Crewe Alexandra (A) League One Sat 14 Sept, 3pm

[Fray Bentos is God!]

And again.

Boom!!!! WESTCARR! You mutha!!!!

[leathermanmode] It was only a penalty. And he's a fatha [leathermanmode]

I bet it went in off his arse.

[leathermanmode] no it didn't [leathermanmode]

[Leatherman]

Some still hating on Westcarr on the likes of twitter and Facebook.

pregnant fish.


Great result.
Uts

Do me a favour cheesesquad....Without turning the filter off, what does pregnant fish mean? Can't work that one out mate. :?

I was always led to believe that "twerp" was the correct term for a pregnant goldfish.

There's no such word as gullible in the dictionary either.

[Andy_Petterson]

Some still hating on Westcarr on the likes of twitter and Facebook.

pregnant fish.


Great result.
Uts

Do me a favour cheesesquad....Without turning the filter off, what does pregnant fish mean? Can't work that one out mate. :?

I was always led to believe that "twerp" was the correct term for a pregnant goldfish.

There's no such word as gullible in the dictionary either.

There are a few for tiresome though.

[Sadders]

We looked mostly in control for the entire 90 minutes but there's no mistake about it, until about the hour mark our own fans around me were moaning at Westcarr, sighing as we passed like it was a friendly across the defensive midfield zone, with no penetration, nothing clicking, no creativity upfront and just a lack of attacking 'willingness' and were singing for Romaine Sawyers on 3 or 4 occasions. I'm not going to forget 2/3's of a 90 minute match just because the last 30 minutes were epic.

I'm not quite sure what you're expecting from the League One team you support, to be honest. We controlled a third of the game and won convincingly, yet you're suggesting we should be more concerned about the first hour than we are pleased about the last half an hour. By that argument, you'll only ever come away frm a game satisfied when we give someone a real hiding from start to finish. Rarely happens unless you're sat a Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge, I'm afraid.

Wrong.

We played better against Tranmere than yesterday, certainly for longer anyway. Was that played at Old Trafford or did we take the wrong exit off the M6?

I'm sorry but I refuse to look at a game for the final score and a segment of it. We won, for 30 minutes we were very, very good and it could have been more than 3. For the first hour we didn't have a shot on target of note and any team better than Crewe (which there will be a good 15 or so) would have threatened us much more. Hence my point. Not sure why all football fans can't just take an open view on the game over 90 minutes, I absolutely can't stand it when we play well and lose 2-0 and yet the opposition don't state that they didn't deserve it or that they were absolutely amazing.

We were clinical in the final half an hour and gained confidence once we'd scored. Before that we offered nothing but lots of sidewards and backwards. I totally understand we aren't going to dominate 90 minute's of a match anywhere, ever - but to completely ignore the first 60 minutes of a game is frankly, blind bias. Smith's words for the FL Show - 'We took confidence from the first goal' - exactly what we did, we took it and ran and completely dominated the final half hour. Before that it was a shite game, with us having loads of the ball but offering no attacking threat or cohesion between midfield and forwards - simple, just as I stated.

Judging by your comment we must have played like Barcalona for 93 minutes? Absolutely blitzed them, should have won in double figure to nil?! I simply added a bit of a perspective and comment on the overall game. Not once did I say we played cack, or we were crap. The opening 60 minutes there was nothing in it, we weren't great and they were poor. I see no problem with that? It's not like I turned around and said 'My god we won 3-0, but Smith needs to go it should have been 11-0, all the players were turd, sack them all, loan them up' at all. Some people are blinded by a scoreline and it's either the pints being consumed or selective memory to see things that way.

[Andy_Petterson]

We looked mostly in control for the entire 90 minutes but there's no mistake about it, until about the hour mark our own fans around me were moaning at Westcarr, sighing as we passed like it was a friendly across the defensive midfield zone, with no penetration, nothing clicking, no creativity upfront and just a lack of attacking 'willingness' and were singing for Romaine Sawyers on 3 or 4 occasions. I'm not going to forget 2/3's of a 90 minute match just because the last 30 minutes were epic.

I'm not quite sure what you're expecting from the League One team you support, to be honest. We controlled a third of the game and won convincingly, yet you're suggesting we should be more concerned about the first hour than we are pleased about the last half an hour. By that argument, you'll only ever come away frm a game satisfied when we give someone a real hiding from start to finish. Rarely happens unless you're sat a Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge, I'm afraid.

Wrong.

We played better against Tranmere than yesterday, certainly for longer anyway. Was that played at Old Trafford or did we take the wrong exit off the M6?

I'm sorry but I refuse to look at a game for the final score and a segment of it. We won, for 30 minutes we were very, very good and it could have been more than 3. For the first hour we didn't have a shot on target of note and any team better than Crewe (which there will be a good 15 or so) would have threatened us much more. Hence my point. Not sure why all football fans can't just take an open view on the game over 90 minutes, I absolutely can't stand it when we play well and lose 2-0 and yet the opposition don't state that they didn't deserve it or that they were absolutely amazing.

We were clinical in the final half an hour and gained confidence once we'd scored. Before that we offered nothing but lots of sidewards and backwards. I totally understand we aren't going to dominate 90 minute's of a match anywhere, ever - but to completely ignore the first 60 minutes of a game is frankly, blind bias. Smith's words for the FL Show - 'We took confidence from the first goal' - exactly what we did, we took it and ran and completely dominated the final half hour. Before that it was a shite game, with us having loads of the ball but offering no attacking threat or cohesion between midfield and forwards - simple, just as I stated.

Mate you're perfectly entitled to pick out the flaws in yesterday's performance, and you are right there were some (except for Westcarr who was 11/10 :wink:) and I do agree we can improve and we should strive to improve.

But it wasn't as bad as you make out. You make it sound like Preston Part 2. We've been on a bit of a bad run and I don't blame Dean for sound out a pretty defensive line up to make sure we didn't lose.

And here's a wacky idea, perhaps all that backwards and sideways passing which is so abhorrent, meant Crewe were knackered from chasing the ball, which allowed us to romp home in last 30 mins.

[Twelthofapenny]

Despite some doom and gloomers stating that it was as bad as Preston yesterday, I was quite pleased with our second half performance, and in particular, Craig Westcarr (Certainly makes a change, doesn't it?). I agree that there wasn't much going in the first half as both sides kept needlessly giving the ball away, and making the performance look rather sloppy in comparison to Wolves and Tranmere. But it certainly wasn't as bad as Preston, as some have tried to rebuke it.

But in the second half, we came out as a completely different side, and fortunately, Crewe didn't! We ripped them to ribbons to be quite fair, and Westcarr seemed to be the instrument of the punishment. Even though he was only on for fifteen minutes, I think Baxendale had a good game as well, especially with the goal. Though I found the run to be more entertaining than the actual goal itself! I have to admit, we coped quite well without Lalkovic (Who came on for the last five minutes)! But I'd quite like to see Lalkovic on the wing if he's playing against the dingles on Tuesday night.

Overall, good performance from the saddlers (Barring the first half), and to all the doom and gloomers, I say this: STOP MOANING, AND GET BEHIND THE TEAM! :mrgreen:

[Sadders]

Sorry lads, I agree with your posts. One thing I pointed out to my uncle who was with me was that teams chasing the ball for an hour and then us putting them away for the final third could be a good plan, but I'm not sure it's a tactic we should risk all the time. I am not doom and gloom and this was a far, far cry from anything Preston related. That really was an abysmal, abhorrent, dreadful display. I merely added that the 3-0 scoreline, whilst a brillant and fantastic result was not as simple as that. We deserved to win and deserved to win 3-0, but for the opening hour of the game were poor with the ball and excellent without it - simple, I see nothing wrong with that.

On a different note - we've conceded 6 goals this season and scored 8, if we could add a few more goals we'd have a real chance at doing something outstanding this season - that's why I point out the Westcarr and Lalkovic issues frequently. 6 goals allowed at this point is the joint 3rd best and very impressive. Sometimes I fear our defence is over looked and occasionally it is outclassed by quick attacking sides, but for a league one team put together on a shoestring, full of free signings it's a mighty good defence - the best since Dann and Co left by miles. All of that comes from Butler, his organisation, his attitude and his drive. He's been outstanding so far this season, AGAIN and I hate how that goes un-noticed as 'steady' frequently. The man is epic.

[Louise]

The proverbial game of two halves - thought at half time we were heading for a dullsville score draw.
Credit to Deano and the team - they turned it around and once we scored the penalty it was how many could we get.
Thought Butler was a colossus and calmly gets on with it - everything I want from a Captain.
Great away day out and the best fish n chips by the ground :)