2023/24 League Two Play-Offs

[AdamStag]

I'm pretty sure if we didn't get Okonkwo in 2022 he was the next target on the list. Just looking at him makes me think we'd have double dropped if we signed him.

He's been signed because he fits the "playing it out the back" bollocks. But this is League Two. No point having a keeper who can play it out the back if they're like a sieve when it comes to keeping shots at goal out.

Hey, the sieve has been copyrighted on notts county’s defence, you’re infringing my friend

In fairness that keeper looked absolute dogshit, i’ve seen worse in the conference.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Hey, the sieve has been copyrighted on notts county’s defence, you’re infringing my friend

In fairness that keeper looked absolute dogshit, i’ve seen worse in the conference.

I apologise for the gimmick infringement haha! Perhaps we call him a colander instead?

I come across Marschall during Gateshead's NLN title winning season and he got plaudits there and rightly so but the quality between the 6th and 4th tiers is obviously such a jump that it would have been a huge risk to sign him at the time. He's therefore worked with Williamson before and absolutely flopped at MK Dons which means perhaps L2 is too big a step for him. It's happened to us this season with Harvey Davies, who I don't think has a future in league football either.

All comes down to these Academy GK coaches neglecting the bread and butter of shot stopping and handling the ball in favour of the obsesssion with playing it out from the back. It's a scourge on the lower league game and, when it goes wrong, which is more often than not at this level, it makes professional footballers look incredibly foolish.

 

[Scum.]

Like I said before the game started, this has been Marschall’s season. Conceded about 3 goals a game on average, no joke.

 

[Kauto Star]

Who knows. I'm just happy we've got the finalists that we have.

I would have preferred to play Franchise FC over Crawley to be honest if my lot were in your shoes

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

I would have preferred to play Franchise FC over Crawley to be honest if my lot were in your shoes

I know it means nothing but we've done the double over Crawley this season. But I'm certainly not underestimating what an excellent side they are and form does go out of the window when it comes to these big games.

My omen is the last time we played a CTFC in the playoff final, we doubled them in the season too before beating them at Wembley. Here's hoping history repeats itself!

 

[CTFC - Devils]

Our past performances against you are meaningless. You can make a case for either side. We were separated by a point in the table and you've just destroyed MK Dons over 2 legs, whilst we only performed in 1. It's a coin flip. If you play how you did against MK, on a big Wembley pitch, we'll have no chance. However, if we show up how we did at Donny, then it'll be an even game.

Wouldn't surprise me if we needed ET and penalties to separate the teams. Feels like false modesty on your part.

I think that’s what Casey needs to rename himself… false modesty has a nice ring to it

It’s going to be one helluva day for us Wembley virgins.

 

[Carver]

Crawley will get promoted no matter what next weekend because of the Stevenage/Crawley effect.

A phenomenon where if Stevenage get promoted or relegated, Crawley will do the exact same the year after.

 

[Casey]

It's not false modesty. Crewe are a bogey side for us..

I do like the Stevenage connection, Carver. A coincidence I'm going to believe for a while.

I'm still pinching myself...but enough of my little perversions. I hope our two injuries from last night recover in time for the game. That would be truly heartbreaking for them if they don't. Wright, especially looked in series trouble.

Casey

 

[JJ1990]

It's not false modesty. Crewe are a bogey side for us..

I do like the Stevenage connection, Carver. A coincidence I'm going to believe for a while.

I'm still pinching myself...but enough of my little perversions. I hope our two injuries from last night recover in time for the game. That would be truly heartbreaking for them if they don't. Wright, especially looked in series trouble.

Casey

It's false modesty because you make it sound like you're massive underdogs. You've just come off the back of the biggest aggregate win in play-off history. That's the only relevant thing here. If you are discarding that, then you should be rights discard all this "bogey team" stuff as well, as those wins, even the one in October, were in very different circumstances with different teams of players etc.

The reality is, the form, logic and the betting markets have you as slight favourites. Which feels more than fair. Now, if either side wins, will it be poor for the other team to have lost it? No. But this is a very well balanced tie with either outcome equally likely I'd say.

 

[Wootball]

I would have preferred to play Franchise FC over Crawley to be honest if my lot were in your shoes

I can accept losing to Crawley. I can't accept MK Dons getting promoted.

 

[Stocky]

Crewe remind me of Carlisle from last season. Largely unfancied to do a lot at the start of the season but ultimately in the play off picture practically all season. Hard working side. The mirroring comparison bodes well for the final but maybe not for League One.

Crawley obviously were even more unfancied. Some of their football in the first leg was fantastic, I didn't see the game last night but seen the goals back and again some lovely stuff.

Got a feeling the final will be a grind though, Play Off Finals rarely aren't and I think Crewe might be better at grinding it out. But if Crawley can play some of the football they played in the semi's they could do some real damage on the big Wembley pitch.

 

[Sussexred]

Very happy for Crawley and their fans to be joining us at Wembley. Scott Lindsey is my manager of the season and has done an excellent job. Many of us were confused he left Swindon for Crawley but he certainly did the right thing. Swindon look to be a club going nowhere at the moment whereas Lindsey may well get promotion this Summer with Crawley and that'll certainly have a few clubs higher up the food chain looking at just how good a job he's doing.

My biggest fear is that Ronan Darcy may well score against us next week. We were minutes from signing him in Winter only for a late submission of paperwork to derail our chances. If we win on Sunday I won't be surprised to see us sign him within weeks. If we lose, we haven't got a chance.

Don't know how it'll go next week. Wembley is unchartered territory for Crawley whereas our manager has been here before as a player and won promotion. The fact we're here 2 seasons after the worst season we've had in living memory is a remarkable turnaround in such a short space of time. Our club is in the best state it's been in off the pitch since the Championship days so here's hoping a promotion can keep accelerating the growth we've experienced this season.

If it's not to be though, it's not to be. And I certainly wouldn't begrudge Crawley if they were to win promotion themselves.

We are indeed in uncharted territory and beyond our wildest dreams.
Should be a good footballing match and both teams deserve to be there.

 

[Casey]

I don't make us favourites. I make Crewe the favourites.

They finished higher than us so on the only truthful scale we can measure by they are a better team therefore, the favourites.

It is a one off game though. Anything can happen. I hope both teams turn up and play an exciting game...you know who I want to win.

I also hope both sets of fans gave a great day out (marred by the result for one set) and when we meet in the pubs before and after we can have a chat and a pint together.

Casey

 

[hellogregory]

Crewe remind me of Carlisle from last season. Largely unfancied to do a lot at the start of the season but ultimately in the play off picture practically all season. Hard working side. The mirroring comparison bodes well for the final but maybe not for League One.

Crewe look a half decent team to me with a good group but no outstanding individuals. Where as I don’t think we really were that good a team, we just had the best player out of all the teams in and around the playoffs and that was the difference. Other than Moxon it was a bottom half squad really.

 

[GEORGE]

We are indeed in uncharted territory and beyond our wildest dreams.
Should be a good footballing match and both teams deserve to be there.

What a fantastic result you achieved. No way I thought you would beat MK over two legs . But you fully deserved it.

 

[chief]

I don't make us favourites. I make Crewe the favourites.

They finished higher than us so on the only truthful scale we can measure by they are a better team therefore, the favourites.

It is a one off game though. Anything can happen. I hope both teams turn up and play an exciting game...you know who I want to win.

I also hope both sets of fans gave a great day out (marred by the result for one set) and when we meet in the pubs before and after we can have a chat and a pint together.

Casey

How hyped are you to see Crawley at the new Wembley for the first time?

What sort of numbers are you expecting to take?

 

[devilofajob]

How hyped are you to see Crawley at the new Wembley for the first time?

What sort of numbers are you expecting to take?

Because we've not been there before, we've an initial allocation of 19,556.
I would think for several reasons we'd exceed that; mainly because of the transformative effect Scott Lindsey and the group of players he's assembled have had. I would say around 24k. (15k of which we'll probably never see again)
Looking forward to it.
Crawley v Birmingham City, that would be interesting!

 

[CTFC - Devils]

How hyped are you to see Crawley at the new Wembley for the first time?

What sort of numbers are you expecting to take?

We genuinely have no idea what sort of numbers we’re gunna get, could be 10000 or it could be 25000.
I would be very disappointed if we took any less than 15k considering the numbers we took to Old Trafford all those years ago.
From what I’m hearing a lot of friends/family who have never been to a game are wanting to get tickets so we shall see

 

[Bottega Don]

What are Crawley fans views on WAGMI now?

I recall their being a lot of criticism at first but now they've made the playoffs in the 2nd full year have thoughts changed?

 

[gary]

Not a lot of love lost between AFC Wimbledon and Crawley supporters but credit to Crawley. for the way they have played this season. I'm sure I speak for the majority of Wimbledon supporters in saying that we enjoyed last night. In fact I'm sure most supporter's up and down the country enjoyed MK getting hammered. The only downside is that we've got to play them again next season.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Crawley were passing it around their defence when they were losing at Meadow Lane this season, might not have been tonight tbf.

"Passing for passing's sake" is essentially the same as "lumping it" imo. No one plans to do those things, they think they're "drawing the opposition out" or "getting it forward quickly", the difference is basically whether they do it well or not. There aren't many teams who are successful taking that approach, but almost every team that gets relegated from league two does so trying to "get it forward quickly".

In our previous spells in league 2, a number of teams that got the ball forward quickly tended to do pretty well (including Sutton ironically). Perhaps it's changed, but I just don't see how knocking it across the back line will create success at this poor level of football. The players aren't good enough.

 

[CTFC - Devils]

What are Crawley fans views on WAGMI now?

I recall their being a lot of criticism at first but now they've made the playoffs in the 2nd full year have thoughts changed?

Had this chat in the stands last night. I think both the fans and Wagmi have had to eat a fair share of humble pie.
There was so much vitriol sent their way, they had to take a step back and stay invisible following all the embarrassing initiatives they attempted.
They ultimately bought the club so they could use us as an experiment but quickly found out what English football means to the fans, no matter the size of the club.
Their recruitment has been superb and they do deserve credit for completely turning this around from what was an utter shit show. We are another example that a stats/numbers based recruitment policy can work wonders. We signed Orsi solely on his XG created, clearly not his goal scoring record and who can forget their greatest signing of them all, Lindsey.
Unfortunately, there are still some fans who will moan about them but if they carry on the way they are, what’s the problem?
Same approach as referees, if you’re not talking about them, they’re probably doing a pretty good job.

 

[Meadow]

I've just seen the ticket prices, cheapest adult tickets are just £27. Market the hell out of this Crawley, it's not as if Wembley is that far.

 

[Meadow]

Not a lot of love lost between AFC Wimbledon and Crawley supporters but credit to Crawley. for the way they have played this season. I'm sure I speak for the majority of Wimbledon supporters in saying that we enjoyed last night. In fact I'm sure most supporter's up and down the country enjoyed MK getting hammered. The only downside is that we've got to play them again next season.

TBH, the only time I had an issue with Crawley was when Fatty McFraud was their manager. I still call them Creepy out of habit but wish them good luck as I do to Crewe.

 

[valefan16]

Great effort from Crewe to turn that around as they looked dead and buried and no form suggested anything other than a comfortable Doncaster progression Friday night. Just shows the play offs are a real lottery. Did much better in the shootout than the last time I saw them take penalties!

Crawley have done very well, was really impressed first leg and to take MK apart again away, seem to have gone under the radar for fans who maybe haven't followed L2 this season but look very good.

Couldn't call the final really, you'd think Crewe would be buzzing with how they come back into it, but then Crawley will be buzzing from winning 8-1 on agg so could go either way, maybe a clash of styles a bit with Crawley looking attacking and Crewe being more solidly set up.

MK and Donny staying down maybe makes things tougher next season for sides with promotion aspirations.

 

[Wootball]

Can't argue with these seats! Buzzing to be back there!

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Oooo that seating plan sure does bring back memories. Mild panic two of us trying to get a group of 16 together whilst on the phone, somewhere half decent whilst sat in queues online and with it crashing at the payment stage more than once.

Very relieved once all sorted (block 215) and a big group certainly added to that wonderful day at the national stadium.

Enjoy folks, make the most pre game.

 

[Crewelad87]

Oooo that seating plan sure does bring back memories. Mild panic two of us trying to get a group of 16 together whilst on the phone, somewhere half decent whilst sat in queues online and with it crashing at the payment stage more than once.

Very relieved once all sorted (block 215) and a big group certainly added to that wonderful day at the national stadium.

Enjoy folks, make the most pre game.

Hard to make the most of pre game when it's an early kick off and were got 3-4 hour journey. The efl and sky as always looking after the fans ................... luckily my coach is leaving at 5:30 am so will get there with plenty of time pre match.

 

[Gi Dalor]

With people talking about who would be favourites, I considered it before looking at the odds.
I'd have made Crawley narrow favourites, but they're quite strongly favoured by the bookies, (to win in 90 minutes at least).

 

[Wootball]

6 tickets and the new shirt in the bag, today is a good day.