Crewe Alex v Harrogate Town 24/25 Preview - Defence meets Defence

Funny isn't it. 3 straight wins, 10 points from their last 4, 1 goal conceded in that time. And the fan base(on social media anyway) doesn't seem overly excited. Now, the reason for that is obvious, it's the dull as dishwater football on offer. Well, as I'll explain later, I'll be fascinated to see if Bell goes with the same approach in this one as we saw in the last 4 games. Or does he show some confidence and mix things up? There are a lot of storylines coming into this game, here are some I picked out for my preview:

Unbeaten

The Alex have a great record against Harrogate, albeit in just 4 games. They have split a win and draw between them over the last 2 seasons, with the Alex winning at home and drawing away in 22-23 and then doing the reverse in 23-24, drawing at home and winning away. Could we see that flipped back again?

Prep

Harrogate will go into this game a touch fresher than the Alex, not that the Alex should be complaining of fatigue after a fairly light schedule the past few weeks. Harrogate played last Thursday, 8 days ago at the time of posting this preview. They'll have had a couple of extra days to rest to get themselves recovered, but I doubt it'll be too much of a factor. Just thought it was worth mentioning.

The Classic 1-0

Well, the fact the Alex are unbeaten against Harrogate does make me a bit nervous. Harrogate last season finished with a good away record. All 8 of their wins came via a 1-0, 2-0 or 2-1 scoreline. 7 of their 8 draws ended either 0-0 or 1-1. And 3 of their 6 defeats were a 1-0 or 2-1 scoreline. This season, 1 bizarre 3-3 draw with Accrington aside, their other away results have been a 1-0 win and a 1-0 defeat.

Given how both sides have set up in the early stages of this season, this is shaping up to be another tight, low scoring game.

Can he?

The question you have to ask though is, can Bell get away with naming a defensive set up? He can't keep using Chesterfield as an excuse. They got a confidence building point against Swindon. They got more confidence from the late win against Bromley. They got their first home win against Morecambe. Then another away win followed.

Now to me, there are no more excuses for naming 7 non-attack minded outfield players. The fans weren't best impressed when he did it against Morecambe, but fortunately a penalty before half time quietened down the disgruntled fans and the held lead didn't give them any opening.

But should he do the same tomorrow and a goal doesn't come, or should they fall behind at any stage, then I think some fans frustrations will quickly come to the surface. Let's see what he does.

Ref Watch

Ruebyn Ricardo

The Alex get a rookie ref, but not one they've never had. He took charge of their 2-1 win over Swindon in April of last year. This is his first full season in the EFL. The big standout with Ricardo is he seems very red card happy. He's sent off 10 players in 37 games and this season is producing an average of 6 yellows per game.

2024/25 Record: 6 games(2 League Two, 2 National League, 2 EFL Trophy), 32 yellows, 1 red

Last Game: Grimsby Town 1-2 Barrow, 14th September 2024, EFL League Two, 6 yellows

Crewe Alex Record: 1-0-0, 2 yellows

Injuries/Absences

Crewe Alex

The Alex's injury list is growing with familiar names, as Omar Bogle joins Chris Long on the shelf with a calf strain in the most unsurprising news possible. Thankfully it seems like those are the only 2 major absentees, Powell not included.

Harrogate

Harrogate will be without a few key players. Long standing midfielder George Thomson, is out for several more weeks after having foot surgery in late August. Playmaker Matty Daly will miss the game due to a groin issue and defender Matty Foulds has also been out since the end of August with an undisclosed injury, so his involvement is questionable.

Team

I will not be happy if Bell plays the same back 7 as the last 4 games. Results be damned, there has to be some move towards a better style and sustainable team selection that isn't focused on getting a 0-0 and then hoping to pinch one through a fortunate bounce in the box.

But, after their strong performances in the last few games, I don't see the back 5 changing. So, the changes have to come elsewhere and it starts with the midfield. It's not the first time I've asked for this, but I want to see Tabiner or Breckin or both next to Sanders. Yes, I know it risks leaving them being a little more open defensively, but can the focus not turn to how they get more forward thinking options on the pitch? This isn't a reflection on Thomas' recent performances either, it's a reflection on the fact that they need better ball playing quality and he doesn't give you that.

Upfront, I think it's a coin flip between Tracey and Lankester alongside Hemmings as neither seems like an ideal choice. They might do what they did against Accrington, with Lankester and Tabiner operating more like number 10s in behind Hemmings, which I'm not sure about. But then, with 2 strikers out, you're limited as to what you can do at this point.

Score Prediction

Accrington have one of the worst defences in the division and the Alex only just about squeezed in a goal against them. Against a pretty savvy Harrogate side who know how to set up the classic 1-0 away win, I'll be surprised if we see even 1 goal in this game. If Bell goes cautious and names the same back 7 as the last few weeks, I think it'll be a 0-0 draw. If he gets brave and throws caution to the wind, they might sneak a result. For now, I'm letting my pessimism call this one.

Crewe Alexandra 0-0 Harrogate Town