Crewe Alex 25/26 Monthly Review - November

Hmm. The Alex started November 1 point off the play-offs. They are now 2 points off the play-offs and won just 1 league game in the month. Was it a bad month? Or a mixed one? Do you take the positives or the negatives. I'm very conflicted. This is my monthly review of November for the Alex:

Looking Back

November started with an FA Cup game against Doncaster Rovers at home. Unfortunately, despite getting a late first half lead through a Mickey Demetriou long range stunner, the Alex were unable to maintain it, as 2nd half goals from Billy Sharp and Owen Bailey saw Donny progress and the Alex fall at the first hurdle yet again.

Thankfully they were able to bounce back against struggling Shrewsbury. They grabbed an early lead thanks to an Owen Lunt strike, but were quickly pegged back by Josh Ruffels from distance. After a number of missed chances, the Alex got back ahead in the 2nd half through Tommi O'Reilly. They were able to wrap up the win via a late finish from the returning Omar Bogle.

Up next was a short trip north to face Oldham. In a game where they had the majority of the chances, their finishing let them down. Tezgel and Lunt hit the woodwork whilst other moments came and went in a frustrating afternoon, but a positive one in terms of the performance and clean sheet, which they gained despite not finding the net at the other end. Taking a 0-0 draw back to South Cheshire was a fine outcome.

Back at home against high flying Chesterfield was always going to be a much sterner test for them and it looked to a repeat of the 5-0 hammering the Spireites inflicted on them 15 months ago as the away side raced into a 2-0 lead within 30 minutes. But the Alex responded and were level after 49 minutes via strikes from Tezgel and Calum Agius. They looked to have wasted that comeback when Chesterfield edged ahead again, but James Connolly's flicked header from a corner meant a very entertaining game ended level at 3-3.

The end the month, they headed south east to Cambridge, a ground where they hadn't won at since 1995. That record continued as injuries meant the Alex were forced into plugging gaps where possible. They got ahead through Emre Tezgel's 5th league goal of the season and his first on the road, but they let it slip late on, including a 96th minute penalty scored by former Alex player Ben Knight of all people. It left them with a 1-2-1 record from 4 league games.

U21s

It's hard to imagine how things could have gotten much worse for the U21s, but they did, in the league at least. After just about gaining draw against 2nd bottom Fleetwood at home, they fell to back to back 5-0 defeats against Peterborough and Huddersfield to ensure they remain rooted to the foot of the table. They now won't play any U21s games until January, which is a relief.

There was better news in the cup though, as they were able to navigate past Barnton and Ashville in the Cheshire Senior Cup to reach the quarter finals, where they will play Macclesfield Town at Moss Rose in late January.

U18s

Mixed definitely best describes the U18's month. In the cup competitions, there was big disappointment in the FA Youth Cup as they fell at home to Halifax, losing 1-0 to bring their involvement to a premature end. They did better in the Development League Cup, as they hammered Bolton 5-1 to secure top spot in their group and progress to the knockout stages.

In the league they managed 2 wins from their 3 games, with home victories over Peterborough and Huddersfield by a 9-2 margin. The only downer was a 3-0 defeat at Wigan sandwiched in the middle. They are 5th in the North Division after 11 games played.

Injuries

The injury list has doubled in size, which is a concern, however most of the issues are short term which is a positive. They really need to start welcoming some of these players back, as the list is only getting longer.

Player	Injury	Possible Return Date
Matus Holicek(LW)	Illness	Mid December 2025
Jack Powell(CM)	Groin	Mid December 2025
Jack Lankester(RW)	Knee	Mid December 2025
James Golding(CB)	Calf	Mid December 2025
Mickey Demetriou(CB)	Ankle	Mid December 2025
Omar Bogle(ST)	Calves	Mid December 2025
Shilow Tracey(RW/ST)	Broken Leg	Spring 2026
Joel Tabiner(RW/CM)	ACL	Summer 2026

Loans

Zac Williams is getting more game time at Kilmarnock, making 3 starts now. However, he has the unwanted stat of having appeared 6 times for Killie and him losing all 6 games. Not ideal.

Fin Roberts continues to get the odd appearance for Chester, but he struggles for game time as his form has dropped off. Jordan Hodkin also has been having a mixed time at Leek, with him managing a couple of goals, but none for a fair while.

Adrien Thibaut has been doing better at Southport, with him netting twice more in November to bring his goals tally for them to 3 so far.

Player of the Month

Emre Tezgel

It's taken him a little while to arrive to the party, but we're starting to see why the club pushed so hard to sign him. He scored 2 goals and put up an assist in November, solid returns from just 4 games. He'll have plenty of games in December to keep finding the net.

Previous Picks:

August: Josh March

September: Max Sanders

October: Max Sanders

Step It Up

The Depth

A bit out there I know, but I didn't think any of their core starting players deserved to get mentioned here. The fact is, they have relied on a core of 12 players(Booth, Billington, Connolly, Demetriou, Hutchinson, Sanders, Thomas, O'Reilly, Agius, Lunt, Tezgel & March) to get them to where they are currently, as those 12 account for the majority of the league starts so far. They've had very little production out of anyone else, which is partly a lack of opportunity, partly injuries, partly the form of the core group.

It's excusable, but it needs to change all the same. Bogle, Lankester, Holicek, Finney, Moult, Rankine, Mingi, Golding. They need start contributing in more meaningful ways, because with a hectic run of games coming up in the next month and a bit, they'll need all the help they can get.

Previous Picks:

August: Emre Tezgel

September: Tom Booth

October: Calum Agius

Underrated Player

Owen Lunt

There has been a lot to like about Lunt in the first few months of the season, but in recent weeks he's started to show some real end product which is what they need from him in the number 10 spot. A goal and an assist against Shrewsbury, almost another goal against Oldham, winning the penalty against Chesterfield which sparked the comeback. He's been improving as a steady rate.

Previous Picks:

August: Max Sanders

September: Conor Thomas

October: Tommi O'Reilly

Analysis

If only the month had ended after Chesterfield. For the first 3 games, I couldn't complain too much, even if they only had 1 win from those games. They dominated Shrewsbury and deservedly won. They had the better chances against Oldham and should have won. They had the better chances against Chesterfield and should have won. In truth, those 3 games should have yielded 9 points, but in the end they only got 3.

But in classic Alex fashion, they ended the month with a wet fart. A dismal performance at Cambridge where the managers tactics and players decision making once again came into focus. And that in truth is the tale of not just November, but the whole season for the Alex. A lack of consistency. They have a management team who can't get out of their own heads and keep making the most baffling tactical decisions you'll ever see, subbing on players for no reason, subbing off players for no reason, not subbing on players for no reason. Yet they've also proved when they want to, they can make sound decisions.

On the pitch, missed chances and poor mistakes at the back have been the order of the day. 6 goals conceded in 4 games and, as bizarre as it sounds, missed chances costing them wins against Oldham and Chesterfield. Both ends need to improve, otherwise the Alex will find themselves drifting further and further from the top 7.

Looking Ahead

Previous Predictions:

August: 2-2-2(Actual: 4-0-2)

September: 1-2-1(Actual: 1-1-2)

October: 1-2-1(Actual: 2-0-2)

November: 1-1-2(Actual: 1-2-1)

Again, I was pretty pessimistic and the Alex outperformed those expectations, so I can't complain really. The point against Chesterfield was very much in the unexpected camp, but the rest went mostly how I expected them to.

December Predictions:

Optimistic Prediction: 3-1-1(Beat Newport twice and beat Bristol Rovers, draw with Tranmere and lose to Walsall)

Pessimistic Prediction: 1-2-2(Take 4 points from Newport, draw with Bristol Rovers, lose to Tranmere and Walsall)

Realistic(My) Prediction: 2-1-2(Beat Newport twice, draw with Bristol Rovers and lose to Tranmere and Walsall)

Final Word

December has been awful for the Alex form wise in the last 3 seasons. 1 win from 13 games under Lee Bell in this month is shocking. And to make things worse, they also have 5 straight stumbling blocks in a Newport side twice who they lost both times to last season, a trip to Prenton Park where they haven't won in 25 years, a bumper attendance in their pre-Christmas Friday night at home where they've fallen flat in previous years and a Boxing Day game, where they once again struggle, against a good Walsall team to boot.

But, forget all that. Look at the table and it shows they play the sides currently in 24th, 16th, 21st, 1st and 24th. 4 games against sides in the bottom 9/10. It's a very favourable run and they have got to take advantage of it. It's time for them to change the narratives listed above and put some points on the board.