a
 a young side and they finished where they did for a reason. Them long throw ins were, and will be a threat in the second leg.
On another day and with a different goalie, we would have been one down after 10 mins. And that would have put a whole diff spin on the game. Had their right winger been a little more unselfish and squared the ball to an obvious goal scorer, then again, things could have been different.
Rovers were the better side overall for sure yesterday. But we must not take the second leg for granted. I know Mcann won’t be.

Sky were constantly going on about how young a side Crewe were, which I understand is around 24. But our average age is only 26, so not that much in it, and if you took out Wood , Anderson and Rowe we be about he youngest in the league.