Let's talk about the Crewe Alexandra game

[selby]

  It will be nice to renew league opposition with Crewe after a couple of seasons break after their relegation, and like in the past the fixture takes on importance to both teams, ourselves will be wanting to push for a victory to end with a fantastic week of results and Crewe to confirm the fact that they are a team that can compete and flourish in Division 1 after their promotion.
  Artell their manager was always an uncompromising player and has his team playing an high energy game, and in Mikael Mandron has a  player who is on form and scoring goals, the team after their promotion used to winning and battling in games of football and will come to the game confident in their own game.
 After our two victories against fancied teams to push for promotion our own confidence is riding high, and that spells danger we need to give Crewe all due respect as this game is just as hard as the last two were expected to be, drop our standards and we will be punished, and as I said earlier Crewe are now themselves used to winning games of football and are respected as a club that bring through well coached and rounded players with a good coaching staff.
  Their narrow loss at Sunderland last night conceding a goal right on the stroke of half time gives an indication of just how difficult they can be to play against, and were unlucky to come away from the game with nothing to show from a very good performance.
  As for ourselves the big question will be just who will take to the field to represent us. Any changes apart from injury to our back four and Keeper would be a surprise only John and James being moved about although I still have a preference for James at left back myself.
 Whiteman and Gomes seem fixtures at the moment and their form deserves it. The rest of the places in the team however seems to be whoever can grab a shirt first ( yes I know there is more thought behind it than that) with Darren making tactical changes in most games  which at the moment is serving us well.
  Ferjie looks to be improving game on game and v Ipswich was immense. Taylor has really played well this season and the two new players signed last week look great signings, but so have Coppinger, Lokilo,  Richards, and JJ when they have played and Butler and Amos two good players as well as Jones have not yet had a sniff of a game and we all know they would not let us down.
  So it comes down to consistency, we now know we can play exciting good football, but the two games we lost we only did it for half a game, and were poor in the other half, so cannot relax in this game or we will be punished and the good work and two victories will be undermined, it will not be easy.
    Would you change the team?
    Teams will not always let us play on the front foot,are we a team that will be able to tough a game out?
    If you are not a season ticket holder will you be buying a game pass on ifollow?
    Do you think we are on the cusp of an exciting season now we can see the type of team Darren has assembled?
   Lot's of things to discuss about this upcoming game, Please join in and have your say.
   
 
 

[IDM]

I thought we could have perhaps had more of an element of control last night - in the first half - in the attacking midfield position.  A minor criticism really when none is due following that victory, but we have the ideal player in Copps for that.

We know that DM chooses horses for courses each game so the changes are impossible to predict.!

I would expect Crewe AlexandRA to offer as stern a test as any side so far, but I don’t think DM would be complacent in any way nor would he let the players be so.

As I always say, this is the next fixture so it is now the most important match of the season.

[Al4475]

I think crewe Alexander was purposefully typed to be fair! There's always been a lot of in-forum banter about misspelt words

[IDM]

👍👍

[selby]

  There I was happy getting Mikael right, fussy buggers.

[drfchound]

I think crewe Alexander was purposefully typed to be fair! There's always been a lot of in-forum banter about misspelt words

Nah, it was a spello.

As for our visitors next Saturday I expect them to sit back and try to frustrate us, maybe hoping to hit us with a breakaway goal.

Sunderland had 21 shots against just four by Crewe so perhaps that gives us an idea how they might play.

Cameron John had his best game yet for us against Ipswich but it wouldn’t stop DM leaving him out if he thought it might help us to win.
Similarly, Copps might come back into the team for his ability to unlock a tight defence.
If Crewe do sit deep there won’t be the space behind them to be exploited by the speed merchants we now have.

It will be an interesting match but I don’t think we will get another four goals.
I would take a 1-0 win now.

[adamtherover]

After 2 great results, it's crucial now not to drop Points against "lesser" teams...

[selby]

  Don't start sounding like we think we are a big club Adam, we really don't know if they are a lesser team or not than Ipswich and Portsmouth. That will only be decided at the end of the season as both them clubs found out when Wycombe went up.

[Alan Southstand]

How can you possibly make changes after that masterclass? But, the manager being what he is, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bit of tweaking. Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing with the first 11, but there maybe a possibility of a change on the bench, if Tulloch reports back to us this week (I’ll bet he was licking his lips at that display).

When Fej was subbed, the manager threw Richards on as a makeshift frontman, but we could soon have a much better option. Again, with JJ, he would have been ideal but I think Tulloch is nearer a return. Frightening to think neither of those lads were available last night!

[adamtherover]

  Don't start sounding like we think we are a big club Adam, we really don't know if they are a lesser team or not than Ipswich and Portsmouth. That will only be decided at the end of the season as both them clubs found out when Wycombe went up.

not in the slightest,  they are lower down the bookies odds to do well this season,  most of the time, bookies known the score..   TLOD know their place, but sometimes, you just fancy getting a result....

[selby]

  Adam, I am with you all the way mate.

[DearneValleyRover]

I never expected Copps to play last night, nothing to do with the opposition and everything to do with him playing Saturday, his playing time has to be managed wisely

[steve@dcfd]

Copps would not be able to close players down he would slow things drown. I believe he will play the odd game but if these lads keep
Improving his game time will be reduced

[drfchound]

In some matches Copps experience and guile will be needed.
He might be 39 but he can still do stuff that no one else in our squad can.

[RoversAlias]

How can you possibly make changes after that masterclass? But, the manager being what he is, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bit of tweaking. Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing with the first 11, but there maybe a possibility of a change on the bench, if Tulloch reports back to us this week (I’ll bet he was licking his lips at that display).

When Fej was subbed, the manager threw Richards on as a makeshift frontman, but we could soon have a much better option. Again, with JJ, he would have been ideal but I think Tulloch is nearer a return. Frightening to think neither of those lads were available last night!

Crewe will be a completely different sort of test to Ipswich so I'll actually be quite surprised if he keeps the same team.

[DearneValleyRover]

In some matches Copps experience and guile will be needed.
He might be 39 but he can still do stuff that no one else in our squad can.

Not doubting that hound but at 39 the man can’t play every game, his skill and guile will definitely be required but maybe limited

[drfchound]

In some matches Copps experience and guile will be needed.
He might be 39 but he can still do stuff that no one else in our squad can.

Not doubting that hound but at 39 the man can’t play every game, his skill and guile will definitely be required but maybe limited

Yes DVR, that why I wrote “in some matches”.
I expect him to play more as a sub than starting to be honest.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Just watched last night's game again and we were right first time. It was a, wow performance especially second half but the work rate overall was exceptional.

No team in this division, bar perhaps Sunderland, can cope with that. Someone said have we got more than XI on the pitch and definitely with the speed we got back in position when losing the ball, then hunting it down like a pack of hyenas, it seemed that way and was a joy to watch.

However, we must pay Crewe the same respect and work equally hard to earn a result.

Whoever plays, they will know what's expected as nothings given in football.

[Alan Southstand]

Will Crewe want to come and play football, though, DBR? The one’s that sit back and invite you to break them down are usually the ones we struggle against. However, having said that, we now have 1 or 2 in the team that are quite capable of unlocking any defence.

Maybe Reece James May revert back to left back for this next game, as he’s maybe more adept at putting in the killer ball. That is not to decry Cameron, far from it, but it maybe could be a tweak for the next game.

I’m also hoping Tulloch is back with us to take up a spot on the bench? I just think he’s a better option to come on, if needed, for Fej.

[sha66y]

Squads buzzing, fast play, high press, defend and chase down....

3-1

[Chris Black come back]

Crewe have a dreadful away record in the league. They have won one in ten away from home in the league, covering last season in League Two and this season in League One. Their single win in ten was a 1-2 victory away at Walsall back on 1 February. They have lost both their away games in League One this season without scoring a single goal.

[NickDRFC]

Crewe have a dreadful away record in the league. They have won one in ten away from home in the league, covering last season in League Two and this season in League One. Their single win in ten was a 1-2 victory away at Walsall back on 1 February. They have lost both their away games in League One this season without scoring a single goal.

I never particularly agree with using extended sequences over two seasons like that when looking at records, particularly  when they're now in a different league, have several new players etc.

If you just look at this season in isolation (which is a small sample size but far more relevant), they've played 2 away games, at Hull & Sunderland - 1st & 5th respectively - and lost 1-0 each time. I wouldn't say that's indicative of a "dreadful away record" at all - a lot of teams who are expected to finish in the bottom half will lose at both the KC & the Stadium of Light this year.

[drfchound]

Crewe have a dreadful away record in the league. They have won one in ten away from home in the league, covering last season in League Two and this season in League One. Their single win in ten was a 1-2 victory away at Walsall back on 1 February. They have lost both their away games in League One this season without scoring a single goal.

I hope that isn’t a kiss of death for us on Saturday.

[the vicar]

How can you possibly make changes after that masterclass? But, the manager being what he is, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a bit of tweaking. Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing with the first 11, but there maybe a possibility of a change on the bench, if Tulloch reports back to us this week (I’ll bet he was licking his lips at that display).

When Fej was subbed, the manager threw Richards on as a makeshift frontman, but we could soon have a much better option. Again, with JJ, he would have been ideal but I think Tulloch is nearer a return. Frightening to think neither of those lads were available last night!

you could say that after the pompy game but he made 2 including the goal scorer

[adamtherover]

Squads buzzing, fast play, high press, defend and chase down....

3-1

the high press v Ipswich was the best I've ever seen us do it.  The amount of times a blue shirt had 2 red bodies on him in an instant was a joy to see...

[anton123]

I’m going for a 4-0 but would not be surprised to see more all the lads are buzzing at the min and know if they don’t perform there is some1 waiting in the wings to do the job , long may it continue

[adamtherover]

Confidence and momentum is huge in football, and these young lads are just gonna be feeling 10 foot tall right now...

[DonnyBazR0ver]

From the brief highlights of Crewes game at Sunderland suggest they weren't parking the bus. There looked like spaces we can exploit however, we will need to be on top of our game to make it count.

You only have to go back to the Wigan game to see what happens if you don't take advantage of your dominance. With Sunderland only beating them 1-0, they must have some resilience. I doubt they will be pushovers.

I'm sure DM won't allow any complacency but will still have to deliver. 3 points in any shape or form will do for me.

[RoversAlias]

We'll do better if they don't park the bus in my opinion. We might struggle if they pack the defence to find space to exploit.

[StocktonRover]

From the brief highlights of Crewes game at Sunderland suggest they weren't parking the bus. There looked like spaces we can exploit however, we will need to be on top of our game to make it count.

You only have to go back to the Wigan game to see what happens if you don't take advantage of your dominance. With Sunderland only beating them 1-0, they must have some resilience. I doubt they will be pushovers.

I'm sure DM won't allow any complacency but will still have to deliver. 3 points in any shape or form will do for me.

On the North East news last night they were questioning how Sunderland had only got 1 goal with the amount of chances they had and either wasted or were saved.
Maybe it was just one of those nights when the Crewe goal lead a charmed life?