Let's talk about the Crewe Alexandra first leg game

[Campsall rover]

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

I am not underestimating them one bit.
If they re capture the form they were in earlier in the season then they will be very dangerous.

All I am saying is we have momentum and they have almost but not quite the opposite.

[steve@dcfd]

Both their goals were at the near post and he allowed both to get past him one went straight through him the other he patted out straight to their player.

[ravenrover]

And the other 10 players?

[Fal]

We are due a win there to be honest regardless of current form, from my recollection we haven’t won’t there since 2013 when we won the league.


Remember a few seasons back this game being dubbed “el crapico” or whatever it was hah

[TonySoprano]

Hope Jason price and billy paynter will be watching, for luck !

[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.

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.      

Thanks, Camps. I always like to keep my fans on here riveted.

[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. 

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.

You did see “the winkie” emoji Steve, didn’t you.
Jeez, this site still needs that tongue in cheek emoji.

[selby]

TLT is now able to play in the first leg now and will most probably start the games, a question though, if the games went to penalties would you consider subbing Jones on with minutes to go after his heroics in the EFL cup?

[PDX_Rover]

The good thing is that Grant and Cliff have to lads grounded and focused on this being another game that requires discipline and professionalism. If you listen to every interview, they’re all dialed in to this. No easy game, but the preparation will be top notch.

[Campsall rover]

TLT is now able to play in the first leg now and will most probably start the games, a question though, if the games went to penalties would you consider subbing Jones on with minutes to go after his heroics in the EFL cup?

In one word NO Brian.
I think TLT would have just as much chance of saving them.
Louie did well though that night. Credit to him.

[selby]

  A lot of questions to be answered in this game, are Crewe really decimated by injury, our run of wins coming to an end with a draw, has our luck changed? can we continue our goal scoring exploits?, Olowu or Anderson? How big is the fact TLT can play? a two legged game, not our usual format, will it effect our game plan and inhibit our style of play? will we benefit from a full weeks rest from the last league fixture?
  And the BIG ONE, it being a Bank Holiday, will the chippy be open?
   

[dknward2]

We know the answer to one of those questions that our game plan won't change we will attack every chance we get McCann knows that's the best way of beating Crewe

[Fal]

  A lot of questions to be answered in this game, are Crewe really decimated by injury, our run of wins coming to an end with a draw, has our luck changed? can we continue our goal scoring exploits?, Olowu or Anderson? How big is the fact TLT can play? a two legged game, not our usual format, will it effect our game plan and inhibit our style of play? will we benefit from a full weeks rest from the last league fixture?
  And the BIG ONE, it being a Bank Holiday, will the chippy be open?
   

If the chippy is open don’t ask for a chip butty or you’ll get some weird looks like I did…

[les@donr]

We need to do a “Southend” to Crewe!

[IDM]

We need to do a “Southend” to Crewe!

Hopefully not the first leg version - a 0-0 draw with our striker sent off for violent conduct.!!!!

[colincramb]

I would take a draw all day long. I think we can beat anyone in this league at home and would massively fancy our chances.

[Dutch Uncle]

With Crewe saying they could be without up to 10 players I wondered how many Rovers player are unavailable:

Miller
Close
Biamou
Lawlor?
Senior
Faulkner?
Ravenhill
Goodman
Lavery

I think Taylor is available but hasn't played for quite some time

That's 9 I can come up with including some important players

[NickDRFC]

I don’t think any of them would be starters at present, though. Miller, Biamou, Close and maybe Senior would be on the bench. Hopefully Crewe are missing key players!

[mushRTID]

I was thinking about Miller, and that he was ahead of schedule.

I’m wondering if the final (yes I know) would be too early for him to stick him on the bench?

[colincramb]

None of those would start right now. The ones that we have fit are our best 11.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Miller and Taylor could be available. If miller is fit that's a huge boost if we can get 15 mins out of him as a sub.

[Peebles Rover]

From the DFP: McCann teased the possibility of injured pair George Miller and Jon Taylor being available to feature in this play-off campaign.

Miller has been out for almost the entire season whilst Taylor hasn't been seen since Sutton in February.

McCann told the Free Press: "Jon's training well for the last few weeks, as has George. He's trained for the last seven or eight days.

"Are Jon and George going to be available for Monday? Who knows. We'll see."

It would be an extraordinary feat if Miller was to play any part at all in the next few weeks, given the original prognosis suggested his return may not be until next season.

[selby]

  It is good to have them back something like fully fit at this  time of the season and Faulkner too who is training with the group.
   Some way to go to be match fit though but great they are there for any emergency if needed, which I hope they are not needed.
  The fact we have big numbers in the squad, and the length of recovery some have undertaken to get fit has worked in our favour over the last month or two, while some clubs who were well in front of us at the turn of the year have looked weary and as though they have run out of steam.
  We don't want to let it distract us though, just keep doing what we have been doing, if we play well and steer clear of injury we have as good a chance as the other clubs to go all the way.

[Chris Black come back]

Taylor currently slated to play in a charity game at Shrewsbury Town on 12 May.

[Reg of the Rovers]

Taylor currently slated to play in a charity game at Shrewsbury Town on 12 May.

That's his level now. Please can we keep him away from the first team squad and finally get shut in the summer.

[Barmby Rover]

GM is going to try and have the lads kill this off in the first leg, and have less of a task to perform on Friday. If Rovers do what Bolton did to the Dingles I would not be surprised. 1 - 3.

[colincramb]

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

I don’t quite agree with this. I think form is everything. If you look at teams promoted via the playoffs, it’s often (not always, I know) the team in form that goes up. It’s hard just suddenly switch good form on in two games, but I appreciate anything can take place.

[drfchound]

Colin, as you say, not always.
I remember that Southend were the form team going into the play offs back when we played them in the semi final.

[Upton Rover]

  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.

it’s not a small miracle, it’s a bloody gigantic miracle, I did predict a great last 9 games and we will go on to win this 2 game leg with Crew,

[Campsall rover]

:turd:as you say, not always.
I remember that Southend were the form team going into the play offs back when we played them in the semi final.

hound you are not wrong. Just had a look. Won 9 drew 5 lost 1 of their last 15 games. That’s 32 points.