Crewe Alex 2-3 Cheltenham Town 24/25 Review - League Two Again Ole Ole

The Alex's season is now officially over. Buried. Done. Dusted. You name the dead analogy and this is where they are. Losing tonight was one thing, but to lose in the most disorganised, shambolic fashion we've seen in recent memory is another. Tonight's game summed up the malaise that has permeated over the club for, to honest, the last 12 months. Ever since the home game against Morecambe in March 2024, the direction of the of the whole team has been questionable. Where you even start to break down a game like this? Well, let's go through things logically:

Tactics

I'm not questioning the starting XI, because what else could they do? Down Tabiner, Holicek, Lankester, Long and Tracey, how were they supposed to name a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1/4-4-2? Who was playing in the forward positions? They named as strong a starting XI as they could given the absences.

What I would question, as usual, is their whole game plan. Ok, they don't play as many passes as we'd like to see from them. Fine, you can have success without being a great footballing side. But what they claim to be good at, which is being tight defensively and snatching goals to win tight margin games. Yet they have won 6 games by a 1 goal margin and conceded 20 goals in their last 13 games. What they are set up to do, they aren't doing.

Confusion

The players look utterly lost and confused. The constant chopping and changing won't help. Powell and Sanders called in from the cold after weeks on the sidelines won't help their form or fitness. Constantly switching between Billington and Cooney at RWB. The midfield sat deep and they chucked it long to the big men, who had no support around them.

They occasionally played it short, but couldn't really find spaces as it was easy for Cheltenham to shut them down. They are still giving their all, but they aren't being helped by the baffling things they are being asked of them from the sidelines.

Fortunate

Let's give Cheltenham credit though. You can see why they are mid-table, but they still knocked it around nicely at times, especially in the 2nd half where they made changes and got their reward from it. They were 1-0 up and probably should have been out of sight in the 1st half, where but for a missed penalty they would have been. They've deservedly taken 6 points off the Alex this season and they will be coming up against each other in 25-26.

Positives

There weren't many, but there were a couple. Max Conway strengthens his case for player of the season. Filip Marschall and Max Sanders were fine, Kane Hemmings got a goal(even if it was a penalty), Lewis Billington was solid. And of course, Callum Agius got his first league goal. This is still in my opinion a decent group with some very talented players to build around, regardless of whether Lee Bell stays in charge of them or not.

Under Pressure

We've spoken about the baffling tactics. And the confused selections. But whether you back Bell or not, you have to acknowledge that he is under pressure. Probably the most pressure he's faced since taking the job 2 1/2 years ago. 1 win in the last 8, 4 wins in the last 18, 7 wins from the last 27. The fans are starting to turn. I can't see season tickets flying off the shelves over the summer given the standard of football and the lack of results. There will be no play-offs, no Wembley, no player sales. The board will hand him a smaller budget, which means cutting the playing squad and saying goodbye to some big names. His rebuilding job looks to be a tough one.

I will still give him the summer to make changes and come back next season with hopefully a more positive mindset. Do I think he will succeed? Truthfully, no. But let's get as many points from the last 4 games as possible and hope to build a bit of momentum for next season. That's about all that is realistic to expect at this point.

Referee Assessment

Gave 2 very soft penalties and whilst he got a fair few decisions wrong, I wouldn't say he was any better or worse than most officials at this level. His colleague on the main stand side, well he was a different story. Does he even know what an offside is?

Management Assessment

Bell is giving off the sense that he really doesn't have the first idea of what he's doing. He talks about the players not performing and what he needs to do going forward, but it feels like bluster and deflection. The writing feels on the wall a little bit. But then I thought that after the Chesterfield game and he proved me wrong. Can he do so again?

Player Assessments

Filip Marschall

Probably uber critical, but all 3 goals felt like balls he could have dealt with. 2 crosses which he might have been able to come for and the 3rd went in from a long way out. Maybe I'm being harsh.

Connor O'Riordan

Just sort of there at the moment, he's been pretty mid for a while now. Missed a great chance in the first half to score, but he's a CB so I'll let him off.

Mickey Demetriou

Captain and leader of a group that has conceded 5 goals in their last 2 games. Needs to start stepping up as the head of this squad and start demanding more from both himself and those around him. He knows this isn't good enough.

Zac Williams

Disgrace. Another booking from a player I'm really coming to dislike the more I watch him. I'll keep saying what I've been saying for months, I really hope he's not at this club next season. They'll be far better off with him long gone.

Lewis Billington

Solid enough, but he just doesn't have the attacking chops for the position. He's won't cost you with stupid defensive mistakes mind. Is he really a L2 calibre player? I'm not so sure.

Max Sanders

Got stuck in, but couldn't make anything happen as the midfield was bypassed time after time. Not sure what he's expected to do when his game time is so sporadic.

Jack Powell

Awful. He's lucky the management gave him the new contract when he did, because he's been dreadful ever since. He needs to get himself fit over the summer and come back strong next season. In a big way.

Tommy Lowery

Feel for him being surrounded by such an average group and being used in the way he has been used. I hope he ends up at a club who know how to use him properly next season. He deserves better than this, as his ankle injury flared up once again.

Max Conway MOTM

On a shortlist of 1 for man of the match. For me, he's the player of the season as well. He's not infallible and there is definitely still improvement to be had, but if he's not playing in L1 next season, his agent will have failed him.

Kane Hemmings

Spent all night getting pulled about. But he stepped up and smashed home the penalty, his first goal since September. For all his work rate though, I wouldn't be that keen on seeing him return next season.

Omar Bogle

Awful player number 3. How did he score 17 goals for Newport in 22-23 again? There are some moments where he looks sublime, but he spent most of the game walking round with a massive chip on his shoulder about a free kick or decision he didn't get. Were he out of contract in the summer, I'd probably move on.

Subs:

Owen Lunt

Struggled, which isn't surprising given he's been pushed from pillar to post this season. Still, I'd start him in the last 4 to give him a chance to prove he's worthy of a contract for next season.

Callum Agius

Didn't have much opportunity to do anything, but it was pleasing to see him get his goal. He's another who needs to be in the team in the last 4 games.

Adrien Thibaut

Did his usual of running around and getting stuck in, which the fans love. Yes, question the end product, but he'll give 100% effort each week, which is more than can be said for a few others.

Overall Verdict

Start to rebuild for next summer. Make decisions on who will and won't be back right now and play the likes of Agius and Lunt far more to give them a chance to impress. 4 games left now to play for pride and to try and build a little bit of form ready for next season. It's going to be a tough watch, but let's see if any positives and bits of hope can shine through.