Cambridge United 2-1 Crewe Alex 25/26 Review - Inexcuseable

I'm typing this as the full time whistle has just gone, so I might look back on this on Sunday with a bit more rational a thought process. But at this moment, I'm seething with how the Alex have conspired to have lost that game. Absolutely seething. Seething at the individuals on the pitch and seething at the individuals involved off the pitch. To not be coming back with 3 points is frustrating. To not even be coming back with anything is ridiculous. Here is my review of their last gasp defeat at Gillingham:

Excuses

Let's just get all the excuses out early. Yes, they were missing Max Sanders, Mickey Demetriou and Jack Lankester. Those 3 alone make a huge difference. Yes, they were also missing Jack Powell, Matus Holicek and Omar Bogle, players of varying value. Yes, they lost James Golding early on, forcing an unexpected tactical switch.

Yes, they had to mix things up at various points and were playing a Cambridge team who are very good at home. All fair comments and they are duly noted.

Inexcuseable

That being said, I simply do not care. There are no excuses for losing that game. None. If you are leading after 81 minutes in any game, you show some professionalism and see it out. Those are the moments where you see out the final 10-15 minutes and come home with an ugly, but merited, 3 points. To concede twice in the manner they did is woeful and unfortunately, these "nearly" moments are starting to become the story of the Alex's season.

Should have beaten Gillingham, lost. Should have gotten at least a draw against Barnet. Missed 2 penalties, lost. Should have beaten Oldham, didn't. Should have beaten Chesterfield, didn't. Should have gotten at least a point today, didn't. Ultimately, their lack of a consistent winning mentality is going to cost them a shot at the play-offs.

Tactics

It's the same issues I'm afraid. Charlie Finney has barely played at LB, he is not good enough to suddenly be your swiss army knife utility player who can be plugged in at LW, RW, CM or RB. Not when you have actual wingers and full backs who you agreed to sign rotting on the bench. It's baffling.

I didn't get the sub of Moult, either on or off. The obvious solution when Golding went off was to shift Billington to LCB and bring on Mingi. Disrupt 1 player, done. But no, instead Moult comes on, which meant Tezgel moved into a number 10/strike partnership, O'Reilly moved to the RW and Finney dropped to RB. So you are shifting 3 of your starting XI after 25 minutes. Why?

Then in the 2nd half, yet again the subs or lack of them defy belief. A possible 5 to use, Bell uses 1 of them. It's a damning indictment of Mingi and Rankine that they have been used so little so far. They must both be utterly terrible. And that in turn raises questions about the judgement of the recruitment team who identified them and sought their signatures and even damning on the manager for signing off on them.

Was Moult injured or struggling with an issue? He seemed to be moving ok when he came off, but I assume he was injured. Well, Josh March's short cameo was a disaster. He was in the area of the equaliser and didn't track Jobe, then he pulled down the Cambridge man to give away the penalty. Who could have guessed a player badly lacking match sharpness after 7 weeks out injured would look rusty?

The players need to take a big chunk of blame, but yet again we're back to talking about the management team's complete lack of tactical nous and their even more baffling use of the bench.

Ref Assessment

Don't think he had a bad game. I get why Cambridge were miffed at a few calls, but I don't think he can do anything about them to be honest. And after all, he did give them the last minute penalty.

Management Assessment

Dreadful afternoon. Once again overthinking things, which seems to happen too frequently. Got the starting XI wrong, got the subs wrong, got the tactics wrong. They aren't solely to blame as mentioned above, but until they get out of their own heads, this team won't be successful.

Player Assessments

Tom Booth

Kicking dreadful and I'm sorry, but those 2 'injury' stoppages could be argued cost them the game. He doesn't go down, maybe less time gets added on and Cambridge don't get the opportunity for their final attack. We hate it when it happens against our team and guess what, these are the times when it backfires. Cut it out Tom, now!

Lewis Billington

Mostly solid once again, I don't think I'd pin anything on him as he was asked to play both RB and LCB and did so pretty faultlessly I'd say.

James Connolly

His issues are there for all to see, but I don't think he was bad today, as he won a lot of headers and cleared his lines when needed. His passing though is a problem.

James Golding

Hard to judge him given he was only on for 25 minutes. Given what he's contributed so far, I'd be very tempted to terminate his loan in January and look to see if an older, more experienced CB is available.

Reece Hutchinson

Ok, can't really identify anything he did that was good or bad to be honest.

Conor Thomas MOTM

I thought he was one of a few that could hold their heads up high. It was the kind of game where he thrives. His tackle in the first half in the box was inch perfect and I noticed him clear his lines on a few occasions.

Owen Lunt

Anonymous aside from the final tactical foul which led to the free kick for the penalty award. And let's talk about that for a second. Cambridge thrive on set pieces, they've scored the joint fewest goals from open play this season. So let the attack play out and don't give them one final chance to do what they play for, free kicks. It was 1 instance in a long line of bad on the pitch decisions today.

Tommi O'Reilly

Quiet and couldn't get involved, but his free kick for Tezgel's header was inch perfect and takes him to 4 assists for the season. It was the one positive in an otherwise absent game from him.

Charlie Finney

I'm putting him here, but honestly I couldn't tell you where he played, as he popped up in about 3 different positions. I feel for him, as he can't hope to be successful with the way he's being used. Play him at LB or not at all.

Calum Agius

After a goal last week, this was another ghost performance from him. I get the manager's faith, but 2 goal contributions in his last 11 appearances isn't enough when he barely influences games outside of those moments.

Emre Tezgel

Another who can hold his head up high. Took his goal really well and didn't deserve to be on the losing team. Fed on scraps and barely got a kick, which isn't on him.

Subs:

Louis Moult

Actually held the ball up well on a few occasions, but him coming off was a strange one unless he was injured.

Josh March

Nightmare cameo. An utter disaster from him. He's back now which is good, but he needs to atone for his error(s) today, starting with Newport a week on Wednesday.

Overall Verdict

A tough one to take. The players, well most of them, will now have to sit and stew on this for the next 10 days before they face a big pressure game against Newport. I know it's their first defeat in 5, but against the team bottom of the league, at home, all involved need a big response and 3 points. Nothing else will do.