The Voice - Match preview Crewe Alexandra vs Bradford City Wednesday 3rd May @ 7:45pm

The recruitment in Jan was a joke and in someway to us lacking strength in depth. A kid who has never played or scored league football and an old injury prone player who wanted home from India. Other team strenthend while we weakened the squad
Poor management at the very least

 

Absolutely gutted by that result, after pulling back the 2 goal deficit I feel we were in a dilemma as to whether to push on for the winner or settle for the point. As a consequence the structure became disjointed and allowed Crewe to take the initiative again. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but given the odds against us on the final day even if we had won today would if not have been better shoring up the defence and fighting for the point? As it happens we now have a nightmare scenario to contemplate on Monday

 

Smallwood as a player shows flashes of being a good player but not enough of the time. The mistake was making him captain and letting him make on field decisions. We’ve had a number of free kicks on the edge of the box within the last month and Banks hasn’t taken them despite proving he’s good at dead ball scenarios in these positions. I think Smallwood has an ego and his petulant attitude isn’t suitable for a captain. Imagine McCall or Jones acting like a spoilt child every game

 

Players will just have to pick themselves up and go for it early doors against the top team in L2,

Will be no hiding place on monday- do or die!!

 

He’s a worse captain than Josh Wright for us pound for pound.

Free kicks - Poor! Leadership- poor! Shooting - poor.

Just not the standards required. Looks like his legs have gone also.

 

We lose by 2 or more, any Mansfield win sees them pip us

 

Cook is 100% off if/when we don't go up. Smallwood has been OK for me, but why we keep him on set pieces I don't know. Agree that Walker has disappointed. I just look at our performances and far too many leave me thinking we're stuck in 2nd gear. It just isn't working. Until we become more direct and dynamic, we're going nowhere.

I known I'll get pelters, but Steve Evans would have taken us up. And had us playing the sort of aggressive and direct football fans like.

 

That is hard to take.

Probably not a popular view but I really feel for Smallwood. Apart from that challenge he tried and tried to drive us on this eve. I thought he was awesome in an otherwise underwhelming performance. Yes his legs mean he can no longer play at a higher level but the fact is the players around him in that midfield are truly mediocre and he can't make up for all of that. He's had some poor games, but generally I think he's a big reason we are challenging this season.

I'll wait for the pelters.

 

I have to be honest, I've kept an eye on the table and kept my fingers crossed for a top 3 finish partly due to financial reasons.

I know some fans will say those Wembley games are priceless, and we'll find a way and go, but it's not coming at a great time for us as a family!

That said... we actually have to hope Leyton Orient don't wipe the floor with us on Monday, AND get through a two leg semi final before we even get there... and the way we've performed when there's been something on the line, whether it's been automatic promotion, or qualification in a cup, does not tell me we're going to get there.

 

Thought he was good today up until that awful challenge, was trying to drive the team forward most of the game.

 

Can we blame the numb nuts with the smoke bombs for the ten minutes added time. Brain dead morons

 

I cant bear thinking about that sort of outcome but I wouldn't back against it, if we go an early goal down and the news filters through Mansfield are 1 - 0 up it could get nasty on the terraces, I hope I'm wrong but nothing surprises me anymore with regards Bradford City.

 

Who’s going to Wembley if we manage to scrape our way there? I don’t know if I’m confident enough in this team to waste money going to London to watch them disappoint us again. Let’s pray that Stockport take third or they’ll absolutely smash us

 

This I mostly agree with. The signing on paper is a great one, the reality is it hasn’t achieved what we all hope. All I’m saying is that labelled as ‘disgrace’ and ‘get out of the club’ is a little far fetched.

Ultimately I’m genuinely surprised by tonight. I agree with the guys on the radio that, with the benefit of hindsight, we should have introduced Clayton and Darbyshire way sooner and used that experience to have looked to have seen out the draw.

We’re still in the place with a playoff spot in our hands. After Saturday I really feel everyone got way too excited about discussion of autos when we should have been focussing on getting the first job done - win tonight and secure playoffs at least. For whatever reason we were all over the place tonight and almost looked shocked by how Crewe came and showed us up.

 

What does Gillead offer us besides running around a lot ?

 

The scapegoating is in full swing as usual but the fact is we have lost yet another match to another late goal. We came out second half and pinned them in their half scoring two goals. Then a case of crowd stupidity and the usual let’s sit back and be negative as usual lost the momentum.
Smallwood will take the blame for mistimed tackle when the lad would probably have scored anyway. We have thrown point after point with our negative tactics. And let’s not kid ourselves Orient will come with a decent following and will go all out for the win.

 

I don't think we have Dave that foul by Smallwood (our captain) sums the season up
Yes we have total morons amongst our ranks who need banning for life but yet again we were very naive why couldn't we hold the ball in their half keep possession and not give them a chance it was 10 minutes for both teams to score not just Crewe I suggest lack of direction on the pitch (captain) and in the dug out (manager) cost us yet again tonight
Still think we will make the play offs mainly due to Mansfields poor recent form
Don't fancy us tho in them

 

We’re at home, Mansfield are away. I can see us both losing and scraping through. Is it possible to ban everyone under 16 just to be on the safe side? Dread to think how many pyrotechnics are already being bought in anticipation.

 

The impact that stoppage had on the momentum of the game was more of an issue.

Crewe were rocking, their keeper was wobbly and we were all over them - then the game stops for five minutes, they get a break, their manager calms them down, and we never get back on top of them.

 

Smallwood free kick pass for Cook. It was so delayed that Cook had to stop start his run up.
Why we have allowed him to make all the on field decisions I will never know!

The free kick in a central position like that have Banks name written all over it.