Crewe Alexandra (H) League 1 Saturday 20/10/12.

[Tracker34]

Also, felt sorry for the angriest man in England who was in the Tile Choice Upper. The whole game he was shouting expletives (even when we were winning).

When Crewe equalised I thought he would spontaneously combust.

When I saw the police tape up by the exit I presumed he'd jumped...

[boringteacher]

Saarland is right, taking featherstone off and going 4 in midfield lost us 2 points.

Absolutely bloody true. Crewe were a poor team, should have been out of the game by 1/2 time but we took the foot off the gas after the 2nd goal. We were still the better team in the 2nd half until the genius decision to take off Featherstone (as usual, barely wasted a pass). Baxendale for Brandy (or even Purkiss to right back, Taundrey at RM) would have been the logical choice. Another two points chucked away - our 2 goals were superb, a good team (which we aint quite) would have killed them off.

Still, I enjoyed the game. Last year, it was more interesting being at work than spending 2 1/2 hours at Bescot.

[King Crimson]

Saarland is right, taking featherstone off and going 4 in midfield lost us 2 points.

Absolutely bloody true. Crewe were a poor team, should have been out of the game by 1/2 time but we took the foot off the gas after the 2nd goal. We were still the better team in the 2nd half until the genius decision to take off Featherstone (as usual, barely wasted a pass). Baxendale for Brandy (or even Purkiss to right back, Taundrey at RM) would have been the logical choice. Another two points chucked away - our 2 goals were superb, a good team (which we aint quite) would have killed them off.

Still, I enjoyed the game. Last year, it was more interesting being at work than spending 2 1/2 hours at Bescot.

Yep.

1) we are not a 4-4-2 team.
2) Taundry is not good enough to play left back with a midget in front to protect him from their better players (#9 and #14).
3) and they had an absolute nailed-on penalty not given.

Car crash management.

[ChopperWFC]

Right , a few points. Firstly as good as the passing movement and shape is first half of games our second halves just fall apart . Even harder to excuse when we are two up and not having to chase the game. Also the subs. !! What is smith thinking ?? We need bodies in midfield especially when leading and he goes two up top ?!? As for Taylor he didn't look injured but did look shot physically . Maybe been Ill in the week ? Featherstone was fine tho that was tactical so Smith that is such a guano move. :evil: Then we come to the best of all ..... Grigg ,who now works so hard and is clearly trying to be the target man subbed for Brandy !! Shear stupidity and another sub that extends the extra time. Smith stop doing that for f sake .
Another game we have played the better football and come away short changed . Going to hunt next doors cat now to give it a proper kicking :cry:

[Asps]

A crap manager, lack of a centre forward and an unfit team costs us again and will keep on doing so until we get rid of our nice but dim manager.

[longdogs]

Can anyone explain to me why we were watering the pitch right before kick off?

[latviancheese]

Can anyone explain to me why we were watering the pitch right before kick off?

Zippy zippy doo dar.

Except it rained last night....

[WFC_Rob]

So six days after a really frustrating defeat at Shrewsbury we go and chuck a two goal lead away at home to Crewe. It never rains and all that...

The first 25-30 minutes was an exact replica of the same spell at Shrewsbury only this time we took our chances and defended the odd corner properly. 15 minutes of absolute genius midfield play from Cuvelier saw him set one goal up for Paterson and score another himself. Having had something like 70% of the possession, we were as on top as a side can expect to be in a professional football match.

What happened from that point on however was very very strange. To put things simply, we reverted back to being the Walsall of 12 months ago, where we couldn't string two passes together without giving the ball to the opposition. To Crewe's credit, they seemed to realise they needed to buck their ideas up to avoid a tonking, but equally, we made things comfortable for them by dropping really deep and hoofing the ball long. Their first goal came as a result of a peach of a cross, but as soon as it hit the back of the net, it seemed players and fans simultaneously resigned themselves to getting a point from the game at best.

The second half was even and but for a good save from their goalie, we would have gone 3-1 up after about an hour. With about 20 minutes to go, I actually thought we might hold on due to both teams being about as clueless as eachother. Crewe seemed to lose any kind of shape and momentum - until our manager's timely intervention, that was.

Having seen his side look fairly nervy, rushed and leggy for a good half an hour, why oh why did Smith decide to take our extra man out of the midfield in favour of putting a second striker on? We must be the only team in the world to take that approach when trying to cling on to a one goal lead. As I've said before, 4-4-2 simply isn't the best system for the group of players we have. People harp on about the Preston performance, but hindsight now tells us it was a one-off.

So, having gone 4-4-2, we completely failed to give Bowerman the ball to his feet and resorted to the long ball, which they lapped up with ease. By this point, they'd clearly singled Taundry out as our weak link and he watched his man skin him time after time, only for Butler, Holden or Darlow to save the day with a last ditch clearance or save. True to form, Smith belted another nail into his own coffin by taking Taylor off, bringing Purkiss on, and switching "He's one of our own" over to left back. That was before the inevitable 'Grigg off, Brandy on' change was made - quite what Smith thought Brandy would contribute given the context of the game is beyond me.

Given Smith's changes, guess what Crewe did for the last ten minutes? Believe it or not, they started to channel their attacks down our left. True to form, Taundry got skinned in an embarassing fashion and they got a deserved equaliser in the 92nd minute. Given the way we started the season collectively, I don't like to single players out, but Taundry had a car crash of a performance this afternoon.

We might be playing really, really good football in spells, but we resorted back to the Walsall of 2011 for an hour today, which isn't good enough. Smith needs to see that no wins in five isn't a case of bad luck - it's a case of the personnel/system/tactics blend being wide of the mark.

[Aldridge_saddler]

He fell on his arse, he fell on his arse, that Richard Taundry,he fell on his arse.



Spoke to the FBIG family on the way out dismayed at the featherstone sub. Terrible decision.

[KoloSaddler]

Taundry is not one of our own, his from Rushall and should be sent to the Pics and play for them as that's his standard.

Taundry was getting ribbed to bits the 2nd half so it should have been him going off not Taylor.

Also why bring Brandy on, his rubbish how on earth he played at Man United I'll never know.

[ToeJoe Jnr]

We have a soft underbelly to the team, it is as simple as that. It is written throughout the matchday programme for all to see. We seem to bleat on about playing good football, dominating parts of games and not having any luck, yet the facts are we can't see a game out after taking a lead, we haven't kept a clean sheet in 8 consecutive games and we look knackered after 60 minutes. All things that opposing teams will thrive off.

Worryingly, the good start that we had got us all thinking we are on the right track and Smith was/is beginning to move us forward. It now appears Smith is reverting back to the cluelessness he has portrayed previously. He lwas the one who lost us 2 points today with his bizarre substitutions and system changes.

We need to change things around and have a bit of fresh blood injected into the team.

Taundry proved today why he is on reduced terms and came back to the club after rejecting our first offer.

Paterson scored a great goal, but then disappeared without a trace.

Baxendale was poor today and prior to the goal gave the ball away needlessly when we needed to keep it.

I don't think Bowerman touched the ball after he came on.

I am yet to see Brandy have a shot (apart from the penalty he put wide against Port Fail)

[Jolly Johnny]

Have to agree with what others are generally saying on here.

I went out of the house just before quarter to five and then checked the result at about half six, half expecting to see it was 2-2 to be honest.

I said on a match thread the other week, think it was after the carlisle game, that it was worrying how many goals we are conceding and that we simply can't keep a clean sheet it seems, doesn't matter who is in goal. We can play a lovely passing game but if we always concede, we aren't going to win games. There is something wrong at the back with how many goals we are conceding from badly defending corners, or crosses into our box. You'd have thought with Dean smith being a CB defending would have been a good bedrock - it seems to have gone backwards this season, it's just been masked by what has generally been transformed in front of it on the pitch.

Have to agree about subs. Why the jeff bring brandy on for Grigg? He did jack squat at Shrewsbury when he came on and was hardly going to help us retain possession in the last 5 mins better than Grigg could have.

We desperately need a striker who can do what we need when we are leading a game and have got to work on defending balls into our box.

I'm also unsure of where O'Kelly stands in all this. It looks like they talk quite a bit on the sidelines during games, and with a lot more experience than Smith, you'd have thought he'd be consulted more over subs, tactical changes and decisions in games. Despite Smith being the actual manager, he is still very inexperienced, and it would make sense to lean on O'Kelly a bit more, I wonder if he does or not?

[philthesaddler]

We might be playing really, really good football in spells, but we resorted back to the Walsall of 2011 for an hour today, which isn't good enough. Smith needs to see that no wins in five isn't a case of bad luck - it's a case of the personnel/system/tactics blend being wide of the mark.

Exactly.

And it's not just Smith that annoys me with this "we were unlucky" mentality. The players demonstrate it aswell on Twitter and the like.

Like you say, going 5 games without a win, 5 games without a clean sheet, and 5 games with only 6 goals is not bad luck. Its quality of players, tactics, fitness.

[WFC_Rob]

we can't see a game out after taking a lead, we haven't kept a clean sheet in 8 consecutive games and we look knackered after 60 minutes. All things that opposing teams will thrive off.

That being the case just makes the switch from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2 even more alarming. When you have a lead but fitness is waning, you want that extra man in midfield rather than up front.

Also, the options we have on the bench just aren't good enough. Bowerman aside, the rest are neither capable of extending our lead our lead or protecting it.

[Ancient Moaner]

lost for adequate words, so fed up with this same old, same old, let down after let down, like the wife said to me tonight "how on earth can you continue to support such a guano footy team? " (only in less than acceptable expletives!)...I dont know the answer, we must all be barmy. The inevitable defeat at Bramhall Lane, will probably be extenuated by us letting bottom of the table Bury find thier first three points in a while! As we sadly creep towards the inevitability of the relagation zone, my bet goes up in flames and all the pundits wring thier hands in glee chanting "told you so".

I hate it, always the fall guys, flatering to deceive once again, the good news is..................

[Darth Vader]

Absolutely fuming, why in the world did we let that pathetic Cheshire drummer boy in, last time I checked we banned all instruments inside the Bescot, one thing I liked.

Shambles. Bonser out.

[bangsection]

like the wife said to me tonight "how on earth can you continue to support such a guano footy team? "

Is it because if we defined our love for our team in terms of how many games they won we'd be glory hunters, Tone?

[Jolly Johnny]

lost for adequate words, so fed up with this same old, same old, let down after let down, like the wife said to me tonight "how on earth can you continue to support such a guano footy team? " (only in less than acceptable expletives!)...I dont know the answer, we must all be barmy. The inevitable defeat at Bramhall Lane, will probably be extenuated by us letting bottom of the table Bury find thier first three points in a while! As we sadly creep towards the inevitability of the relagation zone, my bet goes up in flames and all the pundits wring thier hands in glee chanting "told you so".

Knowing us, we'll probably go and 'do a Portsmouth' and beat them now! :mrgreen:

[Ancient Moaner]

lost for adequate words, so fed up with this same old, same old, let down after let down, like the wife said to me tonight "how on earth can you continue to support such a guano footy team? " (only in less than acceptable expletives!)...I dont know the answer, we must all be barmy. The inevitable defeat at Bramhall Lane, will probably be extenuated by us letting bottom of the table Bury find thier first three points in a while! As we sadly creep towards the inevitability of the relagation zone, my bet goes up in flames and all the pundits wring thier hands in glee chanting "told you so".

Knowing us, we'll probably go and 'do a Portsmouth' and beat them now! :mrgreen:

Bloomin well hope so mate!! cus I'll be at both, hoping that the Ist half Shrewsbury 'style' bags us a few goals instead of "praise for playing well!"

[IHTC.]

although WG had a good game by n' large today he completely proved he is not a goalscorer or a natural finisher in almost comical fashion, it is definately a see it to believe it moment :oops:

[WFC_Rob]

although WG had a good game by n' large today he completely proved he is not a goalscorer or a natural finisher in almost comical fashion, it is definately a see it to believe it moment :oops:

To be fair, the he did everything right for his chance in the second half. Good save by their goalie.

[IHTC.]

although WG had a good game by n' large today he completely proved he is not a goalscorer or a natural finisher in almost comical fashion, it is definately a see it to believe it moment :oops:

To be fair, the he did everything right for his chance in the second half. Good save by their goalie.

Im not having ago at his performance as a whole but for an international striker to get in such a pickle and not have a clue what to do and then end up with the tamest heading of a ball ive ever seen is simply embarrassing.

[King Crimson]

International striker?

I think that's over-egging a few sub appearances for Northern Ireland.

[kshammer]

I'm a massive fan of trying to play how we are and hope we don't change but must say...

(a) Featherstone better have been fudge injured. He more than anyone can remain calm and dictate the tempo. :evil:
(b) Why did we stop passing the ball when we went to 2-0? Aimless passes to one forward when ball retention was all that was needed. :evil:

[kshammer]

although WG had a good game by n' large today he completely proved he is not a goalscorer or a natural finisher in almost comical fashion, it is definately a see it to believe it moment :oops:

To be fair, the he did everything right for his chance in the second half. Good save by their goalie.

Im not having ago at his performance as a whole but for an international striker to get in such a pickle and not have a clue what to do and then end up with the tamest heading of a ball ive ever seen is simply embarrassing.

Agreed. I have stuck up for him with you but that was cack.

[Graydon48]

although WG had a good game by n' large today he completely proved he is not a goalscorer or a natural finisher in almost comical fashion, it is definately a see it to believe it moment :oops:

Are you saying Bowerman isnt a natural finisher as well ? He missed an identical chance at Shrewsbury . Sorry just realised you meant 1st half chance.

[IHTC.]

International striker?

I think that's over-egging a few sub appearances for Northern Ireland.

Thats what his fan club call him and his totally unbiased best mate

[IHTC.]

although WG had a good game by n' large today he completely proved he is not a goalscorer or a natural finisher in almost comical fashion, it is definately a see it to believe it moment :oops:

Are you saying Bowerman isnt a natural finisher as well ? He missed an identical chance at Shrewsbury .

Are you serious? GB knew exactly what he wanted to do but unfortunately it didnt come off with the help of a good save, WG just looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights with no idea what to do. If you was not there then you need to see the highlights and he cannot be defended for such a balls up.

[WFC_Rob]

although WG had a good game by n' large today he completely proved he is not a goalscorer or a natural finisher in almost comical fashion, it is definately a see it to believe it moment :oops:

To be fair, the he did everything right for his chance in the second half. Good save by their goalie.

Im not having ago at his performance as a whole but for an international striker to get in such a pickle and not have a clue what to do and then end up with the tamest heading of a ball ive ever seen is simply embarrassing.

We can go round in circles criticising Will Grigg, but he's a 21 year old League One striker who made one of our goals today and drew a good save from their goalkeeper. On a blame scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being not at all responsible for today's collapse and 10 being the sole cause of it, I'd put Grigg in at about 2.

[King Crimson]

International striker?

I think that's over-egging a few sub appearances for Northern Ireland.

Thats what his fan club call him and his totally unbiased best mate

I'm neither. I just see a young lad trying to find his way as a professional footballer who could probably do without such hyperbole to add to the pressure of being effectively a club's senior striker in his early twenties.

What he could do with - and Gorgeous George Bowerman too - is an old head to mentor them and chip in with the odd goal. No such luck.