Crewe ASi Committees Pre-season Views

With the season finally starting at home tomorrow against Hereford United, we on the Crewe ASi committee decided to let you know what we are thinking as the season kicks in.

From Scott Kynnersley (Membership Secretary)
I believe we will do much better than last season's disappointing lowly finish, but think promotion maybe out the reach.  I will be happy with a strong finish and maybe push for the play offs. We have on paper what looks a good start, if we can win the first 3-4 games, then we will gain some momentum and a sense of feel good factor may hit Gresty Road, if that happens, you just never know!

If we are to have a successful season, we need players like Luke Murphy, Byron Moore, Joel Grant and Shaun Miller all to come good and show us the ability they have rather than potential, I also think Clayton Donaldson could be key.

Although we have lost John Brayford and James Bailey to Derby, I feel we are much better prepared than last season, In Steve Phillips, David Artell and Lee Bell, Dario has brought in some experienced players into the club who have all done well at this level.  Harry Worley, Danny O'Donnell and Steve Schumacher have also all left the club which means we need to relay on our kids a little bit more, but being honest I don't think either of the three will be missed.
Prediction, 9^th

From Dave Tomlinson (Chairman)

This is a make or break season I believe for the club, the fan base is massively disappointed how things developed last season, if things don’t improve dramatically we could see some supporters never returning to Gresty Road.

I believe the key this year is the defence, David Artell looks a great signing and so far his parternership with Patrick Ada in the preseason games look good, we cannot concede goal like we have in the last couple of years, if we did it would be suicidal for any chance of improvement.

To improve we need 11 players every week giving a performance, if this happens on paper we have a great chance of surprising a lot of people, so over to Dario and the team let’s see what you are made of.

Prediction, Top 10

From Aid Dobson (Vice Chairman)

The pre season optimism was brought back down to earth with a gigantic bump, with the heavy defeat at Kidderminster.  Yes it was only a friendly game, and yes it was only the reserve team, but these are the players who should be pushing for a place in the first team, and would fill in if any injuries / loss of form to the first eleven.  On this one game it shows that we have very little strength in depth.  Even our shot at trophy collecting in the Cheshire Premier Trophy looks in doubt with our squad's ability.

Of the new permanent signings Artell appears to be an excellent organizer but his lack of pace has been evident.  Dario compared him to Bob Scott, and perhaps he is not far off the mark.  Lee Bell has never impressed me at his stints at lower league clubs and needs to step up his game if he is to take Crewe forward.  Blanchett has been untroubled in the friendlies but how will he cope against first teamers - Hereford will give the first answer.  Of the other permanent signings, none have any experience at this level, so who knows what they may bring.

Joel Grant is a player certainly out of the picture at the moment.  However I still feel he has the skill to turn games around and, if / when selected, he may
bring that little spark into the game.  Unfortunately, I cannot see us finishing any better than mid table, but I hope to be proved wrong.

From Hilary Robinson (Committee Member)

So, as the curtain is just about to rise on another season in League Two, how are we going to do? Not very well if you listen to the various experts. Most previews don’t have us among those with a chance. At 28/1, the bookies see us as mid table to bottom half. Four Four Two say 18th, Sky's prediction is 16th. So, more doom and gloom, with goals conceded left, right and centre, more falling attendances and probably an ignominious sacking for one-time legend Dario Gradi halfway through the season. Right?

Well maybe not. Maybe there's life in the old dog yet. At face value there is no-one better than Dario Gradi MBE to lead a club out of this division, having had three promotions from this division in his career. Although even many Crewe fans would say that he has had his day, surely he deserves one more crack of the whip? After all, much of the recent negativity has been under the reign Steve Holland and then Gudjon Thordasson. Only now can he really say that this is once again his team. So, let's look at the changes has he made from last year, because change was needed.

At first glance, the side appears even weaker, with captain Brayford gone, and James Bailey joining him at Pride Park. Also, the loanees from last year are gone, so no old heads like Walton and Worley to shore things up. However, the lack of loanees may actually improve the team spirit, and with the signings of Blanchett and Bell may be more than sufficient to replace Bailey and Brayford. Moreover, the emergence of Westwood and Murphy to play alongside Bell in midfield may be enough to drive the club up the league this year. The next generation of academy youth may also be boosted by Nick Powell, whose cameo performance in the preseason friendly against Blackpool was enough to convince some we have another teenage prodigy on our books.

The biggest change might be at the back. Crewe were appalling last year, and it has been our failure to keep goals out that has cost us most dearly. Is this the year we crack it at the back? Recent capture David Artell is a mountain of a man, and if Ada's pace can get him out of a few situations, he could be the dominant, experienced defender we have been crying out for. Tootle needs to continue to progress as he switches from left to his natural right back, and Blanchett needs to confirm initial promise. Carl Martin showed in the glimpses we saw last year that he can be a success at this level as first reserve anywhere across the back if he can put some off field problems behind him.

If the defense does gel, we know we will win games because we have three prolific if inconsistent strikers in Zola, Donaldson and Miller. Like all lower division players, they have holes in their game. If you took Zola's strength, Donaldson's pace and Miller's finishing you'd have the next Drogba on your hands, however, if you merged some of their less polished attributes, you would end up with something more akin to a lumbering Frankenstein's monster in an Alex strip with football boots and its shoelaces tied together.

We will surely start with Zola in the centre, with Donaldson and Miller playing off him. I foresee a top season from Miller this year, and if the three of them can get 60 or more between them, we will surely be up there. I also think that Moore and Grant will have big parts to play this year, and could do best coming off the bench, turning weary defences inside out. It will be also interesting to see which, if any of the plethora of youth and ex-non league kids come through to stake a claim. If there's a budding Varney or Naylor out there, he could make a big difference to our season.

Lastly, I see the atmosphere at Gresty Rd being a little more optimistic this year. It depends on a good start but hopefully we can see some bigger crowds, some good support and a decent home record. With just an average home record last season we would have been well inside the top half, and if we can ally that with our typically passionate away following and a similar away record we can make strides this year. I predict a good year. 28/1? Yes please. It may just be the usual pre season rose tinted spectacles, but is that the Championship trophy I see glinting in my tea leaves? It may not be, but I see the old master surprising his public once again this year, and a very positive season ahead.

From John Ford (Committee Member)

I am a little disappointed that Dario was not more severe, when issuing the release list at the end of last season. But I am very pleased with the signings so far this summer, I believe we have signed one of the best keepers in the division with the full time signing of Steve Phillips, I think David Artell could be very important to us and add something to the defence that we have been lacking, I am most pleased by the signing of Lee Bell who I believe could well be the signing of the year within our division.

It is important we do not concede goals in the number or the style that we have in the last couple of years, if this happens again this year it may be time to go completely back to the drawing board. But hopefully that will not happen

I would love to finish in the play offs but that may be above us, so I think a steady season finishing around 10^th.

From Trevor Griffiths (Committee Member)

I believe this season will see a marked improvement in the Club performances on and off the Pitch,

Young players like Westwood and Murphy can and will only get better; if Zola remains injury free he could well score 20 plus goals this season.

The Club have at last realized the Fans matter and are making a effort to include us in the plans for the future.

From Matt Owen (Committee Member)

Unfortunately I feel, we may not live up to our preseason form and we are looking at a Mid-table finish this year.