Vital Crewe Featured In Four Four Two

Vital Crewe were featured in football magazine FourFourTwo’s season preview.

We were asked a whole host of questions and the answers were printed in the September edition of the magazine (out now). Due to space our complete (or indeed correct) answers didn’t make it to print so we’ve decided to give you the chance to see the answers in full right here (at the bottom of the article). The questions were asked well over a month ago however and opinions have since changed.

It was interesting to note other fans’ views. For instance, only Bristol Rovers and Yeovil in League One ‘admired’ Nicky Maynard, whilst Anthony Elding is despised by Hereford. Falkirk’s terrace favourite is a certain Micheal Higdon (who’d have thought it?). More interestingly however is the fact Damian Spencer is the one player the Cheltenham fan(s) would happily drive to his next club. Well, at least the taxi was arranged for that proposed transfer in January.

You can see the full League One preview in September’s edition of FourFourTwo. It’s out now priced at £4.50. Remember that Vital have teamed up with FourFourTwo and The Telegraph to bring you Fantasy League One Football. Click to read more and join our Super League.

Oh, here are those answers…

– What’s your greatest hope for this season?
As things look at the moment we can expect and hope for no more than survival. As a fan you always secretly feel your team will be up there but realistically that’s a near impossibility for us.

– And your biggest fear?
Relegation to League Two would be devastating for the club. We haven’t got the team, fan base or funds to bounce straight back up. It’d be sad to see us back in the basement having seen Dario Gradi build a fairly solid club over the last 20 years.

– Most important player
If he’s still here then Nicky Maynard will be more important than the rest of the team put together. 34 goals in 57 games says how important he is to us and his broken leg at the start of last season showed just what we’re [not] capable of without him.

– Cult hero/terrace favourite
Defender Julien ‘Beast!’ Baudet is well liked by fans. Whilst not the most talented player in the world he does show a bit of passion, and passion goes along way in fans’ eyes.

– Keep an eye out for? (young player)
We’ve got a few youngsters coming through the ranks but for the first time in a while I don’t think any player’s going to come in and take the division by storm. The likes of Josh Thompson, Chris Clements and Luke Murphy have signed professional contracts recently and have been talked up by the management.

– Player you’d happily drive to his next club?
Danny O’Donnell – not up to the standard. Whilst he’s in your defence you do not rest.

– What one change would you make at your club?
Make a change at the very top. There’s not enough drive or motivation at board level, as long as we’re churning out a £2million player every 12-18 months the club are happy to see the first team decline year on year. We don’t expect Chelsea money to be spent but a little more commitment to making the first team of an acceptable standard wouldn’t go amiss.

– Have you got the right manager?
Steve Holland is young, talented and very ambitious but his first season (last season) was a bit of a disaster. It’s still up for debate if he is the ‘right’ manager, and fans are definitely split right down the middle on it. He, however, doesn’t seem to have complete control on all first team matters with Dario still dabbling every now again. It makes you wonder just who to blame… or praise.

– What advice would you give him?
Sort the defence out. Get a goalkeeping coach.

– Which team do you most want to beat this season?
Stockport, the old Cheshire rivals.

– Opposition player you despise
Oh, a tough one. Most of that type have left the division in the past few months. I’m not too fond of Yeovil’s Nathan Jones but to say I despise him would be going over the top.

– Opposition player you secretly admire
Ian Goodison of Tranmere. He may be getting on for 36 but our strike force never seems to get past him.

– Where will you finish?
18th or 19th would be a good season.