Tuesday 13th February

[Gunit]

Pretty accurate prediction!

Hard to believe Sutton are bottom from the two performances I've seen from them this year, blatant penalty denied for them at 0-1 as well with McClean playing basketball in the box.

Interesting to see what PP does for Saturday now, back three was completely changed (by choice) and played well, Evans seemed to do a hamstring and Luke Young looked decent in for him, Palmer showed up well when he came on.

The 2 games against you show exactly why we’re where we are. 2 pretty good performances, 0 points.

If we started the season tomorrow with the current squad I’d be pretty confident of not being in the worst 2 but we’re too far back and confidence is absolutely rock bottom.

 

[saddler78]

Rubbish again mid table shite fest they were there to be beat with us 1-0 up but we come out and sit back!!! Sadler is clueless.

 

[Master D]

That assist from Jodi Jones was ridiculous.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

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It sure was slick and the perfect man on the end of the cross too to tuck to away.

 

[クレイグ]

It was a very good assist. Assist of the night has to be for our second though. Absolutely beautiful stuff from the pitch.

 

[Casey]

Got to agree with Saddler78.

Why Walsall sat back after going a goal up I don't know.

People are saying the pen was dubious but it looked fair to me on iFollow.

Nice goal to equalise.

Odd moment from Walsall attacker. Ball deflected towards him in the six yard box (deflection onside) but he shepherded the ball out for a corner instead of shooting.

Mid table mediocrity.

Casey

 

[Ellis]

Yesterday confirmed what I have thought for a while. We are very similar to last season in that we are flat track bullies who capitulate when under a form of pressure or another good side.

I think we have done enough with our winning run to cement the top three as we will probably pick up enough points from the teams at the wrong end of the division to crawl us over the line but I don't think we have it in us to win the title with so many key players out who allow us to beat those around us.

 

[Crewelad87]

Bit of an odd interview by Challinor last night I thought. Basically telling everyone his teams weakness. If your brave and press Stockport high up the pitch relentlessly, they are unable to play through that press.

I thought that was literally what we did from minute 1 yesterday and County couldn't deal with it. Resulting in our keeper not really having a serious save to make bar the goal going in.

 

[Chris FGR]

Been 108 days since we last had this feeling. Best to enjoy it I reckon.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Yesterday confirmed what I have thought for a while. We are very similar to last season in that we are flat track bullies who capitulate when under a form of pressure or another good side.

I think we have done enough with our winning run to cement the top three as we will probably pick up enough points from the teams at the wrong end of the division to crawl us over the line but I don't think we have it in us to win the title with so many key players out who allow us to beat those around us.

How many you missing now and are any close to returns? Sure I read Barry was back soon.

 

[Ellis]

How many you missing now and are any close to returns? Sure I read Barry was back soon.

MSH - out for the season
Knoyle - out for the season
Collar - will be ready for the bench for Tranmere according to an interview a few weeks ago
Barry - early April
Pye - late march
Wright - April

Obviously we have Stretton/Rydel with ACLs but we've known about them since the start of the season so probably not worth including.

Think initially we were told late Feb for Barry but the last interview Challinor did he was quoting April so not sure if there has been a set-back. I presume as he's Villa player we will be at the mercy of their physio team in determining when hes ready to play and by how many minutes etc until full fitness sign off.

The Wright/MSH and Pye injuries could be a bigger impact than I perhaps thought. I am probably being premature and overly pessimistic after a pretty terrible performance but it feels like with losing Wright/Pye/MSH we've lost a different type of defender with pace and able to step up and take the ball out of the defence. We've replaced MSH with Cass who I don't want to dig out in a performance where nobody was above a 5/10 but he's nothing like the player MSH is. Losing Hutton to Gills is a huge loss given his injury.

I know its a bit of meme about us being super pessimistic and I definitely lean into it, but with the persisient injuries and the feeling as soon as we get one player back we lose one or two more I would just bite your hand off for automatics. Definitely feels like our physio team are using hammers rather than the old magic sponge!=

Title is still doable of course but I think the uber consistency of you under Clough will see you over the line.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

Yesterday confirmed what I have thought for a while. We are very similar to last season in that we are flat track bullies who capitulate when under a form of pressure or another good side.

I think we have done enough with our winning run to cement the top three as we will probably pick up enough points from the teams at the wrong end of the division to crawl us over the line but I don't think we have it in us to win the title with so many key players out who allow us to beat those around us.

Flat track bullies who’ve beaten everybody in the top 8 except Mansfield.

 

[Spanishstag]

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It sure was slick and the perfect man on the end of the cross too to tuck to a

It was a very good assist. Assist of the night has to be for our second though. Absolutely beautiful stuff from the pitch.

Weve got too many to even get involved in this

 

[Wootball]

If there's a better center half in League Two than Mickey Demetriou, I'm yet to see them. What a signing he's been.

 

[Richard Cranium]

If there's a better center half in League Two than Mickey Demetriou, I'm yet to see them. What a signing he's been.

Aden Flint says Hi.

 

[Conker]

Not even close.

 

[Master D]

Will Boyle cruelly overlooked once again.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

The only thing in Demetriou's favour over Flint is he's one year younger at 33.

Flint is superb at this level, old, but superb and I imagine will easily step up to L1.

 

[Wootball]

The only thing in Demetriou's favour over Flint is he's one year younger at 33.

Flint is superb at this level, old, but superb and I imagine will easily step up to L1.

The you've also got to remember that Demetriou isn't just a defender, he's also scored 8 and assisted 6 on top.

Maybe it's just me being used to pretty mediocre defenders over my 30+ years supporting Crewe that I'm easily impressed, but he's been a revelation.

 

[lordofthepies]

Not even close.

Agreed, Mickey D is miles better

 

[Crewelad87]

I've not known a centre back to come in and offer so much quality so quickly than what Micky Demetriou has done. Not only does he do a great job at Centre back, I can only remember one mistake leading to a goal, vs Stockport at home when he slipped playing out from the back.

But on top of his own individual performances he's a fantastic leader, sets amazing standards which has raised the rest of the group, particularly the young players. He's scored 8 goals by February from centre back, made 6 assists, he's got a beast of a long throw to give us another dimension that we've never had. Just the fact a Crewe team is now one of the best in the EFL from set pieces, tells you everything, for the last 20 years we've been diabolical from set pieces both attacking and defending.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

The you've also got to remember that Demetriou isn't just a defender, he's also scored 8 and assisted 6 on top.

Maybe it's just me being used to pretty mediocre defenders over my 30+ years supporting Crewe that I'm easily impressed, but he's been a revelation.

That's a very impressive assist and goals contribution but you said their isn't a better centre half and for that , for defending I'm going Old Man Flint. Without him Mansfield wouldn't have lost only 3 games, more like 13!

Micky sounds like a great addition maybe he gets in the L2 team alongside Flint at centre back. You can pencil Langstaff and Jones into that team now.

 

[Master D]

Flint has been a great signing. £8k a week on a CB is a gamble at this level but it's paid off.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Don’t forget his 5k clean sheet bonus too

 

[AdamStag]

Flint has been a great signing. £8k a week on a CB is a gamble at this level but it's paid off.

It’s about £5.5k i believe, but yeah after the injury to kilgour and elliott hewitt we needed to act.

I’ve not seen us have a better in my time at mansfield, and if honest struggle to think of one in league 2 in general, we’re lucky to keep him fit too.

 

[F!RTHY]

It’s about £5.5k i believe, but yeah after the injury to kilgour and elliott hewitt we needed to act.

I’ve not seen us have a better in my time at mansfield, and if honest struggle to think of one in league 2 in general, we’re lucky to keep him fit too.

Very poor man’s Andrew Davies …

 

[Ninety Per Cent]

Town fans:
You
Will
Not
Go
Down

I never thought I would ever say this, but win on Saturday will you.

 

[Conker]

Agreed, Mickey D is miles off

 

[AdamStag]

Aden Flint says Hi.

He’s unrivalled.

All you’ve got to do is look at the amount of goals we’ve conceded compared to everyone else.

 

[lordofthepies]

He’s unrivalled.

All you’ve got to do is look at the amount of goals we’ve conceded compared to everyone else.

In all seriousness, we're operating in different financial realities, so you are able to bring in someone who has spent most of the last decade at the top end of the Championship. Mickey is 33 and I think he has played 1 game above League Two in his entire career. The point is, I could never have imagined how good he's turned out to be based on his career up to now. It's amazing to me that he's spent his whole career in non league and League Two.