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Plainmoor
Saturday 29th January 2011
KO: 3pm

Here it is. Our biggest game of the season yet. I'm disappointed a home tie with Crawley was our reward for the 4th round, but that's what we were given, and we can focus on ways to be victorious, and become the first Torquay United side in the 5th Round. Steve Evans and Paul Raynor come to town for what is set to be a massive match. The build up started as soon as the draw was made, picking up from where it left off when Paul Buckle and Evans locked horns back in the Blue Square Premier. We were labelled as 'buying promotion' (how ironic!!) and were also called a 'tinpot club'. I can't wait. I didn't expect Crawley to sell out, but they have, they shouldn't get anymore tickets. We really need a win more important than any other this season, as the prize money and a potential 5th round tie with a Premiership side awaits. Also, a place in the last 16, we've never been so close to the Quarter Finals!

GULLS NEWS.

There is one worry for us Gulls' fans at the moment - and that is whether Benyon will be in a fit enough state to play on Saturday after his broken nose. That is, of course, if he is still a Gulls player! No other injury worries, although for me, we have to attack Crawley from the first whistle, so playing 4-4-1-1/4-5-1 will be disappointing in my opinion.

LAST 5 SEASONS.

2005/06 - Blue Square Premier - 17th place - 47 points
2006/07 - Blue Square Premier - 18th place - 53 points
2007/08 - Blue Square Premier - 15th place - 60 points
2008/09 - Blue Square Premier - 9th place - 70 points
2009/10 - Blue Square Premier - 7th place - 66 points

Under Evans, Crawley have turned from an average Conference club into playoff-outsiders. However, since the moneybags chairman came in, playoffs would be disappointing for the club. Spending more than every L2 club, with about £600k at least paid on players (just fees, not wages also!) the opportunity for Crawley to become a league club has never been better. However, with Evans and Raynor in charge, you can see something going wrong, and if the moneyman decides to back out, who knows what'll happen.

FORM (LAST 6 GAMES)

WWWWWD

Impressive form, to say the least. A five game winning run, which has seen victories against Eastbourne, Forest Green, Derby, Kettering and Bath, was followed by a draw with Grimsby. Yes, 5 wins from 6 is impressive by any account, but 4 of those were against poor sides really. The cup win over Derby is a great result, mind. Note: this does not include Tuesday nights game with Cambridge.

JANUARY TRANSFERS.

Evans is like a spoilt child with all this money. Always looking to spend, 5 players have joined in January, the most notable being Josh Simpson, from Peterborough. The squad thats been assembled is extremely expensive, and the fact that they aren't dominating that league suggests some sort of weakness. Either that, or the quality of players is nowhere near the money that was splashed out for them!

PROBABLE LINE UP.

This is the side that played Grimsby on Saturday:

Michel Kuipers

Pablo Mills
Kyle McFadzean
Glenn Wilson
Dean Howell

Sergio Torres
Danny Bulman
Josh Simpson
James Dance

Craig McAllister
Matt Tubbs

Subs: Shearer, Dempster, Smith, Hunt, Brodie

PLAYERS TO WATCH.

Matt Tubbs has been forever-prolific for Salisbury, and has continued to bang in the goals for Crawley. The headline signing was Richard Brodie, who joined the Red Devils for about £350,000 (I believe). Recent signings Josh Simpson and James Dance have added to the squad, and Sergio Torres is another player who could play in League 2.

THE MEN IN CHARGE

Referee: D Deadman
Assistant Referees: N Radford & S J Bratt
Fourth Official: R East

Darren Deadman is in charge for this game. He has officiated 14 games this season, mostly at Championship/League 1 level. His last TUFC match was our 0-0 draw at Northampton in April last season, so if anyone who was at that game can remember anything about him it'd be appreciated. He has been a referee since 2003/04, so has plenty of experience.

PREDICTION

If we play 4-4-2, then I think we'll progress. If we stick with one upfront, with Benyon on his own, I'll worry. He struggles on his own, and if we end up playing deeper and deeper like we did against Gillingham, it'll either be a return trip to Crawley in 10 days time, or a massive disappointment.

I don't want to predict as anything could happen, but I'm absolutely buzzing for this one. Evans and co are going to get a great reception, and if Paul is there, then we can hopefully surpass the atmosphere we got against Carlisle!

COYY!

Excellent as always, Nick.

I predict a noisy win for us Gulls

COYY !!

Thank you Nick for posting up the thread early.

Um ? It's a bit too early for me as I don't have any thoughts about the match yet. :Oops:

Ha, I wanted to get it up early as theres been several Crawley fans on the board, so all match discussion/banter can just go in here.

Hugh Grant liked to put it up 'urley as well.

Trojan 67 wrote:Hugh Grant liked to put it up 'urley as well.

Dreadful, absolutely dreadful, tsk, tsk

NickGull wrote:
JANUARY TRANSFERS.
The squad thats been assembled is extremely expensive, and the fact that they aren't dominating that league suggests some sort of weakness.

They have lost 3 games all season and have three games in hand over AFC Wimbledon, and are only one point behind them. Far from indicating a weakness I would say that it shows that they are not playing as many league games this season due to their cup run.
I am loathe to defend them but I think they deserve credit for what they have achieved, and this game will not be a walk in the park.

scottbrehaut wrote: They have lost 3 games all season and have three games in hand over AFC Wimbledon, and are only one point behind them. Far from indicating a weakness I would say that it shows that they are not playing as many league games this season due to their cup run.
I am loathe to defend them but I think they deserve credit for what they have achieved, and this game will not be a walk in the park.

Agree.

It could be squeaky bum time all the way to the final whistle.

Okay, maybe I was a bit OTT with that bit. They maybe have 3 games in hand, but that'll put them only 8 points ahead. A fair distance, but thats surely what should be expected of a side that's spent that sort of money. Just like Notts County last season.

I'm not for one minute suggesting that it's going to be an easy game, far from it. They've obviously got something about them, hence why they're 2nd and they've progressed this far!

Trojan have your young brother got a ticket for the crawley match or a ticket from the missus to go shopping ??

robbotufc wrote:Trojan have your young brother got a ticket for the crawley match or a ticket from the missus to go shopping ??

Nice one robbo mate.

This is what she'll get if she thinks they're shopping together this Saturday :

Don't worry, I've spoken to my mate who works for Cambridge United and I've asked him to tell the team to run them ragged for 90 mins! Get the all knackered out so we can take the spoils on Saturday!

well lets get the banter going, i predict

Riviera Rovers 2-3 Gatwick City

COYR, oh and 400 locked out!

This > http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 371939.stm
Seems to me to be a case of too much money. If you aren't any good at deciding which is a good buy and which is not, go for Dr Davidson's cure-all and just sign everybody. I seem to remember Chelsea doing this a few years ago. Tal Ben Haim anyone? How about Steve Sidwell? They aren't the only ones of course, but they do spring most immediately to mind.

As for the "It's going to take an 18-19-20 man squad to finish top" line, it seems that counting is not among fatty's skills (perhaps that explains the missing quarter of a million pounds?)
As evidenced here > http://www.crawleytownfc.com/players.php?pageid=57 he already has 21 men from whom to choose. That is the same number we have available (http://www.torquayunited.com/page/Profi ... 45,00.html). The difference is that of those, three are kids and we are liable to lose another three at a moment s notice, which gives us a match day squad of 15 genuine first team professionals, fewer than Ballmouth last season (not counting the Sikh referee they employ on a pay-as-you-cheat basis) who were under a bloody transfer embargo!

This raises two distinct points (in case one clouds the other): Do Crawley REALLY need more players, or is Evans just a useless, greedy ****? And secondly, are we up the creek without a maneuvering implement if Ellis, Benyon and EoK all leave?

Matt.


Nick, mate, sorry if you feel this is in the wrong thread, but it was a case of rock and hard place. It's not worthy of it's own thread, but I can't see a more appropriate thread already in existence.

They don't have the money to sustain what they're doing for more than a year or two. He might as well sign whoever he can now whilst the cheques are still worth the paper they're written on. He'll be off to another club when the money runs out so he might as well build the very best team he can. The responsibility is with those who'll be at the club long term, the owners and the fans, to ensure nothing that damages the future of the club takes place - but I suspect it's beyond that stage already.