Crewe Alex v Milton Keynes 25-26 Preview - Pressure

I will say this. The Alex most likely won't be promoted this season. However, the fact that MK most likely will is a crumb of comfort. It's funny, because ill feeling towards their formation from the ashes of Wimbledon 22 years ago still continues. Modern football might be eating into all the traditions we hold dear, but thankfully franchises moving from city to city will never be a thing in this country. Anyway, back to the game. This is my preview of MK's trip to Gresty Road:

New MK

MK aren't the side we've come to know them as, one built on talented youth and an attractive brand of football focused on possession and passing. Well, they've become a much more pragmatic team under Paul Warne and instead of youthful vigour, they've got experience packed throughout the team. They rank 12th for average possession and 16th for successful passes per game. They are 2nd for set piece goals, trailing only Bromley in that category. In terms of age, they are the oldest in the league, with an average of 28.7, far ahead of Oldham.

Hopefully the Alex have done their homework, because expecting MK to come and pass them off the pitch with youthful talent like they've done in the past probably isn't going to happen.

Dominant

That being said, MK are still an excellent side full of quality which should be playing much higher than L2. In Aaron Collins, Callum Paterson, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Alex Gilbey amongst others, they have dangerous squad of players. And whilst they might not be as possession and passing heavy as they used to be, their squad of expensive stars have been putting up big numbers this season.

They are the divisions leading scorers and have the 4th best defence. They are 1st for xG, 1st for xG difference, 4th in shots on target per game and 2nd in big chances. They showed against the Alex back in October that if you aren't at it against them, they will come and comfortably dispatch you.

A Baker's Dozen

The Alex got to 12 home wins against Salford. But getting to 13 has proven very tough for them. In fact, they have only gotten to that number in a season 24 times in their entire documented history, which goes back to the 1921-22 season. That's not a lot. They won't get to their record, which is 16. But getting close to that by finishing with 2 wins, even if they are against 2 automatic promotion chasers, would be a lovely way to end what has been a mostly positive season at home.

Response

Oh look, the Alex need a response to a defeat. Again. I've said it before, but their need for 'responses' to bad performances and results is an all too often occurrence. Their inability to put together any sort of consistent run of games this season has been their downfall, amongst other reasons. So, will they pull out a result because it directly follows a game they lost and didn't play well in? Bizarrely, you wouldn't put it past them would you?

Pressure

I was going to write a different final point, but I'll end it with a positive one. The Alex often do well when they are the underdogs. Ok, last week negated that a little bit as they lost badly whilst being 2nd favourites. But ok, if you want to believe there was little in it until a big missed call swung it in Grimsby's favour, fine. Well, what that defeat and the midweek results have done is put the Alex in a situation where they'd need a miracle to make the top 7. However, flip it in a positive way and say that the pressure has been totally removed from their shoulders. Not a soul will give them a chance of beating MK in this game.

Why? Because MK are coming into it looking to put 1 foot in the League One door with a win. However, they are hardly in great form of late. Yes, they beat Bromley last week, but before that they were 4 unbeaten. Are they starting to show signs of cracking under the pressure? Possibly, yes. The fact is, they went into the season as the pre-season promotion favourites and whilst they've lived up to that tag so far, everything can get tense late in the season and funny results can happen.

So, does that swing thing back in the Alex's favour, where they can cause a shock and get one of the 3 wins they must get to give themselves any shot at making the top 7? It's highly unlikely, but you never know.

Play-Off Watch

This segment might be coming to an end very soon. But for now, we'll keep it going. Chesterfield won't mathematically seal a top 7 spot against Fleetwood with a win, but 3 points would put them within touching distance of doing so. They could even rise above Swindon should the Robins lose and ahead of Salford should the Ammies fail to win.

Grimsby will know how much damage the defeat on Tuesday did, so they will now be in desperation mode at Gillingham, who've had a little revival of late but remain a poor side. Barnet have a tough trip to Notts County as they too try to keep their season alive. Oldham will be looking to bounce back from their shocking defeat on Tuesday against Salford, who themselves are probably starting to feel a bit of heat from the teams below them after a little wobble in form.

We can say goodbye to Walsall though, who have been officially eliminated from contention after the midweek results.

Predictions

Fleetwood 0-2 Chesterfield

Gillingham 0-2 Grimsby Town

Notts County 1-2 Barnet

Oldham Athletic 1-1 Salford City

Ref Watch

Zac Kennard-Kettle

Mr Kennard-Kettle has only done 1 game involving the Alex and that was the Salford away game last season when they were on the end of a contenious offside call, although that was given by the linesman, not the ref. Kennard-Kettle has bizarrely done fewer EFL games this season than he did last season, which was his first at the EFL level. Why is that I wonder?

2025-26 Record: 27 games(2 League One, 7 League Two, 12 National League, 2 League Cup, 2 FA Cup, 2 EFL Trophy), 121 yellows, 4 reds, 8 penalties

Last Game: Altrincham 1-0 Eastleigh, Saturday 11th April 2026, National League, 1 yellow

Crewe Alex Record: 0-1-0, 4 yellows

Injuries/Absences

Crewe Alex

Conor Thomas is back. For the 5th time this season. How much are we betting he can get injured/fit a couple more times in the next few weeks? Lankester remains out, as of course do Tabiner and Lunt.

MK

Luke Offord won't feature for MK, as he completes his final game of a 4 match ban for his 2nd red card of the season at Salford. Jon Mellish joins him in serving a suspension after he was sent off last week against Bromley. There will likely also be no Will Collar, Kane Thompson-Sommers, Scott Hogan, Kane Wilson or Jonathan Leko, but most of their major starters and contributors are fit.

Team

Same as last week? Because once again there isn't much on the bench to change things. I'm not happy with Powell in midfield or March on the wing, but what genuine alternatives are there? Not many is the answer.

Thomas is back on the bench, but it'll remain a thin bench with not many decent or in form options to pick from.

Score Prediction

Even the biggest optimist in the fan base will surely be hard pressed to predict a win here. I'm hoping to see an improvement on last Saturday, but MK's quality concerns me against the Alex's slightly shaky back line and struggling midfield. MK aren't in fantastic form or blowing teams away, but they will be desperate for a result to keep the pressure on Bromley and keep the teams below them at bay. As such, I can only see an away win.

Crewe Alexandra 0-2 Milton Keynes