Crewe Vs Tranmere

[JJ1532]

Zooms was popular with the fans, but in footballing ability, he's lacking in a lot of areas. Defensively he was very weak, which is never a good thing for a defender. He could occasionally whip in a decent cross, but far too often he got down the flank and then ballooned the ball out of the stadium. I don't think many disagreed with the decision to let him go.

I think in the summer he was a decent pick up for you guys, but that was when you were probably targeting a mid-table finish. If your goals have been raised to finishing in the top 7(as they should be), then you'll need an upgrade on him. Nice guy, but he's a bottom half L2 defender at best.

 

[Boz]

I haven’t heard Artell’s comment RLC reports, but think he’d have done better to big your player up, rather than devalue the performance by suggesting Ainley was up against a rubbish defender. From a Rovers perspective, it wasn’t simply down to Zoum that we lost, we allowed Crewe too much time on the ball and they had the quality of player to take full advantage.

 

[RLC]

If your goals have been raised to finishing in the top 7(as they should be), then you'll need an upgrade on him. Nice guy, but he's a bottom half L2 defender at best.

No, that is not true. In his first spell here he was one of the best full backs in League One and got a move to Leicester on the back of it. He has basically carried on in a similar vein since he came back, albeit he picks up a lot more niggling injuries these days: yesterday's match was his first since returning from injury, hence he was a bit rusty.

He is perfectly good enough for a promotion challenging team.

 

[JJ1532]

Not based on what I saw over the last 2 1/2 years he isn't. But hey, if he's been decent for you, fair enough.

 

[GTFCfish]

I haven’t seen the interview with Artell so I don’t know the full context of how it was meant, but if he’s pretty much saying that the Tranmere defender is shit (not in those exact words of course) then it seems very disrespectful to me, and makes him seem like a bit of a knob.

 

[TimeyWimey]

He isn’t very good at defending and I seem to remember he was the first one dropped when Artell took over so it’s no great surprise he thinks he’s shit.

 

[JJ1532]

I haven’t seen the interview with Artell so I don’t know the full context of how it was meant, but if he’s pretty much saying that the Tranmere defender is shit (not in those exact words of course) then it seems very disrespectful to me, and makes him seem like a bit of a knob.

To be honest, he kind of is. Outside of football, I'm sure he's a lovely guy, but put him within 100 metres of a football pitch and he's very different. He's started talking smack about the opposition a lot more this season. Not slagging off teams or players, but basically stating that we were the better team, regardless of the team or performance. I mean, he was saying after this game how 3-2 "flattered Tranmere". Don't think he really needs to say this.

Then the other week, he was telling the media that he wanted his players to complain to the ref more, because he felt we weren't getting decisions. Not sure if he's spoken to Steve Evans recently or what.

Then there are his constant sideline antics which have seen him sent off in the past, plus he's had several talking to's from refs. You listen to his interviews and he's often very curt and arrogant in his assessments. He's called Port Vale fans uneducated, which got a laugh from our fans but unsurprisingly went down badly in Burslem.

I generally have no problem with him being a knob. Most managers are, especially the best ones. But if we aren't winning games, then his personality flaws become an issue. Start winning and nobody cares.

 

[Boz]

I’m not sure what Artell gains by this approach. Surely there’s more benefit to your own side by asserting how good they are and well they’ve played, rather than saying the opposition were crap. Zoum is apparently well-liked by his team-mates and it may have the effect of Rovers trying a little harder than they otherwise would in the return fixture.

 

[White Army]

Death, taxes and losing at Crewe. I was disappointed when I saw the teamsheet and Cole was on the bench. Gilmour struggled, and with Smith and Jennings anonymous for the most part we were once again relying on Norwood to come up with something.

I thought Crewe kept the ball well, and played themselves out of dangerous areas, although our closing down wasn't what it usually is.

The away end was a bit of a mess, fans fighting with each other, standing on stairs because there was no seats, pissed up 14 year olds. Despite the result though, I had a good day out. We ended up staying in the pub on the crossroads, near the away end until about 7, and then staggered back to the train station.

 

[GTFCfish]

Death, taxes and losing at Crewe. I was disappointed when I saw the teamsheet and Cole was on the bench. Gilmour struggled, and with Smith and Jennings anonymous for the most part we were once again relying on Norwood to come up with something.

I thought Crewe kept the ball well, and played themselves out of dangerous areas, although our closing down wasn't what it usually is.

The away end was a bit of a mess, fans fighting with each other, standing on stairs because there was no seats, pissed up 14 year olds. Despite the result though, I had a good day out. We ended up staying in the pub on the crossroads, near the away end until about 7, and then staggered back to the train station.

If you think your record at Crewe is bad then don’t worry it could be worse, here’s our last 6 results there:

0-2
0-2
2-4
0-5
0-2
0-2

That 0-5 was when they were on a really bad winless run too.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

If you think your record at Crewe is bad then don’t worry it could be worse, here’s our last 6 results there:

0-2
0-2
2-4
0-5
0-2
0-2

That 0-5 was when they were on a really bad winless run too.

That was also the first time we scored 5 goals in a league game for over 5 years. 4-0 up in 28 minutes despite being on a run of 2 wins in 22 games (ironically since we beat Grimsby earlier in the season).

Along with Hartlepool, Grimsby and Tranmere are, I think, the only three sides we've played multiple times at home during my 17 years of watching us that I've never seen us lose to. Just shows how awful we've been if nearly everyone in the country who has been to us multiple times has at least won once in that frame of time...