At the Double

[alexmick]

Perhaps one of the reasons why the Alex find themselves in such a predicament, is the fact that they still have not completed "the double" over any team in L1 this season.

If they could now repair this failing in 4 key games, then L1 safety would be assured.

Having already beaten Preston (a), Bristol City (h), Crawley (h) and Colchester (a), then these are the games that could turn our season around. The Alex meet each one of these sides over the remaining few weeks of this season.

Surely the team cannot go a whole season without beating another team twice. Can they?

I wonder if there has been a previous campaign where the Alex did not complete one "double"?

[PAULCAFC]

This team will have to play out of it`s skin to get any double this season Mick, Bristol just hammered Vale 5-0!

[alexmick]

This team will have to play out of it`s skin to get any double this season Mick, Bristol just hammered Vale 5-0!

Stranger things have happened, Paul. We were outplayed, outfought and thrashed by Gillingham at our place. Then we went to their place as underdogs and gave them a footballing lesson, winning 3-1.

With Crewe, anything can happen and often it does!

[alexmick]

First chance coming up this weekend in the double stakes. Beat Crawley and we have our first double of the season.

Last night's defeat at the hands of Port Vale might just make our opponents even keener to achieve their first victory in five games. Had they have beaten the Vale, they might have been a little more relaxed, because they would have been 9 points clear of us (which actually equates to 10, considering their superior goal difference).

In fact, Crawley's goal difference is far better than any of the teams in the mire. So in fact they have a 7 point advantage already over those stuck on 40 points.

Looking at is in that way, perhaps Port Vale have a better chance of reaching the play-offs, than of Crawley being relegated.

[somersetcrewe]

... Port Vale have a better chance of reaching the play-offs, than of Crawley being relegated.


Trust me, if we beat Crawley on Saturday, that will be 5 on the bounce for them. They'd be right in the mix then!
However, if THEY win ...! :(

[alexmick]

... Port Vale have a better chance of reaching the play-offs, than of Crawley being relegated.


Trust me, if we beat Crawley on Saturday, that will be 5 on the bounce for them. They'd be right in the mix then!
However, if THEY win ...! :([/quote]

Last night's Posh win over Colchester, leaves the Vale with absolutely no chance of reaching the promised land of the play-offs. Only if they had have lost (and they do play Wolves on Saturday) would there have been a slight hope for our neighbours.

However, Colchester are now deep in the mire. Their home game against Tranmere will prove very interesting. All we can hope for is a draw between these two sides (and perhaps between Shrewsbury and Stevenage), although the Alex MUST win at Crawley. I will start to look at Crawley as real relegation candidates, if they do lose on Saturday. Then things will get very tense for all involved.

[alexmick]

Our first double of the season today. Great three points, although other games did not go quite in our favour. Shrewsbury, Carlisle, Oldham and Tranmere all winning. Colchester continue to look suspect, with that visit to us on Easter Monday increasingly looking like a six pointer. Crawley continue to jitter, although I am not yet convinced they will go down.

As this thread is concerned with "doubles", the history makers today were those lot down the road. Vale secured their first double over Walsall since the 1899-1900 season.

What are the chances of there being three "doubles" today from local sides. Will Stoke complete the full set when they visit Chelsea tonight? I very much doubt it to be honest, but football can through up all manner of surprises.

[Alexmaverick]

[quote="alexmick" over any team in L1 this season.

If they could now repair this failing in 4 key games, then L1 safety would be assured.

Having already beaten Preston (a), Bristol City (h), Crawley (h) and Colchester (a), then these are the games that could turn our season around. The Alex meet each one of these sides over the remaining few weeks of this season.

Surely the team cannot go a whole season without beating another team twice. Can they?

I wonder if there has been a previous campaign where the Alex did not complete one "double"?[/quote]
Back in the dire '70's,when Crewe away wins were scarcer than sightings of Hayleys Comet (or error-free Harold Finch articles),we only notched a solitary victory on our travels in one particular season,and I think it was our last away of the campaign,at Bournemouth.
Can't

[VindePays2009]

No, it was 0-0, in front of 1,974, in December 1979. And even that was not our lowest gate of a season when only the 'old pals' act must have kept us up.

Yes, it was a lot worse before Dario arrived.

[alexmick]

It's "double" time again on Monday. Our second opportunity arrives when we face Colchester to complete another double. Beat them and that's two doubles so far this season. The Alex could even make it a grand total of four as both Bristol City and Preston have already tasted defeat earlier in the season.

[alexmick]

Our penultimate opportunity to complete another double arises when we face Bristol City tomorrow. With only one double achieved so far this season (against Crawley), we definitely need another before the season closes to give us a realistic chance of beating the drop. Our final game against Preston, gives us our final opportunity in the "double" stakes. It is possible that we will still require 51 points to be safe, as goal difference could count against us at the death. Four points from these two very difficult matches is a big ask, yet not impossible.

[VindePays2009]

Mick, we have been saying all season that GD will mean us needing an extra point, but the situation is improving somewhat.

Consider: if Tranmere were to be hammered 4-0 at Brisbane Road tomorrow, not beyond the bounds of possibility, and we tground it out and allowed Baldock just one shot on goal, i.e. 1-0, then we would go above our county compadres because of more goals scored (only one, admittedly). We've already surpassed Carlisle, in this case both on goals scored and a better GD.

It would be a miserable way to survive, but, hey! I'd take it. Didn't we get relegated in recent times purely on GD? (C'mon, you stattos!) Let's hope, then, that this time it could work in our favour.

All of which means that the team are to be congratulated on having staunched the goals-against torrent since the beginning of the year.

[alexmick]

Mick, we have been saying all season that GD will mean us needing an extra point, but the situation is improving somewhat.

Consider: if Tranmere were to be hammered 4-0 at Brisbane Road tomorrow, not beyond the bounds of possibility, and we tground it out and allowed Baldock just one shot on goal, i.e. 1-0, then we would go above our county compadres because of more goals scored (only one, admittedly). We've already surpassed Carlisle, in this case both on goals scored and a better GD.

It would be a miserable way to survive, but, hey! I'd take it. Didn't we get relegated in recent times purely on GD? (C'mon, you stattos!) Let's hope, then, that this time it could work in our favour.

All of which means that the team are to be congratulated on having staunched the goals-against torrent since the beginning of the year.

It is all "ifs" and "buts", so we cannot take anything for granted. We could lose heavily in just one of t

[Alexmaverick]

Mick, we have been saying all season that GD will mean us needing an extra point, but the situation is improving somewhat.

Consider: if Tranmere were to be hammered 4-0 at Brisbane Road tomorrow, not beyond the bounds of possibility, and we tground it out and allowed Baldock just one shot on goal, i.e. 1-0, then we would go above our county compadres because of more goals scored (only one, admittedly). We've already surpassed Carlisle, in this case both on goals scored and a better GD.

It would be a miserable way to survive, but, hey! I'd take it. Didn't we get relegated in recent times purely on GD? (C'mon, you stattos!) Let's hope, then, that this time it could work in our favour.

All of which means that the team are to be congratulated on having staunched the goals-against torrent since the beginning of the year.

It is all "ifs" and "buts", so we cannot take anything for gra

[alexmick]

Mick, we have been saying all season that GD will mean us needing an extra point, but the situation is improving somewhat.

Consider: if Tranmere were to be hammered 4-0 at Brisbane Road tomorrow, not beyond the bounds of possibility, and we tground it out and allowed Baldock just one shot on goal, i.e. 1-0, then we would go above our county compadres because of more goals scored (only one, admittedly). We've already surpassed Carlisle, in this case both on goals scored and a better GD.

It would be a miserable way to survive, but, hey! I'd take it. Didn't we get relegated in recent times purely on GD? (C'mon, you stattos!) Let's hope, then, that this time it could work in our favour.

All of which means that the team are to be congratulated on having staunched the goals-against torrent since the beginning of the year.

It is all "i

[alexmick]

Last chance to make absolutely sure of our continued existence in this division against Preston tomorrow, by completing just our second double of the season. Let us hope that the Alex can repeat the feat achieved last season, victories over the Lilywhites, home and away.

Whatever the outcome of tomorrow's encounter with Preston, and whether the Alex retain their L1 status or drop down a division, then the time will be at hand to really examine just why the club have struggled throughout this campaign. Questions will have to be asked and answers need to be forthcoming, because there is no way that supporters will want another season like this one in 2014-15.

After tomorrow, that will be the time to be frankly honest and for the club to strive to be successful, no matter what league they are playing in next season.