The 2021/22 campaign marks just the second season back in Sky Bet League One for Crewe Alexandra following promotion from Sky Bet League Two in 2020.
Crewe Alexandra sat top of the League Two table in March of that year when the season ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With clubs across the league voting to end the season without playing the remaining fixtures, Swindon Town – with Richie Wellens at the helm - claimed the league title over Crewe Alexandra based on points per game average. The Railwaymen still earned automatic promotion to League One as the club finished runner-up.
Crewe enter Tuesday’s game against Rovers sitting bottom of the League One table with just eight points. The Railwaymen have not been able to replicate their form from a season ago in which the club finished 12th in the final league table, including taking three wins from the club’s final five matches to end the campaign.
This season, the Railwaymen have won just three matches across all competitions, with just one victory coming in the league. In their last 15 matches overall, Crewe Alexandra have won three, lost eight and picked up four draws. In the last 10 League One matches, the team has one win, five losses and four draws. The lone league victory of the season came at home to Burton Albion on September 18.
With 11 goals scored, Crewe Alexandra has the second-lowest goals production on the campaign. The team has also allowed 28 league goals, putting them tied with Rovers and Morecambe for the most League One goals conceded in the campaign.
The league form is not what manager David Artell expected of his club entering the season, as the squad enters Tuesday’s game at the Mornflake Stadium having lost four League One fixtures on the bounce. In the current run, the team has scored just two goals and conceded an unprecedented 13. This includes two of four-goal games from opponents Sunderland and MK Dons. This is the second time in the season the Railwaymen have suffered a four-match league losing streak – matching the results from 14 August through to 28 August in which the team failed to score a goal in four consecutive league matches.
Crewe look towards Frenchman Mikael Mandron to provide their spark and he leads all performers this season. However, Mandron hasn’t on the scoresheet since bagging a consolation goal in 3-1 loss at home to Morecambe last month.
Rovers record against Crewe isn’t very positive with three losses and one win in the previous four meetings.
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