Football Season Review

№13: Crewe Alexandra

Crewe started life in League One this season after winning promotion through the Play-offs, as not many of their fans knew what to expect in the third tier, with not many of their players having any previous League One experience. One thing that manager Steve Davis promised at the beginning of the season was that his side would play positive football, and he stayed true to his work, as the Alex never shied away from attacking the sides they played against. During the entire campaign, Davis relied mostly on players who are products of the club's youth system, but he also made a couple of superb loan captures in Bradden Inman and Chuks Aneke, who both spent the majority of the season with the Alex and played important roles in their campaign. Crewe are one of the few sides in the division that managed to maintain a similar level of play throughout the campaign - they didn't have any runs of outstanding results, but also didn't have any lengthy losing runs. As a consequence, they ended comfortably in mid table, as they never seriously feared relegation but also rarely looked capable of making the top six. Their finishing position in the league could have been different had it not been for the JP Trophy distraction - but Davis surely didn't regret taking his competition seriously, as his side made the final at Wembley, where they overcame Southend to lift the trophy. All in all, Crewe are certainly one of the feel good stories of League One this season, with their final game, in which they overcame Walsall with a 2-0 scoreline, really summing up everything that they stand for as a club, as Davis named a home grown starting eleven in that match. Skipper Luke Murphy, who impressed in midfield this season, is almost certain to leave during the summer, and some other players could follow, but the upcoming campaign will certainly provide us with a chance to see some new gems from Crewe's superb football academy, as Davis will look to repeat or better this season's finish sticking to the same principles.


Player of the Season: Luke Murphy