Crewe attempt to soften up Swindon Town

Crewe Alexandra boss Gudjon Thordarson stepped up the mind games on the eve of today's clash at the County Ground – by heaping praise on his Swindon Town counterpart Danny Wilson.

The two clubs are both fighting to avoid relegation from League One and three points today for either club would ease the pressure.

Already this week Wilson has attempted to keep a lid on the emotions of his team as the season reaches a nerve-wracking finale, so what he will make of Thordarson's comments remains to be seen.

But he will be extremely wary of his side being lulled into a false sense of security and reading too much into Thordarson's generous praise.

"I know Danny and he is a good manager," said Thordarson, who replaced Steve Holland at the helm not long after Wilson took over from Maurice Malpas.

"He has done a terrific job and he knows what he is doing. He has always been a hard working manager and committed to the job and he has done well."

Thordarson believes that ultimately both Crewe and Swindon will beat the drop but at this stage of the season such platitudes count for nothing. Only points on the board will count in the final league table. "It will be a very tough game for us and a massive battle because a lot of clubs have been sucked into it now," added Thordarson.

"It is straightforward for us because there are two results that would be acceptable for us.

"A win or a draw is acceptable."

The latter certainly wouldn't represent a good result for the home side, who ideally need to win all their remaining home games – Leyton Orient and Bristol Rovers also visit the County Ground – to ensure League One survival.

But in the same way that Wilson will ignore the wily Thordarson's attempts to 'kill' his side with words of kindness he was not about to be dragged into making this clash a 'win-at-all-costs' encounter for fear of paralysing his players with tension.

"Where we finish will not be determined by one game this weekend – it will be determined by the next six games," stressed Wilson.

At times like this both managers will know that what they say will be analysed and scrutinised intensely, hence both will be doing their best to deflect any pressure off their side. But no amount of words can hide the conclusion that whoever loses today will be in deep trouble.

"It is going to be a nervy game and a battle but hopefully we can play better than we did against Yeovil last week," said Town defender Jack Smith.

They'll have to if they want to get back to winning ways and prove that Wilson's men deserved Thordarson's praise. If not those words may come back to haunt them.

While Town have been lifted by the return of Wales international Owain Tudur Jones, Jamie Vincent may also be fit for selection but both Sean Morrison and Hal Robson Kanu are rated doubtful.

Crewe's hopes were improved by the return of giant Congolese striker Calvin Zola to the squad after recovering from a hamstring strain he suffered in the draw against Bristol Rovers.

Swindon Town (probable): P Smith; Amankwaah, Greer, Ifil, J Smith; Kennedy, Tudur Jones, Timlin, McNamee; Paynter, Cox. Subs from: Brezovan, Vincent, Pook, Nalis, Razak.