Accrington Stanley v Crewe Alex 23/24 Preview - How do you want to be remembered?

This whole preview is getting a total re-write after Monday's calamity. Back to the drawing board for me and hopefully for the management team as a whole after what has been one of the worst stretches of decision making I've ever seen.

From the botched subs against Morecambe onwards, it feels like the management have been chasing their tail ever since, trying desperately to flip the negative mindset which has been growing ever since they threw away that 2-0 lead to lose.

Will this week have allowed them to reset, clear their heads and come up with a decent game plan? I hope so, but I'm not sure they will. Here is my preview of the game at the Crown Ground:

Up to you

If you are pretty good for 34 games and then collapse in the final 12 to throw away not only a shot at the top 3, but a place in the top 7, then that becomes the story of your season. Nobody will care how many goals and assists you got, how many wins or how many clean sheets you have. The memories become less memorable when they are part of a failed season.

Because make no mistake about it, if you are sat 3rd with 12 games to go and then fail to even make the play-offs, that is an a failure of a season, forget pre-season expectations. So, it's down to the manager and players to decide how they want 2023-24 to be remembered. They have 5 games to ensure this season is remembered in a good way.

Simple

Part of getting back on track is not constantly trying to reinvent the wheel. This team has looked at it's best playing a simple 4-3-3, or a slight variation of it. Every time they've tried to throw in new formations at short notice, it's been a disaster. See the weird 3-4-2-1 at Walsall. Or the 3-4-3 against MK Dons. So stop doing it.

I know they aren't blessed with many fit midfielders right now, nor in form attackers. So whoever you name in the opening XI won't please everyone. But for me, getting back to basics is where you start.

Cushion

I almost wonder if the cushion the Alex have had over the teams in 8th has played a part in how poor they've been over the last month? You just get the sense that after their collapse against Morecambe, they never really recovered that belief that they could make a run for the top 3, so settled for the top 7. And in doing so, they saw their levels drop because they knew they could see games slide by with little damage.

Well, whilst they still hold that cushion now, it's slowly slipping away. The gap is still 6(basically 7 with GD) to the team in 8th, Morecambe. But make no mistake about it, the teams below will eventually start to close the gap. So Monday's humiliation needs to serve as a massive wake up call for the entire management and squad.

Struggling

It's pretty irrelevant given how well FGR did against them despite coming into Monday's game in terrible form, but Accrington aren't doing well right now. They are 4-4-9 in their last 17 games. They haven't kept a clean sheet since mid-February, which was also the last time they won at home. Again, FGR almost makes this point void, but this is another great opponent for the Alex to use to get back on the horse. Will they or not is another matter.

Ref Watch

Adam Herczeg

Oh good. We get the same referee that thought Will Evans' ridiculous challenge on Harvey Davies back in August wasn't a foul and gave a goal. Good luck Tom Booth, you're going to need it with this guy in charge of the game.

2023/24 Record: 30 games(1 Championship, 12 League One, 14 League Two, 2 League Trophy, 1 FA Cup), 96 yellows, 2 reds

Last Game: Huddersfield 1-3 Coventry, Championship, 29th March 2024, 5 yellows

Crewe Alex: 2-0-1, 4 yellows

Injuries/Absences

Accrington

Accrington have been rocked by key injuries all season, but it's hard to know exactly who will be available for them given they didn't play on Monday due to Mansfield having a waterlogged pitch. They will definitely be without Sean McConville, Matt Lowe and Rosaire Longelo, but all in all they seem much better shape this time around, with the likes of Joe Pritchard and Shaun Whalley fit.

Crewe Alex

There will be fitness worries over Chris Long(shock) and Ed Turns. Is there any hope CBR or Tabiner are able to make a return, or is it too soon for them? The squad will be depleted once again, but what else is new?

Team

It was tough cobbling together a team out of what was available, but I think I found something which might work. If Turns isn't good to go, Lewis Billington would have to slide inside and Ryan Cooney would start at RB. It's not ideal, but what else can you do?

In midfield, assuming Conor Thomas is ok to return, he starts alongside Leigh and Holicek, 2 players who didn't disgrace themselves against Forest Green. Upfront, Nevitt will have to start once again. On the wings, I'll give Kirk and Tracey another go, because what else can you do?

Score Prediction

My confidence is rock bottom now. I wonder what the players are feeling? As low is my faith in them, they still have the quality and ability to steady the ship. And with this being away from home, where they've looked a little better than at home recently, they could find the response they so desperately. It's another game where I'd take a point, but there is no reason they can't go there and win. So, with my last bit of optimism, that's what I'm going to say they'll do.

Accrington Stanley 1-2 Crewe Alex