6 big questions as Crewe Alex's 25-26 Pre-Season Begins

So, we're back. Honestly, I've enjoyed the break from the Alex, which I didn't think I'd ever say. I've not missed watching them, which I'm sure I'm not alone in given how they ended last season and how little, on the surface at least, appears to have changed at the club. But despite the level of feeling around the fan base from what I can see, Crewe Alex are back in pre-season training ahead of the 2025-2026 season.

And as the players and management return to Reaseheath, let's look at some burning questions I have, with their first friendly less than 2 weeks and the season less than 6 weeks away:

When will the internal business be wrapped up?

Whilst 5 of the 9 players offered contracts or were said to be in discussions with the club have signed new deals, 4 players haven't as yet. The 4 are Stan Dancey, Luca Moore, Zac Williams and Shilow Tracey. All 3 would command compensation should they choose to move elsewhere and whilst I don't see there being any issues with Dancey and Moore signing, Williams is 8 days away from being a free agent and despite a contract being offered for what I suspect is 12-18 months now, no deal has been signed.

The worry is that Williams is rumoured to be on fairly generous financial terms already, so a refusal to sign a long protracted saga where he waits to find an interested club and compensation is agreed is likely to be a big distraction for Bell as he tries to construct a squad for the coming season.

As for Tracey, who the club said they were in discussions with, he's yet to sign a new deal or be linked with a move elsewhere. This isn't surprising as his leg break will have a number of teams concerned. I do think it's 50-50 as to where he ends up next, but a resolution needs to be reached fairly soon, as whilst I can see what he brings to the team, I don't think he's good enough to keep waiting on for much longer. Ask him if he wants to sign right now and if his answer isn't yes, wash your hands and move on.

But either way, these 4 players need to clarify their futures soon.

Any chance of some incomings?

On the incomings, it's been worryingly quiet. After Josh March's arrival, there as yet has been no further signings announced. There have been no rumours, no hints, nothing. The Alex look short at basically every position, especially when you look at the depth chart below:

They need a GK, another CB(preferably an experienced one to take the pressure off Demetriou), players capable of competing for starting positions at LB and RB, a midfielder that can score/create goals and another attacker as well.

If I was to suggest that Bell's summer transfer dealings haven't gone well so far, I don't think that's a unfair assumption to make is it? They need 4 players minimum and maybe as many as 6. There is a lot of business to do before the season kicks off.

Has there been a reset off the pitch?

Regardless of who still needs to sign and who needs to be signed from outside the club, arguably the bigger question marks are over the management. I get those who simply want to wipe the slate clean, but for me, Bell and his management group come into the season off the back of 4 wins from their final 22 games in 24-25. That shouldn't be forgotten.

Now, I'm not saying that should they start slowly out of the gate in August that the "Bell out" chants should start in earnest, but at the same time, I hope the manager and his coaches know that their approach last season ultimately didn't work and that they are under pressure to find a system that both works and will suit the players they have. The dull, defensive football worked for a time, but when it stopped working, they seemed to lack the answers for how to pivot.

Well, they've had 7 weeks now to formulate a plan for how to get the team playing attack minded, passing football and how to get the best out of the likes of Tabiner, Holicek, Agius and especially the veterans like Lankester and Bogle.

I'm genuinely curious to see what tactics Bell will go for and I don't imagine pre-season will tell us that. The proof will come on August 3rd and from then onwards.

What Formation Suits This Group?

And leading on from the tactics and managerial approach, what sort of formation will we see them utilise in pre-season and then into the regular season? After sticking rigidly to the 3-5-2/3-4-3 last season, they ended playing a 4-3-3. But does that make sense for who they have? Where does arguably their best player in Jack Lankester fit into that system? Down the middle as a false 9? Out wide, where I'd argue he's less effective?

Then what about Tabiner and Holicek, who've struggled in the midfield/number 10 roles. Are they really best suited to RW and LW roles respectively? The jury is very much out on that. Who would your midfield trio be? Thomas(if he stays fit long enough), Lunt and one of the outcasts in Sanders/Powell?

Maybe 4-2-3-1 makes more sense, with Tabiner, Lankester and Holicek in behind Josh March. Lunt and Thomas go in midfield, with Finney, Demetriou, Connolly and Billington across the back as a start, with new additions likely to add competition there. But they tried this system 12 months ago and it led to a 5-0 hammering by Chesterfield and a move to the defensive 3 at the back.

Or maybe they want to go return to the 3 at the back. That I suspect will be very unpopular amongst the fan base. What I do find fascinating is that we essentially don't know what system they are planning to play at this point, which makes the pre-season friendlies interesting to watch as we try and pick up clues.

Will certain players have redemption arcs?

We've some of the troublemaking and struggling players cast off since last season. But there are some players who are arguably fighting for not just their spots in this squad, but their EFL futures. 3 names spring to mind, those being Omar Bogle, Max Sanders and Jack Powell.

Bogle ended last season out of the squad entirely after rumours of a training ground bust up with Ryan Cooney emerged. Does he have a path back towards regular starts in this team again? He's 2 seasons removed from 17 goals with Newport, so the potential for him to bounce back and score double figures in 25-26 is there, even if his attitude on and off the pitch worries me. The Alex have apparently chosen to keep him around, so both he and the management need to come up with a plan to get him contributing once again, as they can't afford a passenger.

Powell is as big a concern. We knew it would take him time to get his legs under him after returning from his 12 month ACL layoff. But as his performances struggled, he too found himself out of the squad at the back end of the season. That new deal they offered him back in January looks like a big mistake right now. So is there a path back for him with a full pre-season under his belt?

And finally what about Sanders, who feels very scapegoated. What did the management think they would be getting from him when he joined? Because I'd argue that whilst he was rarely spectacular, he was mostly solid and didn't cost them many games either. He was a 6/10 most weeks and I think that's perfectly fine. But it seems like the management disagreed, as he was relegated to an sub option, starting just 3 games between March and the end of the season. What role do they have for him I wonder? Is he still a first choice player, or will he be sat on the bench behind Thomas and Lunt?

All 3 players could play big parts in the Alex's 25-26 season if they are allowed to and if the management have a plan to get them contributing. But those are 2 big ifs right now.

Will the youngsters take a step?

The academy is back in focus as the usual questions over it's viability bounce around social media once again. But they are very valid questions given the performances of their graduates last season. I'd argue only Matus Holicek took a notable step forward in 24-25. Booth, Williams, Tabiner, Lunt, Billington, Finney and Agius didn't really move the needle much for various reasons.

Well, now more than ever, the Alex as a club need these players to really to kick on. If 4 or more of them have big seasons, then I think the Alex will be cooking on gas. However, if they continue to stagnate, then I think the best they can hope for is another uneventful mid-table finish at best. This is their chance to shine, I sincerely hope they take it.