+ Visit Crewe Alexandra FC Mad for Latest News, Transfer Gossip, Fixtures and Match Results
Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 18 of 18

Thread: Strongest team

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    370
    Thanks guys for a lively discussion but can I say we need a keeper who can control his area by punching , catching, coming out fast on one to one situations and shouting at his players as well as fast distribution of the ball. Our current keepers are just average and no better than that.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,175
    You may prefer that we have other keepers to select from but the fact is we don’t. As this thread was opened to discuss what we think our strongest team is then that has to be made from those available for selection, so I would suggest that we get on with it and leave that increasingly fractious argument for another thread - it has been done to death on at least two more IMHO!

    I haven’t seen any pres-season matches but, based on reports and what I’ve watched over the past couple of seasons, it seems to me that much of the starting 11 picks itself, namely

    Jaaskaleinen
    Ramsay Adebisi
    Murphy
    Kirk, Dale, Mandron (if fully fit)

    So 2 CBS and 2 MF (depending on formation). Ainley has apparently been at the better end of his form and I like the cut of Lundstram’s jib. As for CB I have thought that Offord reads the game better than most since he made his debut; he’s not the biggest but is decent enough in the air so he starts for me, alongside someone more dominant in the heading department. I haven’t seen Hoban at all, but at 6’2” and with his experience he hasn’t been brought in to make up numbers. So

    Jaaskaleinen, Ramsay, Hoban, Offord, Adebisi, Murphy (captain), Lundstram, Ainley, Kirk, Dale, Mandron.
    Subs Richards, Daniels, Johnson, Finney, Porter, Long, Griffiths

    A rather more attacking line up than I think Dave and Ken will opt for!!

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    641
    I think that Daniels will start if fit- maybe in place of Offord (to give more control in the air) and Finney in place of Lundstram. Finney seems to be a popular choice with management and do we need both Lundstram and Murphy at the same time?

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    475
    Agree about Daniels think he is the steadiest we have. Hoban has had very little game time so for me a doubt. Offord no. Finney in place of Lundstram, don`t agree. Lundstram`s contribution is at least 4 times greater. Believe this season Murphy and Lundstram will be the base and creative force of our team. Would start with Long as Mandron also has not had a lot of game time. Have to agree with James Dad with the goalies. Still time to sign one.

    AA re the subs you have to include Onyeka. His pace scares defenders.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,175
    Yes, I considered Onyeka but he was injured last night. And I don’t think we need 3 forwards and Finney on the bench

    And do give it a rest about the keepers!!! I’d rather see another LB come in to be honest.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    475
    Quote Originally Posted by AstonAlex View Post
    Yes, I considered Onyeka but he was injured last night. And I don’t think we need 3 forwards and Finney on the bench

    And do give it a rest about the keepers!!! I’d rather see another LB come in to be honest.
    Thank you for your consideration, but I can assure you I am well rested. For me a LB is less important, but would also be nice.

    Correct me if I am wrong but surely the thread "Strongest team" is not only about our first game.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Posts
    2,957
    I've only been to the three home matches and seen Hoban twice. Despite his build and height, he doesn't seem to win heading duels so that's why I went for Daniels. Apart from that one position, it seems we agree AA.
    Of course there is a chance that more will arrive and will need to be considered. I do think we need another goalie to replace Richards but I don't think the management have any intention in this respect. We do need another left-back, if only to cover Adebisi.
    Hopefully, Onyeka is not seriously injured.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,175
    Agreed, gazan. I consider Adebisi worth a good run in the side, but some younger players have ups and downs and I’d like to think we have cover at LB - we have at least 3 who have already started at RB, not including Rio himself - but not sure who would fill in at LB due to loss of form or injury.

    I’d like to see something better than Richards as second choice keeper - maybe they consider Booth to be that man: he’s 6’5” according to the website so that’s five and six inches taller than the others so should be able to collect a cross!

    With either position, indeed all positions, the club have to balance a winning team with the ethos of giving those players that we develop a chance (see countless other posts about Lowery, Wintle, Jones, Moore et al). I guess this means that, more than most clubs, Dave has difficult decisions to make about who from the 18yo are likely to step up and when. This time last season most of us were worrying about who would play FB when Perry and Harry left, which seemed would certainly happen in January at the latest. In the event we signed Billy Jones on loan, who played once, Johnson and Offord got injured and Daniels didn’t last much longer! So we were right to be worried, until Adebisi showed what he could do - now we don’t want a new LB, we want cover for Adebisi! I suppose we should have faith in Dave; his transfer record has been pretty good for the past 2 or 3 years.

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •