Crewe A 0 Port Vale 0, post match comments

[pensioner]

............. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE have a Uche and AJ partnership!!

 

I think that is the only combination Page hasn't tried yet - but may be wrong. It is one I want to see.

[Little_Al]

A good overall performance. Team needs a few matches together to click on the instant responses, dummy runs, pass quality,etc. Credit to Crewe for keeping a clean sheet against the odds. Every team will have a match when they can't score and another when every shot turns into a goal. Stop trying to find someone to blame and remember defence and attack are both team efforts.

[werstayinup]

Not really we were all over them in terms of possession but never really looked threatening if someone had win 1-0 it was us but can't say we should of buried them **** game really after all that hype :-(

 

**** game are you serious?? I thought it was a great game from OUR point of view with the best football i have seen us play for a while and i am now optimistic for the coming season if we play like that,really enjoyed the game,only negative for me was Dodds,i would sooner have seen AJ or Andoh start in his position

[werstayinup]

Crewe's central back 2 and their GK sounded quality. Looks like Dodds might be this year's target for the boo boys.

 

To be fair and it might only be me but Dodds was the Vale player out there today to put the least effort in,looked to be hiding but i aren't a boo boy and if he plays well i would say so,i just thought AJ would get the nod as for me he has been better than Dodds in pre-season

[Regal Beagle]

I think you have to look at the changes in terms of it being the first day of the season and it being a hot day.

 

There wasn't a ready made replacement on the bench for either Uche or Foley. Also I don't think Page wanted the game to get ragged and stretched as Crewe might have ended up nicking it.

 

I agree, another day we score 2-3 today, and last season it's games like that where they cross a ball in and score and we lose 1-0.

 

I thought Page was spot on with the subs, but if I was being very critical I'd say Kelly was knackered and not in the game and could have come off 10 mins earlier.

 

Uche was blowing, and Foley needs protecting as we'd be a bit stuffed if him and O'connor got injured.

[Santa]

To be fair and it might only be me but Dodds was the Vale player out there today to put the least effort in,looked to be hiding but i aren't a boo boy and if he plays well i would say so,i just thought AJ would get the nod as for me he has been better than Dodds in pre-season

Dodds didn't have a great game as a number 10 but he was far more effective when he dropped in to make a midfield five.

[werstayinup]

Birchall

Yates

Lloyd

Johnson

 

out

 

Poaching fwd in

 

 

Dodds is NOT a striker and relying on him to score goals is suicide.

 

It shouldn't be Dodds getting stick on RS, it should be Page for his mental illness inspired retained list.

 

The manager put out the team who dominated Crewe and played some cracking football,that didn't happen last season,i just dont think Page can do any good in some peoples eyes.

[werstayinup]

Not after today Andy. Page is on the tight rope as far as I'm concerned. He went for nils after 75 mins.

 

I agree he went for 0-0 after 75mins,that's why he brought on the negative and defensive Andoh shocking

 

Behave,we created the more dangerous chances after 75mins,that wasn't settling for a point in my book

 

I do think we need a natural scorer to come in to finish the jigsaw and smurf will give us that i think

[fairportnick]

Behave yourself. You can't be arsed to go so keep your petty comments to yourself please.

 

No

[Rampant Zebra]

I thought andoh looked a bit out of his depth, as did Kelly. They both need to adjust quickly to the pace and physical nature of the league.

[Rudgiesflatcap]

Like most, couldn't go but heartened by what I've heard. Even the opposition said we hammered them. The only drawbacks from today are a) the realisation that Dodds is going to be this season's scapegoat and b) Sproson's constant barrage of negativity on Radio Stoke.

 

Phil Srosons company represents two Crewe players, Jon Guthrie and Vadaine Oliver. He also represents Kaid Mohamad who was hardly a success at Vale.

maybe a little bit of an axe to grind? I'm sure if Dodds was on his books he'd be the best thing since sliced bread. he couldn't wait to stick the knife in during P&G. no pun intended.

[werstayinup]

I also that that Page closed shop instead of going for it. He brought Brown on alongside Grant, so effectively two ball winners in front of the back four so the link between defence and the forward line was cut off. In my opinion he should have replaced Foley with Daniel. I am sure we could then have actually won the game with Andoh on his own frightening the life out of Crewe's back line.

 

Marshall apart wasn't that defensive midfielder our top scoring midfielder from open play last season? also i am sure it was him getting on the end of a Dodds flick near the end with a shot

[valiantsireno]

I thought andoh looked a bit out of his depth, as did Kelly. They both need to adjust quickly to the pace and physical nature of the league.

 

Totally agree with kelly, he was woeful today. But thought andoh did well when he came on.

[The Kalamazoo Kid]

I do think we need a natural scorer to come in to finish the jigsaw and smurf will give us that i think

 

Even if Smurthwaite was to fund the additional striker (/goalscorer) that we so obviously need, does anyone think that this manager would actually play with 2 out-and-out strikers - i.e. Ikpeazu and another striker alongside him?!

 

He keeps going on about "the way I want to play" which seems to consist of a big man up top then a Dodds/Leitch-Smith type (i.e. runs around a bit and has "a footballing brain" but no finishing ability) playing between him and the midfield.

[Jacko51]

I was in the Crewe stand and still have ear ache from all the moaning around me. Their attitude to their past players was abysmal. If we treat Tom Pope the way they treated Byron Moore and Anthony Grant I shall be thoroughly disgusted. They even booed AJ L-S who was released by the club. Miserable ******, the lot of them.

 

Crewe's three best players were the two centre backs and the keeper. That's why it was 0-0 instead of 0-3.