Crewe vs Mansfield

[Crewelad87]

Mansfield are the next visitors to fortress Gresty Rd. I see this as probably the biggest test of our new found defensive strength at home. We’ve only conceded two goals all season, and come off the back of another impressive results 2-0 at home vs an in form Grimsby. A win for us would see us jump up to 11th, whilst a win for the stags puts them into play off contention. Ng is back from suspension so I guess he will come back in for Hunt. Also with Nolan being close to a return, we actually have abit of depth, that we haven’t had all season.

My prediction would be,

Crewe 1-1 Mansfield (Bowery, Walker) 3,320 (303 Stags)

I’d probably take a draw in truth, keeps the unbeaten run going.

 

[Richard Cranium]

0-0. We are without Sweeney and Benning through suspension and maybe Olejnik and Khan who both got injured Saturday. Probably should have just played this when we were meant too...

 

[Conker]

Yeah we are in trouble without 4 certain first team starters.

Have we even got enough players to cover Sweeney or Benning? Might have to draft a few young ens in.

 

[JJ1532]

Good to see you are missing a few, but as CL87 says, big test of our new defensive strength and home form. A win would be amazing, but like he says, I'd take a draw.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Benning not suspended as apparently League Cup bookings don’t count towards the league anymore.

 

[Spanishstag]

Got a draw written all over it so stags to win by the odd goal ,well 0 1 cos we never score more than 1 guess where i will be watching richard

 

[Richard Cranium]

In Adam’s lounge?

 

[Spanishstag]

In Adam’s lounge?

God forbid i dont do places like that

 

[AdamStag]

God forbid i dont do places like that

About to say, no thanks! The garden maybe

 

[AdamStag]

In Adam’s lounge?

Well, I am there tonight!

Even got time for a crafty pint in the local in Manchester before getting the train

Should be there for 5,30 - expect a draw given our record and Crewes home record

 

[Crewelad87]

What’s happened to the Mansfield forwards? You started the season looking like you would score a lot of goals. Walker and Khan especially.

 

[Conker]

What’s happened to the Mansfield forwards? You started the season looking like you would score a lot of goals. Walker and Khan especially.

Can’t hit a barn door, to be fair Khan is quality and creates shedloads of chances.
We have more shots on target than anyone else in the league we just can’t convert them.

Khan went off at half-time injured so hopefully he’s recovered.

 

[Spanishstag]

About to say, no thanks! The garden maybe

Garden adam surely oop in manchester its all back yards and outside lavvies

 

[AdamStag]

Exactly

 

[AdamStag]

Can’t hit a barn door, to be fair Khan is quality and creates shedloads of chances.
We have more shots on target than anyone else in the league we just can’t convert them.

Khan went off at half-time injured so hopefully he’s recovered.

Wasn't having his best of games tbh Saturday, half wondered if it was a smokescreen

 

[Richard Cranium]

He still created 4/5 chances though, If we finish those then people see he’s having a good game. I thought he was gash after the Carlisle game then read Martin’s report and he’d created 9 chances!

Hopefully he and Olejnik are fit tonight.

Olejnic
White, Preston, Pearce
Hamilton, Bishop, Mellis, Benning
Khan
Walker, Rose.

Would be good to get a win tonight and make it 7 from 9 but it won’t be easy against a side that have a very good home record. Fingers crossed Walker can get a goal and find some confidence aswell

 

[Crewelad87]

2 down at half time, very harsh. Fairly even half but Mansfield have been much more clinical. The ball just doesn’t seem to want to go in for us. Miller, Kirk and Bowery all missing good chances. Big half needed.

 

[Conker]

For once we can say after a three game run we are actually happy with the points return.

Say it quietly but we might start to rise up in to the promotion spots now.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Over the moon Walker scored and by the sounds of things played well. 7 points from 9 is a good return, Now we must get our first back to back win of the season on Saturday

 

[Crewelad87]

Not good enough tonight in the defensive or attacking thirds of the pitch. Wasted far too many chances.

Mansfield were good though, just about the perfect away performance. Need to start a new little run on Saturday now.

 

[AdamStag]

Felt a bit for crewe in the first half, wasn’t a 2-0 game at half time. Had their 20 not gone down in a completely ridiculous and embarrassing way to try and get Hayden white sent off just before half time I’d have had More sympathy.

2nd half was much more of a stroll when the 3rd went in, then we threatened to run riot. You get the feeling that Crewe have had a relatively easy home start to the season and we must have been a bit of a culture shock to both the players and fans, unable to deal with any sense of physicality and expecting the ref to give fouls when they were simply too soft to deal with to a side like ours, thankfully the ref saw straight through it.

IVe given flitcroft plenty of stick, and more than often completely justified, tonight and in the last week he’s done himself no harm however.

 

[JJ1532]

Reality check for sure. Season is shaping up very much like last season. Enough about us to beat the bottom half teams, mostly at home. But every time we come up against a better side, they have the quality to punish us. We struggle like hell as soon as we fall behind but look pretty resilient when we are level or ahead. All sounds very familiar. The makings of another 15th-18th placed finish.

We've played an even split of 8 top and bottom half teams after 16 games and here is our record:
Top Half: Win 1, draw 3, lost 4, Scored 3, Conceded 13.
Bottom Half: Win 4, Draw 1, Lost 3, Scored 13, Conceded 4.

The concerning thing for me are the comments about how the midfield are struggling, especially Jones and Wintle. Jones needs to get his head out of his arse. He's 22, has played 120 games, including a bunch in L1. He should be dominating this level if he ever wants to play higher. If not, then enjoy another 18 months of the 4th division.

Wintle is also disappointing. I know he didn't play a lot last season, but I thought he looked reasonable. But this season, people say he doesn't look L2 standard. Seems like now is the time to rejig the midfield. Bring in Nolan or Hunt at CB, maybe O'Connor to LB. That frees Pickering and Ng to move forward. Both have a goal threat, we saw that last season. Get them higher up and they might give the team more of an attacking edge potentially.

Tough game against an improving Northampton on Saturday, be interesting to see if Artell keeps faith with the same XI.

 

[Son of Cod]

Mansfield winning all these cancelled matches then. Absolute quisling charlatans.

 

[Conker]

We need to win our first back to back wins at Cheltenham, every time we have won so far we have gone in to the next game and done the usual 1-1 draw or something.

This does feel a tad different though, and Cheltenham are struggling so it’s the perfect opportunity to show we are serious contenders this season.

The unbeaten away form continues.

 

[Conker]

Mansfield winning all these cancelled matches then. Absolute quisling charlatans.

You lot are gunna face Mansfield in the middle of the Stags express now.

 

[Wooderson]

Great result Stags! Wish we still had Bish in the centre of midfield!

 

[Son of Cod]

You lot are gunna face Mansfield in the middle of the Stags express now.

Haha indeed, as much as I am going to regret paying £10 to watch it on iFollow I am very pleased that I've already bought a little blue and amber neckerchief for my dog.

 

[Conker]

Haha indeed, as much as I am going to regret paying £10 to watch it on iFollow I am very pleased that I've already bought a little blue and amber neckerchief for my dog.

Make sure to post pics.

Great result Stags! Wish we still had Bish in the centre of midfield!

We need to wrap him in cotton wool.

 

[AdamStag]

In fairness to Crewe they could have very easily taken the lead - never seen such a bizarre amount of corners in 1 game - seemingly about 10/12 down 1 side (to our left) and only 1 on the other side - we dealt with them very well mind, dread to think what would have happened with Logan in net mind.

I think the stags fans all mentioned that given Morecambe, MK, Crewe, Cheltenham and Grimsby it would a good run - the draw with MK - and so far we've done well.

Even my frosty and highly critical view on Flitcroft might soften if we carry on.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Crap finishing, even worse defending. If we (/Miller) were as clinical as Mansfield it could have been 3-3. No big disaster but shows how George Ray is still prone to his off days and we just don’t have the attack to get much further up the table, as much as I like Bowery and Miller.