Bit of a Derby: Crewe Alex v Port Vale

[Dave-Vale]

Another big game down at the bottom.

We come into it off the back of a good run of performances and a very good result against Chesterfield after going down to 10 men. Crewe seemed to have turned the corner with a couple of good results but seem to have gone backwards again against Barnet.

Fancy us to get 3 points on Monday in front of 2500 noisy Vale fans.

2-1 - Pope and Hannant for Vale. Bowery for Crewe.

 

[valefan16]

Win this safety is assured.

Changed your prediction now Dave?

Confidence should be sky high and mixed with the way we’ve been playing lately with a more settled side I’m hopeful of a win here.

Point wouldn’t be the end of the world with two home games up next and would ease us closer to the line.

Positive of Pugh being sent off means we won’t be subject to the Pugh and Tonge 900 year old midfield. Go with Kay for Pugh and Whitfield for Barnett and that should be as strong of a line up we’ve fielded in months.

Sneaky 2-1 win with Pope and Wozza securing League Football for the Valiants.

Didn’t realise as an aside that we’ve such a half decent record at Crewe compared to our dreadful on at Vale Park either! Only 2 losses in 10 seasons. Three wins and a couple of draws.

 

[Dave-Vale]

Win this safety is assured.

Changed your prediction now Dave?

Yeah on yesterday’s showing with 10 men for a full half I’m a lot more confident we can go there and win. That, and having 2500 Vale fans there who will all be a lot more positive.

Play with the sort of energy and intensity we did yesterday then we will get something out of the game.

Expect there will be lots of chants in reference to recent events at Crewe.

 

[valefan16]

Yeah on yesterday’s showing with 10 men for a full half I’m a lot more confident we can go there and win. That, and having 2500 Vale fans there who will all be a lot more positive.

Play with the sort of energy and intensity we did yesterday then we will get something out of the game.

Expect there will be lots of chants in reference to recent events at Crewe.

There was before it all ‘came out’ so expect so unfortunately...

 

[JJ1532]

Jeez, first win in 15 and you are all suddenly predicting another win here!

With it being Easter Monday and with something riding on it for both teams, hopefully there should be a decent crowd. Be disappointed if there are less than 4,000 home fans.

We had a massive off day yesterday. Didn't play to the conditions and made some silly mistakes. Thankfully, we are where we are currently because those kind of performances have been one offs of late. Our home record against teams outside the top 10 is 7-2-1, so not many teams have come to us and won.

Would happily take a point from this. I'll go 1-1 draw.

 

[valefan16]

Oddly when we have won we have usually gone on a winning streak this season. Aside from the first game of the season and the Barnet win in November our other seven before yesterday all happened in two streaks.

Won 3 in a week in October and won 4 drew 1 in 5 in December. Massively confidence based it would seem!

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Really don't know what to expect from Vale under Aspin apart from the fact that they'll be up for it. That said, Artell will make sure our lot are up for it too.

Only done the double over Vale once (2014-15) but I genuinely expect us to put in an improved performance compared to Friday's mess. 1-1 draw with us taking the lead I feel. I'm pretty sure both sides would take a point.

I'm not worried about the next two after this game, Mansfield and Luton are both experiencing wobbles and it's the type of game we often relish (see Portsmouth and Plymouth, even if we lost that game, last year and Lincoln this year). The only way I'll be worried is if we enter the Morecambe game on a 4 game losing streak.

 

[valefan16]

I would describe us currently as fairly solid and hard to break down, creating more chances but not very clinical. High energy without the ball.

Aspin seems to have finally got us settled after a disruptive January, we’ve played well of late without getting the results we’ve deserved. In the 14 game winless run we only lost 6 (1 loss in last 6) with 8 draws and lost 5 of those by the odd goal with four of the six losses against high flying sides in Accrington, Exeter, Swindon and Notts County, only really the Cheltenham second half debacle which was mega critical so although longer than Browns run early season it gave us more points!

What we’ve done is finally seemed to settle on the back 5 which has helped the organisation side of things oddly with the left back problem solved in the most unlikely way with Montano converted from failing winger to superb left back! None of us saw that one coming in January to be fair.

We don’t concede much now but don’t overly score many either... although the return of Pope without the hernia hopefully will address that somewhat and we can get some points on the board.

Either way I hope come 5pm on Saturday after these two games (3-4 points better off the aim) we can smoke our cigars and plan our summer holidays.

Surely we both can get the 2-3 points needed anyway come May!

 

[Crewelad87]

Our home form is very decent vs the team' around us so hopefully we can keep that up. I honestly believe man for man were better than Vale, but we are Crewe and catastrophic performance is always only just around the corner.

Crewe 2-1 Vale (Mckirdy, Ainley, Hannant) 6,855 (2200 of them lot)

 

[valefan16]

Our home form is very decent vs the team' around us so hopefully we can keep that up. I honestly believe man for man were better than Vale, but we are Crewe and catastrophic performance is always only just around the corner.

Crewe 2-1 Vale (Mckirdy, Ainley, Hannant) 6,855 (2200 of them lot)

We’re both absolute shit. There’s no one from Crewe id want and doubt there’s hardly if any from Vale that Crewe would want in terms of improvement, although Worrall, Whitfield and Pope are probably better than anything you have you’ve got more average players compared to some of our dead wood.

Two similar squads who will finish on similar points tally’s.

On a side note we’ve only lost twice to sides outside the top ten since Aspins first game in October. Draw specialists mind!

 

[Dave-Vale]

Result could go anyway.

I look forward to hearing Artell’s interview after the game

Hannant and Whitfield are the sort of players who look like they’ve come through the Crewe Academy.

 

[JJ1532]

Result could go anyway.

I look forward to hearing Artell’s interview after the game

Hannant and Whitfield are the sort of players who look like they’ve come through the Crewe Academy.

Erm, no.

We'll have no sick jokes about the sexual abuse stuff, thanks. Save that for your mates in the pub or in the stands tomorrow.

 

[valefan16]

Result could go anyway.

I look forward to hearing Artell’s interview after the game

Hannant and Whitfield are the sort of players who look like they’ve come through the Crewe Academy.

Hanno has impressed, I really hope Aspo can dig out a few more like that in the summer. Took the step up in his stride... even put in a solid shift with half his skull missing after the assault on him Friday!

 

[valefan16]

Result could go anyway.

I look forward to hearing Artell’s interview after the game

Hannant and Whitfield are the sort of players who look like they’ve come through the Crewe Academy.

Record yourself eating a greasy sandwich whilst being passively aggressive and you have your Artell interview!

 

[Crewelad87]

We’re both absolute shit. There’s no one from Crewe id want and doubt there’s hardly if any from Vale that Crewe would want in terms of improvement, although Worrall, Whitfield and Pope are probably better than anything you have you’ve got more average players compared to some of our dead wood.

Two similar squads who will finish on similar points tally’s.

On a side note we’ve only lost twice to sides outside the top ten since Aspins first game in October. Draw specialists mind!

I' say we have a few decent young players who will probably play higher at some point. Ainley, Pickering, Ray, Jones, Kirk, Ng. Will all probably play higher. By no means are they the finished article. I just feel we have more to be optimistic about in our squad compared to Vale. Usually you would have at east a couple of players id like to have but I can honestly say I'd struggle this season, I'd even pass on Pope.

 

[valefan16]

I' say we have a few decent young players who will probably play higher at some point. Ainley, Pickering, Ray, Jones, Kirk, Ng. Will all probably play higher. By no means are they the finished article. I just feel we have more to be optimistic about in our squad compared to Vale. Usually you would have at east a couple of players id like to have but I can honestly say I'd struggle this season, I'd even pass on Pope.

What the Pope who in a poor squad has hit 16 goals despite playing for months with a hernia injury? Easily one of the top hitmen at this level and had we had a half decent attack all season he’d have scored 20-25.

I’d argue Worrall is our best player though and won promotion with Millwall last season before becoming homesick. He’s a level above this league and showing it more lately.

We have some decent younger players.
Smith will play higher as should Gibbons and Whitfield but a lot of this squad will be torn up (again) only this time we will have JR and Aspin recruiting rather than Michael Clown so should get a better end product next season.

We do have some decent players for this level the problem has been atitude and at times the balance of the squad.

Signing 55 players in 18 months isn’t ideal so hopefully this time we will get it right.

It’s been an awful 18 months or so but hopefully we will not implode now, get away with it and sort this mess.

 

[Dave-Vale]

Hannant has made the step up from non league with ease. In fact, I’d say that he will eventually play at a higher level than this once he’s got more experience. Still a few things he needs to work on but his overall game is very good and he just sort of gets on with it and works hard.

Montano moving to left back has helped us, I can’t belive that I’m saying that because when I first saw that Aspin had put him there I was fuming; Aspin has definitely pulled that one out of the bag.

Howkins and Smith have developed a more settled centre back partnership which has stopped us leaking goals.

Worrall is one of those that always plays well so it’s expexted of him to put in a solid 8/10 performance every week.

Pope’s overall game for a striker is simply fantastic. His vision and hold up play is probably 2nd to none in this division.

Saturdays showing has made me a lot more positive about the prospects of finishing the season on a high and I think we have a fairly decent core of players that with a few additions could see us do something next season.

 

[valefan16]

Hannant has made the step up from non league with ease. In fact, I’d say that he will eventually play at a higher level than this once he’s got more experience. Still a few things he needs to work on but his overall game is very good and he just sort of gets on with it and works hard.

Montano moving to left back has helped us, I can’t belive that I’m saying that because when I first saw that Aspin had put him there I was fuming; Aspin has definitely pulled that one out of the bag.

Howkins and Smith have developed a more settled centre back partnership which has stopped us leaking goals.

Worrall is one of those that always plays well so it’s expexted of him to put in a solid 8/10 performance every week.

Pope’s overall game for a striker is simply fantastic. His vision and hold up play is probably 2nd to none in this division.

Saturdays showing has made me a lot more positive about the prospects of finishing the season on a high and I think we have a fairly decent core of players that with a few additions could see us do something next season.

There’s a decent core there, the squad man for man is far better than Glovers lower midtable dross of 2018 but needs to be balanced.

Keeper needs sorting next season, Booty isn’t the finished article yet and need a real experienced number 1 IMO

Need a partner for the pontiff who can score, someone who will tuck away 10-15 goals

Mobile box to box midfielder of the Foley ilk.

Then replace the loanees who I dare say will go back (although think Whitfield will be out of contract)

Doesn’t need the level of clear out of the past two seasons but needs all the dead wood gone and a smaller higher quality squad. Smurfs said he is excited by the plans Aspin has and signings lined up (rumour the other day in the press we are after a top National League talent) but that doesn’t mean anything!

With Aspin in charge we have been in mid table form anyway it was just the Brown disaster at the start of the season that cost us, had we had the trajectory of form since Aspo took over from the start of the season we’d be on the beach weeks ago!

 

[Andy Proctor]

The reason why i think crewe will win is because they can score more goals. In there squad they have dagnall porter bowery miller who can all score regulary if fit whereas if it wasnt for pope we have nobody that can score. Even barnett doesnt score goals anymore.

 

[valefan16]

The reason why i think crewe will win is because they can score more goals. In there squad they have dagnall porter bowery miller who can all score regulary if fit whereas if it wasnt for pope we have nobody that can score. Even barnett doesnt score goals anymore.

True but for all that have only scored 7 times more than us. Wycombe scored 23 times more than Crewe this season and we kept them out though so not the end of the world.

As for Barnett no longer scoring i didn’t realise he ever did

 

[Andy Proctor]

Barnett used to get around 10 to 14 goals a season for crawley and macclesfield. Only scored 4 last season and only got 2 goals this season. They may have only scored 7 goals more but if you asked any fans in the league would they prefer miller dagnall bowery and porter who can all score or just pope by himself they would pick crewes strikers all day long.

 

[valefan16]

Barnett used to get around 10 to 14 goals a season for crawley and macclesfield. Only scored 4 last season and only got 2 goals this season. They may have only scored 7 goals more but if you asked any fans in the league would they prefer miller dagnall bowery and porter who can all score or just pope by himself they would pick crewes strikers all day long.

Pope is the best of the lot but they are certainly above Anton and Tyrone... Hence why that has to be a priority in the summer to rectify that. We need two regular scorers. I still can’t figure out how the law of physics allowed Tyrone to miss that chance Friday!

 

[valefan16]

Notice there has to be about 14 hours solid heavy rain... any worries that this may get p-p?

 

[JJ1532]

I'll go all Michael Fish and pretend I know what I'm talking about, but it seems that the showers might be a bit broken and they seem to be stopping around 1 ish, so I would imagine we'll be ok. It might be a bit dicey at 1pm, but I reckon by 2-3, it'll be fine. Our pitch usually drains pretty well, can't remember the last time we had a game called off for waterlogging.

 

[Crewelad87]

The MET office app indicates its going to rain very heavy from about midnight til 8pm tomorrow. Like you say though drainage usually isn't a problem but that sort of volume of water may cause problems.

 

[Douglas_Valley_Reds]

If the up for it Alex turn up then I can see us winning easy against 1 win in 2018 Port Vale, on form we are miles better than them all over the pitch, including fatty Pope,decent lad though he is. If it's the not sure Alex then I can see Vale sneaking a point.

 

[kieran_vale]

Given you are miles better than us supposedly how come you only have one more point after 40 games? Face facts your team is mostly garbage just like Vale.

As for tomorrow whoever scores first will probably win. At least with Pugh suspended will have a bit more energy in midfield.

 

[Jockney]

What the Pope who in a poor squad has hit 16 goals despite playing for months with a hernia injury? Easily one of the top hitmen at this level and had we had a half decent attack all season he’d have scored 20-25.

I’d argue Worrall is our best player though and won promotion with Millwall last season before becoming homesick. He’s a level above this league and showing it more lately.

We have some decent younger players.
Smith will play higher as should Gibbons and Whitfield but a lot of this squad will be torn up (again) only this time we will have JR and Aspin recruiting rather than Michael Clown so should get a better end product next season.

We do have some decent players for this level the problem has been atitude and at times the balance of the squad.

Signing 55 players in 18 months isn’t ideal so hopefully this time we will get it right.

It’s been an awful 18 months or so but hopefully we will not implode now, get away with it and sort this mess.

Some very characteristic ValeFan16 spin there. Worrall made next to no impact here despite being on good terms with Harris. It was no surprise he was let go, and I suspected he might end up in L2 as he just didn’t seem to have a great deal about him.

 

[JJ1532]

Given you are miles better than us supposedly how come you only have one more point after 40 games? Face facts your team is mostly garbage just like Vale.

As for tomorrow whoever scores first will probably win. At least with Pugh suspended will have a bit more energy in midfield.

I'd have thought an obvious troll post would be obvious, and therefore not worth replying to. Come on Kieran, you've done this rodeo before, you should know better than that.

 

[Dave-Vale]

Not convinced that the game will be on if the weather in Crewe has been anything like it has here all night. Mixture of rain and snow for the last 12 hours or so and doesn’t look like stopping.

Also, can never be too sure which Crewe fans are trolling and which aren’t. Some of your fans have a right bizarre mindset and delusions of grandeur about your club.