Rochdale v Crewe Alex

[JJ1532]

Well, what looked like a nothing game a few weeks back(for both teams) now has turned into quite a big one. Also, what looked like an easy home win for Dale suddenly looks like a winnable one for us, given how poor they looked against us last week. We aren't great and I wasn't impressed by how Walsall pulled us apart at the weekend. We are still getting results by teams missing loads of chances before letting us get back into the game. It feels like we are being given points, rather than us earning them.

Team should be the same as Saturday, bit uneasy about that given half of them looked dead on their feet after 70 minutes. Not a lot of options to change things though.

Dale could easily turn up and still batter us, they still have quality in their side and we could easily throw in a shocker, we often do on Tuesday nights away from home(see Bury for a recent example).

Scoreline could be anything from a 4-0 Dale win to a 1-0 Alex win. I know draws do us no good, but I'd still take a point from this one. 1-1, Haber to score. 200 Alex fans there if we're lucky.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

Can see this being another 0-0 like Bury or Rochdale to nick it like we did last week. I'm of the opinion that Chesterfield is the bigger game for us and so I'd rather win that so a point wouldn't be catastrophic at a notorious bogey ground like Spotland.

I just think fitness will be an issue for us. These players are weak physically and mentally and we have had incredible luck that teams aren't putting chances away against us. With a couple of Tuesday Night games on the horizon this will be a huge test of our resolve.

 

[Dawlishdale]

Another one that's hard to call. we didn't play well enough against Millwall, but we did do ten times better than our feeble effort at Crewe.
Expecting a couple of changes... and a sub 2000 crowd. Bloody long trip up again for me.

When asked for predictions last week, I said we'd lose to Millwall, but beat Crewe.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Scoreline could be anything from a 4-0 Dale win to a 1-0 Alex win.

This about sums it up, probably sums up all of our remaining games. If they can put away even half the free chances we offer up then we've no chance.

In a way, 0-0 with Rochdale limited to just a few half chances would be huge improvement.

 

[Chris]

Draw please

 

[Saddlerrad]

This is exactly what the score should have been on Saturday...Crewe not good starters at the minute it seems.

 

[Dale4ever]

We are a joke.

 

[Dale4ever]

Calling that a game of football would be demeaning. Truly awful match. After such a promising start I thought we were in for a decent performance tonight for a change. We are getting dragged into the dogfight now, it's as simple as that.

 

[JJ1532]

Well, good to see we are starting games well. 2-0 down after 5 minutes, jesus! Terrible defending for both goals as well.

Credit to the players, they dragged themselves back into it after that, had a few openings before we finally scored. Another set piece routine, kind of. Credit to Ajayi, keeps the ball alive out wide, swings in a great cross. Nugent head it down and Haber scuffs it in. Got a lift after that and the equaliser was really well worked. Turton, Jones, Inman, Seager, goal. Brilliant move.

Game was killed when Seager went down. Jeez, does well, scores his first goal, looks like he's done his cruciate ligaments. If that isn't a 6-9 month injury, I'll be amazed, he looked in agony. Fell terrible for him. Bakayogo had a decent chance and Ajayi saved a certain goal by getting back to make a block.

2nd half was a total non-event. Our strikers couldn't get anything going and we basically settled for a draw early on. However, I wouldn't blame them, we were missing Colclough, Cooper and Seager. Got no forward depth left after all. We badly need another winger, Cooper is too inconsistent, Saunders is way too raw, Seager looks done for the season and Dalla Valle is out for a while yet. Get in another winger as an absolute priority and maybe a forward if Seager is done. Do that and we have a fighting chance at staying up. Don't and we simply don't have the quality upfront to win games and we will go down. Board's choice now.

Pressure is increasing every game we don't win. Still need 6 wins minimum, probably 7. Saturday is absolutely massive, especially considering we have Barnsley, Southend, Burton and Gillingham up after that.

 

[TimeyWimey]

Looked in for a battering in the first 10 minutes but brilliant turn around, for 10 minutes we actually took the game to Rochdale and they went to pieces. Then we settled for the draw. We spent the entire second half (which was the drabbest 45 minutes of the season) containing Rochdale. We need to start going for it though; 3 wins & 3 defeats would have better better than 6 unbeaten run. It's 1 win in the last 11, and we need 7 wins from next 15. If we don't beat Chesterfield it is game, set and match. It's been match point for the last six games.

Hope Seager is ok though. That looked horrible.

 

[Dawlishdale]

Yet another grim game for us after scoring 2 goals in no time, we sat back, allowing Crewe right back into the game.

Strangely enough Crew also sat back once they had drawn level, and the second half was as poor a game as I can remember.


Hill needs to stop buggering around with the team. Too many players playing out of position, with better options on the bench or in the stand.


Not bothering with the 500 mile round trip next week. Only the second home game I will have missed in a decade.

 

[valefan16]

Yet another grim game for us after scoring 2 goals in no time, we sat back, allowing Crewe right back into the game.

Strangely enough Crew also sat back once they had drawn level, and the second half was as poor a game as I can remember.


Hill needs to stop buggering around with the team. Too many players playing out of position, with better options on the bench or in the stand.


Not bothering with the 500 mile round trip next week. Only the second home game I will have missed in a decade.

You do a 500 mile round trip for every single home game?!! Fair play to you Sir!

 

[Dawlishdale]

Mad more like!!!

 

[CFC91]

That is nuts, hats off to you. Devon to Rochdale on a Tuesday night in Feb really does sperate the men from the boys

 

[Dale4ever]

Dawlish, fair play! And I really don't blame you for staying away. Grim understates last nights debacle. Think I'm going to be more selective with my away games from now on to save some money too. Simply can't legislate paying so much money to watch garbage at the moment.

 

[Dawlishdale]

Hmmm... I'm actually a fraud. I moved from Devon last year. I now reside in Somerset. About 50 miles less round trip. Pays for a pie & drink!!!