I would have given Defoe some time in the U23 games before now to sharpen him up and get a goal or two in the process, might still be worth trying, and bring him on when we are ahead in games if possible to ease him in. I still hope he has something to offer team especially at the sharp end of the season he would be a talismanic option..
I don't think he has anything to offer now at his age. It was a mistake on his part and the club to re-sign, because he's a shadow of his former self, which is sad to see.
I hope we’re all wrong and that it’s just “game time” he needs. But I fear that we’re not wrong sadly. That said his intelligence on the ball midweek shone. Still looked like a 39 year old pace wise! I also would expect him to score given a chance. But he’s got to be a ne touch box man now which isn’t anywhere near what we need
Official Highlights: https://safc.com/news/team-news/2022/march/crewe-alexandra/highlights-vs-crewe-alex Full 90: https://safc.com/news/team-news/2022/march/crewe-alexandra/full-90-vs-crewe-alex Post match analysis:
I was sure it changed but have looks it up. But it was nearly 20 seconds he enforced it yesterday! Utterly ridiculous. They’ve said it was a “guide” apparently even though it’s explicitly stated in the rules! I have never seen an away keeper take less than 6 seconds in a home game!
As painful as it was to watch Crewe time wasting from kickoff, because clearly a point would have been massive in terms of them staying up, it was almost worth it to see their keeper scurrying around frantically after we went ahead. What a bunch of tossers they were.
Hilarious wasn’t it. And ironically our second bout if time wasting was punished with a yellow card! Yet it was ther 40th probably!!
Enjoyable watching Patterson doing it back to them later on too. He seems to be doing really well in general.
Remember saying that a while back when the argument was, who was the No 1 keeper at the club Burge or Mathews. Nobody believed me then.
Hes due a shaky game or two, then attitudes will change mark my words. Its odd but some fans jump on home grown players with relish, a classic example was George Honeyman who along with Maja was barracked by the home crowd at the first mistake. ( I think that memory might have stuck with them and came back to bite us ). Again I dont know anyone who has given Crewe any credit on here for taking us to the wire, yet a young team mostly home grown gave as good as they got and could have won it just before we did. they defended really well for 80 minutes and it took two very good goals to sink them. Deserves a mention imo..
Sorry but balls to them, they're cheats like other teams in this league ... ... timewaste half the game, bore everyone to death and try to grab a goal with a punt up front.
Exactly! They were spoiling from the very beginning. It always amazes me how the Ref doesn't deal with the time-wasting tactics right from the off. Another thing....I always thought holding on to a player to stop him moving was a foul. And,blocking a player from moving was obstruction. Free kicks are given for these offences in the field of play,but completely ignored by officials when it occurs in the penalty area. I lost count of the times someone was either blocking or holding Stewart in the penalty area on Saturday........it's a ****ing disgrace.
apart from the timewasting bit, you could be describing our team for 80 mins on saturday, and if it comes down to us having to ****house our way through the playoffs to escape this toilet of a league, i'll take it.
Defoe as well got the come dancing treatment, grappling in the penalty area is now the accepted norm, it's ridiculous and could so easily be addressed .
I believe everything you tell me Clocky, especially the scores during the matches Your one of the good guys mate and this board would be missing something if you didn't contribute like you do...keep it up mate.
Two things stood out on Saturday. A player went down and the trainer came for around three minutes but gave no treatment apart from a two second blast with a spray. He continually conversed with the bench, with his mike, while the referee stood and watched. I'd ban the mikes immediately. Secondly their players were running twenty yards to stand on the ball every time we were given a free kick. They'd deliberately knock the ball as they slowly retreated, once again all watched by the referee and not one player spoken to. This isn't time-wasting while in possession of the ball, it's cheating.
