Crewe scorefred sponsored by let’s win and go top

[Rob]

Well...what can you say, I'm not angry but stunned.

After sloppy play giving them the opener, still not sure if it was a pass or a shot from where we sit?

We have everything and pinned them back but very little cohesive play due to the mystifying tactics and substitutions!!
Reed and Brunt still doesn't work, it's one or the other and take one off instead of Maris for first substitution!
Flint flicking on for Akins is basic desperation that will never ever work!!
Swan comes on and sums his season up as he air kicks tap in, woeful!!!
A ref once again that gives innocuous tugs and pushes except on Akins or in the penalty area, talk about consistently inconsistent!!

I disagree about Crewe, well organised yes but probably the least created all season by an away side as they had nothing but the goal we handed them.
Fair play for defending resolutely but our awful game management\substitutions at home once again played into their hands!!

100% agree with this, er, Hoff

Flint up front does not work, he's OK when we have a corner etc, but he should not be moved from CB. Equally Brunt and Reed might be OK away at Stockport but when you are on top and need creativity you don't need both and it could be argued you don’t need either. I thought Cloughs changes were very poor, taking Maris off but leaving Reed and Brunt on made zero sense, unless he took a knock subbing Macca was also wrong. Clough has had high praise this season, deservedly so, today was a poor day for him, he got so much wrong and players like Reed and Akins were well below par.

I wonder if those who a week ago thought we didn't need a striker still think the same I think we need two, I'd rather have Rheady up front for the last 20 than a CB!

[Curry 9 Brace 7]

Flint up front, dinsaur tactics. Blame the pitch , ha ha, very funny. Bang average Akins gets a full 90, amazing. Swan doesn't score in 7 minute appearance, shocking.

[cassellswasmagic]

Yet again, let down by a complete lack of striker instinct in the penalty area. Flint isn't the answer. Aikens is picked too readily and Swan must be wondering what he is doing here. Possession not worth it if nothing to show for it.

Nigel knows best! He’s had a lot of time to sort that position out. It might be his undoing again.

[cassellswasmagic]

Flint up front, dinsaur tactics. Blame the pitch , ha ha, very funny. Bang average Akins gets a full 90, amazing. Swan doesn't score in 7 minute appearance, shocking.

Anyone blaming that pitch is clutching at non existent straws imo. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. When we win away on poor pitches, those same people say nothing. I’d have loved to play on a decent pitch like FM…I remember the pitch versus Chester City in the FR area final…Cassells didn’t moan about that pitch! These players are lucky playing on the pitches of today. Grow a pair and stop blaming football pitches!

[Sneag]

Flint up front, dinsaur tactics. Blame the pitch , ha ha, very funny. Bang average Akins gets a full 90, amazing. Swan doesn't score in 7 minute appearance, shocking.

Anyone blaming that pitch is clutching at non existent straws imo. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. When we win away on poor pitches, those same people say nothing. I’d have loved to play on a decent pitch like FM…I remember the pitch versus Chester City in the FR area final…Cassells didn’t moan about that pitch! These players are lucky playing on the pitches of today. Grow a pair and stop blaming football pitches!

We did fine on a ploughed field a Sutton a few weeks ago. The pitch isn't great, but it didn't stop anyone just putting their laces through the ball & clearing it after 90 seconds.

[adamstag]

If today didn’t prove we need an actual forward who can score it never will, though of course the midfield wasn’t at its best either.

The amount of missed touches/passed/touches were outstanding - 1 point from doncaster and crewe at home is a concern and if we don’t sort home form out it’ll cause problems.

Would love someone to explain what we do at set pieces….

[Amber Andy]

Well...what can you say, I'm not angry but stunned.

After sloppy play giving them the opener, still not sure if it was a pass or a shot from where we sit?

We have everything and pinned them back but very little cohesive play due to the mystifying tactics and substitutions!!
Reed and Brunt still doesn't work, it's one or the other and take one off instead of Maris for first substitution!
Flint flicking on for Akins is basic desperation that will never ever work!!
Swan comes on and sums his season up as he air kicks tap in, woeful!!!
A ref once again that gives innocuous tugs and pushes except on Akins or in the penalty area, talk about consistently inconsistent!!

I disagree about Crewe, well organised yes but probably the least created all season by an away side as they had nothing but the goal we handed them.
Fair play for defending resolutely but our awful game management\substitutions at home once again played into their hands!!

Have to agree, tippy tappy football in your owen 6 yard box is suicide, even in schoolboy football.

I agree, worse still they should play to the whistle and not be influenced by the opposition player indicating he was off side.

[The One]

Wednesday is Fred day.

I changed to Thursday mate when I was doing it. Because we kept drawing. Time will tell.

Saying nowt except new fredder please

[The Hoffmeister]

Well...what can you say, I'm not angry but stunned.

After sloppy play giving them the opener, still not sure if it was a pass or a shot from where we sit?

We have everything and pinned them back but very little cohesive play due to the mystifying tactics and substitutions!!
Reed and Brunt still doesn't work, it's one or the other and take one off instead of Maris for first substitution!
Flint flicking on for Akins is basic desperation that will never ever work!!
Swan comes on and sums his season up as he air kicks tap in, woeful!!!
A ref once again that gives innocuous tugs and pushes except on Akins or in the penalty area, talk about consistently inconsistent!!

I disagree about Crewe, well organised yes but probably the least created all season by an away side as they had nothing but the goal we handed them.
Fair play for defending resolutely but our awful game management\substitutions at home once again played into their hands!!

100% agree with this, er, Hoff

Flint up front does not work, he's OK when we have a corner etc, but he should not be moved from CB. Equally Brunt and Reed might be OK away at Stockport but when you are on top and need creativity you don't need both and it could be argued you don’t need either. I thought Cloughs changes were very poor, taking Maris off but leaving Reed and Brunt on made zero sense, unless he took a knock subbing Macca was also wrong. Clough has had high praise this season, deservedly so, today was a poor day for him, he got so much wrong and players like Reed and Akins were well below par.

I wonder if those who a week ago thought we didn't need a striker still think the same I think we need two, I'd rather have Rheady up front for the last 20 than a CB!

Why thank you Roberto the

I'm now going to agree with you and say we do not need Brunt or Reed at home, get back to Lewis, Clarke, Maris, Quinn.

I also agree about the striker we need two now.
If and it's a big if, we do sign Gregory mark my words it will be a huge upgrade on Lucas

[gazza1988]

Wednesday is Fred day.

I changed to Thursday mate when I was doing it. Because we kept drawing. Time will tell.

Saying nowt except new fredder please

Well we lost, we didn't draw

[WoodhouseStag]

It's the second loss of the season, in January.

Clough very clearly knows what he's doing, bad day at the office and we go again.

Look at the table and smile, we're going up.

[Costastag]

Just a bad day it happens we ,move on

[bigalstag1]

Our home form makes it twice as hard away,thoug h. We're relying far too much on our away results.

[yorkshire stag]

playing Reed & Brunt as holding midfielders at home doesn’t work for me, it leaves a massive hole in middle, Crewe defended their lead well & we had nothing to break them down, that early mistake really cost us!

we move on

[arsene wengers coat]

Let's be rayt, though it's a pity we didn't go top, that's all it is currently. most of us would take being 2nd and unbeaten at home til Jan.

We've got a winnable few games now. Let's not play reed and brunt in the midfield base again it doesn't work. And also sort the pitch out. We need several covers and some strong UV lamps to sort it out. Absolute quagmire.

[Oladamber66]

Disappointed yes but more so in the way we gave Crewe their goal .... a lot of confusion as to whether it was off side or not ?a Poor referee he was never going to give a thing as for Crewe being the best side here all season just rubbish talk they were bang average at best .... all the talk of if we win we go top of the league ...lets be honest its a kiss of death ..
Brilliant festive period results ..including the great win at stockport ...we all knew what was coming next and it has ...
But still second position and all to play for ..so its on to Morecombe next week I’ll be there will you ?

[Stephen]

Would love someone to explain what we do at set pieces….

Just float the ball to flint to knock down, time and time again

[Dan]

Here's some pics of all those we lost in 2023, I thought people might like to see them/keep them: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?van ... 8606954104

[Vantage007]

I'm away overseas and had access to Sky Sports News who, because it was FA Cup day, had reporters at most EFL games. Alan Mcinally reported from the Mill and after they scored he said that he remembered the 1970s Brazil team who could play out from the back in tricky situations they were that good. He then stared into the camera and said "Remember Mansfield, you aren't Brazil so don't do it"! He's right as well

[cassellswasmagic]

Would love someone to explain what we do at set pieces….

Just float the ball to flint to knock down, time and time again

That’s the trouble. They go nowhere near Flint and when they do nothing happens

[Dan]

Match pics if you're bored https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 104&type=3

[Cleveland_Stag]

In the home league table so far this season, 18 teams have scored more goals than us at home this season and only four teams have scored fewer than us in home games. Compare this to away from home, where we’re the highest scorers in the league and have scored five more goals than the next highest away scorers. Very odd to have such a discrepancy.

[STAGS FOR LIFE]

https://www.skysports.com/football/mans ... dra/484468

[stagmanrob]

In the home league table so far this season, 18 teams have scored more goals than us at home this season and only four teams have scored fewer than us in home games. Compare this to away from home, where we’re the highest scorers in the league and have scored five more goals than the next highest away scorers. Very odd to have such a discrepancy.

Always said we play a style that suits us better away from home.
When teams sit in and pack their half with a "low block" as the new footballing buzz term seems to be these days (I prefer the Mourinho "Park the bus" term) when they come to the mill, we are largely out of ideas with how to break them down.
As Cloughie said in his media obligations, the first goal is important at this level, particularly with the lack of quality in terms of balls into the box.

Away from home, the home side has to come at us more due to the pressure of the home support who pay their wages.
It leaves us so much more space, and plays into our pressing style to force them into mistakes in dangerous areas. We win the ball higher up but have space to play into when we do.

When we win the ball at home, there's always seemingly 7 players from the opposition ahead of the ball to break down.

We're heavily reliant on mistakes from the opposition or a moment of quality from nowhere when we play at home.

Those stats don't shock me like they might others.

Oh and the atmosphere and level of encouragement from our away support is chalk and cheese to the glass half empty feeling at home at the moment.

[victor A block]

Firstly we don't need a striker. We need at least 2.
Putting a centre half up front is as clear an admission as possible from Clough that he doesn't trust Swan ( and to be fair he has doing nothing to prove otherwise)
Oates wont play again this season. Gale, injured and not ready. Bowery is nowhere near the standard to play consistently there and score enough goals and when Akins is poor as he was yesterday we offer nothing.
Reed and Brunt both playing holding midfield doesn't work either and leaves us with no connection in the key midfield area further forward to take the ball forward. Brunt got so bored with it he moved to right wing and did even less.
Clarke and Maris are still our most reliable midfield engine as proved time and time again. Maris was poor yesterday but plays better alongside Clarke. He barely ever plays them together.
On crossing, some were poor but it doesn't help that we have zero instinct in there, with Akins in particular hiding behind defenders. We'd be 6 points clear with Langstaff or someone similar in there.
Clough has 1 job this week. Striker, striker, striker.