Comment by Jules Hornbrook

THERE'S something about Gudjon Thordarson. He's cast a spell on us.

Not only has the Icelander got the players fired up, he seems to have won over the supporters.

Now that's no surprise, given that he's transformed the team and put more points on the board in 12 games than we had secured in the previous 23 matches.

However, last Saturday there were some strange occurrences at Gresty Road. Thordarson was playing up to the crowd – and we loved it. Moreover, he was milking it, enjoying regular high-fives with Neil Baker.

It was a novelty seeing a Crewe manager responding so openly and enthusiastically to the fans.

In fact, many have already elevated the new man above the legend that is Dario Gradi.

That's a shame, as we should never forget what Gradi did for our club. He transformed it from a 1970s joke to a much-respected example to others.

And yet, for two or three seasons, a large chunk of the fan base has turned on the old master.

Last Saturday I heard several voices calling for him to go!

A recent concern is that Gradi has been meddling in Thordarson's business.

In theory that should be fine. After all, Gradi is a director.

But why interfere with an obviously successful formula? The turnaround across the last 12 games has not been a fluke.

Sure we've lost games, but the attitude, fitness and desire of the players has been tremendous.

Thordarson has achieved what Steve Holland could not.

So the rumour mill was running riot last weekend. There was even talk of Thordarson quitting if he didn't get his way.

He wanted a decent contract, apparently, and he wanted to make his own decisions – without having his ideas passed by Gradi.

Now that could all be smoke and mirrors. Thordarson could be playing us off against a previously failing management.

I wonder, is the new guy adept when it comes to massaging supporters' egos? Does he know how to pull the right strings to get us on his side?

That's a dangerous game, as any prolonged sequence of defeats would soon see his admirers drop off. That's just how it is.

Deliver success and most managers are loved. The critics surface when times are bad.

So for now we're riding the wave of relative success. Avoiding the drop is now probable and it's certainly not an impossible task, as it seemed before Christmas.

What impresses me most about Thordarson is the determination he and the team have shown in recent weeks.

Hereford should not have equalised last weekend and yet we kept up the pressure and won the game.

Then at Walsall on Tuesday it looked as though the revival was floundering, before a fantastic late goal maintained our momentum.

I want to see the new regime succeed. I'd also like to see a harmonious club with everyone pulling in the same direction.

Will that be possible with Thordarson as manager? Only time will tell.

It will, however, be interesting to see who calls the shots at the supporters' forum later this month!

- Jules Hornbrook is a life-long Crewe Alex fan. His views do not necessarily reflect those of The Sentinel.