It is so depressing. I don’t know what is wrong with us. We’re just playing to our poorest ability. Our team selection is fine with Ashton, Jones, Foster, Vaughan, Cochrane, Wright… and so on, in the team. The question is why the hell are we finding it hard to not only win, but to create chances. There was though a slight air of confidence for the Sheffield United game, maybe the players would up their performance after the pathetic ness of Saturday’s game.
The game was delayed by 15 minutes after the Sheffield United supporters coaches were held up but the game, unfortunately, got under way with this team for the Alex:
Ince
Wright - Foster - Moses - Tonkin
Hignett - Sorvel - Cochrane - Vaughan
Ashton - S.Jones
So snow fell and we looked a tad easier on the Crewe fans eye but then so would Kidsgrove Athletic. The game started pretty even with both teams looking like teams on awful form. We were bright, if you can call it that. We were matching an energetic Sheffield United side but neither team were creating chances. Phil Jagielka scuffed his 6 yard header and Clayton Ince had to tip over a shot from John god damn awful Forte. Ashley Ward’s 8-yard header was destined for the far right corner until Hignett headed off the line on the 25th minute but the real action did not start until the half hour mark.
Some fantastic play from Jones whose ball to the half way line was intelligently flicked on in mid air by Ashton’s heel. This set Hignett running down the centre and after running 10 yards free on goal, Mike Whitlow caught Higgy’s heels and he was down. Whitlow was the last man and having been already book he was destined for the red card when Kevin Friend blew his whistle. Sheffield United players disgracefully surrounded the referee, it took 3 minutes for Whitlow to leave, and the game re-started.
Rightfully down to ten men, Sheffield United unfortunately seemed to wake up and we seemed to go back into that awful trance of defending and don’t bother trying to attack. Vaughany offered some light entertainment as he rounded player after player and took the piss out of the big boys of Neil Warnocks side.
Jonathan Forte looked like a handful down Sheff Utd’s left side but he was actually very poor. Pacey but not much else. He scuffed an easy chance when he got the better of Wright and constantly ran the ball out of play. Hignett on Crewe’s right was riling the Sheff Utd fans, which was funny. They had the belief he dived when Whitlow was sent off, but it was quite obviously a trip by Whitlow. Higgy was booked for shirt pulling not too long after the sending off.
Having a good game was Incey. He tipped the ball over the post a couple of times but his best save came just before half time, Jonathan Forte finally getting a shot on target. Incey got low down to his left and parried but only into Montgomery’s path… Montgomery fired to Inces left from an angle but Ince managed to get across and tip it out for a corner.
Ince was playing well. His kicking was going straight, which pleased a fair few of fans wishing to indulge in ironic cheers. He didn’t look jittery, at least. Still finding enough confidence to start commanding his area again, I suppose.
We were still not fully there when we should have been in control. The red card seemed to, somehow, boost the Sheff Utd team…
Second Half
The second half was much more eventful. At first, it seemed we knew how to deal with 10 men coming at us - pffft. Ince once again tipping over the bar from a Andy Parkinson shot whilst Super Billy, who came on for injured Adie Moses at half time, sent in some breath taking cross’ but the ungrateful forward bunch failed to make anything of them.
Foster had a glorious chance when the ball fell to his feet inside the area. He got tangled up in his own legs and ended up firing wide from 10 yards. It was one of few moments Paddy fatboy Kenny was in his penalty area. The Sheffield keeper managed a good 70 of the 90 minutes out of his area constantly running about… bless ‘im… needed to shred some weight.
Andy Parkinson tried a long-range low curler on the hour mark but Ince managed to dive to his right and punch the ball clear. After that, he spilt a Michael Tonge long drive but luckily, he managed to recover quickly. It was a strange game. We were poor yet looking like we could score any time but Sheffield United looked too threatening to think they would not score - yet neither team managed to create any great chances from close range.
That was until the uproar that was the penalty. Steve Jones blatantly fouled inside the area saw Fatty Kenny, or is it Paddy?, charging towards the referee in a ‘furious’ manner. He was followed by ten other players but the referee stood firm after giving the penalty - well, he was only 5 yards from Jones. We waited. And waited. Nevertheless, Paddy Kenny still moaned and moaned so we waited some more. The ref then flashed yellow in front of his face and he soon retreated.
On the penalty spot was Dean Ashton as the kids piled in behind the goal at the Gresty Road End, oooh the novelty of standing behind the goal as a penalty was being taken… Christmas come early. Then Michael Tonge approached Deano, it was like a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (When the guy pretends he’s from a rival chocolate factory and wants the ever lasting gobstopper) as Tonge whispered in his ear whilst Ashton looked totally bamboozled.
Ashton ran up … bang … the ball flew … high … into the roof… of the Gresty Road End. He had fired over… nooooo. Fatty celebrated like Christmas HAD come early, but every ignored him… he had not saved it after all.
It was obvious what was going to happen from that point on. Any confidence we had regained had now been drained. We kept attacking but nothing ever came of the attacks and Sheffield United were using the ball a tad better, even though neither side were fantastic.
With 10 minutes left we, once again, seemed half-settling for a draw. With five minutes left, the inevitable happened. Ndlovu crossed in, that was a scramble in the 6-yard box between Foster, Forte and Ince before the ball popped up from the three to the penalty spot where an unmarked Montgomery nodded into an empty net despite Wrights last ditch attempts to head clear.
Once again, we were condemned to another depressing defeat, Ben Rix fired a couple of inches over afterwards but that was it.
The confidence is rock bottom, no one player in Brammer, Cochrane, Vaughan or Hignett are going to come in and change this, as many Crewe fans would expect. Four defeats in five games are down to the whole squad and it is up to them to sort it out. To me we are one defeat away from being classed as relegation candidates. That next defeat could come at home to Stoke City and if the players do not get themselves up for that and get something from the game then they deserve a relegation battle. No pressure though.
Man of the match HAD to be David Vaughan. He is Premiership class... such a breath of fresh air in a static team.
That is all I can say at the moment. No doubt more reaction from CreweAlex.com later on in the week and a lot more on the CreweAlex.com message boards - CREWEALEX.TV.