📅Pre-Match Build-Up Thread: Crewe Alexandra (H) 24.02.24

[Notts78]

Next two games are absolutely must win. Fail to do so then I feel it’s a mid table finish and a complete rebuild for next year.

That depends on other results. It’s so tight that 2 games winning / losing isn’t terminal. It’s not the same as last season where you knew that you needed to win 90% of games. The teams in and around us are as inconsistent as we are, that’s why we are all on 44-48 points.
of course winning both would make our task easier and the opposite if we lose both. Either way the season is unlikely to be determined by these next 2 games.

[OP67]

That depends on other results. It’s so tight that 2 games winning / losing isn’t terminal. It’s not the same as last season where you knew that you needed to win 90% of games. The teams in and around us are as inconsistent as we are, that’s why we are all on 44-48 points.
of course winning both would make our task easier and the opposite if we lose both. Either way the season is unlikely to be determined by these next 2 games.

By that reconning we'll finish 10th then

[slack_pie]

Surprised there’s no question regarding Jatta

Maynard had nothing to saynard about the Jatta matta.

[slack_pie]

We always seem to do alright against Crewe at home. Can’t believe we’ve lost so many games and are still in playoff contention. There’s no reason this team can’t smash out a run and get up… starting Saturday

I'm hopeful too. I remember under Birchnall we slipped out the playoffs and then had a relatively easy run of games before the end of the season, which saw us finish fifth. With most of the tough fixtures behind us, no reason we can't get enough points to sneak seventh.

[AllNottsAreWe]

Not sure I get this "easier run" view.

Just looked at the remaining fixtures. The only so called weaker teams are Sutton and FGR. All the others are decent and very unpredictable, Swindon, Crawley, Walsall etc.

Notts are hardly in great form.

[slack_pie]

Not sure I get this "easier run" view.

Just looked at the remaining fixtures. The only so called weaker teams are Sutton and FGR. All the others are decent and very unpredictable, Swindon, Crawley, Walsall etc.

Notts are hardly in great form.

We're just coming to the end of the hardest run of fixtures we'll face all season, at least on paper.

[upthemaggies]

We haven't lost at home to Crewe since 1997 (0-1 under Allardyce with Shaun Derry sent off), eight league games unbeaten since then.
My optimism begins to deflate when I look at their results since Boxing Day, only lost 1 in 10 league games, won 6 drawn 3 and kept a clean sheet in half of those games, winning away at both Stockport and Mansfield.
Tough fixture.

[SwalePie]

[upthemaggies]

A couple of stats.....

We haven't gone three home league games without a win since March 2021 when Ardley was still in charge, we're currently 2 home without a win.

We haven't lost two home league games on the trot since Mark Crossley was caretaker, taking over from Nolan for a home loss to FGR in September 2018. A little surprising that we went through the rest of that awful relegation season always picking up at least a point from every two home games.

[Putney Pie]

Why do you think we need a complete rebuild laddo?

Because I suspect macca, jones and Crowley will all be gone if we are still in league 2