The Crewe Alexandra Way

[England_First]

For me there a few misconceptions about what the Crewe way is, or was, and how it was used to see us steadily rise up the leagues, I think the person who does not understand it the most is a certain Mr S Davis.

The Crewe way under Dario was 3 pronged, it was not solely about youth,

1. Try to sign up either discarded YTS/Academy players or journeymen types that show ability and can be coached and improved, ie Neil Lennon, Craig Hignet, Ashley Ward, Robbie Savage, Peter Billings etc etc.

2. Search the non-league set up to look for promising talent and again coach them into league players, Gus Wilson, Tony Nayler, Steve Jones, Shaun Smith etc etc.

3. Use our youth/academy set up to coach youngsters with a view to them being 1st team players, ie, Danny Murphy, Rob Hulse, Dean Ashton, Rob Jones, Nick Powell, Ashley Westwood etc etc.

Under SD we are seriously failing in 1 and 2, I know times have changed and top flight youth players are on bigger money, as are non-league players, but we have not upped our game to try and meet this, all this means that more pressure is being put on 3, if we don't find the next 'Nick Powell' every season then fans question the point of the academy, but if 1 and 2 were still having some success then a downturn in academy fortunes could be carried. I guess investment plays a big part, and that is not SD's fault, but his man management style and in the last season his record must be having some negative impact.

I honestly think that Bowler and Co have forgotten about the Ashley Wards, Neil Lennon's, Gus Wilson's and Shaun Smiths and are obsessed with the Nick Powells. Without steady non league and league players being brought in the academy alone will never turn around the clubs fortunes.

[Furberstreet]

i think that we were pacesetters in setting up the academy model and using it to attract a lot of local and discarded young talent. Nowadays, other clubs have caught up and perhaps overtaken us, so there is increased competition for these players. As for journeymen, I suspect that the rise of agents has led to excessive demands for signing on fees and inflated salaries. A number of the leading non-league clubs are able to outbid us for players and Baker & Co may have to look lower down the pyramid to unearth potential talent like Wintle and Udoh. In summary, I mostly agree with your analysis, but cash and increased competition are undermining the Club's efforts. Perhaps we need to look seriously at becoming a feeder academy for a Premiership team?