Crewe Alex 1-1 AFC Wimbledon 24/25 Review - BORE Draw

This is easily the most boring Crewe team we've ever seen. And I don't boring bad. I just mean boring. Because the Alex aren't a bad team. You don't get to the top 7 and be sat 2nd for several weeks if you're a bad team. This Alex team is choosing to be boring. It's in the way they set up to have no midfield every week. It's in how they choose to focus on a defensive approach with the attacking game plan being "a wing and a prayer".

I just don't think they have a hope in hell of going up playing the way they currently are doing. Lee Bell reckons they'll come out of this slump. I hope he's right, because on tonight's evidence, they are only going one way and it's not up. Here is my review of a tough evening and draw against Wimbledon:

Undeserved

They got a point, but my word they didn't deserve it. 32% possession is the sort of stuff I'd be frustrated with from an away game if they were down near the bottom and playing a side near the top. To do so as the team entering the night in 2nd with a 7-4-2 home record is honestly unacceptable. It really is. They were fortunate Marcus Browne's 2nd half effort was a few inches too high and the crossbar denied they a 2nd goal that on the balance of play, they would have fully deserved. Wimbledon dominated and will feel very hard done to.

Lack of Quality

I've seen a number of fans say the Alex don't need another striker. I think they're wrong. Yes, the need for a creative attack minded player, be that a striker, winger or midfielder, is obvious. But I don't look at this team and see enough goals in it either. Chris Long is too unreliable fitness wise. Bogle looks like a headless chicken at the moment. Shilow Tracey is not good enough. And Kane Hemmings is 33 and coming off a 4 month lay off.

Those might seem like a decent set of options, but if you're telling me they should turn down the chance to sign a player like Emre Tezgel(not saying they're in for him, just saying if they did get offered a player of that calibre)? I think that would be a big mistake. They need a striker and a creator in the final few days of this window.

Tactics

We knew what sort of game we'd be in for the moment the team was announced. 6 defenders starting, a midfield 3 of Conway, Tabiner and Holicek with the out of form Bogle and Tracey upfront. It was ominous. And so it proved as the Alex set out to focus entirely on creating from set pieces and playing as little actual football as possible.

The first half was actually relatively even, but the 2nd half was a disgrace. Penned in for almost the entire 45, the management's tactical decisions again came under scrutiny as they went from 2 midfielders on the pitch to 1, then back to 2. It was horrendous stuff.

Defensive

If there is one positive to take from this, it's that they looked very good defensively once again. Wimbledon, for all their possession and all their pressure, created very few chances. They managed just 4 shots on target and only a couple of times did they truly test Marshall. Despite the Alex having nothing in attack or midfield, the defence were rock solid and aside from break down for Wimbledon's equaliser, they barely gave them a sniff.

Draws

I wish I'd included the stats of how often Crewe and Wimbledon draw matches in my preview. This was the 5th straight stalemate between the 2 and the 7th time in 11 meetings overall where the points have been shared. From the moment Josh Neufville shot hit the net, a point felt like the inevitable outcome. And whilst there will be continued discussion over the coming days about the Alex's style of play and general direction of the team, a point against the side a point behind them in the table isn't a terrible result.

Referee Assessment

A pretty good evening. You can see why he's got Premier League and Championship experience. Ok, he had a few decisions you disagreed with, but that's par for the course. He was decent I think.

Management Assessment

What requires discussion can't be fit into a single match report. But there does need to be a proper analysis of the style of football this manager is delivering and whether it's the kind of football that will get them promoted. Or if it ever will get them promoted. But that's for another day.

Player Assessments

Filip Marschall

Again, nothing he could do for the goal. He looked a little flappy at times, but overall he was pretty solid and didn't have a lot to do.

Jamie Knight-Lebel

Bundled in his 3rd goal of the season from close range after good movement from a free kick. He was solid alongside the other CBs under immense pressure.

Connor O'Riordan MOTM

Faultless for me. Kept the lively Stevens quiet all game despite being in a wrestling match with him. Looked solid at the heart of the defence.

Mickey Demetriou

Man of the match? Not for me. His passing was poor and his failure to close down Neufville partially puts him at blame for the equaliser. He wasn't poor, but he wasn't great either.

Ryan Cooney

A quiet evening, did well defensively but the set up meant he was almost totally nullified in attack.

Matus Holicek

Tried to get involved as much as he could, I thought he held his own despite being swamped in the middle by the Dons players.

Joel Tabiner

A much better display, which is pleasing. Got a deserved assist on Knight-Lebel's goal and his set pieces were generally decent. He faded in the 2nd half and was taken off after 64 minutes, but this was a pleasing step in the right direction for him.

Max Conway

He did as well as could be expected despite being out of position. He looked livelier when he found himself out wide, but he just isn't a CM. And the management should know this by now.

Zac Williams

Struggled big time. At fault for the equaliser with a poor header and being caught out of position. I'm sorry, but of the 4 big CBs at the moment, he's performing the worst and should be dropped to the bench. He's been average for a while now. He needs a break, vice captaincy be damned.

Omar Bogle

For a big player, he can't head very well. Or hold it up. Or even jump for contested balls. Yes, the tactics today meant he was always going to find it hard. But he was very poor. Like a headless chicken for most of the 63 minutes he was on the pitch.

Shilow Tracey

His shot in the first half that almost hit the corner flag summed up his night. Sorry, but he isn't good enough. One small burst in October and November won't convince me otherwise.

Subs

Kane Hemmings

It was a real shame that the 1 on 1 he got came when he'd been out for 4 months. A match fit Hemmings who was perhaps a few years younger maybe gets away there. But he couldn't and the chance to win the game was gone.

Chris Long

Lively and got stuck in. His header to spring Hemmings was a brilliant bit of commitment. He starts on Saturday as he's the only attacker even sort of resembling good form.

Max Sanders

Came on as a sub far too late and had little chance to influence things.

Overall Verdict

It was a point I'd have taken before the game. So I'll take it now. But how they got it raises big, big red flags. Still, 3-2-1 record from January is acceptable. I just hope Bell is right when he says the players will come out of this mini slump they're in. If they don't, then I think he's going to face some difficult questions in the coming weeks.