2023/24 League Two Play-Offs

[valefan16]

Well done Crawley, great effort to get up, enjoy league one, looks an absolutely horrific league next season in terms of being competitive but give it a good go and of course plenty of big games to relish. Enjoy the moment as you never know when it comes around again.

Commiserations to Crewe, good effort to get there especially after the late season form, chance to regroup and go again, would have been very difficult next season in L1 and can build on a solid season going forward.

 

[Wootball]

Finally back home. 4am start and 8pm home for a 1pm kickoff that we got nowt from is a long, long day.

 

[GTFCfish]

Finally back home. 4am start and 8pm home for a 1pm kickoff that we got nowt from is a long, long day.

Could be worse, after our play off penalty shootout defeat to Bristol Rovers in 2015 I didn’t get home until 1AM and I was hallucinating on part of the drive because I was so tired, my Cousin had looked after our dog and she was at work in the morning so I couldn’t just stay over another night I had to drive in that state.

 

[Optipez]

Well done Crawley. Had you down for relegation in the 1 to 24 thread this time last year as everyone said Wagmi were terrible owners and you were a basket case. Not a heard a word of controversy over them all season and Scott Lindsey has quietly built a great team.

 

[Wootball]

Could be worse, after our play off penalty shootout defeat to Bristol Rovers in 2015 I didn’t get home until 1AM and I was hallucinating on part of the drive because I was so tired, my Cousin had looked after our dog and she was at work in the morning so I couldn’t just stay over another night I had to drive in that state.

This sounds like after Donny away for us ahaha

 

[chief]

Ffs Crewe.

 

[Crewelad87]

Most aren't Crawley fans. Same for Most lower league teams in Wembley finals. Nothing worse than lower league teams bragging like Oxford yesterday bragging about how many they've taken to Wembley. Where are they all throughout the season or when theyre having a mediocre season? In the pub watching Soccer Saturday waiting for the Premier League scores to come in.

Well done to Crawley. Stevie Lindsay where do you want your statue?

Crewe fans- hard luck but I thought you were crap to be honest. Straight back down if you'd gone up is the solace for those driving home.

It genuinely is, of course I would have loved to have won and been promoted and have a good go at league 1, and financially its what is best for the club. But it would have been a real hard season next year, that may have not been that enjoyable. We go again and as always with a Crewe team, I'm sure some players will move on but the next set of youngsters will be 1 year older and more experienced.

 

[devilofajob]

Thanks to those on here offering us congratulations, much appreciated. Good luck to Crewe next season.
I have now been at the games where we've had our largest and smallest support away from home since being a league club. Still taking the day in, but without VAR that could have been a different result.
Chuffed for Scott Lindsey, really deserves it.
But - Huddersfield, Birmingham, Bolton, Charlton, etc next season; going to be interesting.
Lastly, on the subject of WAGMI, they were pretty much detested by the fans at the start of the season but sensibly kept their heads down and let Scott get on with it. Noli Cedere!

 

[Boz]

Well done to Scott Lindsey’s Crawley, who surprised many of us with their success this season and deserved the chance to perform at a higher level. Commiserations to Crewe, though for selfish reasons as it’s a relatively local fixture, preferred them to stay down. Both beat wealthier opponents to reach the play-off final and an encouragement for next season to those less affluent teams in this league.

 

[GTFCfish]

It’s great when plucky ex non league minnows manage to get promoted and that’s 3 of them in the last 2 years now, in Crawley Stevenage and Carlisle.

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Congrats to Crawley, we were in League 1 with them when they were relegated from League 1 and I expected them to drift away into non league never to be seen again. Then again this season like many I had them down to struggle, this is all down to Scott Lindsey otherwise I think they would have been in trouble, the fine margins of football.

 

[Valeite]

Thank goodness for VAR doing it`s job for once, terrible dive by Long

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Congrats to Crawley, we were in League 1 with them when they were relegated from League 1 and I expected them to drift away into non league never to be seen again. Then again this season like many I had them down to struggle, this is all down to Scott Lindsey otherwise I think they would have been in trouble, the fine margins of football.

Fantastic manager who has been through a lot in life let alone football. Late bloomer to the management scene but deserves all the success and I have no doubt that one day a bigger club will come calling and he'll prosper there. Sadly it was at our expense but can't fault the bloke and he deserves everything good he gets in the game.

Thank goodness for VAR doing it`s job for once, terrible dive by Long

Hopefully the last we see of him in a Crewe shirt. Absolutely disgusted in him for doing that and the overwhelming majority of our fans are too.

 

[Wootball]

Don't worry, he'll be released today or tomorrow. I do like him as a player, he always gives what he can when he plays, but I'll never understand what he did yesterday. Never. Coupled with the fact that he's never fit and not worth what we pay him, get rid ASAP.

 

[DippyDon]

Congratulations Crawley, one of the most impressive Play Off Campaigns I've ever seen and fully deserved. A shame to lose a club I like quite a bit (and I actually played my last game of 11 a side at that stadium), but once again selfishly I'm glad we don't have to play you next season as well as keeping a fun away day in Crewe.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

The one good thing with Carlisle last season and Crawley this is the possibility is still there for any side to go up regardless of budget, assumption of player quality and expectation.

If manager works, tactics work, the team clicks and balance is there any have a chance, even them who this season have been the dregs of the league.

 

[Casey]

Thanks for all the kind words. Much appreciated...like it's got anything to do with what I've done.

Word of warning to anyone going to the Green Man pub. That's a steep hill! Bloody Hovis steep, and no ale being sold when you get there. Brew Dog Punk ipa neck oil is disgusting. Better off drinking Fosters.

We showed in the game some of the reasons we could do well and the reasons we will be straight back down. Lovely interplay and crisp passing . Openning up the opposition time and again. Horrendous passing the ball back to the keeper and each other in defensive areas. There are reasons we lost 18 games in a season. We did exactly this against Wrexham and they thrashed us 4-1 . League one attacks are gleefully rubbing their hands.

Fantastic day. Sunshine, good football and the right result. Crewe fans did their club proud and it was good to see fans stay after the final whistle and applaud their team for a good season...it probably doesn't feel like it at the moment though.

I suppose I should go and post on the league 1 forum. I will pop back and say hello but have a thought for me as I suffer Massi51 !

Casey

 

[Si Robin]

He's not as bad anymore to be fair. Still comes out with some crap mind

Well done Crawley - fully deserved from what I saw yesterday.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Thanks for all the kind words. Much appreciated...like it's got anything to do with what I've done.

Word of warning to anyone going to the Green Man pub. That's a steep hill! Bloody Hovis steep, and no ale being sold when you get there. Brew Dog Punk ipa neck oil is disgusting. Better off drinking Fosters.

We showed in the game some of the reasons we could do well and the reasons we will be straight back down. Lovely interplay and crisp passing . Openning up the opposition time and again. Horrendous passing the ball back to the keeper and each other in defensive areas. There are reasons we lost 18 games in a season. We did exactly this against Wrexham and they thrashed us 4-1 . League one attacks are gleefully rubbing their hands.

Fantastic day. Sunshine, good football and the right result. Crewe fans did their club proud and it was good to see fans stay after the final whistle and applaud their team for a good season...it probably doesn't feel like it at the moment though.

I suppose I should go and post on the league 1 forum. I will pop back and say hello but have a thought for me as I suffer Massi51 !

Casey

Believe it or not I'm over it already. I've mentioned before 2 years we were a total aberration of a football club which cost Artell his job and even 18 months ago we were a state with the wrong man in charge in Alex Morris. If you told me when we were getting schooled by Barrow 3-0 in October 2022 that we'd be in a playoff final at Wembley 18 months later I'd be thinking you were on about the Vanarama one! The strides we've made in a short space of time were excellent but we stumbled into the playoffs despite being briefly 2nd at the start of March when we were 2-0 up vs Morecambe before we collapsed. It's still been a successful season for us even if we couldn't get the job done.

Weaker league next season is on paper and, although we will be making a few changes to the squad, I can't see no reason as to why we won't be up there next season. I think all 24 clubs will have genuine Top 7 aspirations though so it'll be a free for all. But that's what makes this league entertaining.

I'm backing Crawley to survive next season, as long as Lindsey remains in charge and doesn't leave. There's a few teams in League One that are treading water continually and could well drop this season with the league getting stronger on paper (Burton, Cambridge, Shrewsbury), you've got teams like Stevenage, Orient and Northampton who may suffer second season syndrome and I always feel that a big spending side in L1 is always at risk of being in the relegation battle too. We saw Charlton in one for most of the season for instance and the season before, MK went down and Oxford almost joined them. With big spenders competing for the same pool of experienced players and maybe overlooking the bargains and younger players available on loan, not everyone is going to get the recruitment right with a big budget next season.

 

[CTFC - Devils]

Waking up this morning feels like it has sunk in about 25%, the reason I'm struggling so comprehend it is because of how stress free and comfortable the last 3 games have been (minus the disallowed pen yesterday). I mean that in the most respectable way but the play offs just shouldn't be that comfortable... i've watched and enjoyed the EFL play offs for years and I cant seem to find any similarities with what we've done vs what usually happens. It does help when the stars align and the oppositions don't really turn up.

Couldn't be prouder of our football club, outside of coaches and players. We have 6 full time staff who have not had a day off in nearly 3 weeks, the club absolutely smashed the short turnaround for the Wembley merch.

If and it's a huge IF, we keep hold of Lindsey and the core of our squad with a couple of decent additions, I genuinely think we can push for a mid-table finish. The chances are we will be in a relegation battle but as everyone found out this year, write us off at your peril!

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Waking up this morning feels like it has sunk in about 25%, the reason I'm struggling so comprehend it is because of how stress free and comfortable the last 3 games have been (minus the disallowed pen yesterday). I mean that in the most respectable way but the play offs just shouldn't be that comfortable... i've watched and enjoyed the EFL play offs for years and I cant seem to find any similarities with what we've done vs what usually happens. It does help when the stars align and the oppositions don't really turn up.

Couldn't be prouder of our football club, outside of coaches and players. We have 6 full time staff who have not had a day off in nearly 3 weeks, the club absolutely smashed the short turnaround for the Wembley merch.

If and it's a huge IF, we keep hold of Lindsey and the core of our squad with a couple of decent additions, I genuinely think we can push for a mid-table finish. The chances are we will be in a relegation battle but as everyone found out this year, write us off at your peril!

Polar opposite of our playoff final vs Cheltenham 12 years ago from our point of view. We went into that game back then very confident we'd see the job through which is what we did with relevant ease whereas yesterday I wasn't confident at all given we weren't the footballing side that we were in that previous final and we got badly exposed for it and deserved to come out second best.

 

[kieran_vale]

Waking up this morning feels like it has sunk in about 25%, the reason I'm struggling so comprehend it is because of how stress free and comfortable the last 3 games have been (minus the disallowed pen yesterday). I mean that in the most respectable way but the play offs just shouldn't be that comfortable... i've watched and enjoyed the EFL play offs for years and I cant seem to find any similarities with what we've done vs what usually happens. It does help when the stars align and the oppositions don't really turn up.

Couldn't be prouder of our football club, outside of coaches and players. We have 6 full time staff who have not had a day off in nearly 3 weeks, the club absolutely smashed the short turnaround for the Wembley merch.

If and it's a huge IF, we keep hold of Lindsey and the core of our squad with a couple of decent additions, I genuinely think we can push for a mid-table finish. The chances are we will be in a relegation battle but as everyone found out this year, write us off at your peril!

For what it’s worth based on what have seen last season there are three teams which are Burton, Cambridge and Shrewsbury who will almost certainly be around that bottom 4 all next season without major changes. You should back yourselves to be above them. There’ll be the second season syndrome teams (it’s definitely a thing there) and then Bristol Rovers seem to not be the most convincing so wouldn’t shock me if they ended up in a scrap to stay up too. All the best with it though.

One thing is will need more than one string to your bow so to speak. Once teams do find you out up there it is merciless how they exploit it. We found that to our cost after initially taking to it quite well when we first went up.

 

[Scum.]

Crewe fans, do you hate the play-offs now too?

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Crewe fans, do you hate the play-offs now too?

2 wins, 2 defeats in the final and 3 semi-final exits for us. Had we won yesterday we'd have won 3 consecutive playoff campaigns so I'm not exactly a critic of the playoffs myself.

 

[Wootball]

Crewe fans, do you hate the play-offs now too?

Not really. We deserved to lose and weren't confident, but they still gave us an incredible night at Doncaster and a day yesterday that many fans won't get to see. Obviously the result is a shame, but we expected it. It was just nice to have considering where we thought we'd be by the end of the season.

 

[valefan16]

For what it’s worth based on what have seen last season there are three teams which are Burton, Cambridge and Shrewsbury who will almost certainly be around that bottom 4 all next season without major changes. You should back yourselves to be above them. There’ll be the second season syndrome teams (it’s definitely a thing there) and then Bristol Rovers seem to not be the most convincing so wouldn’t shock me if they ended up in a scrap to stay up too. All the best with it though.

One thing is will need more than one string to your bow so to speak. Once teams do find you out up there it is merciless how they exploit it. We found that to our cost after initially taking to it quite well when we first went up.

Agree with this, Burton, Cambridge and Shrews were terrible but saved by 4 worse clubs, with two big spenders going up they would expect to finish above them 3 and Mansfield probably similar to us have the ability to make an initial fist of it at least.

The issue for Crawley would be the way they play, its great to watch but against sides up there more often than not your getting picked off so will need to be more robust when needed, if you go away to Bolton and play attacking football its probably not going to end well for instance!

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

The play off team doesn’t always drop back down.

Carlisle did, but I think their summer was hampered by losing their top scorer, a poor budget and probably a lot of delays behind scenes with owners expecting to sell up (this putting zero income to it) and taking too long for a sale to be completed.

Even then Carlisle competed the first half of season and were no worse than the rest end of November.

What collapsed it all like a pack of cards was takeover happening and everyone from owner, manager, commentators and fans then openly in public telling the entire first team they were all crap and needed replaced in January…..it destroyed the team unity and that extra effort just leaving a side not good enough.

It was L1 suicide doing this and even if true should have been handled in a much better way (adding quality to this good team etc etc) than just constantly saying we were sh*t.

If Crawley can keep their main players, add to it and just have that battle and team unity they have a chance, as mentioned is others have been a shambles for 2-3 seasons.

 

[valefan16]

The play off team doesn’t always drop back down.

Carlisle did, but I think their summer was hampered by losing their top scorer, a poor budget and probably a lot of delays behind scenes with owners expecting to sell up (this putting zero income to it) and taking too long for a sale to be completed.

Even then Carlisle competed the first half of season and were no worse than the rest end of November.

What collapsed it all like a pack of cards was takeover happening and everyone from owner, manager, commentators and fans then openly in public telling the entire first team they were all crap and needed replaced in January…..it destroyed the team unity and that extra effort just leaving a side not good enough.

It was L1 suicide doing this and even if true should have been handled in a much better way (adding quality to this good team etc etc) than just constantly saying we were sh*t.

If Crawley can keep their main players, add to it and just have that battle and team unity they have a chance, as mentioned is others have been a shambles for 2-3 seasons.

Last 5 winners have come down within 2 seasons in fairness, and the club before that did stay up was Coventry who are not your standard L2 outfit.

 

[Wootball]

The gulf is massive. We found that out when we were lucky to scrape a 0-0 at Port Vale - only to lose on penalties. We were holding up fine when they had their second string on, but as soon as they brought on their League One quality players (even if they were loanees) we got hammered and barely held on. That was when we were decent in League Two, too. It's a big, big jump up in quality.

 

[valefan16]

The gulf is massive. We found that out when we were lucky to scrape a 0-0 at Port Vale - only to lose on penalties. We were holding up fine when they had their second string on, but as soon as they brought on their League One quality players (even if they were loanees) we got hammered and barely held on. That was when we were decent in League Two, too. It's a big, big jump up in quality.

Blaster came on but he was the only loanee, Wilson, Massey (both released) Chislett and Plant were all permanents, if he doesn't get sold Chislett is a big player for us this coming season and Plant from the academy if finally used properly could be a good asset but those changes completely turned the game.

It was men v boys against Mansfield too and we were already on the slide by then so shows it does take a big improvement to even compete at that level these days.

Ironically the side that caused us the most issues from L2 in the cups was Sutton! They missed 3 or 4 very good chances before Funso scored a screamer late on.