Barrow

[MikeSB]

Well that performance was worrying! Vestiges of the second half of last season. No urgency. Most of our possession was in our own third. There was no creativity just an inclination to pass, pass, pass to no purpose. I expected a lot from Sanders and Lankester but they were anonymous. No change with Tracey.
There is no midfield going forward. 4- 2- 3-1 doesn't work as there are massive gaps between all the forward players. There's no use having people with the talent of Tabs and Sanders playing so deeply. Where's the link with the forwards.
I'd go for a 3 at the back so we have wing backs to push up the pitch so the 'wingers' can come inside and add bodies to the middle of the pitch.
One positive for me was Conway who looked to have some desire to get forward.

No shots on goal for 95 mins?

I hate to say it but its the academy and coaching....What do the players do at RH only pass the ball back and too to each other? Its easy to remedy...Fine every player that passes the ball back and tell them its essential to pass the ball FORWARD or better still do what you arw supposed to do in football...RUN for goal!

Same old with coaches steeped in passing...Same as England did just now...Where are all the players of the old days that had skills to run, beat the mean and shoot at goal...Fans should not have to pay for this dross...

[gazan]

I think Barrow have coaches too!

[MikeSB]

I think Barrow have coaches too!

Yes,they all have coaches and three managers and none of them can teach or play football as its supposed to be played...I mean how is it possible to play for 95 minutes without having one shot at goal....I tell you that its the fans who I feel sorry for who have made a great effort to get to places like Barrow and it was a nightmare for me to get there on a foggy day in 1960 and we won 3-1 that day and think I was the only Crewe fan there that day that travelled by train...no direct trains back to Crewe, a stop over in Preston for 2 hours when I went to the flicks while I was hanging about the place but I don't think we ever played football as bad as we do these days and we pay through the nose for little skills with kids trained or coached for 10 years and no bloody idea of how to play the game.
If I was the Chairman I would spend hours and days at RH to see what the heck the coaches and players are doing to have these kind of performances...In the old days they would all be sacked for non compliance of the game....

[Wartman]

I think Barrow have coaches too!

I have slept on my thoughts of yesterdays game and this is my conclusion I was at the game yesterday and I can guarantee there was 538 visiting fans who thought exactly the opposite of what Lee Bell thought the away side was almost empty by the final whistle and the team came over to clap no more than about 50 fans of which I was one. That was an absolutely dreadful display I don’t know what Lee is looking at from the first whistle we were so negative sideways and backwards passing a feature of the entire game where I do agree with Lee is we did have a lot of possession however this was in our own final 3rd with no attacking intent, the midfield was ineffective and Hemings was comfortably managed by vassell, Tracey gets the ball and instead of using his pace either waits for support or passes it back. So many wayward passes I lost count poor control a lack of fight on the whole a very very poor performance and I believe Crewe have not won a league game since March ? The only positive was it was 1-0 if Barrow were any good we would have been hammered. I was talking to a couple of Barrow fans after the game who were laughing that they won the game they were that bad. On the evidence of that performance we won’t be troubling the top half of the table, add to that it is evident we are still 4 or 5 players short so I hope they have got plans.

[MikeSB]

I have slept on my thoughts of yesterdays game and this is my conclusion I was at the game yesterday and I can guarantee there was 538 visiting fans who thought exactly the opposite of what Lee Bell thought the away side was almost empty by the final whistle and the team came over to clap no more than about 50 fans of which I was one. That was an absolutely dreadful display I don’t know what Lee is looking at from the first whistle we were so negative sideways and backwards passing a feature of the entire game where I do agree with Lee is we did have a lot of possession however this was in our own final 3rd with no attacking intent, the midfield was ineffective and Hemings was comfortably managed by vassell, Tracey gets the ball and instead of using his pace either waits for support or passes it back. So many wayward passes I lost count poor control a lack of fight on the whole a very very poor performance and I believe Crewe have not won a league game since March ? The only positive was it was 1-0 if Barrow were any good we would have been hammered. I was talking to a couple of Barrow fans after the game who were laughing that they won the game they were that bad. On the evidence of that performance we won’t be troubling the top half of the table, add to that it is evident we are still 4 or 5 players short so I hope they have got plans.

Wartman, congrats on going to Barrow..

I suspect LB is far too close to the players and thought that last season. But then he is the so called Chief Coach and he was saying it should have been 0 bloody nil...God help us if he thinks like that!

I think we should go back to the old days...Yes, I know its my age thing but we had at least three shots on goal there in 1960 and none yesterday! I think we should sack all the coaches and have ONE decent manager who will allow the players to play what they are supposed to do and that is play the simple game...I mean every pound we spend on coaches, managers and RH is a pound wasted. it must cost the club at least half a million pounds and still we have no decent players and have to loan other clubs academy gradutes in and so what is the point of our academy when they are too young to play Pro football and then get injured..

Mr Chairman please get to RH and do what you are supposed to do...get control of these useless people who really have no skills...and footballers do NOT need coaching. I saw the same sideways passing on the highlights and then they pass the ball to someone who has three defenders on them and yet there was two wingers on each side of the pitch with nobody marking them....I could coach them myself better...ie the old days players were signed by their ability not what they may do in ten years...We won 2 games in the last 14 games, it shows how bad this league is for us to make the playoff final.

Academies cannot teach hard football and playing only sideways passing or back passing...half a million to be told that? Why was Long not playing 95 mins?

[MikeSB]

BTW what is wrong with Long who is supposed to be our best player and had two months rest and not yet suitable for playing 90 mins already? Is that another 2000 pounds a week wasted? Guessed the wage but even the Chairman said the loanee GK we had in the last few games was costing 2 grand a week...

Why did LB sign Long this season with his past history of injuries? He needs to play 46 games or sorry, to get rid quick..Lots of good players would come here for 4 grand a week ie 2000 a week for half a season?

[lukcour]

Did not view the game so can only go on other supporters views. My opinion has to be based on this one game and the team performances at the back end of last season. And those performances were dreadful.

Our manager plus assistant manager have had all of the closed season to reflect and consider improvements and what have they come up with. Exactly the same. No tactics, no system, no passion, lack of movement, and definitely no competitiveness. The new players must be stunned and unhappy about this totally unacceptable standard.

Sorry to say this after only 1 game but they have to go.

[ShropshireAlex]

Clearly we did not play as well as LB seems to have thought, but I do find the stats that don't count hitting the woodwork as a shot on target misleading. Don't know whether it was one of ours or a defender who ficked the post in the second half, but Hemmings headed against the bar in the first half and Tracey hit the post, yet both are counted among our shots off target - whereas a half hearted push towards the keeper which he just picked up would have counted as on target!

Long is on schedule for the personal fitness programme they devised for him for pre season apparently. Won't play in the Cup but should get more time next Saturday. Another loan signing also expected in on Monday.

[gazan]

I hope the person who is coming on Saturday is a ball carrier. We need someone to get the ball up the pitch without relying on long crossfield balls forward all the time. Unfortunately it seems the midfield is meant to connect with the defence but does not seem to have the remit to link with the forwards. Until the latter happens, we'll continue to have barren days like yesterday.

[lukcour]

I am fairly confident that in our squad including new signings we already have accomplished ball carriers. But in our managers coaching it is painfully obvious that is not a requirement.

For some reason LB is presenting a negative team, and for me this is not acceptable. I have to admit I have no idea what his system is, but it is plain it is not modern day football. This leaves me so worried.