Crewe vs Salford

[The Alex]

Don’t know much about Salford’s team other than the bloke they signed from Aberdeen (he still there?), they’ve not had too bad a start, a good win against Grimsby last time out and some solid draws, only losing twice to our 3 defeats. But for the first time this season I’m truly confident we should be picking up 3 points, as long as the referee doesn’t ruin it. Would be nice to see a few more faces down Gresty Road, the players deserve it. Last weeks attendance against Cambridge was poor.

2nd vs 16th. 0 draws vs 5 draws.

Hoping we properly click and give them a comfortable pasting. I’d keep the team the same, think Artell will bring Lancashire back into defence for this one.

3-0, Kirk, Anene and Powell with his first of the season.

 

[valefan16]

Salford were terrible against us, probably as bad an opponent we've faced but they seem to keep nicking draws, as they somehow did that day. (Think a few reports on here that fans have felt mugged by them!)

They've been absolutely trounced a couple of times they have lost though. If Crewe are clinical this will go one way... if not they'll probably get a barely deserved point.

Don't think Rooney has done much this season for them has he? Was anonymous against us.

 

[Crewelad87]

Like most teams Vs us nowerdays Salford are going to make it hard for us. Probably defend deep with plenty of men behind the ball and look to counter us. Hoping for a comfortable win but I can see another tight game.

I'd like to see Dale maybe start ahead of Powell. Powells end product lacks, Dale came up with s great assist in the last min at Orient and probably deserves s start now.

Crewe 2-1 (Porter, Dale, Lloyd) 4,022 (450 Salford)

 

[TimeyWimey]

6-1. Porter hat-trick. Gresty Road rocking.

 

[JJ1532]

Got to tidy up at both ends of the pitch. At Grimsby and on Tuesday, we could have fallen behind had they taken their penalties. And last Saturday, our downfall was just as much our own making as it was the refs. Poor defending, the red card.

Keep it simple at the back, try and limit the mistakes. And at the other end, actually take the chances when they come. Porter and Powell are knocking on the door, time to actually, you know, score. I'll take any kind of win ahead of Cheltenham next weekend.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Easy Crewe win. Salford are poor.

 

[GTFCfish]

Crewe best team we’ve played so far, Salford the worst.
Away win.

 

[JJ1532]

Sweet holy jesus, that was eye wateringly bad. Easy passes going miles away, losing the individual battles, no movement, no pressing, no urgency, mistakes everywhere. All this capped off by an easy grab from a cross spilled by Jaaskelainen and tapped in by Rooney.

That was easily, by far, the worst half of football played this season. Lucky Salford aren't out of sight.

 

[JJ1532]

That was honestly incredible. That 2nd half, we looked like a top half L1 team. Ripped them to shreds, scored some cracking goals. Everyone played well, played with style, pace, movement. The 2nd and 3rd goals were of the highest quality. Cracking result after how the 1st half played out.

Next week looks to be a great game.

 

[The Alex]

Haha the 2 opening statements to those posts JJ. It’s crazy how much we turn it on in the 2nd half, I’m starting to think it’s a tactic to make the other team think we’re bad 1st half.

What a team. We’re going up, thanks for coming Salford.

 

[JJ1532]

I think both were fair at the time of posting. The first half was abject in every sense, the second half was incredible in every sense. Never seen such a dramatic turnaround in a 15 minute spell.

 

[Crewelad87]

Crazy game of football. 1st half by far the worst we've played this season. We just couldn't get going, couldn't put more than a couple of passes together. Salford deservedly ahead even if it was a fortunate goal with Wills howler.

2nd half, wow the best football we've played this season and we've played some good stuff at times. Lowery ran the show, I'd be amazed if there is a better player in league 2 currently, he must have been man of the match about 5 times already. Also Dale proved why I've been wanting him in ahead of Powell, Touray the Salford full back must have gone with his head spinning he got turned that many times.

If we can carry that 2nd half form up not many teams in this league will live with us. It's a good time to be a Crewe fan, home crowds are also on the up, hopefully take a decent following down to Cheltenham now and if we can get something there we have a massive game Vs Exeter here in a Fortnite.

 

[The Alex]

I think both were fair at the time of posting. The first half was abject in every sense, the second half was incredible in every sense. Never seen such a dramatic turnaround in a 15 minute spell.

Very fair, can’t complain with the position and points total though can we. But we’re so lethargic and not on it in the 1st half of every home game so far this season, can’t comment on away, haven’t been to any.

It’s frustrating as we have the players to take any team to the cleaners in this division. Beat the 2 that have come up, played 3 who have come down, and other than Plymouth disappointment we’ve excelled. I have worryingly high hopes, don’t know how to handle a start like this, let’s hope we keep it up.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Just play for 45 mins a game. Marginal gains.

We were absolutely brutal in the second half. Would have felt sorry for Salford if it weren’t for them being a bunch of plastics. Graham Alexander and his players looked absolutely lost and shell shocked

 

[Jigsaw]

Credit to Salford, they set up well and got everything spot on in the first half. They isolated both Kirk/Dale out of the game and I'm struggling to remember if Crewe created anything in the first half. Considering I've never seen a fan on here, Salford brought 500 away following which isn't bad.

However, it was a completely different game in the second half and the quality shined through in the end! I know Lowery & Kirk usually get all the plaudits but Ryan Wintle has been my player of the season so far. Reads the game so much better than any of our other midfielders and it's no coincidence why we struggled so much against Plymouth when he dropped deeper to fill-in at centre-back.

Lowey's first goal is one of the best I can remember in recent years at Gresty Road. Well worth watching the highlights to watch his first and Harry Pickering's goal, who also had a great game. Wintle, Lowery & Pickering were by far the best players on the pitch.

 

[The Alex]

Credit to Salford??? We were none existent 1st half and gifted them a lead, they deserved it for our usual terrible 1st half, but don’t see how they get credit, usual league 2 rubbish.

 

[The Alex]

Also they were all Man U fans, was a
amongst them in Corner Bar, all United and there for a laugh.

 

[Gerald Hattrick]

Massive congratulations to Salford for ‘dominating’ the first half and leading through a keeper error. The 2nd half you just awarded Crewe 4 goals with your own bad play. Brilliant, what a manager you have.

 

[GTFCfish]

Also Dale proved why I've been wanting him in ahead of Dale.

 

[dannyc5]

Massive congratulations to Salford for ‘dominating’ the first half and leading through a keeper error. The 2nd half you just awarded Crewe 4 goals with your own bad play. Brilliant, what a manager you have.

Weird post match comments from Alexander. Unsure what game he watched.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Artell and Lunt occupying his head. Completely and utterly annihilated in the second half because of their unimaginative, one dimensional approach. You won’t see a team taken apart so cruelly and methodically as well as that again this season.

 

[JJ1532]

I think some are being harsh on Salford. Yes we were rubbish first half but they were by far the better team. Didn't test Will much but knocked it around nicely at times. Stifled us in every sense and deserved the lead when it came, even if it was thanks to a goalie error.

Dominated is the wrong word, but they did ok in the first half.

 

[dannyc5]

They were not by far the better team. They were marginally better by default.

 

[Crewelad87]

They seemed to pack the middle of the park and we struggled to pass it through them. Also they were very quick in closing us down, whereas second half we seemed to go up a gear and they couldn't get near us.

Overall they look pretty poor, very little creativity in there team. Even when they were "on top" they created very little. Got a feeling they will cope with the more direct teams ala Newport but as we and Cheltenham have shown you can play them off the park.

 

[Chris FGR]

So are Salford a bit shit then? Asking for a friend.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Easy Crewe win. Salford are poor.

I told you. An absolute banker. Crewe look to have a few decent young players that seem to have come from nowhere. I'm glad we've got a few games before we play them as at this moment with our injury list we'd be liable for a pasting.

 

[lordofthepies]

I told you. An absolute banker. Crewe look to have a few decent young players that seem to have come from nowhere. I'm glad we've got a few games before we play them as at this moment with our injury list we'd be liable for a pasting.

I wouldn't say they've come from nowhere - the players who have been starring for us have all played more than 50 games (most of them have played more than 100) and they've been quietly improving the whole time. The joy is that we have several young players who are all maturing at the same time. I guess the issues will come in January when we find out how many of them we can hang on to for the whole season.

 

[Crewelad87]

Salford extended highlights are a good watch some the football played in that 2nd half really was awesome. We could quite easily scored 6 in the 2nd half.

 

[The Alex]

Turn down every single offer we get in January, they’ve all got time on their contracts. Win the league then rake in the millions next summer.

 

[Crewelad87]

Turn down every single offer we get in January, they’ve all got time on their contracts. Win the league then rake in the millions next summer.

Can see us selling one if get abit over 500k. Hopefully we can cope with losing one player. They would be stupid to sell 2 or 3 in January.