Milton Keynes Dons v Crewe Alex 24/25 Preview - Happy New Year Indeed!

I mean, who doesn't want to spend their final Sunday of 2024 heading down to sunny Milton Keynes? I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be. In all seriousness, the Alex will be looking to wrap up the year in a positive way by picking up more points off one of their promotion rivals. Can they do it or will their defeat at Cheltenham carry over into back to back defeats for the first time since the first 2 games of the season? Here is my preview of the final game of 2024:

Against Possession

On paper, this opposition should suit Lee Bell and the Alex in their current set up perfectly. Against a team like MK that set up to dominate possession and pass the ball around, they'll know the game plan. It will be to sit deep, soak up pressure and hit them on the break. The worry is if they get pulled out of shape and pockets of space open up. But if they set up right and the players do their jobs, then the Alex have a decent chance at a result.

From one extreme to the other

There are maybe slightly starker contrasts, but going from Cheltenham, a ground that has a cosy and intimate feel and still has elements of the non-league about it, to the corporate empty bowl that is Stadium: MK is a whiplash inducing change of venues only 4 days apart. On the one hand, generating atmosphere and intensity surrounded by at least 20,000 empty seats will be difficult, but on the other, the big wide pitch could be perfect for the quicker players in the squad. It'll be interesting to see how they cope on a big flat pitch and huge empty stadium where the fans are sat miles back from the pitch.

Loaded

Port Vale and MK were in an arms race in the summer to see who could assemble the most stacked teams in League Two. I think MK might have just shaded it. I mean, just look at who they signed. Tommy Leigh, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, Laurence Maguire, Luke Offord, Joe Pritchard, Sam Sherring, Liam Kelly, Tom Carroll, Callum Hendry, Aaron Nemane, Scott Hogan, Nico Lawrence, Joe White. I didn't even name a couple of others in there. It's an embarrassment of riches.

Not Infallible

However, it's not a good look that MK spent so much money assembling such a deep squad to now be sat 11th as we approach the new year. Ok, part of their issues were the early struggles under Mike Williamson.

But even after a surge of 6 straight wins under Scott Lindsey, things have started to go wrong of late. They are coming into this game off the back of 3 straight defeats which have dropped them to 11th. Their defence in particular is concerning. They've let in 28 goals across the season and only have 3 clean sheets at Stadium MK.

They've let in 9 across their last 3 games and even under Lindsey have found shutting teams out difficult. You have to feel they'll give the Alex chances to score. The question will then become whether the Alex can get back to their defensive best after their wobble at Cheltenham on Boxing Day.

End the Streak?

A belated Christmas quiz question. Can anyone tell me the last time the Alex scored a goal in the first half of an away league game? Answer, it was in their last visit to MK Dons. Yes, you read that correct. The Alex have not scored in the opening 45 minutes of an away league game in 10 months, a run of 15 games. It would be nice if they could end that streak in this game.

Ref Watch

Greg Rollason

Guess what? We've got another rookie ref. This will be his first ever EFL game and the decision makers give him 2 promotion contenders in a 30k seater stadium. Why exactly? How is this the game to break him in?

2024/25 Record: 8 games(7 National League, 1 EFL Trophy), 29 yellows

Last Game: Forest Green Rovers 1-0 Boston United, National League, 14th December 2024, 2 yellows

Crewe Alex Record: N/A

Injuries/Absences

MK Dons

MK were missing Joe Pritchard, Jack Tucker, MJ Williams, Stephen Wearne and Tommy Leigh amongst others on Boxing Day, which would be the core of a decent L2 in itself. Again, their depth is disgusting that they can name such a strong squad and be missing all these players.

Crewe Alex

Given we haven't heard anything different, I'm going to assume there were no new injuries picked up from the Cheltenham game. So I'm going with them having the same squad available to them for this game.

Team

You can't help but feel like changes have to happen at this point, even just to keep players fresh. But how many could be made before you disrupt things too much? Upfront, Tracey is just not producing once again and his lack of a goal involvement away from home is criminal at this point. So Bogle, who has struggled from the bench, starts. Yes, that flies in the face of the point I made above about counter attacks, but Bogle's physical ability could be useful too.

In midfield, I'm going to keep calling for Joel Tabiner to be dropped. It's just unfair on the more consistent players in the team that don't play as often as he does to keep selecting him for 90 minutes every week. But the issue you've got is, Powell probably can't start twice in 4 days. So do Breckin or Lunt come in? Potentially yes.

What about in defence? Well, I'd hope that they can all start, but yet again, I'd like to see Jamie Knight-Lebel come in, at the expense of Connolly. Again, this isn't a slight on him, but about keeping players fresh.

So what would I do? Knight-Lebel, Sanders, Lunt and Bogle in, Connolly, Powell, Tabiner and Tracey out. The other 7 stay the same.

Score Prediction

It's really hard to call this one. Both sides coming off defeats, both sides needing a big reaction. I feel like the Alex are better set up to deal with possession sides like MK Dons, but I don't think they're performing anywhere near their best at moment, on or off the pitch. My confidence is just really low right now, so I'm predicting back to back defeats to end 2024.

Milton Keynes Dons 2-1 Crewe Alexandra