Crewe Alex v Dagenham & Redbridge 24/25 FA Cup Preview - Dagger to the Heart

Well, it's a non-league team I suppose. I was complaining about the lack of interesting draws the Alex had received going back through the years, so this one raises the pulse a little bit. Yes, they will face the non-league Daggers, who they last faced as a league side back in 2012. And this offers them a fairly decent chance of progress to the 2nd Round. So, what to make of the Daggers visit to Gresty Road. Here is my preview:

Long time no Still

Shouldn't that be "no see"? Maybe, but I like this title better. Yes, the Alex will be facing off against the Daggers for the first time in almost 13 years. And a lot has changed with them since that time. Gone is John Still, the ownership has changed hands multiple times and they now sit 13th in the National League, their 9th season at that level.

Now former player Ben Strevens is in charge and he knows all about causing upsets on against the Alex. He was the penalty scorer when Eastleigh beat the Alex back in 2015-16. And he got them a draw as manager back in 2019-20, although they would go on to lose the replay. So, he has a history of causing problems.

No Replays

People moaned about replays being taken out of this competition and I'm sure in a few instances, not having that option will really suck. But to honest, I'm glad this will be settled on the day. The prospect of a Tuesday night trip down to London for a replay would have been something the Alex would have paid good money to avoid I'm sure.

But what this does do is change the dynamic of games. Now enter this weird state whereby the Daggers could well be quite happy to sit deep, play for a draw for 120 minutes and take their chances in the shootout. It'll certainly make for a different game I'm sure.

Winnable

Let's not over analyse this, it's a game the Alex should win. They are playing a side 32 places below them in the pyramid. The Daggers have won just 1 away league game this season and scored 6 goals in the process. They absolutely should be respected and I'm sure Bell will be making sure his players don't take this lightly, as if they do, they'll get embarrassed. But this is very winnable and there is no reason why we shouldn't expect a win.

An Upset

Saying all the above though, let's just acknowledge the fact that this is an upset opportunity for the east London side. They will come to the Alex feeling bullish about their chances of springing a surprise result, knowing that a draw over 120 minutes secures them the coin flip of a shootout. In recent years, they've pushed Grimsby, Mansfield, Salford and Gillingham all the way in this competition. They absolutely could snatch victory here.

And let's not forget the Alex's history of falling to non-league opponents in this competition. We all still have nightmares about Telford, Tamworth, York and Eastleigh. Please don't add a 5th upset to the list Crewe.

3 in a row

I put out a piece shortly before the 1st Round Draw that laid out just how bad the Alex's record has been in this competition over the years. But (and whisper it quietly), if they win this game, it'll be the first time since since the 90s that they have advanced past Round One 3 seasons in a row. Yes, they did get past the first hurdle 3 times in a row in the 00s, but this will be the first time in 30 years that they'll have done it this early in the competition.

Ref Watch

John Mulligan

Another rookie ref, deep joy. Mulligan only stepped up into the National League last season and then made his EFL debut a couple of weeks ago. This will be his first FA Cup Proper fixture and of course, his first Crewe game.

2024/25 Record: 6 games(1 League Two, 2 EFL Trophy, 3 National League), 30 yellows

Last Game: Accrington Stanley 2-1 Everton U21s, EFL Trophy, 29th October 2024, 4 yellows

Crewe Alex Record: N/A

Injuries/Absences

Crewe Alex

The returns of Jack Powell and Chris Long are imminent and we could see them on the bench. Jack Lankester seems a bit further off but progressing well, whilst there were no updates on Matus Holicek or Fin Roberts and how likely they are to be available.

Dag & Red

The Daggers might be missing their 2nd highest scorer Josh Rees, who was absent last week at Oldham. Also potentially out are defender Trent Rendall and midfielder Tim Akinola.

Team

It's nice to be in a position where Bell could choose to stick or twist and I wouldn't massively disagree with either choice. He chould choose to stick with pretty much the same starting XI that took to the field against Tranmere, because why change it?

Or, he could opt to bring in some players who need some game time in order to build their fitness and get them in better condition to face their upcoming league opponents. The 2 obvious candidates there are Bogle and Thomas.

Thomas could come in for Sanders and Bogle could replace Thibaut. Thibaut hasn't done badly in his 2 league starts, but Bogle is clearly the better player. Personally, I'm not weakening the side, but I'm also bringing in Thomas and Bogle, who both need minutes ahead of their gauntlet in the rest of November.

Aside from that, the biggest intrigue would be on who makes the bench. Jack Powell will appear in the first team squad for the first time since October 2023, whilst I think Chris Long also makes it after his latest lengthy absence.

Score Prediction

It won't be easy and to be honest, I don't really care how they perform. It could be the scrappiest, ugliest game you've ever seen. As long as they win and ideally do so in the 90 minutes of regular time, I'll take it. However, if they feel like going and winning 3 or 4 nil, that would be fine too.

Crewe Alexandra 2-1 Dagenham & Redbridge