Lee Croft - Could He Be The New Successor To Huckerby?

[John 0]

I use to be a massive fan of Lee Croft in the days when he was overshadowed

by Chadwick, but now we''re seeing him play week in and week out I''m

seeing him for what he is as a winger. I still like him for his bullish and relentless running, but he is terribly frustrating

to have in the side when it builds up to nothing. He runs past opposing players, but what is that if nothing

comes of it? Goals? No. Assists? No. Crosses? Never. When I''m watching

him, i just ask myself what is it really all for.He can''t

cross in my eyes, he really can''t. Now the only real hope i see for him is if he

adapts himself to a Huckerby style of game. It may fail, granted, but i think it''s an interesting idea, and worth a try. Whenever he runs at the

defence and is approaching goal, he comes good. The Sheffield United goal was a fine

example of that, and he''s done it on other occasions and come pretty

close to scoring. And for that i think there are foundations of which this technique can be built upon. If we have him cutting inside and going for goal, like Huckerby, he has the defence on the back foot, and with his pace, and ability to place a shot he''ll take advantage of it i reckon.If he perfects this technique in that respect i reckon he

could be quite something. Otherwise though, i see little point of him

being on the pitch unfortunately.Do you reckon he would thrive by adapting a Huckerby form of offence? Or do you think he has what it takes to perfect his crosses as a winger? Whats your take upon Lee Croft...

[The Great Wall Of Tettey 0]

[quote user="John"]I use to be a massive fan of Lee Croft in the days when he was overshadowed by Chadwick, but now we''re seeing him play week in and week out I''m seeing him for what he is as a winger. I still like him for his bullish and relentless running, but he is terribly frustrating to have in the side when it builds up to nothing. He runs past opposing players, but what is that if nothing comes of it? Goals? No. Assists? No. Crosses? Never. When I''m watching him, i just ask myself what is it really all for.

He can''t cross in my eyes, he really can''t. Now the only real hope i see for him is if he adapts himself to a Huckerby style of game.

It may fail, granted, but i think it''s an interesting idea, and worth a try. Whenever he runs at the defence and is approaching goal, he comes good. The Sheffield United goal was a fine example of that, and he''s done it on other occasions and come pretty close to scoring. And for that i think there are foundations of which this technique can be built upon. If we have him cutting inside and going for goal, like Huckerby, he has the defence on the back foot, and with his pace, and ability to place a shot he''ll take advantage of it i reckon.

If he perfects this technique in that respect i reckon he could be quite something. Otherwise though, i see little point of him being on the pitch unfortunately.

Do you reckon he would thrive by adapting a Huckerby form of offence? Or do you think he has what it takes to perfect his crosses as a winger? Whats your take upon Lee Croft...
[/quote]

no.

bell is, he doesnt run at players, but he is a class act and will have the same effect as huckerby !

[E I E I E I O 0]

Whilst I respect your positivity, I believe this is one of the most laughable threads ever to grace the Pink Un!!

[Sing up the river end 0]

[quote user="Snakepit boys"]Whilst I respect your positivity, I believe this is one of the most laughable threads ever to grace the Pink Un!!

[/quote]Have to agree ,he is a headless chicken.

[ca 1]

Croft gets 10 out of 10 for effort, passion and the miles that he runs but his crosses just aren''t consistantly good enough.

Next game I''d have Bell on the right and Hoolahan on the left.

[ricardo 7,395]

He could also be a successor to Coco the clown.

He certainly makes me laugh.

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

no

[John 0]

lol Ouch! Ok then, maybe it''s an idea worth forgetting considering the response! ;)

[E I E I E I O 0]

[quote user="John"]lol Ouch! Ok then, maybe it''s an idea worth forgetting considering the response! ;)[/quote]This on the other hand is one of the most sensible threads I have seen on the Pink Un!!!

[Fuglestad 0]

There will be no successor to Huckerby. We will never get a player so entertaining, skillful and loyal again.

[John 0]

[quote user="Fuglestad"]There will be no successor to Huckerby. We will never get a player so entertaining, skillful and loyal again.[/quote]Well your forgetting Croft is still young.

He certainly has the attributes that blessed Huckerby, such as his

pace, power and stamina. Croft has shown, albeit in glimpses, a similar

standard of skill that was often displayed by Huckerby on occasion

also. They also have both brought flair to our sides down the years.

Other managers, like the Southampton manager this season, have given

Croft a special mention as our main threat in our attack. I''ve seen and

heard fans from other clubs gasp at the power, speed, and quality shown

by Croft. He certainly is eye catching on the ball, it''s just his

crossing that severely lets him down.

People seem to often forget Huckerby was not particularly good at

crossing the ball himself, and his main source of impact was as a

goalscorer when he cut inside the opposing defence from the wing. Croft

rarely ever does that (cut in from the wing), but i don''t believe it to

be just "luck" for that when he does he either scores, or (more often

than not admittedly) comes pretty close to getting a goal. I don''t see

why if he tried to go on and perfect that technique he couldn''t go on

to thrive from it. He has the foundations of which it can be built

upon, thats a given.

I''m kind of a little surprised and shocked of the reaction i got for

proposing this idea, but i guess the fans at the moment in general have

a fairly low opinion of him (which is fair considering his recent performances), so i can understand that.

[cuckoo in the nest 0]

Is Ian Henderson at a loose end ? If so, I have a theory that two headless chickens would fox the opposition .

[Chunky Norwich 0]

I don''t rate Croft at all but I can completely understand where the original poster is coming from. He''s not saying that he''s an amazing player (well maybe he is...) or that his crossing is great. In fact, he''s saying his crossing is rubbish and was suggesting that he would be better utilised as a winger cutting in from the left-hand side for which you need pace and drive - something Croft has - rather than a traditional right-midfielder for which you need good crossing and a cool head - something Croft definitely hasn''t. It''s a shame that when someone comes up with an interesting point, they''re shouted down because the word "Croft" is in the title and we didn''t beat Preston yesterday.

Personally I''d be interested in seeing it being given a go. With Hoolahoop not being played and Bell much, much better on the right, why not?

[E I E I E I O 0]

Not at all, this would lead to Croft cutting in and compressing the space in the central area. The defence would become more compact and we would achieve nothing.A winger that cannott cross is laughable in footballing terms, something that could only happen at NCFC at the moment! what amazes me is how these players are picked up from a young age. The FA model on coaching is all about end product, something that Croft has nothing to give. His space awareness and vision are almost laughable!!

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="John"]Lee Croft - Could He Be The New Successor To Huckerby?[/quote]Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!  Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Well, in the spirit of this thread, I''d like to pose the following questions:McFly - Could they be the new Beatles?Police Academy V - Could it be the new Apocalypse Now?Charles Clarke - Could he be the new Barack Obama?

[Fuglestad 0]

[quote user="Chunky Norwich"]

I don''t rate Croft at all but I can completely understand where the original poster is coming from. He''s not saying that he''s an amazing player (well maybe he is...) or that his crossing is great. In fact, he''s saying his crossing is rubbish and was suggesting that he would be better utilised as a winger cutting in from the left-hand side for which you need pace and drive - something Croft has - rather than a traditional right-midfielder for which you need good crossing and a cool head - something Croft definitely hasn''t. It''s a shame that when someone comes up with an interesting point, they''re shouted down because the word "Croft" is in the title and we didn''t beat Preston yesterday.

Personally I''d be interested in seeing it being given a go. With Hoolahoop not being played and Bell much, much better on the right, why not?

[/quote]

I think he was shot down because the word Huckerby was in the title. Croft is nowhere near as good as Hucks, and it is rather depressing that he is the closest we''ve got. However, I see the point you''re trying to make, Croft can''t cross, so he should be encouraged to cut inside and shoot. Makes sense, but surely his coaches over the years would have noticed this. Lets hope they do so in traaaynun.

[First Wizard 0]

I think I''ve spotted the new whipping Boy when Jamie goes!.[:D]

[Fuglestad 0]

[quote user="1st Wizard"]I think I''ve spotted the new whipping Boy when Jamie goes!.[:D][/quote]

I thought it was Fozzy at the moment, it''s so hard to keep up.

[Fuglestad 0]

Sorry must be Russell now, as he got sent off. Anticipate the "Carrow Road Groan" every time he touches the ball.

[kdncfc 0]

[quote user="Fuglestad"][quote user="Chunky Norwich"]

I don''t rate Croft at all but I can completely understand where the original poster is coming from. He''s not saying that he''s an amazing player (well maybe he is...) or that his crossing is great. In fact, he''s saying his crossing is rubbish and was suggesting that he would be better utilised as a winger cutting in from the left-hand side for which you need pace and drive - something Croft has - rather than a traditional right-midfielder for which you need good crossing and a cool head - something Croft definitely hasn''t. It''s a shame that when someone comes up with an interesting point, they''re shouted down because the word "Croft" is in the title and we didn''t beat Preston yesterday.

Personally I''d be interested in seeing it being given a go. With Hoolahoop not being played and Bell much, much better on the right, why not?

[/quote]

I think he was shot down because the word Huckerby was in the title. Croft is nowhere near as good as Hucks, and it is rather depressing that he is the closest we''ve got. However, I see the point you''re trying to make, Croft can''t cross, so he should be encouraged to cut inside and shoot. Makes sense, but surely his coaches over the years would have noticed this. Lets hope they do so in traaaynun.

[/quote]

He can''t shoot very well either,  I''d send him on loan to Luton.

[Syteanric 1]

Lee Croft is pants! if i was manager he''d of been one of the first ones out the door!

jas :)

[Huddy 0]

[quote user="Snakepit boys"]Whilst I respect your positivity, I believe this is one of the most laughable threads ever to grace the Pink Un!!


[/quote]

I agree....

that title thread is one of the funniest statements ive ever seen in my life!

Somebody who cant cross, cant score goals and doesnt beat players....and then it is suggested he could match Huckerby............

 

RIDICULOUS!

[John 0]

[quote user="Huddy "]

[quote user="Snakepit boys"]Whilst I respect your positivity, I believe this is one of the most laughable threads ever to grace the Pink Un!!

[/quote]

I agree....

that title thread is one of the funniest statements ive ever seen in my life!

Somebody who cant cross, cant score goals and doesnt beat players....and then it is suggested he could match Huckerby............

 

RIDICULOUS!

[/quote]Well it''s debatable whether he could come close to the impact Huckerby had to the side, BUT again a lot of people seem to forget he is young, and he has the foundations of which that style of game thrives on being built upon. Huckerby couldn''t cross himself, so instead of playing it down the wing and crossing it at the byline, he cut in, and because of his skill and pace, he had the defenders on the back foot, and more often than not the goal was at his mercy. I think thats the root Croft should take, and i don''t see why it can''t work for him. Maybe it''s a bit much saying he''ll reach the standard of Huckerby, but never the less i think it could work as a benefit to both Croft, and us, cos i don''t think the crosses Croft is producing at the moment are winning us any games.PS Sorry about the title of the thread if it sounded a bit over the top.

[colneycanary 0]

[quote user="cityangel"]

Croft gets 10 out of 10 for effort, passion and the miles that he runs but his crosses just aren''t consistantly good enough.

Next game I''d have Bell on the right and Hoolahan on the left.

[/quote]Spot on ca. This is exactly what i was thinking yesterday watching the game. Croft runs round alot but there is rarely any end product from him! I''ve seen enough of Croft now and don''t rate him one bit. He missed an absolute sitter yesterday, with the gapping goal at his mercy, he put''s his shot wide. It was a damn site easier to score!! Roeder should of played Bell on the right and Hoolahan on the left. Lupoli should of come on for Sibierski instead of the past it Cureton.

[sam 0]

Crofty has more chance of being sucessor to John Hartson. He is fat enough.

He can''t cross, he can''t finish and he can''t run past people, all the symptoms of being a crap player, which he is unfortunately.

After Bertrand hit the bar yesterday, what was he doing with the rebound?

How many times did he find a Norwich player with a cross?

How many times did he go past his man?

 

[Lewie - Holt Our Saviour 0]

Don''t forget hucks son who scored i think it was 5 against ipswich for the under nines maybe he could be hucks successor

[Huddy 0]

"Well it''s debatable" - No, not close to debatble!!

"BUT again a lot of people seem to forget he is young" - Im Slightly Younger!!!

"has the foundations of which that style of game thrives" - So does one of my team mates; does that means he has the ability to play for Norwich....(Anglain Premier by the way)

"Huckerby couldn''t cross himself" - Hmmmm, it wasnt that bad mate; certainly better than Croft!

"i don''t see why it can''t work for him" - I can, he lacks the ability to cross, shoot or beat a man.

 

[gremlin griggs 0]

how much drink have you had. crofty will never be in hucks class.anyway at least youve made me laugh

[Binky 0]

[quote user="John"]I use to be a massive fan of Lee Croft in the days when he was overshadowed by Chadwick, but now we''re seeing him play week in and week out I''m seeing him for what he is as a winger. I still like him for his bullish and relentless running, but he is terribly frustrating to have in the side when it builds up to nothing. He runs past opposing players, ... Whats your take upon Lee Croft...
[/quote]

John - I can understand anyone liking Croft - because I think we all like to watch traditional wingers and until Bell, Croft was the only one in the pack since Chadwick''s departure. But I take issue with your contention that he can run past players. All too rarely! Too often he looks for someone inside to pass to. He had several "runs" in the second half when Clingan or Kennedy found him in space but then he either had no-one to beat or if he did,  he lost it. In the  first half he should have buried the chance that Bell''s opportunist shot on goal present to him. Was it Russell (or Betrand?) who made that Huckerby style diagonal run int he second half and out to the right to Croft who made absolutely nothing from it? As for running inside, everytime Roeder plays Pattison on the right (why?), that is exactly what Pattison has to do because he''s naturally so left footed. Croft is good squad member but too much of a luxury for full 90 minutes. He''s too defective in too many areas IMO. Now, if you start talking about Bell''s potential in Hukerby terms, then maybe, just maybe....