[quote] If Crowe can ally his obvious ability with a more team focused approach he can still do a good job for us
[/quote]
I hope you’re right Mike but I’ve not even seen anything to suggest that he has the ability. He should be running himself into the ground (even if that means he only lasts 45 mins) to try and break into the side but he’s giving the fans nothing to even think he could be a success.
Great result again last night, very convincing 2nd Half performance - It was good to see us racking the goals up - We all know how important gd could be come May! 
I also think Macpherson could prove to be the last piece in the jigsaw, a replacement for Connors!
I agree, and what makes it better is that McPherson looks to be far more intelligent in the tackle. Closing the player down before having to tackle as opposed to Conners’ approach of tackle at will, and risk cautions or injuries.
UniBond League – Premier Division - Tuesday October 9th 2007
WITTON ALBION 6 PRESCOT CABLES 1 att. 362
TEAM: Kennedy; Coo, Barras (Kearney 77), Pritchard (Brownhill 72), Spearritt; Peers, Lloyd, MacPherson, Brodie; Warlow, Crowe (Proffitt 64)
Man of Match : Rob Lloyd n/b Dave MacPherson
At half-time, with just the slender one goal advantage courtesy of BRIAN PRITCHARD’s sublime looping 15 yard header scored in the 13th minute, it looked, with Cables then proving to be the best team Albion have encountered to date, that maybe a case of déjà vu would follow. The visitors did get the ball in the net a minute before the goal but Karl Connolly’s crisp finish came from an offside position. Dean Crowe fluffed a good chance after Rob Lloyd had superbly beaten Prescot’s offside trap and following good approach work between Steve Brodie and Mark Peers this time Adam Warlow was off target with his headed attempt.
The second-half started off in thunderous style when in the opening seconds a ball from the right was flicked on by Warlow to the onrushing debutant DAVE MacPHERSON whose sheer delight was plainly evident as he smashed the ball past the former Barnton and Albion keeper Richard Mottram. On the 50th minute though Cables were thrown a life-line courtesy of referee Paul Graham, Tony Barras had timed his action perfectly when playing the ball out for a corner, the attacking Cables player’s momentum carried him over the prostrate Barras but with the linesman in a far better position and not indicating any transgression the man in the middle decided otherwise and awarded a penalty kick with Jon Kennedy outmanoeuvred as Thomas Moore sent the spot-kick to the keeper’s left.
The 64th minute though saw a masterstroke produced by Jim Vince when the disappointing Crowe was withdrawn. Three minutes later James Dever scythed MacPherson down and Lloyd’s perfectly flighted ball over the wall saw substitute DORRYLL PROFFITT produce a diving header to notch his first goal for the Albion. On 71 minutes it was 4-1 following sensational footwork from ROB LLOYD and a wondrous finish past the crestfallen Mottram.
Pritchard was substituted following the goal and with Albion readjusting Moore brought an excellent save as Kennedy got up to tip his good effort over the bar. The 74th minute again saw Lloyd produce a dazzling (or should that read dozzling?) move before prodding the ball into DORRYLL PROFFITT’s path with the reprieved striker going on to slot the ball past Mottram. Vince then was afforded the luxury of withdrawing Barras and three minutes later, again following a free-kick, his replacement IAN KEARNEY breached the shell-shocked defence to head home.
Mottram managed somehow to get his fists to a vicious MacPherson shot whilst the absence of a goal agony for Warlow was fully evident when his rasping shot cannoned down off the crossbar and then in stoppage time he slid in perfectly to meet Liam Brownhill’s cross but the ball ended narrowly wide of the upright.
All in all though a good day at the office, the earlier F.A.Cup reverse now a distant memory, the lead at the top extended to four points, no players’ cautioned and a very healthy goal difference of 21 to take to Leek Town on Saturday afternoon.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion - that is what this forum is for - but slagging off our own player is out of order !
Quite correct Eligorton, this is a forum, and it encourages opinion, and my own opinion is that Dean Crowe does not impress, I’m not saying show him the door, but he needs to show more and do more to win over a fair few knockers that he has got, including me.
Are you happy with the performances of the particular player in question?
It is Jim’s job to sort out players . Fantastic game last night - goal of the season from Mom Rob lloyd - some fans were saying they did not want the game to end - Prescot played their part in the game and were unlucky to catch us on a good night - i went home happy and was still up until reading some of the comments about Dean Crowe who did play a part in the victory - this has just spoilt it a little for me. Lets hope these comments are not heard on the terraces about any players please - we are top of the league u know|
Rant over
Mike, which time he was offside the first time or the twenty-first? LOL!
I agree with not having a go at players but frankly I have seen enough from recent performances to know that Crowe is not putting the effort in. You would think that Adam would be getting some stick for his goal return but just the opposite is true - every fan recognises his effort and his contribution to the team. The same is not true of Dean Crowe! When I saw him play in the first pre-season game at Newcastle I thought we had signed a very good player. He looked to have the strength and experience to work alongside Adam.
He has ability but does he have the attitude? Does he see this as beneath him? I am not sure that we are going to see him any fitter than he currently is and if he is not fit then what is he doing about it?
What annoys me as a fan is that half the time he does not look interested, it was the same against Prescot in the cup when Jim took him off at half time. I never like to see a player who is subbed walk from the bench for an early bath, stay on the bench and watch ‘your team’ play!
I don’t like to criticise players but if they don’t put the effort in then why should others!
Things are fantastic at the moment, but praise, criticisms, and opinions are all part of football. That’s what makes things so interesting. Other players have had criticism over the last 12 months, it happens. Any criticism shouldn’t detract from the exceptional performance from the team last night, but this particular topic is nothing new.
Profitt answered many a critic last night with two well taken goals, and positive play that resulted in more goals/chances, and I know for a fact that past talk on this forum and on the terraces shadow what we are saying about Crowe, so all is not lost for Dean. I’m not saying that Profitt is now a terrace idol, but he will have silenced some critics last night, and Mr Crowe needs to do the same, if the opportunity hasn’t already passed him by.
During a discussion with JV this afternoon he made some very valid points with regards to Crowe that I admit to not being aware of.
According to Jim, Crowe has been playing with injuries over the 5/6 weeks and is therefore not fit, he had achilles tendonitis and a cracked rib (picked up away at Osset I think) and therefore has been struggling in recent games. He has played on through this when required. Jim felt he needed him for an hour last night and then he would make way for Proffitt. I understand he has also taken time off from his work to focus on fitness which he deserves credit for, the combination of the two injuries not making it particularly easy to regain fitness and meaning he is probably still 2 or 3 weeks away from being 100%. With the absence of Thornley (England) and Craven (who got married - mad fool) Jim needed Crowe to play.
As always appreciated feedback from the gaffer and underlines why he is the one that makes the decisions.
I admit that my conclusion was that his performances were down to a lack of effort but the above means I was wrong (happens very occasionally)!!!
Given the above then I and everyone else should wait to see what is to come from Crowe and judge him when he is 100%. My honest take on this is that he has to still win me over as a player but with the injuries he has had then he deserves that opportunity.
Told you he’d come good Rabbit…
As a result of JV’s conversation with Rabbit I am now tucking in a sizeable slice of humble pie.
Good of Jim to let you know Rabbit. Like you say though, still needs to win the fans over. I’ll certainly cut him some slack for the next month to give him chance
Pass me a piece of that pie Macca!!!
As I say given the two injury problems it is pretty obvious that he would be struggling - that was certainly Jim’s position with regards to his current status and explains a lot with regards to what we have seen.
I have been open in my criticism so far and hope to be proved wrong. At the very least he deserves the chance when he is back to full fitness, in which case I will gladly consume several more pieces of pie!!!
Perhaps the ‘humble pie’ would go well with ‘humble magners’…
I think that if a player is picked to play in the starting XI in front of other players the supporters have every reason to expect that the player is fully fit.
Not too unreasonable, an assumption and I don’t think on that basis that too much humble pie is needed lads.
Back to the game and its another very useful 3 points against one of our ‘bogey teams’ which keeps the momentum going just nicely.
I will bring u all a pork pie on the next away bus !
I’m not too bothered how fit or otherwise Crowe is - that is obvious to anyone who has seen him this year.
It’s attitude that matters. Fair play to the lad for making an effort to shed a few pounds, but that is no substitute for applying yourself in matches.
Last night Crowe really looked not too bothered about anything that wasn’t given to him on a plate - an attitude that was seen in his very first game at Newcastle and has been in evidence ever since. Another worrying aspect is his tendancy to mouth off when things don’t go his way. I can’t help think that his gobshi*e moments affect the confidence of the young lads around him and therefore have to stop. There were a couple of times last night when he had a whinge at Adam Warlow who would have been well within his rights to put him in his place.
At the end of the day Dean Crowe has had a rapid fall from grace in recent years. I for one do not believe that his is a tearjerking hard luck story. But then again I might be wrong.
He should take a leaf from Thierry Proffitt’s book as an example of a lad who has arguably fallen even further but is working his balls off for his team and to prove people wrong.