D - Road definitely not rivals non derby (Crewe vs Vale)

[Crewelad87]

Let's get this started then. Not looked forward to one of these games as much as this one for a while. Hopefully Dave learns from the mistakes Vs Vale the last few years and we play our normal game, and play Vale off the park. Weve had a good rest since our last game which is good, although I wasn't there I've been told we looked tired Vs Colchester. It will be strange not to come up against a vale side full of our cast offs, I think Pope is the only former Crewe player there now.

If Powell is fit I'd possibly bring him in for Dale for this one, with his added physical attributes. Otherwise it's our very settled starting 11.

Crewe 3-1 Vale (Porter, Lowery, Pickering, Worrall) 7,750 (2300 Clayheads)

 

[darren gregory]

Well Artell was in the directors box on Saturday.
All he learnt is that we were awful.
Fear the worst here to be honest but i guess form goes out of the window if i use the old cliche.
8-30 am start for Crewe away seems insane but it's the Rugby final so a liquid breakfast and then Alsager .
3-0

 

[SF_]

Guessing Callum Ainley & James Jones haven't kicked on much since we showed an interest?

 

[Crewelad87]

Guessing Callum Ainley & James Jones haven't kicked on much since we showed an interest?

Pretty much, Jones suffered a nasty injury and hasn't looked the same since, Ainley you can see has all the talent but end product is still poor. Both are purely squad players at the moment. The likes of Kirk, Dale, Lowery and Wintle albeit younger are streets ahead of Jones and Ainley.

 

[SF_]

Looks like you've got another good crop coming through.

 

[E10rifle]

Looks like you've got another good crop coming through.

Crewe do seem to have the touch with the young lads.

 

[TimeyWimey]

I think we’ll probably lose this. No matter the situation we more often than not struggle to be up for this game as much as Vale’s players, us being top, at home with a sold out away end will give them even more incentive.

I’d love for us to just stick to what we’ve been doing best though and do a demolition job like we’ve been doing to others and have them chasing shadows.

 

[valefan16]

Tough game, before Bradford this one looked bleak but the performance and levels have given us hope and shown we can go anywhere and win on the day.

Our best performances this season have come against the so called footballing sides, FGR, Plymouth, Bradford but to get anything we are going to have to be on it, we've had a week off, got Wozza back so no excuses for a limp tired performance.

High press worked a treat in April and has been behind our best performances so on a smaller pitch its crucial we execute that.

We've got another good run of fixtures after this so losing wont be the end of the world but would be good if we can follow up the excellent effort at Bradford with this, confidence should be high after that.

I wouldn't write us off certainly as when we've played well we've looked excellent... we don't really lose often (4 in 16 games) but when we have a shitter we really have a shitter! (Grimsby and Macc notably)

Long a short of it, Crewe are not going to park the bus and play a way that will suit us to play against more than say Stevenage or Oldham but to get anything we will need a Bradford away, FGR home level performance.

 

[kieran_vale]

If Vale are going to win this we need to be aggressive from the start. None of that passive shit which we saw against Stevenage for example. Do that against Crewe and they will cruise it. Same goes for the manager too, allowed too many games to drift or reacted too late to the other teams changes at times this season.

Worrall being back is at least a boost for us, definitely in the conversation for best player in his position in this league. We’ll need him at his best and after a weeks break due to suspension I think he will be.

 

[valefan16]

If Vale are going to win this we need to be aggressive from the start. None of that passive shit which we saw against Stevenage for example. Do that against Crewe and they will cruise it. Same goes for the manager too, allowed too many games to drift or reacted too late to the other teams changes at times this season.

Worrall being back is at least a boost for us, definitely in the conversation for best player in his position in this league. We’ll need him at his best and after a weeks break due to suspension I think he will be.

Yeah the 10 day break will do him good as he is a duracel bunny!

See Crookes is out for another two weeks which in a way is a boost as it keeps Monty there who has been decent at left back.

I imagine we will be aggressive like at Bradford, a) because of Bradford performance and b) we did it so well against these in April so cant see Askey going any other way.

If the diamond comes out or some random tactic he will need sectioning!

Totally different type of game to Stevenage and Oldham who park the bus and time waste.

 

[Big Bird]

I fancy an away win for no specific reason. 1-2.

 

[The Alex]

Vale win, they massively up their game for this fixture and we fold.

1-3, good crowd between 7-8k.

Doesn’t concern me though, the 2 sides will continue the way they started the season after this one.

 

[valefan16]

Vale win, they massively up their game for this fixture and we fold.

1-3, good crowd between 7-8k.

Doesn’t concern me though, the 2 sides will continue the way they started the season after this one.

Wouldn't say we upped our game last year, you just caught us in our only decent spells of form.

Most Vale fans would happily take the way the season is going - steady and top half, we are as said before about 12 months behind our revival than you guys so despite some OTT on OVF wanting promotion now it still is a work in progress.

 

[Crewelad87]

Imagine genuinely believing Vale up their game for tiny little itty bitty Crewe.

Imagine thinking Vale are any bigger than your standard lower league team

 

[valefan16]

Imagine thinking Vale are any bigger than your standard lower league team

He didn’t say we were to be fair.

 

[valefan16]

Chris Eubank doesn't think it. Chris Eubank knows it. So do you, the realisation lives rent free in the back of your mind.

Ok maybe he did!

 

[JJ1532]

This is shaping up to be a very tactical battle I think. If the Vale roll with a 4-4-2, we should have the upper hand in midfield with our 3, they've controlled most of the games this season. No reason they can't do so here.

But the Vale will have the advantage out wide and as solid as our 2 CBs can be, they do have mistakes in them. Chuck balls into the box, pressure the defence and it could yield results.

Got to control the possession, keep the mistakes to a minimum and grind them down, a la Swindon and Exeter. Be interesting to see what tactic the Vale go for, an all out press or a more passive approach. Either one is risky, as an all out press is what Swindon and Exeter did. It worked for 70 minutes and only because they were organised and didn't make many mistakes. Can the Vale do that in the same manner? Or will they go uber defensive and try and hit on the counter?

If we can limit the mistakes, overcome whatever tactics they come with and take our chances, there is no reason we can't win. No excuse for a no-show either after last seasons' abominations.

 

[kieran_vale]

JJ I would be very surprised if we went 4-4-2. Askeys preference while he’s been Vale manager has always been 4-3-3 and believe it was the same at Macclesfield. If he did go with 4-4-2 that would be very questionable in my book as it does not suit us at all and as you rightly say Crewe would win the midfield battle easily.

Whichever style Vale adopt has its own risk attached but whenever we’ve done well against Crewe in the past it has been aggressive with closing down the opposition quickly and see that as our best pathway to winning.

 

[Crewelad87]

This is shaping up to be a very tactical battle I think. If the Vale roll with a 4-4-2, we should have the upper hand in midfield with our 3, they've controlled most of the games this season. No reason they can't do so here.

But the Vale will have the advantage out wide and as solid as our 2 CBs can be, they do have mistakes in them. Chuck balls into the box, pressure the defence and it could yield results.

Got to control the possession, keep the mistakes to a minimum and grind them down, a la Swindon and Exeter. Be interesting to see what tactic the Vale go for, an all out press or a more passive approach. Either one is risky, as an all out press is what Swindon and Exeter did. It worked for 70 minutes and only because they were organised and didn't make many mistakes. Can the Vale do that in the same manner? Or will they go uber defensive and try and hit on the counter?

If we can limit the mistakes, overcome whatever tactics they come with and take our chances, there is no reason we can't win. No excuse for a no-show either after last seasons' abominations.

Ive read alot from Vale fans on the way to go is with a mad press. But as you alluded to Exeter were probably the best at that and they have alot of quality in there side, and ended up tiring and were hanging on for a point by the end. It will take one hell of a job for Vale to go down that route for 90 minutes the way we keep possession. We didn't have Ng in that Exeter game when we struggled abit with the press and he's the best on the ball and getting out of tight situations, and starting attacks.

Personally think Vales best bet is to play counter attacking football with lots of men behind the ball, try to frustrate us, and load the box when ever they get chance. Similar to what Newport and Colchester did.

 

[valefan16]

We won’t go 4-4–2 it will be 4-3-3 with two holding midfielders and the pace of Amoo and Wozza supporting Bennett.

We have the fitness to execute it with Wozza as he is unreal fitness wise but we tend to press press press first half then depending on the game as to sitting deep and seeing it out like Bradford and hitting on the break or continuing it after a lull.

If we lead at half time I image we would then go more defensive.

 

[Jigsaw]

I just hope Artell doesn't allow the occasion get to his head and start playing the long ball, or trying to match Vale with by being physical. If Crewe stick to how they play this season, even if it means going 0-1 like we have most home games, the quality is there to create enough chances.

 

[valefan16]

I just hope Artell doesn't allow the occasion get to his head and start playing the long ball, or trying to match Vale with by being physical. If Crewe stick to how they play this season, even if it means going 0-1 like we have most home games, the quality is there to create enough chances.

We aren't that physical these days, defensively to a degree but we've tended to be better on the deck especially now Pope is not a regular.

 

[Dan Phillips]

May as well give us the first goal now.

Whatever happens after that, however, is anyone’s guess.

 

[valefan16]

May as well give us the first goal now.

Whatever happens after that, however, is anyone’s guess.

5 of our 8 away games we’ve scored first haven’t we and led at some point in 6. Crewe like to go a goal down so either way can’t take leading for granted.

 

[leedsvaliant]

Crewe have been generally very good this season and so this will be a very tough game. We have to try and limit them playing possession stuff around the back as eventually they will unpick us.

We will need to try and exploit the potential mistakes in the back four by pressing them and then sit and try and catch them on the break.

We never play all that well on a tight pitch and end up lumping it up to Pope, but hopefully we'll knock it around more with him not playing.

I'd like to win to shove it down the throat of Artell, who let's face it is an absolute knob of the highest order. I fear it might be a 3 or 4 nil hiding though.

 

[The Alex]

Crewe have been generally very good this season and so this will be a very tough game. We have to try and limit them playing possession stuff around the back as eventually they will unpick us.

We will need to try and exploit the potential mistakes in the back four by pressing them and then sit and try and catch them on the break.

We never play all that well on a tight pitch and end up lumping it up to Pope, but hopefully we'll knock it around more with him not playing.

I'd like to win to shove it down the throat of Artell, who let's face it is an absolute knob of the highest order. I fear it might be a 3 or 4 nil hiding though.

He’s actually a very decent, articulate man. The more I listen to him the more I think that.

What’s your problem with him? If you’re basing it on him jumping out of your sinking ship for his and his family’s sake then that’s a bit unfair.

As for your gaffer, what a monotone, uninspiring, bore of a man.

 

[valefan16]

He’s actually a very decent, articulate man. The more I listen to him the more I think that.

What’s your problem with him? If you’re basing it on him jumping out of your sinking ship for his and his family’s sake then that’s a bit unfair.

As for your gaffer, what a monotone, uninspiring, bore of a man.

You lot had Dario droning on the radio for years in interviews.

Artell cost himself a promotion jumping ship in fairness so we had the last laugh but he was the one demanding the lads stick together and get through it only to be the only one who jumped.

Otherwise he’s just a bit of a dick on P&G most weeks. Still not sure what Leggey did last season involving murder but he’s seen as a bit of a panto clown at VP... even with the players! Browny had a joke about Leggey being unable to travel to Crewe due to the manslaughter charge.

Probably the same reason though you lot disliked Micky Adams though in fairness and I have to be honest I absolutely loved his interviews.

 

[The Alex]

I never had a problem with Adams, if you let managers comments get under your skin, then you’re a bit “uneducated”. It’s not personal, it’s football. Call Dario boring all you like, but he’s one of the longest serving managers in the history of the game so you should have been listening.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Micky Adams always looked like he was about to cry in interviews. Always looked a bit upset.

 

[valefan16]

Micky Adams always looked like he was about to cry in interviews. Always looked a bit upset.

He did once when we secured the promotion after starting the season in administration! I enjoyed the fact he didn't hide what he thought, of course one of the most notorious outbursts came after a defeat against a heavily financed Notts side when he put the whole team on the transfer list! (He didn't but they didn't know that).. worked though as we went on a long unbeaten run after!

He also endeared himself to football fans after Crawley drew with us in their first ever EFL game and he first came across Mr Evans! He wasn't impressed and I believe when asked about our promotion he admitted he was furious he had put a second string out at Wycombe and allowed "that c***" to finish above us.

Great autobiography... worth a read.

Artell is similar although MA did compliment opponents but did have childish outbursts similarly, one of those you love but opposing fans think is a bit of a penis.