2023-24 - The Best Post-Dario Gradi Season?

Crewe Alex fans enjoyed almost unparalleled success during the peak of Dario Gradi's reign. Between 1988 and 1998, they finished in the top half of their respective league 9 times. They enjoyed 3 promotions, 2 play-off finishes and rose from Division Four to Division Two. Nothing will ever likely compare to that decade or so of success. Staying in Division Two/The Championship for 8 of 9 seasons pushes it close. There were some unbelievable seasons in there.

But in the years since Gradi stepped down in 2007, finding success has been tricky for the Alex. Failed experiments with Steve Holland and Gudjon Thordarson and then Gradi stepping back in didn't right the ship. But they did enjoy some success under Steve Davis and then Dave Artell, with a fair bit of crap in between. In my opinion though, 23-24 could surpass 11-12 and 19-20 to be the greatest post-Gradi season in the clubs history. Let me explain:

Better than 11/12?

2011/12 was a season no Crewe fan will forget. Their post Christmas run to the play-offs, the long unbeaten run, the late winners against Morecambe, Oxford, Gillingham and the late draw at Torquay. The 2 play-off semi-finals against Southend and of course, the trip to Wembley and the win over Cheltenham to give them their first promotion since 2003.

But as good as all that was, we can't forget that it was done with some unbelievable talent. Nick Powell, Ashley Westwood and Luke Murphy having productive careers in the top 2 divisions for a long time. Solid role players in Leitch-Smith, Moore and Tootle.

We also can't forget that the first half of that season was fairly misreable. Fans were chanting for Gradi's departure in the November. They lost 1-4 in the FA Cup to Colchester, were battered 3-0 on Boxing Day at Bradford. In some ways that makes the season more memorable. But memorable isn't greatest.

Better than 19-20?

This one is hard to top. 2 1/2 years of patient building under Dave Artell finally came good as they stormed into the top 3 and rarely looked like leaving. They were outstanding all season, winning games, scoring loads of goals and putting on some fantastic football.

However, we have to once again factor in the talent they had available. L1 or above calibre players in Kirk, Pickering, Wintle, Ng, Lowery and Dale. We also have to factor in that we never got closure to that season. Sure, the league called the league on a PPG basis, but it always left me feeling unsatisfied.

With 9 games to go, we were just getting into the final stretch of the season. We never got to find out whether the Alex would have finished top. Or in the top 3. Or top 7. And had they finished in the top 7, would they have made it to Wembley again? As good as they were in 19-20, I still can't help but feel like the season was tainted. Not by their own doing of course. But not as fulfilling as a promotion should feel.

Why 23-24 can be better

I've been thinking about this for a while now. What honestly makes this season so special? A number of reasons I think.

Injuries

Think back to 11-12 and 19-20. Those groups never had to deal with the injuries this squad has had. They never lost their starting 2 midfielders in November and had to be without them for 6 and 4 months respectively. They never had to deal with one of their top scorers being out for weeks at a time on multiple occasions. Or losing multiple depth pieces for months at a time.

I don't remember Davis or Artell having to name entire benches of scholars at some stages. Or losing multiple key figures for extended periods of time. Well, I suppose Artell did when he lost Nolan, Green and Porter for stretches, but the main core of his best players stayed fit. That isn't something Bell has been able to enjoy.

Player Losses

Another factor Davis and Artell didn't really have to deal with is player departures. They never sold one of their best defenders in January. Or had an influential CM go back to his parent club in that same window. Those are 2 things Lee Bell has had to cope with. He's had to cope with various dips in form from the likes of Davies, Tracey, Rowe, CBR, Nevitt, Cooney and Billington amongst others.

Tactics

Steve Davis very quickly found that the 4-2-3-1 with Nick Powell in the number 10 role and Westwood and Murphy behind him worked well. Dave Artell knew the 4-3-3 was the way forward. Porter upfront, Kirk on the left, Wintle, Lowery and Green in midfield, Pickering and Ng at full back. Both groups were settled.

But this side hasn't been. They've switched between 2 keepers. They've had 2 RBs. They've had to replace their starting RCB. The midfield since Powell and Tabiner got injured has been a rotating cast of Thomas, Offord, White and Austerfield.

What is Bell's system of preference? They've played, by my count, 7 different systems. There have been a mix of 3 and 4 at the back groups, 2-3 in midfield, 1-2 upfront, wingers, attacking midfielders. I've never seen a more tactically flexible Alex group. We've seen them having to experiment with wingers as number 10s, CMs pushed out wide, Offord moving from CB to CM, Adebisi playing 3 different spots etc. As already mentioned, the front 2 have been in and out of the team, having to step in quickly and also learn how to play together on occasion.

The tactics in terms of how they play also vary. They can play football. They can all out attack. They can park the bus when they want to. They have managed to strike the balance between combatting the opposition strengths and focusing on their own. Everyone, from the back room team, to the management, to the players, deserve massive credit for that.

Results

Now, to get promoted in any season, you need to win games. And in 11-12 and 19-20, they did. They had a winning ratio of 43% and 54% in each season. This side has 17 from 34, which is 50%. They probably will go past 20 wins for the first time since 2002-03. Ok, that's not really fair on the 19-20 group, who would have done had they played their final 9 games. But still.

This season it's not just the number of wins that are impressive, it's who they've gotten results against that stands out. In 11-12, against the other top 7 clubs away from home, the Alex went 1-2-3. In 19-20, they were 0-2-3(they didn't play Colchester thanks to Covid). This season, they are currently 3-1-0 with 2 still to play. They've won the hardest games, against the other promotion chasing sides away from home. And they've done it with some ease, winning 2 of them 3-1. That is something the 11-12 and 19-20 groups weren't able to do.

A short apprenticeship

Another factor in this seasons favour is the managerial situation. Steve Davis had managerial experience with Nantwich. He then was Crewe's assistant manager for 2 1/2 years before he stepped in. Artell took 2 1/2 years before he turned things around.

Lee Bell's first exposure to the senior squad was being promoted to the U23s manager in March 2022. 8 months later, he was the manager. And 9 months after being appointed, the turnaround began. He didn't have the slow easing in process Davis enjoyed. He didn't need 2 1/2 years of poor results to right the ship like Artell did.

What he's achieved so far as manager, in his first full season no less, is nothing short of remarkable. Especially considering he wasn't a popular choice to take over like Davis and Artell were. He had to deal with a lot of criticism about his credentials and suitability for the job, including from me. Did Davis or Artell face his levels of scrutiny? Nope. He isn't getting any scrutiny now.

Quality

This isn't a knock on the 11-12 and 19-20 teams, but they had far more talent than the current group do. They had some incredible players who were just coming into their primes.

But that isn't the case with this group and that isn't meant as a criticism either. A lot of the Alex's key contributors have been players who have been career lower league players or non-academy ones. CBR, Nevitt, Demetriou, Powell, even Tracey, Rowe and White as well. That's not to say academy players haven't played a big part. Adebisi, Offord and O'Riordan especially, but also Tabiner, Billington, Booth. But the balance feels much better.

Conclusion

At the end of the day though, I still feel the 11-12 and 19-20 teams beat this one through sheer talent. But what this group lack in top end talent, they make up for in all the things mentioned above. A better management team. A more cohesive group. A more hardworking group.

If this group get promoted this season, they will easily surpass the 11-12 and 19-20 groups for the quality of their achievement. Heck, even if they make the play-offs and fall short at that stage, it deserves a longer conversation about where it ranks. But the overall message to take away from all this that is very well could be the greatest post-Dario season in 16 years where he wasn't in charge for a full campaign.