Crewe Alexandra vs Torquay United

[eastyorksgull]

MR BUCKLE,the mrs has just come home from work at tescos,she says KLEENEX,is on a BOGOF,am sure us gulls can chip in for for you,could you please let us know thankyou :na: :na: :na:

[Dave_Pougher]

Did I just hear ML say Billy B can't play in the FA Cup ?

If so not suprising but he'll be missed.

[divingbboy]

Which reporter was slagging of Mansell on the radio, and why? He's not happy, it seems............

[Dave]

Result of the season so far, what ever position Crewe are in they are allways atough nut to crack on there ground to win 0.3 is just brilliant, WinLing at it again

[Father Jack]

Result of the season so far, what ever position Crewe are in they are allways atough nut to crack on there ground to win 0.3 is just brilliant

If thats the same Crewe that have lost 5 from 8 at home then that would suggest they're not that tough to crack.
In fact, on current form, they could possibly be drawn into the relegation dogfight before too long. Lets hope we stay far enough above it not to be concerned

[Regiment]

Damn, that's rough.

Yep, booing started early doors, and they're clearly not happy supporters. They were poor today, but they should remember how much old dario has done for that club over the years. Fans started leaving after the second goal went in. But forget crewe, our boys were excellent today, and well done to all those who made the trip despite the road problems. Small in number today, but in good voice.

[stevegull]

I'm actually disappointed Brucie doesn't come on here when we're on a good run. I would genuinely like to know what he thinks about this kind of thing. Are we hiding the cracks before our inevitable doom? Well it sounds like we're hiding it well based on this performance!

COYY.

[AustrianAndyGull]

WOW! Just where did THAT performance come from? I think Mr Ling must have reading my posts crying out for positive, pressing, attacking football instead of the usual banal drivel served up away from home. Just see what can be achieved by being positive and having a solid work ethic. OK so it was only Crewe and they did look poor today but i would rather credit the lads for an absolutely amazing performance than detract from it by saying the opposition were shite. I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU CHOSE TO GO GUNG HO MARTIN BECAUSE ON THIS OCCASION IT WORKED A FECKIN TREAT!! Everybody on the pitch today was outstanding and to pick a MOM would be unfair as each were as deserving as the other.

BOBBY: Not too much to do in terms of shot stopping although made a fine save second half from a powerful low drive that was destined for the bottom corner. Commanding at coming for crosses and did everything right. Communicated well with his defence.

NICO: Nico was so assured today, getting forward, getting involved in neat triangular passages of play with Stevens, Mansell and Bodin and playing some of the most accurate pin point crossfield balls that woudn't have looked out of place in the Prem. Perfect day from Nico.

SAAH: Looked hesitant on a few occasions when having to make decisions about going for the ball or staying and wasn't as prominent as the rest of the defence but still pretty faultless and i have no complaints. Solid enough.

ELLIS: Superb today, marshalling the back line, very clear to see and hear him organising. Dominated most in the air that Crewe could muster and made many blocked challenges to stop shots coming in. Hard and no nonsense performance today.

OASTLER: Does look leggy at times but thats probably a bit down to his demeanour. Played really well and did the simple stuff to great effect, tried to get forward but got back when play broke down and worked hard to nullify the threat of Byron Moore who looked their most likely source of a goal. Got stuck in and never gave up. Booked second half for a late challenge.

LATHROPE: Played the holding role perfectly, did a lot of work and kept the middle of the field ticking over. Freed up space for Eunan to get forward a lot.

O'KANE: Amazing today, boundless energy, deft flicks, precision passing, always on the move showing for the ball, elusive and and end product. Pure quality.

STEVENS: Again industrious but ultimately no end product and did drift in and out of the game especially first half but his committment and work rate were exceptional and although he is not my cup of tea, thats all i can ask of Danny. Well done lad.

MANSELL: Scored and set up Bodins goal with an unbelieveable bit of control of the football, bringing down a Nico up and under on the wing and setting the goal up. Even when the chips are down we know what to expect from Lee and he did not disappoint. Absolute quality.

HOWE: Rene is very puzzling, his touch and control of the football when he has it at his feet bely his size and frame and he showed that for his goal fizzing an unstoppable drive into the top corner first half. Second half he was played through and again the ball suck to his feet like glue when shrugging off the defenders befrore just dragging his shot wide of the far post. That said, he consistently struggles to control the ball when back to goal and it is played directly into him and his heading is like mine when i used to play. I was a stocky bulky striker but hated heading the ball and i think Rene is the same. He makes a half hearted attempt to go for the ball but it is never with any firm conviction or determination. That said, that is Rene and today he held the ball up well and battled up front.

BODIN: Started off the game like Messi. Dribbling, taking on three or four players and getting shots and crosses in. Very difficult to play against first half. Cracked an unstoppable shot against the post from about 20 yards out that looked a goal all the way. Gives us such a threat up front and he can bring others into the game. It was strange as just before he got his goal i thought he may be a candidate for sub as second half he had started to drift out of the game a little.

ATIENO: To be fair to Tai he did work hard as soon as he came on and he harried and chased defenders but things just didn't seem to come off for him. I thought by his body language after a few things had gone against him that he looked like everything was against him. Something isn't quite right but he worked hard and put effort into helping the team and i have criticised him for his lack of effort in many games this season. So well done Tai.

McPHEE & ROWE-TURNER: Worked for the short time they were on.

We sprayed the ball around like Brazil today no lie, it was a joy to watch and first half especially we were unplayable. Unlike Bradford, Shrewsbury and Southend away we not only passed the ball from side to side but we passed it quickly, directly, to feet, long balls, there was always a yellow shirt available and we WANTED to go forward and we did. Crewe didn't know how to play us as they were penned in to their own half for the most part only having a couple of potshots at goal themselves. We pressed them and we didn't give them a minute in possession but crucially we kept the ball really well. Generally if there was nothing on we went back or sideways in order to retain possession and work it forward when the chance arose. We didn't just keep it for the sake of keeping it or because we had no options, we kept it because we could and we had a gameplan and confidence coursing through our veins. It is exactly the performance i wanted to see and if we had been beaten then so be it but if every player puts in a shift like that and gives it a real go every week then we will win more games than if we played negatively and defensively. You could see the verve and panache and swagger in the lads and i much prefer that than the heads in chest, slow, depressing predictability that had become us on the road.

Their fans were singing, 'you don't know what you're doing' to Gradi and many choruses of boos rang out around the Alexandra Stadium. Crewe have beaten AFC Wimbledon and Cheltenham away which is no easy feat but there recent home form is poor and this can only perpetuate the negativity for the home team at games. I don't necessarily think that they are a bad side just that today they must have been low on confidence and we showed them no mercy from the kick off.

On my first trip to Crewe i was a little disappointed, the highlight apart from the 3-0 win was that i got a coffee for 50p as the bloke serving made a till error. HAPPY DAYS! ( Jesus i'm easily pleased.). The other positive was the large pay and display car park behind the main stand at £3.50 all day. Minutes from the away end. Downsides were Crewe is a hovel, the ticket cost me £19.50 way over the price i expect to pay for league two football, the programme was 50p dearer than usual and the stadium was depressing despite an impressive main stand (which was barely a quarter full). The atmosphere from the home fans didn't exist apart from a few die hards in the small stand away to our right. WHAT P****D ME OFF MOST IS they basically just opened one block of seating to us when there were vacant blocks to the sides and we were all packed in like sardines. Usually if there is plenty of space at a ground and its all seating i will go and stand/sit near the yellow army so i can have a sing but as today there were a few large groups of the yellow army who clearly know each other i struggled to get a seat near them as other people who didn't necessarily want to sing were sat near them. This meant i had to sit further down the stand next to OTHER PEOPLE! OH NO I HEAR YOU SHOUT! Ha, i'm generally anti social but i like the banter and joining in with the yellow army but if that fails i will usually go to the end of a row of seats with plenty of space around me so i can take in the game and be depressingly resigned to the fact that today i won't be stretching my unique vocal chords. Thanks Crewe you selfish arseheads! Also there were a couple of disabled Torquay fans there but they were rudely ostracised right to the far left hand side of the stand about three blocks from the rest of us all. I know that may be designated area for disabled fans but i felt a bit sorry for them as i heard them trying to give support on a few occasions and some fans were looking around to see where the noise was coming from as they were that far away. The fans themselves might not have been bothered by this but i thought it was a disgrace. At least the stewards could have let them sit at the front of the stand we were all in as they had large gaps in the hoardings they could have used to see through. In a massive elongated nutshell, a truly outstanding positive team performance and i now know what this team can be capable of. Well done to the rest of the yellow army ( and other TUFC fans who may not classify themselves as the yellow army but don't want to be left out! ) for making it to the game today in light of the travel chaos the M5 incident would have caused. TRUE AND DEDICATED.

[Stoke_Gull]

What a match it was today. I'm sure whether Torquay were brilliant or Crewe were just awful, probably a bit of both really. We outplayed them from start to finish and apart from a bit of a scuffle in the box I don't remember Crewe having any real chances at all, it was plain sailing for the back four and the keeper. Every time we went forward we looked as though we might score which is the complete opposite of when I last saw Torquay at Shrewsbury when we just didn't go forward, at all.

I agree with Andy in that the seating arrangements were absurd, I don't expect Crewe to open the whole stand for us, I imagine they only do that for big away supports but we must have had a row of about 30 seats, why couldn't they at least give us from one support post to another? It would hardly have made much difference would it? I like Gresty Road (don't know why they've renamed it) as it is a little different to most grounds what with the huge main stand which would look more at home in the Championship than in League 2, but of course Crewe were in the Championship some years back, it does look bad though when there is barely anyone in it.

Atmosphere today was rather good, no thanks to the Crewe fans however who you only really noticed when they were complaining at their own players or booing them off. I've never seen a crowd like Crewe, the players must have zero confidence at home because the second they do something wrong the fans are on their back straight away,mind you they are always like this. I do fear for Crewe this season as they look very poor and in their team there was no one person who could lead the players or boss the game, a team of kids basically.

All in all a great afternoon out and let us hope we can continue this run of form against Chesterfield next week.

[bixieupnorth]

i know i only tipped 0-2 but i bet on 0-3 and bodin, howe or player of the year danny stevens to score at any time, and i won £93 for three £1 bets!! hurrah!! had a top day out with the fireworks and a load of ale too!!

[HRG]

Great report Andy. What a difference from three or four weeks ago!

Fantastic result, especially with a third consecutive clean sheet. That has to have instilled great confidence among our defence. Lathrope appears to have come into his own in recent weeks and with Danny upping his game, Mansell turning into a goal machine and Eunan (from what I have read from you guys) putting in some brilliant performances, Our midfield sounds strong. Rene and Bodin are doing their bit too. Keep it up lads.

On another note, Crawley rolled into town today and I was glad Hereford did enough to keep them off the top of the table. A dad at the party was at the game and shouted himself silly dishing out some choice words to Fatman and K**bin. Hereford could not have chosen a worse possible match to hold a family day 8/ .

Anyway, very pleased. We're heading in the right direction again. Also, well done to those who made it to the game, especially those who drove up from the South West .

[brooker]

I always make a point of reading the write up on the other clubs page, to dodge the BS. and have a look at what they put in it!

"Torquay continued to pass the ball with great confidence and are certainly the best footballing side we have faced all season."

Says it all, awesome result! (and Buckle lost, awesome weekend!)

[Plymouth Gull]

Excellent result! Cracking goals by Rene and Billy too..

Considering going to Chesterfield now if I'm not working..

[QAGull]

What a brilliant performance. As an exile, I can only get to occasional away games so I can't comment on our overall performance so far this season but this is the best performance I've seen in a long time. What struck me most about our game was the accuracy of passing. A fellow gull on the train with me for part of the journey home said he counted 30 passes at one point before Crewe had a touch of the ball. Admittedly Crewe were crap, but if we continue to play like this, we won't have any worries at the end of the season.
The only exception was Tatieno who couldn't seem to find a Torquay when he passed.

[gullintwoplaces]

All this is just too positive. We need Brucie to come and cast a shadow on it all. Where IS Brucie??