Not So Solid Crewe vs Atletico Oldham

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

How did Rhys play? Saw he made a good run and shot on FLS

There was no standout player for either side, all outfield players on that pitch were absolute crap.

 

[Crewealexfan123]

In reference to your post TN1 that's what annoys me the most! Garratt was a better goalkeeper than PR and arguably most in the division. So why when PR is
in goal do we go MORE DEFENSIVE and therefore allow the opposition more chances to score.

And back to my original point, i have done the full circle with the Alex.. From the Leeds game when we were near the championship play-offs to Accrington away where we were bottom of league 2, but I have never enjoyed following my club less than in recent times.

I grew up watching a Gradi team.. Like Davis' concede 70 goals a season but the difference is to counter it Gradi used to accept we couldn't defend and play 4-2-4 which was a brilliant attacking style and make for brilliant viewing for both teams. Now we have a manager who seems to love to say 'i told you so' and does everything he can to prove all the fanbase wrong. Such as continue to play boring negative football so if one day it is successful he can be right.

When was the last goalscoring CF we produced? Maynard? That should be a worry for everyone at the club because we were creating one every 2 or 3 years previously to that.

Under Davis can I see Callum Saunders being a success? Nope. Look at the way George Coopers ended up this season, started with real flair and ended up being totally confidence shot. Still when the manager has no faith in you and would prefer to play 5 loan players it's hardly a surprise.

Promotion or safety, Crewe and Davis should part terms in the summer.

 

[TimeyWimey]

I think there's a hefty bit of rose tinted nostalgia building here. Of course the Gradi days were largely great, he's the greatest manager we'll ever have and one of the greatest English football has seen, but when it started going wrong it was pretty terrible and not entertaining in the slightest.

I don't care for how entertaining we are on a scale of 1-10. I just want to be good. And successful football tends to be entertaining.

Promotion or safety, Crewe and Davis should part terms in the summer.

But I agree.

 

[Crewelad87]

Davis has go in the summer for me as well. He's taken us as far as he can, he got us promoted albeit with a very talented bunch of players (Powell, Murphy and Westwood) and then onto win our 1st domestic trophy in the JPT. But now you just can't see us going anywhere but down, if not this season then next, and not just going down but going down playing negative, boring, dull football. We need a change, bring abit of excitement back to Gresty Rd, because at the moment the atmosphere is very morbid, even if we do stay up, the football we are playing just doesn't warrant parting with the best part of £300 for a season ticket.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

You know even though he was a little shit who threw his toys out the pram, Max Clayton was right to leave us, think about all the hype surrounding him, imagine if he was binned off for two loan strikers and Marcus fucking Haber, I'd be pretty pissed off.

I get the feeling our camp is divided, Davis has his favourites (Harry, Ray, Jones, Turton) and there are those in the camp that are staunchly opposed to him, Inman and Grant potentially being two of them.

 

[Crewealexfan123]

So basically the ones who know no different than the dross he talks because they've grown up around it.

Grant, inman and even Ellis last season had seen different things and Davis probably doesn't like them having an opinion.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

So basically the ones who know no different than the dross he talks because they've grown up around it.

Grant, inman and even Ellis last season had seen different things and Davis probably doesn't like them having an opinion.

Dugdale had a bust up with Davis which saw him loaned to Tranmere last year too.

 

[Crewealexfan123]

Dugdale had a bust up with Davis which saw him loaned to Tranmere last year too.

Please explain, fancy a good laugh.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Please explain, fancy a good laugh.

Sadly I don't know from the full story but Dugdale was involved in two bust ups. First one I definitely know happened was where he got Molyneux in a headlock in training after words were exchanged which saw both players fined. Second one I believe stemmed from Dugdale thinking Davis was too harsh on him for making mistakes when the entire defence were at fault but that's merely speculation.

 

[Crewealexfan123]

Add shearer to the Davis argument list too, that one's just too obvious to ignore. If your not an academy lad your singled out it seems.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Ah, so we're at the stage where people make out the manager is almost psychopathic and everyone has hated him all along.

Always follow the same path these things.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Ah, so we're at the stage where people make out the manager is almost psychopathic and everyone has hated him all along.

Always follow the same path these things.

Let's be honest though not all the players are playing for him are they?

Still the worst thing about Davis is his lack of tactical nous and lack of taking blame and not his poor relationship with certain players.

 

[TimeyWimey]

I don't sense any mutiny tbh, I could be wrong. A couple of players may not like him but it's nothing new, Dario, Holland and Thordarson all had their spats in good times and bad, like every manager at every club throughout history. Highlighting it all now, just cos we're a little bit shit, is a bit predictable & pointless, that's all.

 

[Fedora Dale]

What's happened to Matt Tootle this season? I always thought he was pretty decent.

 

[TimeyWimey]

What's happened to Matt Tootle this season? I always thought he was pretty decent.

Injury after injury, last one being ankle ligaments. When playing definitely one of our best players but with his contract up in the summer, not convinced he'll be staying.

 

[JJ1532]

I don't sense any mutiny tbh, I could be wrong. A couple of players may not like him but it's nothing new, Dario, Holland and Thordarson all had their spats in good times and bad, like every manager at every club throughout history. Highlighting it all now, just cos we're a little bit shit, is a bit predictable & pointless, that's all.

I agree. I also don't like rumours being floated about on social media when nobody truly knows what went on. Its all heresy and its come from the source of a source of a source. Its not great too because neither Davis nor the players can give any riposte to the allegations.

Davis and the players are doing enough wrong on match days to leave the alleged training ground bust ups alone I think.

As for yesterday, we were crap but I did feel we got robbed out of a stone wall penalty in the first half when Jones was barged over with his back to goal. Can't for the life of me work out why the ref doesn't give a spot kick there.

If Davis doesn't go in the summer(even if we are in league one), then his back room staff need changing. Bring in someone like Artell or Collins as assistant manager, move Baker back to scouting. They need to get someone in as number 2 who they believe could step in and replace Davis any point should they choose to sack him. Get rid of Andy Franks, he has utterly failed to do his job which is get the players fit. Get a new man in with possible new ideas and a fresh perspective.

I don't think Davis will be sacked, so hopefully they make some back room changes and that can lead to some improvement.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

I agree. I also don't like rumours being floated about on social media when nobody truly knows what went on. Its all heresy and its come from the source of a source of a source. Its not great too because neither Davis nor the players can give any riposte to the allegations.

Davis and the players are doing enough wrong on match days to leave the alleged training ground bust ups alone I think.

As for yesterday, we were crap but I did feel we got robbed out of a stone wall penalty in the first half when Jones was barged over with his back to goal. Can't for the life of me work out why the ref doesn't give a spot kick there.

If Davis doesn't go in the summer(even if we are in league one), then his back room staff need changing. Bring in someone like Artell or Collins as assistant manager, move Baker back to scouting. They need to get someone in as number 2 who they believe could step in and replace Davis any point should they choose to sack him. Get rid of Andy Franks, he has utterly failed to do his job which is get the players fit. Get a new man in with possible new ideas and a fresh perspective.

I don't think Davis will be sacked, so hopefully they make some back room changes and that can lead to some improvement.

Seconded with the addition that Chris Johnson actually gets off his arse and recruits, he ain't the head of recruitment for nothing!

 

[TimeyWimey]

The footballing brain & future Alex manager himself, King Kenny in as number two pls.

I think we can all kinda guess the backroom set up is not up to Davis though. Davis is more of a "first team coach" in that respect, I wouldn't say it's completely a bad thing considering we are producing some world class coaches at the moment.

Agree though that a freshen up would be welcome.

 

[JJ1532]

The footballing brain & future Alex manager himself, King Kenny in as number two pls.

I think we can all kinda guess the backroom set up is not up to Davis though. Davis is more of a "first team coach" in that respect, I wouldn't say it's completely a bad thing considering we are producing some world class coaches at the moment.

Agree though that a freshen up would be welcome.

Collins, Artell and Morris should be ahead of Kenny in the pecking order to get a promotion I think. Maybe let Kenny take charge of the U18s, move Artell to number 2 and Morris to academy director or whatever big Dave's title is.

Why aren't the backroom staff up to Steve? He's the one who has to work with them. I can agree it isn't up to him wether they get fired or not and he also can't say wether the club go out and hire new guys, but if he sits down with the board I'm the summer, maybe a backroom shuffle could be discussed? If he wants a change and the board trust him, they should back him as they have done numerous times financially.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

A backroom shuffle is risky with Davis still in charge as head coach, what if we're playing dull football and conceding bucketloads in the first 10 games of League One or worse League Two next season?

We'd probably end up like Colchester did this season by giving a struggling manager 10 games before bumping him off, need to give a new man (preferably Collins or Morris or maybe let's think outside the club because there are managers out there lower down who work with youth) a whole pre-season and entire season to instill his methods and tactics to the side, a fitness coach who gets the players fit and competitive for every game, a head of recruitment that makes the 4/5 quality permanent signings we need next season, less of a reliance on loans to bail us out and above all the reintroduction of our own young attacking players getting many chances to perform for this football club as opposed to hoofing it up to a pair of loanees.

Gudjon was removed for not using the Academy enough, playing a shocking style of football and 4 defeats in a row. This could also be valid grounds to sack Davis. Of the youth players Davis uses we have a fantastic keeper sadly injured, three defenders whose sale value is minimal given they've been a key part in a shocking defence and young James Jones whose been a revelation this season. As the higher division clubs tend to be more reliant on statistics rather than scouting when it comes to analysing these days, Garratt's sale value will go down with those muppets in front of him hanging their own goalkeeper out to dry every week.

Along with the potentially creative Jones, Cooper, Waters, Saunders and when he's fit and able to make league appearances rather than court appearances Colclough should be the key to our future along with the hungry Dalla Valle who needs a pre-season and adequate fitness training to get back to his best.