Crewe Alex v Newport County 25/26 Preview - Thin

The fixture computer has thrown up some funny scheduling hasn't it? This being only the Alex's 2nd midweek(not counting Monday or Friday's) night league game of the season and their first at home as well. I mean, why on earth did they put it now and not a warmer month like September or October? No, the middle of December, nice one lads. You can tell this wasn't organised by anyone who actually plans to watch any of these games in a stadium. Anyway, here is my preview of the visit of Newport County to Gresty Road:

Bookend

You know what I mentioned above about the fixture scheduling throwing up weirdness. Well, how about this. The Alex will play Newport twice in December and it will be their first and last game of the month. I tried to find the last time the Alex played a team twice in the league in the same month but I couldn't. I suspect it's been a while, especially when the previous times were likely due to postponements.

It's also worth noting as well that the Alex will have played both games against Newport before their first one against Cheltenham. Another fun quirk in the scheduling. Well, fun for me anyway.

Terrible

Newport are proof that ownership takeovers don't always mean better days ahead. Since Huw Jenkins has took majority control of the Exiles in January 2024, things have gone from bad to worse. He's now on his 4th manager in less than 2 years, after cycling through Graeme Coughlan, Nelson Jardim, David Hughes and now Christian Fuchs.

Finishes of 18th and 22nd in the last 2 seasons have led to them sitting rock bottom of the pile after 18 games this season. They have been sliding backwards for a while and look in big trouble. They are bottom of the league and are in the bottom 8 in most major categories. They are without a win in 4 in the league, have only beaten the sides in 19th, 17th and 23rd, have lost 12 of 18 games and look in serious relegation trouble. Oh and on top of that, they got battered on Sunday by non-league Boreham Wood in the FA Cup.

On paper, you couldn't ask for a better fixture to grab 3 points in and kick on back up the table.

We've Been Here before

However, I'm nervous(surprise surprise) for 3 reasons. The first is that the Alex have struggled against Newport in the last 9 years. Since 2016, they have gone 3-3-6 against them, which is a dreadful record. The 2 defeats against them last season were a particular low point, especially the 3-0 home hammering.

Second, we've seen a new manager take over at Newport with them bottom and looking dead and buried, then come to the Alex, get their first win and then kick on. Michael Flynn in 2017. Maybe Christian Fuchs in 2025?

And third, them being bottom and playing with nothing to lose gives them a sense of freedom. There is a lack of expectation, especially on the road where only a handful of away fans will be making the long midweek trip. That for me makes them dangerous. The Alex meanwhile are playing at home and every Alex fan will be expecting and demanding a win from them. On a cold wet night in December, what can possibly go wrong?

Bye Week

Is it bad that I had this section written BEFORE the Alex took on Doncaster in the 1st round of the FA Cup a few weeks back? Probably, but then it wasn't unjustified was it? They are coming off a free weekend where they weren't in action due it being the FA Cup 2nd Round. I had hoped this game would have been moved up to last Saturday, but Newport's progression meant this wasn't possible.

But whilst the Alex were at home resting over the weekend, Newport were making the eastwards trip to Borehamwood on Sunday, where they got humiliated. Almost everything is working in the Alex's favour for this game and they need to make it count.

Congestion

The above point about the Alex coming off 10 day break in in itself brings up another important point about fixture congestion. Over the 32 days between this game and Harrogate on January 10th, they will play 8 league games. That's a lot in such a short space of time and once again, it's a stretch that could make or break their season. It's also a period where the Alex usually struggle. Under Lee Bell in December, the Alex are 1-5-7 in 13 games across the last 3 seasons. They can't afford to go through the same struggles yet again, as it'll likely leave them playing catch up and with too much to do in the 2nd half of the season.

Favourable Run

I say this with a sense of trepidation, but the Alex's run of home fixtures in the coming weeks looks pretty favourable. Between now and their game against Colchester at the end of January, they play at Gresty Road against the sides currently sat in 24th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 18th in the table. Yes, things will likely change between now and then, but at the moment, none of those sides are even close to the top half, let alone the top 7.

Given they've done well as dispatching the "lesser" teams at home, winning 3 out of 3 against teams currently in the bottom 10, if they can get off to a good start in this game and keep the points rolling in at home over the next 6 weeks, then they should at the very worst stay in touch with the top 7.

Thin

I'll finish off by coming back to the title and highlight that the Alex are facing an injury crisis right now. In addition to the absences Shilow Tracey and Joel Tabiner, they are potentially going to be without Omar Bogle, Jack Powell, Jack Lankester, Mickey Demetriou, James Golding and Louis Moult if Lee Bell's press conference is anything to go by, which will create issues not just for depth but who will start at CB. It's going to be a thin squad by the looks of it.

Ref Watch

Ed Duckworth

Wasn't this guy a character on Coronation Street? The Alex will be getting a ref that isn't new to the EFL, but is new to them, as he's never previously taken one of their games. Hopefully he can have a quiet evening.

2025-26 Record: 18 games(3 Championship, 7 League One, 5 League Two, 3 EFL Cup), 68 yellows, 1 red

Last Game: Bristol Rovers 0-1 Notts County, EFL League Two, 29th November 2025, 7 yellows, 1 red

Crewe Alex Record: N/A

Injuries/Absences

Crewe Alex

Things aren't looking particularly great on the injury front right now as mentioned above. They could be without as many as 9 players. Tracey and Tabiner remain out obviously and Holicek is out 4 weeks after another surgery. Golding, Demetriou, Lankester and Powell probably don't return either, plus we wait to see if Louis Moult's absence from the Vertu Trophy game is an injury issue or not.

Newport County

The Exiles were missing Cameron Evans, Matt Baker, Matt Smith, Liam Shepherd and Lee Jenkins for the game at Boreham Wood. Evans, Baker and Jenkins will be big misses if they can't make this match, although Jenkins and Baker might find be fit in time.

Team

The Alex will welcome back Max Sanders in midfield, which is a big boost. But if Mickey Demetriou and James Golding can't get themselves fit, then they face something of a crisis at CB. If neither make it, I personally can see Charlie Finney keeing his place the team, but at RB, with Lewis Billington shifting inside to LCB. The rest of the first team thankfully picks itself, with Sanders, Thomas and Lunt in midfield, Tezgel up front and O'Reilly and Agius on the wings.

The bench though is approaching wafer thin status, with the likes of Armstrong, Thibaut and Dancey potentially making it into the squad. Concerning times.

Score Prediction

It has to be a win. It simply has to be. I don't care how scruffy or scrappy the performance is either, just get it done. An ugly, totally unmemorable 1-0/2-1 will do me fine. A dominant 3-0 win would do as well.

To be fair, they've done well to dispatch strugglers at home so far this season and that needs to continue here, especially with a trip to their bogey ground Prenton Park coming up in a few days.

Crewe Alexandra 2-1 Newport County