Whilst the Alex have had a little time away from Division One all sorts of things have been happening at Wimbledon, the team I usually fear most.
From Wimbledon to Franchise FC, Charles Koppel is nearly at the next phase of his dastardly plan - death. Koppel, Chairman of Wimbledon is now the evil man in football after his plans to move Wimbledon 70 miles to Milton Keynes were approved by the FA. This lead to Wimbledon fans leaving and making AFC Wimbledon. Gates of 600 last season saw the Dons drop into administration and the Milton Keynes move put on hold until October - and it was lucky Crewe to get the honour of playing them first.
After weeks of uming and ahhing over where they should play with every ground in the south of England mentioned they decided to stay at Selhurst Park just 3 days before the season starts.
On the pitch though it's all rosey, for us. They've sold nearly every half decent player going. David Connolly, Neil Shipperly, Kenny Cunningham, Gareth Ainsworth, Kelvin Davis, Damien Francis and Andy Roberts. No, but wait, lets not be too harsh on them. They have replaced them all with one superstar in, ahem, Dean Holdsworth. The same Dean Holdsworth who was about to sign for Scottish Division 3 club Gretna. Their team is now made up of few decent players in Nigel Reo-Coker(and doesn't the Nigel bit ruin is name?), Jobi McAnuff(Now thats a name) and Lionel Morgan. Ok so they're all inexperienced 19 year olds but thats what you get when no-one likes you.
For Saturday they have striker Wayne Gray still recovering from a knee operation, so it looks like Holdsworth and Agyemand will start upfront. Jobi McAnuff is out through injury. Their team will be full of names from their youth team all inexperienced.
For the Alex it's been excellent. With wins against Everton, Port Vale and Tranmere with a draw with Liverpool and a pre-season totaling 23 goals scored by Crewe. The players look well in tune and the two new signings in Moses and Cochrane look great signings.
Ince in goal looks well on form after shaking off a thigh injury picked up at the end of last season. Rix looks like he could have a massive part to play this season after one of the best pre-seasons a Alex player has had in ages, pre-season has seen him get stronger and bring out amazing skill and talent in the 19 year old. However there is still one problem which remains upfront. With Dean Ashton, our only proven striker, looking like he'll miss the game we have just Varney, Robinson and Platt to partner Jones and all 3 of them are inexperienced with them tallying just 0 division one games between them.
It means Crewe will have to be strong in midfield on Saturday and provide Jonah with the assistance he needs. If Dario can get Tonkin in and signed by 5pm today then it will be a massive boost as it will push Vaughany from left back to the left wing and help Jones get some service. Other news. It looks like Richard Walker has go rid of shin splints and Bankole has, unfortunately, shaken off a hamstring injury. Both will be on the bench.
Dario said he would stick with the same team that thrashed Vale 4-1 and Tranmere 5-0, so this looks like the team with Deano missing:
Ince; Wright, Moses, Foster, Vaughan; Lunt, Brammer, Rix, Cochrane;Jones, Varney/Robinson/Platt | 
Nigel Reo-Coker
D.o.B - 14/04/1984
Highly rated midfielder who attracted interest from numerous clubs during his first full season last term. Reo-Coker is a bona-fide box-to-box midfielder. Capable of last ditch tackles at one end and vital goals at the other, although his goalscoring rate does need improving. Along with Jobi McAnuff, the 19-year-old looked set to join Portsmouth this summer only for the transfer to fall through at the last moment. With the likes of David Connolly and Neil Shipperly departing from Wimbeldon this summer, manager Stuart Murdoch has handed the captaincy to young Reo-Coker - a role Murdoch is convinced the youngster will revel in. Reo-Coker is another fine example of how to develop a youth system at a unfashionable club, alongside the already mentioned McAnuff, Lionel Morgan, Alex Tapp and Shane Gore. The successful introduction of these talented youngsters has been possibly the only high point for, the remaining, Wimbledon fans over the past year or so.
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