Rotherham United 1-1 Crewe Alex 26-27 Review - DDDDDD

Yeey. Double history made. Number 1, this is the first time in the Alex's history that they've drawn 6 straight games. And number 2, as far as I can tell, it's the first time in their history that they've started the season with 8 games unbeaten. So, we're all feeling happy, upbeat and optimistic of a promotion push right? After all, they're 8th, outside the play-offs on goal difference, haven't been beaten and are 3 points off the top. Yet why does the mood around the fanbase feel so gloomy? Well, as I said last week, this still feels like a poor side waiting for a defeat rather than a good one on the verge of a win. Here is my review of their 6th straight draw at Rotherham:

Reality

Maybe Lee Bell is doing a fairly decent job on a limited budget. Maybe most other managers would struggle with the resources he has at his disposal. That can all be true. But what is also true is that he is badly, badly mishandling the 2026-27 Crewe Alex side. The one he built lets remember. With players he's developed either from rookies out of the academy, free agent signings or loanees. These are his players and his squad. And if we're being kind, he's using them in a sub-optimal way. That's the reality. And when you are a cash poor side who has to look for every competitive edge you can get, if that happens, results like the ones in the last few weeks tend to happen.

Weak and Slow

This is all with hindsight, but who's bright idea was it to have just 1 player above 6ft in height in the midfield and forward areas, that being the constantly absent and injury prone Conor Thomas? League Two is a tough physical league and the Alex have signed a lot of, let's be honest here, powder puff players who either cannot or will not engage in a physical battle. You have to have a variety of different players, but the Alex are a 21 man squad of relatively small and tidy technical players, but ones who struggle as soon as the ball leaves the deck and goes into the air. Which, surprisie surprise, it does often in this league.

Look, tall and effective players are a rare commodity in League Two. But they do exist. It's the signings of Ure and McNeill that most confuse me. The management must have known they were lacking height and when they were scouring the market for another midfielder and striker, they opted for 2 of what they already had. I don't get that.

Then there is the chronic lack of pace in the team. I wouldn't say the likes of Tabiner, Holicek, March, Lankester and Gibson are slow. But nor are they quick. Again, quick and effective players are hard to find at this level, but at the same time, having 20 players all with roughly the same physical capabilities feels less than ideal.

Clash of Styles

We keep wondering why a talented squad of players look so disjointed and lacklustre? Well, the more time goes by, the more it becomes obvious. It's because they are a small technical group who, with the right approach, would be suited to playing a passing style of football.

However, after 4 years in charge, we all know that this isn't Lee Bell's style. It never has been. The Alex rank 12th, 12th and 9th for accurate passes per game in the last 3 seasons. Ok, that's top half, but how many of those stat padding passes between the defenders and keeper? A better stat to show their lack of forward thinking play is touches in the opposition box. In that category, they are 19th, 15th and 16th in the last 3 seasons. This season they are 11th, somehow.

It shows they spend little to no time playing in and around the opposition box. And we wonder why the attackers are struggling to score goals. Or even manage a shot on target.

Square Pegs

It's to be admired that Bell feels players can play in 2 different positions. But I think he's dreaming. League Two players can maybe play one position well. Maybe. Asking them to move, in some cases, to a completely different section of the pitch and do a job is fanciful. Wingers in midfield. Wingers/Midfielders at full back. Strikers on the wing. There are other examples. I know some of these decisions have been done due to a lack of fit players in some positions, but even when more natural options have been available, the shoe horning has persisted.

It isn't helping things and it can be quickly fixed. Get Holicek out of midfield as soon as possible and either hope Lunt or Ure can go in there soon. Stop playing a number 10, nobody in the squad can effectively operate that role. Play wingers on the wing and if you want both March and Thibaut/McNeill in the team, go to a 2 man front line. It doesn't have to be this difficult.

Opposition Analysis

They were very poor and one dimensional in the first half, but they were much better in the 2nd half without really crafting a decent chance against Booth. They look like another side that will finish mid-table, but I'm finding myself saying that about a lot of teams at this point.

Referee Assessment

You know what I said about cutting him some slack? Yeah, forget all that. He was atrocious. It's never a good sign when both sets of fans think you've been horrendous. He was wildly inconsistent as to what constituted a foul and a yellow card. Just an honking game from him.

Management Assessment

Frustrating. Once again. They talk the talk, but we're seeing little to no evidence of them finding solutions to putting it right. Maybe this team isn't as talented as we first thought. But it isn't this bad either. Again, they will win or lose a game eventually. Which side that falls on is going to be huge for them.

Player Assessments

Tom Booth

Not a lot he could do about Mullin's deflected goal, he made a couple of reasonable enough stops and was solid throughout.

Lewis Billington

Better and mistake free, which was pleasing after a few shaky games recently.

Luke Offord MOTM

Like a few others, solid without being spectacular. Probably shaded the man of match, not that there was a lot of competition.

Josh Stephenson

His early booking was a soft one and he had some shaky moments, but on the whole he was decent enough.

Kyle Ure

The 3rd player to deputise at LB in the last 3 games. That doesn't feel ideal. He struggled there, including letting Nemane cut inside too easily in the build up to the equaliser. But I have sympathy for him being asked to play there.

Joe White

He won't get credit for the own goal, but his ball was a good one, which is good. He had some nice moments, but when the ball is constantly sailing over his head from the defence to the attackers, I don't know what he's supposed to do.

Matus Holicek

I'm not sure what else to say. I get why he has to play there, but at the same time I'm desperately hoping we're nearing a point when he doesn't have to.

Josh March

His cross for Thibaut's miss deserved better. I hope that pull up he did in the 2nd half wasn't anything serious, because I don't trust Thibaut or McNeill to lead the line if he goes down.

Joel Tabiner

Lively without creating anything meaningful. Put him on the wing where he maybe produce crosses like the one we saw against Shrewsbury.

Jordan Gibson

Isolated and barely in the game. He needs to do more, but the service to him is so poor, it's hard to really blame him at this point.

Adrien Thibaut

I like what he brings, but I wish he'd spend more time looking to play football than getting into a wrestling match with defenders. The chance he missed after half time was a big one, he has to do better in that position.

Subs:

Jack Lankester

More involved and brighter than in previous weeks, which was good. He was unlucky that he was marginally offside for the late goal, but he did take it well.

Owen Lunt

Another player who got stuck in and was more lively. I hope they can ramp up his fitness and get him more involved as they need his presence in the team.

Conor Thomas

Nice to see him sticking up for his team mates, but as ever, will he be fit for next week? It's sad that we even have to ask that question after only playing 20 minutes.

Charlie McNeill

Not a lot he could do in 20 minutes, but he didn't have much impact the few times he was on the ball.

Luca Moore

A late sub for the tiring Tabiner, it's nice that the manager trusts him to come on in a 1-1 game on the road, even if it was only for 9 minutes.

Overall Verdict

What more is there to say at this point? It's another game without defeat, but it's another deeply uninspiring performance against a bang average opponent. There are some positives to take, but they've got to win or lose a game at some point. Surely it'll be soon, because these draws are driving me insane.