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"Crewe are one of those sides that can get under your skin. They are a very good footballing side. If you let they them get into their rhythm they can hurt you. We have to establish ourselves in the game and the strongest team will undoubtedly win on the day.
"They are a First Division outfit in terms of their play and preparation. By rights they should be a club nearer the Third Division, but they’ve come so far under Dario Gradi."
He spoke of his respect for what Dario has achieved since 1983:
"They are very lucky to have a manager like Dario; he’s his own manager. The club has benefited from longevity and that he’s coming back from heart surgery, which shows you a lot about the personality of the man. He takes the first team on a Saturday and then takes one of the Academy sides on the Sunday. His life is football.
"It’s admirable to look at but not many others could re-produce what Dario does. Their supporter base also allows them to bring on good young players from around the region. It’s a club that is perhaps beyond its means but the football and the way they do things is very First Division."
Crewe and Reading are pretty similar in that they have both 'done the rounds' as far as the Nationwide League is concerned. Both sides were dominant forces in Division Two and then went onto prove the doubters wrong in the First Division. I for one cannot remember a club that have been so praiseworthy about Crewe to the extent that Reading have, and my impression of the club has completely changed based on both their fan's and manager's words.