Crewe Alex: Davis Out?

No fight, no passion, no urgency and to be quite honest not much hope. That is how things have been progressing under Steve Davis, especially over recent seasons. At Mansfield, today, we had very little fight and the passion look limited. We were not chasing the ball, not looking to win it back when we lost it and not doing much when we had it. The biggest cheer of the game for many Alex fans, was when a couple of fans got up with a banner which read ‘Davis Out’. The most common chant, that was not an anti-Davis one, was ‘we’re on the ball’ – highlighting we didn’t do anything with it.

Over the last 25 matches, The Railwaymen have only won five (20%). At home this season, we have faced 12 league games and only won 3 (25%). We have accumulated 28 points from 25 games, that’s 1.12 points a game – that form will get you relegated in most leagues. To put the 1.12 points in to context – bottom of the league, Newport County, average 0.7! If those statistics don’t cause a sense of concern to you as a Crewe fan, nothing will – unless of course they get worse and too be truthful, I can only see them doing so.

If statistics don’t cause concern to you, look at how we play. Negatively. We do not chase the ball, we do not try to win it back and we do very little when we have it. Sideway passing. Not looking to attack the opposition – if you don’t attack you won’t score. If you don’t score you won’t win.

The chant ‘que será será’ was sung at today’s game, but rather than ‘the futures not ours to see’ we sung ‘we’re going to Forest Green’ – suggesting we’ll be playing in the conference next season. I don’t believe we will go down, we have too many good players for that. However, how we have been playing recently, the drop is becoming a growing concern.

Much talk on social media has been about the prospect of reigniting the ‘Davis Out’ protests, some fans took that into their hands tonight: with the chanting and the banner. As a fan, I may be digging out an old bed sheet and some paint once more. How we have been playing is unacceptable; the statistics and performances tell you that. This statement, albeit a tad blunt, I heard at the game today and believe to be true ‘If the (word not suitable for an article) was at any one of the other 92 clubs, he would have been gone’. For me he has had more than enough time, too many chances, and more support than he deserves over recent seasons.

As much as I am anti-Davis, I still believe that we would get in nobody better. Which would bring the question ‘is it worth getting rid of him then?’. My answer, short and simple, yes. Even if on paper who we get in is not a better coach than Davis, a fresh face running the dressing room can lift the lads. It appears to me, the team have given up on playing for Davis – that on its own is enough to get relieved from your duties at most clubs. Back to what I said about not being better on paper. A new man with; new ideas, higher morale, more passion, different tactics – even a different way of talking to the players; can massively lift a side. It is that lift what we so desperately need.

The question however is: ‘if Davis does leave or is released of his duties, who will be the next gaffer at Gresty Road’?