My Crewe story - The Railwaymen on track to the top…

National team expectation is that Nigeria qualify easily from the group stage of the African Nations Qualifiers. I'd say we are on course for that ... Update coming soon...

March 2014

nPower Championship
Crewe – Norwich: 0 – 1
A goal in the 91st minute for Norwich condemned us to defeat. We didn’t play as well as we could to get a draw or win.

African Nations Quals Grp 1
Nigeria – Libya: 2 – 0
A good win with goals from Joseph Yobo and Obi Mikel.

nPower Championship
Preston – Crewe: 2 – 2
Preston took the lead but we equalized just before half time. Preston scored again in the 58th minute but we got back on level terms after a nice passing move before Tirloni put Mensah through to beat the keeper low on his right.

FA Cup 5th round replay
Crewe – QPR: 4 - 0
Great team performance and should have won by a bigger margin. Gro hit the post 2 times before we opened the scoring through Mensah. In the second half, Nellins doubled our lead before Mensah got his second goal, a sublime finish in the top right corner from outside the area. Substitute Howarth, who replaced Gro, scored his first goal of the season three minutes after coming on, a great lob just outside the area. I’ll probably start Howarth in place of Gro for the next match.

nPower Championship
Leeds – Crewe: 1 – 1
We conceded from a corner but in the second half with 13 minutes to go, Howarth justified his selection by grabbing the equalizer. I hope he grab this opportunity with both hands to prove me wrong on my opinion of his transfer to Crewe.

nPower Championship
Crewe – Barnsley: 1 – 0
A good win. Nellings scored the only goal of the game on the 59th minute when released by a great through ball from Gernsoe. He kept his composure to strike a low ball to beat the keeper and give us the win.

FA Cup 6th round
Crewe – Man City: 0 – 2
We could have taken the lead, but Powell hit the upright and from the resulting City attack, they got a free kick on the edge of the area that Milner dispatched in the top right corner with Siadankay beaten. I rallied the troops at half time, and they started the second half, but on the 48th minute, on a counter, Dzeko beat the offside trap and the keeper to score in an empty net. Overall a good display against a star-studded team with Tevez, Dzeko, Nasri, Silva, Balotelli and co....

nPower Championship
Hull – Crewe: 0 – 2
A good away win. Moller scored a poacher’s effort after a great run and cross from Mensah. The second goal came from a Gormley cross that was met by Conti and Hull defender Hobbs put it in his goal when trying to clear off the line.

nPower Championship
Birmingham – Crewe: 3 – 1
Birmingham opened the scoring from a 25 metres strike from a free kick into the bottom right corner. But we hit back immediately through Gislason who scored a header from Tirloni’s corner. But a two-goal long shots salvo from Adam Rooney in 4 minutes at the last quarter mark of the game gave the league leaders the win.

African Nations Quals Grp 1
Nigeria – Kenya: 5 – 0
A near total domination performance with a hat-trick from Anthony Ujah, Brown Ideye and Angelo Ogbonna.

April 2014

nPower Championship
Crewe – QPR: 3 – 0
We bounced back with a good win. Moller opened the scoring on the 26th minute and on the 38th minute, Mensah doubled our lead. Mensah scored a second on the 67th minute to give us a comfortable win.

nPower Championship
Crewe – Peterborough: 2 – 2
Having rested several players due to jadedness, it showed when we went behind to a well-worked goal. Howarth restored parity and then we took the lead through Powell. However, Peterborough leveled the match from a corner to force a draw.

nPower Championship
Brighton – Crewe: 1 – 2
A great win. We had a goal disallowed controversially in the first half but went ahead in the 53rd minute through Moller. Brighton equalized but in the 91st minute we were awarded a penalty that Gernsoe converted to give us the win.

nPower Championship
Crewe – Huddersfield: 1 – 1
We conceded from a free-kick in the top left corner on the 7th minute, an unstoppable goal but then dominated the match without converting the multiple chances coming our way until the 80th minute when Gro leveled, getting a goal after more than 11 hours without hitting the back of the net, from a Howarth pass.

nPower Championship
Millwall – Crewe: 1 – 3
We went ahead on the 14th through Gro’s goal. Conti added a second on the 38th minute with a good strike from the edge of the area, his 50th goal for the club. Millwall got one back on the 89th minute but on the 93rd minute, Gro got his second following a quick counter.

nPower Championship
Crewe – Ipswich: 3 – 2
Gro has been on fire these past few matches. Another double with a Conti goal sandwiched in between. He could have had a hat-trick had he not hit the post from the penalty spot after being fouled in the area by the last defender when clean through. Ipswich got another goal late on but we held on for the win.


May 2014

nPower Championship
Blackpool – Crewe: 1 – 0
A goalkeeping error and chances not taken cost us this match. Siadankay spilled the ball from an in swinging free-kick and Wellington Paulista seized the chance to score. Though we had decent chances and hit the bar late on, the season finished in defeat.
We finish the season in a respectable 10th position when punters wrote us off as relegation candidates at the start of the season.



And the Premier League Champion is… Tottenham! Though at one point in time, Tottenham, Liverpool and Man City were levelled on points!




Secured the signature of French promising centre-back Robin Lebourg, touted as the next Laurent Blanc (current French national manager and World Cup winner)!

Kenny Dalglish retires! Liverpool now looking for a new manager.

Harry Redknapp retires! Tottenham now looking for a new manager.

10th place is not bad. Seems like youre taking on Crewe next season as well? Youve got the played and intact and should hit higher on table

Good job so far Webslinger. I've taken crewe to the prem but it took me a little while, I like to build slowly. It took me 6 seasons to get there but I'm now established as a mid-table club and just managed to win the league cup in my third season in the top flight. Hoping to really push on now, just hampered by the small capacity of the ground, only got a capacity of 14,000. Good luck and hope you get promoted next year.

#45269 Shameless : 10th place is not bad. Seems like youre taking on Crewe next season as well? Youve got the played and intact and should hit higher on table

Yes, that's my aim! For now To take Crewe to the top! After that's done, i'll probably head to Anfield for a shot at the Premier League crown and European Crown with my beloved Reds!

#45279 swiss4444 : Good job so far Webslinger. I've taken crewe to the prem but it took me a little while, I like to build slowly. It took me 6 seasons to get there but I'm now established as a mid-table club and just managed to win the league cup in my third season in the top flight. Hoping to really push on now, just hampered by the small capacity of the ground, only got a capacity of 14,000. Good luck and hope you get promoted next year.

Thanks :). I hope I can take less than 6 seasons to get promoted to the Premier League! I think I can do it if my players perform consistently! I do have some gems in the team and they are wanted as well by the Premier League giants, like Devlin and Gernsoe and Foster in the under 18 squad. Now it seems after the latest intake of youth players, I have two promising strikers and one midfielder worth having my attention.
Good luck to you as well!

Off Season

The players are on vacation but work continues in the background…

I need to replace one youth coach and one scout whose contracts are expiring and I am letting them go since they did not have good rating as well getting pacey wingers. What the past season showed is I needed wingers with more pace. I only had Nellins on the left that was quick enough to unsettle defences. And a pacey centre back as well since I conceded a lot last season because Ruud Knol suffered against quick opposition players. Bringing in Anthony Rivituso on loan from Anderlecht helped us maintain a respectable 10th come the end of the season.

Aleksandar Alexandrov, hired as first team coach after retiring at the age of 39 from my team. He has good man management skills and comes on the cheap side
Signed a second goalkeeping coach, John Keeley from Charlton and Coling Cooper as youth coach from Sheff Utd. Dean Austin signed as scout from Luton Town.

Signed Cosimo Catalano on a free from Italian Serie B side Triestina; he was previously at Inter Milan. This transfer was concluded around March the previous season after watching Rivituso turn out for my team and I knew then that I needed someone better for the whole season.

Shaun Miller, Danny Shelley, Ray George, Steven Howarth and Max Clayton given free transfer at end of contract. I do hope Shaun Miller can get another team since he did good in my team for two years.

Crewe Head Coach set for The Liberty Stadium?
Swansea president is believed to be targeting current the Crewe Head Coach to fill the vacant coaching post at Swansea.

Swansea approach Crew Head Coach – Offer rejected!

Diljore has rejected the offer to move to the Liberty Stadium, stating afterwards: “I believe Crewe are better than Swansea at the moment and last season’s league standing is proof of the progress we have made here at Crewe. It is my belief that better thing will soon follow and I want to be here to achieve them!”

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#45445 Webslinger : [color=#204A87]Crewe Head Coach set for The Liberty Stadium?
Swansea president is believed to be targeting current the Crewe Head Coach to fill the vacant coaching post at Swansea.

Swansea approach Crew Head Coach – Offer rejected!

Diljore has rejected the offer to move to the Liberty Stadium, stating afterwards: “I believe Crewe are better than Swansea at the moment and last season’s league standing is proof of the progress we have made here at Crewe. It is my belief that better thing will soon follow and I want to be here to achieve them!”

Great with loyal staff! Find any retiring players who would like to join as staff?

#45450 Shameless : [/color]#45445 Webslinger :
[color=#204A87]Crewe Head Coach set for The Liberty Stadium?
Swansea president is believed to be targeting current the Crewe Head Coach to fill the vacant coaching post at Swansea.

Swansea approach Crew Head Coach – Offer rejected!

Diljore has rejected the offer to move to the Liberty Stadium, stating afterwards: “I believe Crewe are better than Swansea at the moment and last season’s league standing is proof of the progress we have made here at Crewe. It is my belief that better thing will soon follow and I want to be here to achieve them!”
Great with loyal staff! Find any retiring players who would like to join as staff?

yes, as above, Alexandrov was a Crewe player in his last year. There was David Artell, a centre back, who was with Crewe when I took over the reigns, but I already had a maximum of 4 allowed coaches and the board blocked this one. But I have saved it as note for next year when there is another coach's contract expiry and will hopefully be replacing him by Artell!

Board expectation for season 2014/2015

Upon being asked to formulate my expectation for the new season, I have been cautious in what I think we can achieve and said to the board to expect a top-half finish. I want to see the team along with the new signings perform in competitive matches in the league before revising my expectation at the end of the year. How the new signings adapt will be key to any success we have this season, but I have high hope that with the new signings and existing squad, we can aim much higher this season, and why not promotion!

Friendlies:
Quorn – Crewe:
Crewe – Bohemians:
Crewe – Blackburn:
Aldershot – Crewe:
Chesterfield – Crewe:
Crewe – Hibernian:
Nantwich – Crewe:

New partnerships announced with Blackburn as parent club to Crewe and Portsmouth as feeder club for us

Transfers In:
Robin Lebourg (DC) from free transfer
Jakub Vojtus (ST) on season loan from Blackburn
Cosimo Catalano (DC) for free from Triestina
Niels Gommers (ML/AML) for 1.6M from FC Zwolle
Tim Svensson(MR/AMR) from free transfer
Jack Hamilton (GK) on 6 months loan from Hearts

Transfers Out:
Released players: Shaun Miller, Danny Shelley, Ray George, Max Clayton, Steven Howarth, Ben Garratt, Matt Tootle.
Retired: Aleksandar Alekdandrov, David Artell.
Ali Benomar to Nott Forest for 50K

Friendly results:
Quorn – Crewe: 0 – 7
Crewe – Bohemians: 2 – 0
Crewe – Blackburn: 3 – 0
Aldershot – Crewe: 0 – 6
Chesterfield – Crewe: 0 – 7
Crewe – Hibernian: 4 – 0
Nantwich – Crewe: 0 – 3

It was a great pre-season, winning all matches and not conceding any. Makes me feel optimistic for the season ahead, especially after the result against Premier League side Blackburn who were completely caught by surprise by my team.

Considering you play Crewe, Portsmouth as feeder club is fantastic really.

32-0 ... I dont even have to anything about this! The morale must be great

Whats your tactics under the friendlies and how have the goals been divided?

Well, Portsmouth have dropped to the nPower League 2!!!
Yes, morale is very good at the moment.
The goals were scored in all by 13 players, 9 from defense, 12 from midfield and 10 in attack and 1 own goal in the second game.
Tactics has been 4-4-2 all the way. See pic below. I used to change tactics depending on home or away, but since last season when results were not consistent, I decided to use only 4-4-2 and see how it goes.