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

Cook is 100% staying. He would only move to a team more North and no team towards his home can offer the wages we can. His friends all play here and he’s settled

 

Hughes will know that front six is very limited going forward, as fans it looked promising with a lot of unknown new recruits but in truth only Banks has shown in parts the sort of player we are looking for. Smallwood and Gilly have both been steady if unspectacular but i'm always noticing pretty much every team we face is more mobile in the centre of the park. Walker has been injured and not yet shown the form he's capable of, Chapman generally has been a disappointment. Eisa and Osadebe i'm not sure are good enough for a team looking toward league 1 and Nevers looks bang average. It paints a picture of just how good Andy Cook as been, how he didn't win league 2 poty is criminal. We are still more than capable of promotion in what is a very average standard of football, but that team would struggle in the league above.

 

Sadly I believe Cook was never Hughes first choice striker, once he stared hitting the back of the net it made it very difficult for Hughes to drop him, (which I think he did after the away game at Carlisle) although he said he gave him a rest for him to recharge and if I'm honest he did return looking a better all round player.

 

Well that's more points we have thrown away.

Even if we go up via play offs we have lost valuable player recruitment time. And if we don't go up we have lost valuable player recruitment time.

Last night was a must win game and sadly we bottled it. Again.

 

Stockport go up and they would offer him what we can and he wouldn't have to move house. Money talks.

 

I wouldn't say so they already have two decent strikers one who cost £300k plus mullin, cook will want first team football not to sit on the bench.

 

I'm finding it very hard to get over last night.
Normally I can move on from things quickly, but the total amateurish behaviour from everyone involved, Hughes, players and supporters, has left me really deflated.
I will start with the supporters.
We have made it 2-2.
Crewe are rocking ready for a knockout blow.
But let's throw pyros on the pitch and rip out seats and cause a safety concern that the ref takes control of by moving the players towards the dugouts for refreshments, a clear the air pep talk, and words in everyone's ears from the managers.
Well that worked for Crewe cos after that they were the better team again.
These incidents also added time on naturally, 10 fecking minutes!!! Which Crewe took advantage of and pressed for a winner, got their penalty in the 99th minute, and a fully deserved win.
Now for Hughes.
I was at the game and the wind was gusty enough to have a bearing on the game, but we insisted on playing a high line and trying to launch balls forward that quite a few times came back and we're blown along causing all sorts of issues for Stubbs and Crichlow.
Once the chance for Baker-Richardson was put wide, why didn't Hughes send on Platt to help out, tell the team to drop 10 yards and start playing it on the deck through the lines to stop us losing possession and getting turned around??
Why did he play Eisa who was a passenger the whole time he played and gave the ball away 80% of the time, contributing to us being 2-0 down at half time.
Both me and my lad who plays at a high level for his age were distraught at how Hughes couldn't see we needed to go 3-5-2 to make us solid.
Clayton on for Smallwood, who was starting to lose discipline a long time before the penalty incident, Platt on at the back, and tighten up between the lines , which to their credit, Crewe played through them really well with some quality movement.
Now the players.
1st half we were so rushed.
All season we've played to keep it tight 1st half, sometimes laboured, to keep matches tight, get to half time either level or maybe 1 up and then look to impose ourselves 2nd half.
Last night the total opposite.
Rushed, lacking in composure, no possession passing moving Crewe around, only 1 shot of note, Banks trying a right footer from 20 yards that the keeper needed to turn around the post.
We played into Crewes hands and with this stupid high line ive spoke about, they exposed any lack of pace to go 2 up.
My only thought that can back Hughes and the players decisions last night is that they went for the only chance of automatic promotion we had left with no thought of playing for a draw, whilst been supremely confident that if it didn't come off , we have enough to get a point in a match with the play offs as the prize.
Through everyone, Manager, players, supporters, it felt really undisciplined and we got exactly what we deserved, nowt.

 

The in game management has to be questioned.

It remined me of when Palace played Liverpool years ago and Liverpool were trying to win the game 7-0 when Liverpool were 3-0 up and the game ended 3-3.

What were we playing at? We left so many gaps that their CF's had a field day.

Then at 2-2 we just kept pushing on and on. Instead of thinking the draw gets us certainly into the play offs lets take it.

Now, we have to win on Monday really. I know a draw is enough but Orient don't really do 0-0. Their last 0-0 was against Barrow back in the middle of Jan. We have to go 2 nil up and play for the win. If they come back it us then at least we have room but even if we go up we can still lose 3-1 and be out of the play offs come full time.

 

That's exactly it, all season we've wanted MH to get at the opposition which he has mostly failed to do, until last night when we had the 1 point we needed in our back pocket and then goes for the just about impossible auto spot.
We all know what's coming monday, anyone of us could write the script now ....

 

Hughes can't win here. We have folk on here going on about how we had the momentum after the second goal but then in the same breath complaining that we didn't hold on for a draw. Hughes was right to go for the win, the fact we didn't was down to professionals who were incapable of following instruction. We'll get the point required for the playoffs then it's anyones game.

 

I can't see Mansfield losing now. They know we play the champions and have a massive chance. They will want to go 1-0 in quick time to put the pressure on us even more.

You really pinning your hopes on the team that is the 5th worst in the division? Really?

 

No, he wasn't right at all.

We were 2-0 down. Got back to 2-2 with plenty of time to go. However, come say the 85minute you close up shop and take the point knowing that you are firmly in the play offs.

Now, we have a massive game on Monday to stay in the play offs.

 

That made me laugh on this grim morning. Half of me wants the playoffs and the other half doesn’t. Are we only delaying the inevitable?

 

I didn't catch MH's post match interview. What were his thoughts? Did he give any inclination about why he didn't defent the draw and get the one point we needed? Did he say what the spat about with Long was at the end?

 

Whether Cook stays or goes we need to spread the goals around more next season that means mixing the play up more getting people in the box on the end of things.

 

Said Long came up to him in his face, said he didn't know who he was.
As for performance said we know what we have to do Monday so just getting prepared for that.
Basically don't dwell on last night, and we move on.
It's ok for him to say that ffs

 

The point is we reverted to type as soon as we equalised not helped by the time out because of the idiots. It was only towards the end after their two main threats went off and we lost our discipline. Crewe were playing for time then.
It has happened time after time this season Gillingham for instance we very luckily got away with it at Northampton. I don’t know whether we are fit enough to press for any length of time or we always in the mindset of keep what we have

 

I just don't see anyone with that mentality in the team though. Smallwood certainly not the leader I thought he would be. Possibly Stubbs - I see him being pretty vocal in team huddles. Maybe Cook, but to be honest, I think most seem to struggle understanding him! I worry about Cook on the big Wembley pitch (if we get there), and I don't trust Halliday, Rides or Smallwood to beat the first man crossing on a smaller pitch, let alone a bigger one. To point out: VP is 103 x 64 yards. Wembley is 115 x 75 yards. Hopefully Banks would enjoy it though!