&headerbacI refrained from putting anything on the main site about Saturday over the weekend. Raw emotions after seeing such a game can get you in trouble. It’s been well dissected on the message board by now, with the general opinion that we were outstanding in the first half and the polar opposite in the second half, perhaps partly down to Dario’s tactics and partly down to Chesterfield building up a head of steam.
How the result came about really is indefensible, at 1-4 to the good at half time it doesn’t matter who you are, you should be able to see the game out to a win. There were positives to be drawn from it, racing to a three goal lead was something we’d been threatening to do for a while and hopefully something we’ll do more regularly.
Whatever the hoo-ha at the b2net Stadium though, it’s certainly brought out the worst in a section of Crewe fans with Dario’s head once again being called for. It seems as if eight games unbeaten is of little consolation as we slip a bit behind in the table.
There’s a clear divide in fans; those who want results and those who are happy to wait and see. Those demanding results are not willing to judge on performances, instead pointing the finger to Gudjon Thordarson’s reign – he was sacked for winning just 12 points in the first 10 games of last season.
For me, it’s nonsense to even compare the two. For a start, the club was a mess a year ago this week as we were left picking up the pieces of Gudjon’s time at the club. Youngsters getting ready to jump ship, a four game losing streak and players playing like a pub team. Gudjon was given the boot for a lot more than failing to win games. This season’s tally may not (yet) have improved but there is no argument that the club is in a better state, we are better off drawing than losing and performances have improved ten fold.
The current eight game unbeaten run seems to be dismissed all too easily. After six years, where we’ve lost close to 50% of all league games in that time, we should be grateful for a bit of relief. Or do we forget that? Have we still got a Championship mentality? Do we believe we’re better than the rest despite, year on year, being proven wrong?
We are not big fish anymore and sadly any fans who were expecting to be around the play-offs from the off this season were wrong to do so. An 18th place finish in League Two didn’t come by bad luck and we aren’t going to fluke our way up 11 spots in the table over the course of a summer.
The belief that we should be beating the opposition and we should be in the play-offs is pure arrogance on our part because, unfortunately, the rest of the footballing world see us for what we are… a mid-table League Two side. Time we accepted it and tempered our expectations.
It’s not about being happy with draws against sides with lower gates or who had been playing in the non-league last season, it’s just about accepting our fall from grace and accepting we now need to build back up.
The current eight game unbeaten run does give us some hope for the rest of the reason. We aren’t losing. That is, believe it or not, the first step to success in football. And this side looks like a side that will start winning before it starts losing because, as everyone says, ‘we are drawing games we should have won’.
Getting on the club’s or Dario’s back at this stage is in no way going to help us for the rest of the season. I was as critical as anyone about Dario last season, but we were given little to cling on to; I’m willing to hold my hands up and say he’s pulled off a good few months over the summer and because of that I’m willing to back him. Maybe I’m wrong to do so, maybe nothing has really changed, but maybe if the fans got behind the team – rather than look for the first chance to snipe at Dario – it’ll push them on further and convert draws into wins.
Dario will be Dario, he’s never been for changing. He’s still the same Dario that took us up the leagues. Time to back him for the time being because fans are in danger of ruining our season long before Dario or the players do.
Agree? Disagree? What’s your view on the situation at the moment? Add your view on the message board or send it to be published on the main site to crewe@vitalfootball.co.uk.
got till fail away for me. top half for me or no support.