Cheltenham Town v Crewe Alexandra

[Jon Palmer]

Team news, live updates and reaction all here this afternoon: https://bit.ly/CreweHomeL1

[CTFCfan99]

Boyle, Etete, Williams and Wright all back into the side. Probably the strongest team we can field (other than maybe Sercs for Ramsey), we should be winning this.

[CTFCfan99]

10 minutes in and already looks like another absolute clown of a referee.

[Alf]

10 minutes in and already looks like another absolute clown of a referee.

Absolutely. Where was the foul that cancelled out that first goal?
Are we ever going to get a referee who gives something in our favour?

[HamTown]

Surprised the ref wasn't celebrating with Crewe there

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Oh my

[CTFCfan99]

Feels like it's gonna be one of those games, not a single thing going our way so far.

[CTFCfan99]

I've never seen anything like this. Genuinely the worst refereeing performance I have ever seen.

[CTFCfan99]

We need half time here. As bad as the ref has been, we've also been awful.

[Ben version 4:0]

It takes a special level of ineptitude to generate such passion from the sedate whaddon road crowd.

By far the worst referee I have ever seen.

He should never be allowed a football field ever again. I'm convinced Crewe should've had a penalty early on...he pointed for a goal kick then realised if our player hadn't touched it then it must be a penalty...so changed his decision to a corner. Utter muppet

[HamTown]

Normally I throw refs a lot of slack but this is ridiculous.

Sercs on for Ramsey for me, midfield non-existent, just hoofing it long each time

[Warwickshire Robin]

This ref is the worst ive seen this season and we've seen some clowns down here. Absolute
joke

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[CTFCfan99]

Get in! May and Etete is a class partnership. Got to take control of this now.

[CTFCfan99]

We've not had the ball for 10 minutes here, Crewe first to everything.

[CTFCfan99]

Shocking. Don't deserve anything from this despite the ref

[Alf]

I would say this is probably our worst performance for a long time. Our slick passing game has been virtually non existent. It’s almost as though we thought “Crewe bottom of the league, no prob”.
Very disappointing.

[Warwickshire Robin]

I would say this is probably our worst performance for a long time. Our slick passing game has been virtually non existent. It’s almost as though we thought “Crewe bottom of the league, no prob”.
Very disappointing.

Agree totally. Despite the ref we got exactly what we deserved from that. Crewe first to everything , we barely won a tackle or a second ball all afternoon

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[CTFCfan99]

Yeah, not much else to add. Rubbish performance but we were due one.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Poor result. No need to kneejerk. Regroup and go again.

[Alf]

Poor result. No need to kneejerk. Regroup and go again.

It’s not knee jerk, just opinions on today’s performance.
I have enough faith in Michael Duff and his staff to put things right.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Poor result. No need to kneejerk. Regroup and go again.

It’s not knee jerk, just opinions on today’s performance.
I have enough faith in Michael Duff and his staff to put things right.

Sorry, I was not clear and you misconstrued. I was not accusing anyone of knee jerk, just saying there is no need for any. I could have said “Poor result. Oh well, one of those things. Regroup and go again.”

[Ben version 4:0]

Absolutely awful game.

At least I won't remember it...

Lovely sunshine second half, I enjoyed sunning myself and zoned out from the horror show on the grass

[art vandalay]

Incredibly poor display and several players well under par. It seemed that we just couldn’t work the ball towards their penalty area to cause them any problems. Probably best summed up by Etete trying a stupid training ground flick in one attack when there was no one within 10 yards, ball goes straight to their player, they get a corner, they score the winner.

[Alf]

Don’t worry mate, I was just still annoyed about our lack of quality. Maybe the pitch was difficult to play, the ref was a complete and utter tit, which didn’t help but we just didn’t pass the ball like we can and I just felt that we played into their hands…..or feet.

[Alf]

Poor result. No need to kneejerk. Regroup and go again.

It’s not knee jerk, just opinions on today’s performance.
I have enough faith in Michael Duff and his staff to put things right.

Sorry, I was not clear and you misconstrued. I was not accusing anyone of knee jerk, just saying there is no need for any. I could have said “Poor result. Oh well, one of those things. Regroup and go
again.”

Don’t worry mate, I was just still annoyed about our lack of quality. Maybe the pitch was difficult to play, the ref was a complete and utter tit, which didn’t help but we just didn’t pass the ball like we can and I just felt that we played into their hands…..or feet.
EDIT

[Shade]

c!#p game very much helped on its way by one of the most incompetent, possibly bent refs we have ever had. Been a long time since that level of booing and abuse aimed at the ref at the end of a half. If he had not given a free kick purely because their keeper didn't win the ball in the second minute and the perfectly legal goal was allowed, then it could have been a very different afternoon.

I will now forget all about it and hope that a week without 2 hard fought away trips will result in a better performance next Saturday. Shame the ref will be a lottery though.

[paperboy]

As MD has said previously we struggle with the third game when it's Sat, Tues,Sat.
Noticeable that our liveliest players were Williams,Wright and Etete, none of whom started on Tuesday. Bonds and May who have been good lately were both noticeably off the pace.
Move on.

[longmover]

Maybe just one game too far and Wycombe and Ipswich away caught up with us, i'm not going to moan too much considering our current league position, BUT!!

Evans is really beginning to frustrate with his delayed goal kicks and general distribution, I cant see how his distribution is keeping him starting? Only once did I see him fire out a shallow ball down the left hand-side and that was in the 2nd half, Also another thing that a mate pointed out is just how quite he is, doesn't seem to communicate and be the eyes of the back three when they're facing forward. From all the hype of his signing he's just become a very average goal keeper and don't think there is anything between him and Flinders.

Not going to repeat what most have said but hopefully no game this Tuesday means we can put the breaks on regroup as Doncaster will turn us over if we play like that next week.

[Ben version 4:0]

Longmover, I do apologise because I think this may be two weeks in a row I've disagreed with you. Nothing personal, I guess we sit in different parts of the ground.

I thought evans kicking was superb yesterday, by far best ground kicker we've had or I've seen in the league this season. He is sometimes a bit slow, I agree, but his long passing was excellent I thought. Butland kicked better from hand but we've never had someone as good from the floor

[Si Robin]

I'm with Ben on this one.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Some people go to the games looking for an opportunity to criticise Evans.

A shame that even in what looks like being the most successful season ever in hour history some still need a player to target for special criticism.

[longmover]

Longmover, I do apologise because I think this may be two weeks in a row I've disagreed with you. Nothing personal, I guess we sit in different parts of the ground.

I thought evans kicking was superb yesterday, by far best ground kicker we've had or I've seen in the league this season. He is sometimes a bit slow, I agree, but his long passing was excellent I thought. Butland kicked better from hand but we've never had someone as good from the floor

You can disagree its a forum and we're all adult enough to deal with a difference of opinion, one of the benefits of Evans was his distribution which we have all seen but I've not seen much of this range of distribution since he's come in for Flinders. Most attacks start when he has the ball (goal kicks) his indecision and waiting has now become the norm, I don't know what he's waiting for or what he thinks is going to happen if he waits a bit longer but opposition are all set back in position ready to deal with it, so with the ball being played from the back he's a key feature in the success of the attack.

Basically I now don't see anything between him and Flinders.

Also you can be having a great season that still doesn't mean you can't criticize especially losing your unbeaten run to a team that are bottom of the league and (were) ten points adrift having lost their last four games.

[horlickfanclub]

I agree with Longmover.

[little mo]

Most people giving the Ref stick big time. Well Jon Palmer disagrees,he marked him 8/10 in the Football League Paper.

[Shade]

Most people giving the Ref stick big time. Well Jon Palmer disagrees,he marked him 8/10 in the Football League Paper.

Are you kidding? There's even a Crewe fan on the Cheltenham facebook forum saying we should have had a penalty. When an opposition fan is seeking out a forum and posting something like that, you know the ref was utter c!#p.

In terms of Evans, my only issue with him is his indecision and decision making from goal kicks. He does take an absolute age to make up his mind, but then we have seen him make a quick decision or two that have been absolutely ludicrous, passing to a marked teammate or straight to opposition just outside our area - so I can see why maybe he wants to be absolutely sure of what he is doing, but it needs to be worked on. Several times we have seen him hold on to the ball when Alfie or someone is bombing forward looking for a quick long ball to run onto, and it never comes. I'm pretty sure I even saw Russ Milton making animated hand gestures a game or two ago imploring him to hit it quick and long. This is something that needs to be addressed in training and if he can't make the decisions, then the captain, who is usually stood 5 metres away from him to his left or right, depending on who it is, needs to make the decision for him.