Let's talk about the Crewe Alexandra game

[selby]

  I lived in hope for todays game rather than expectation of us getting a result, just the new manager syndrome sending the old shiver down my back after Charlton's win at Sunderland, just like us to be the next fall guys up.
  However this game against Crewe, them being fresh from a 4-1 reverse today at home to MK Dons, and being down there with us at the bottom of the division becomes a really important game  the old 6 pointer and the possibility if coming up against two old players of ours Donavan Daniels and Madger Gomes.
  Our away form is abysmal, and this game I think of as one we don't have the option of losing, we must come away with something, a scrappy draw or preferably a win.
  The last time I watched a game there we were in the same position under Fergie, and failed dramatically leading to our demise and relegation shortly after, and after that game the journey on the coach home was morbid most supporters realising the game was up, we were going down. This game has the same feel even at this stage of the season, losing is not an option.
 From memory David Artell  led his side the last couple of games we have played them and did a job on us both fixtures doing the double over us, bullying us all over the park and we ended up well beaten at the Keepmoat. We are still no different, can be got at physically and are weak in front of goal, we need to learn fast and pick up a few results on our travels  or we are going to be out of all the cup competitions before Christmas and heading for division 2 something we are already fighting against.
  What do you think?
  Who would you pick?
  Would you stick with our present system of play?
  Can we raise our game, the next three games being season defining for me?
  Are you going to the game?
  If you do enjoy the fish and chips,
  Lots to discuss, lots to get off your chest in some cases, please have your say.

[since-1969]

We’re treading water on the pitch with 8 losses on the trot. Wellens has had his share of bad luck but not in every game , so it’s time for him to stop looking for excuses and roll up his sleeves and put out a team who care about results and not just turn up as it’s a day out !! 

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Some fight and 3 points. Anything else is unacceptable.

[dickos1]

We’re treading water on the pitch with 8 losses on the trot. Wellens has had his share of bad luck but not in every game , so it’s time for him to stop looking for excuses and roll up his sleeves and put out a team who care about results and not just turn up as it’s a day out !! 

Not 8 losses on the trot though is it

[scawsby steve]

We’re treading water on the pitch with 8 losses on the trot. Wellens has had his share of bad luck but not in every game , so it’s time for him to stop looking for excuses and roll up his sleeves and put out a team who care about results and not just turn up as it’s a day out !! 

Not 8 losses on the trot though is it

He obviously means away games, which is 8 games on the trot.

[dickos1]

No what he meant was to put a negative spin on it.
It’s not 8 defeats on the trot, simple

[selby]

CDH, like every other away game, avoiding defeat and getting a point would do me, expecting a win even though they look to be no better than us is too much an ask, great if it happens, but to be frank unlikely.
  I cannot comment on the actual game today how we played having not seen any of it, the result is a disappointment, but not unexpected, the performance however I have no knowledge of.
  There was a thread on this forum the other day, what are the odds for us to win the next four away games, after our two recent home games showing a little improvement in form.
  My first thoughts were considering our poor away form and cup history was what are the odds of four defeats? even with the games v Scunthorpe my instinct thinks it more likely, although I am hoping against hope  we can win the remaining three games, but would not put a penny on it happening.

[Filo]

I fear another one of those games where we roll over and have our belly’s tickled, we are crap, it’s not coming together at all, some players appear to be not committed to this club

[Rovers91]

Lose this and sack him, the away league table is embarrassing.

[normal rules]

A loss at Crewe is unthinkable. ( perhaps not)
A draw would be ok, just.
A win would be nice. But will it make any diff come season end?
Could we take any solace from beating perhaps the only team worse than rovers in this league. ?
There is a certain air of inevitability circling around rovers at the moment.
Crewe will look at this as a game they must win also. Sometimes we forget that football matches are a two horse race.
It can’t get any worse (can it ?)

[Colin C No.3]

Okay.

Having already pinned my colours to the mast in a previous thread, nothing but a win at Crewe will suffice.

International disruptions apart, that leaves us with two home games against Fleetwood & Lincoln both I feel we HAVE to win if we have any realistic hope of climbing out of the relegation zone with the possibility of remaining in this division next season.

So quite bluntly, three wins from the next three games.

That is the predicament we are in & the results we need to escape from it.

[dickos1]

Very slim chance of us winning 3 out of 3.
I imagine we haven’t done that for well over a year.
We’re only 4 points from safety, win against Crewe and it’s 1.

[Colin C No.3]

Very slim chance of us winning 3 out of 3.
I imagine we haven’t done that for well over a year.
We’re only 4 points from safety, win against Crewe and it’s 1.

And where do you see the next two games after that panning out in order to give us a chance of staying in this division with something to build on?

Hang on, just seen a hedgehog in the garden, I’ll go ask him/her.

[dickos1]

We’ve got 31 games left mate,
What happens in the next 4 isn’t going to decide whether we’re relegated or not

[RTID!!!]

We’re treading water on the pitch with 8 losses on the trot. Wellens has had his share of bad luck but not in every game , so it’s time for him to stop looking for excuses and roll up his sleeves and put out a team who care about results and not just turn up as it’s a day out !!

Its not that they don't care. Every player who has won trophies and been adored by fans at one stage of their career, has also had the "no passion", "they don't care" accusations thrown at them at another point in their career. What your seeing is a manager that is incapable of creating a cohesive, competitive team unit.

[Colin C No.3]

dickos.

Number 1, I’m not your mate.

Number 2, if you’re seriously saying that the next 4 games’ results (even if we were to lose all 4) out of the then remaining 27 games of the season would have ‘no bearing’ as to where we finish the season you are either deluded or need some help.

[RTID!!!]

We’ve got 31 games left mate,
What happens in the next 4 isn’t going to decide whether we’re relegated or not

4 is 12.9% of 31. That's a significant proportion.

[dickos1]

dickos.

Number 1, I’m not your mate.

Number 2, if you’re seriously saying that the next 4 games’ results (even if we were to lose all 4) out of the then remaining 27 games of the season would have ‘no bearing’ as to where we finish the season you are either deluded or need some help.

You’re crackers mate,
We could lose all 4 and still be up in midtable by the end of January.
Nobody in their right mind would start suggesting we’re relegated in the middle of November

[dickos1]

We’ve got 31 games left mate,
What happens in the next 4 isn’t going to decide whether we’re relegated or not

4 is 12.9% of 31. That's a significant proportion.

Not really
But if we get 5 points from those 4 games to suggest there’s no way back is absolute drivel

[Monkcaster_Rover]

dickos.

Number 1, I’m not your mate.

Number 2, if you’re seriously saying that the next 4 games’ results (even if we were to lose all 4) out of the then remaining 27 games of the season would have ‘no bearing’ as to where we finish the season you are either deluded or need some help.

You’re crackers mate,
We could lose all 4 and still be up in midtable by the end of January.
Nobody in their right mind would start suggesting we’re relegated in the middle of November

I admire your optimism, Dickos.

I think we're f**ked & I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

[Chris Black come back]

It would be a mistake to draw parallels with 2008/9. The SOD team then was cohesive and had come off the back of a very good season in League One. SOD had been manager for two season previously and had proved himself a winner, as had many of the players. In the Championship we had in many games been performing well against clearly better opponents but just not got the rub.

This season the team is totally unproven as is the manager. We have in most games played dreadfully against sides that are modest at best. Make no mistake, this is an absolutely terrible team and there is no guarantee that with more time and returns from injury it will improve enough to pull us clear of this situation. There are certainly good individual players to come back, but we’ve got no idea if this team has anything like enough to stay up.

[Pside]

Lose to Crewe with the same inept away performance and he should be sacked. Not if or buts.

[wilts rover]

I do wonder if Wellens ever watches matches of the opposition to see where their strenghts and weaknesses are - because he seems to set the team up to play the same way whoever we are playing. With predictable results.

Loosing matches doesnt concern me. Loosing matches and not learning from that does.

[selby]

  With no transfer business being able to be done before January apart from out of contract players I don't see the point in new management, but for them to keep their jobs we need to see progress, we did in the previous two games, but the points awarded on line to individual players  by the Free Press, as a collective we must have been abysmal.
  I have not seen many 3's many times but  we had more than a couple, and no higher than a 5 tells it's own story.

[Chris Black come back]

I think Liam has lost faith in them also tbh. His write ups have become much more negative and some players like Bostock he has become very sceptical about. I’d say he is probably now in line with where most of his readers sit.

[dickos1]

He lost all credibility when he rated bostock the same as Gardener the other night

[foxbat]

agreed , that was ridiculous.

[Campsall rover]

It really is a must win game at Crewe.
A draw would not even be a good result in this one imo.

We have to go there get on the front foot from the start and take our chances.

We were never scoring at Charlton because we did not have 1 shot on target.
No excuse for that but Crewe are no where near as good a side as Charlton.
That will be proved over the coming weeks as Charlton rise up the table.

[Colemans Left Hook]

Very slim chance of us winning 3 out of 3.
I imagine we haven’t done that for well over a year.
We’re only 4 points from safety, win against Crewe and it’s 1.

And where do you see the next two games after that panning out in order to give us a chance of staying in this division with something to build on?

Hang on, just seen a hedgehog in the garden, I’ll go ask him/her.

I understand  your logic Hedgehogs have got more points than any team ever has ever got in this league 

[Chris Black come back]

Crewe are shit but their home record in the league is way better than our away record. Played 7, won 1, drawn 2 and lost 4.