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Hardhouse44

Crofty's MOM award. Why

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Yet again I saw a performance from Croft differently to many others.Yes I saw great effort. Yes I saw a lad run himself in to exhaustion. Did is see a player worthy of a MOM award. No I saw a play wastes chance time and time again. His crossing was not poor it was pitiful. At one stage in the second half he was slipped in excellently by Hoolahan with a ball inside the full back. Unlike with the Bristol first goal did he look up, find a team mate and slip him a neat pass. No he played the ball straight at their defender and our best chance of the half was wasted. Time and again he crossed the ball in, either for it to be cut out but the first defender or for the cross to sail over everybody, or as is often his problem for the cross to sail level with the D behind all of the attacking players.I like the guy, he got a great attitude but he didn''t deserve a MOM award Saturday and he doesn''t deliver on a consistent enough level to warrant a nailed on starting berth.Don''t take this as a complete attack on the lad or that I don''t want him at the club or in the squad. I do. What I am say is maybe not constuctive, I stuggle sometimes to know what I think about him as a player. I know he is a real tryer, he can score goals but he can be so wasteful. Something we can afford at the moment

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He''s a great player when we''re winning because we can get the ball to him and keep possession. When we need a goal he''s frustrating at times because all that effort seems to go down blind alleys. But I think his end product has been better this season and he certainly lifts the crowd which is a good thing these days!

 

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The point in the match that summed up Croft for me was when he was running across the back line trying to get the ball and ended up running into his own man! Plenty of effort but not good enough.I''m not having a go at Lee Croft because he does put in so much effort but he really isn''t as good as people make out.

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He is one of the better players this season and one of the most improved, which is good although i think his crossing needs to improve especially now we have a target man/men to aim for.

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The fact we had a player who was prepared to run himself into the ground for the cause was one of the reason we were actually able to compete against the 11 men in the second half. He pretty much made up for the missing man in work rate on his own.

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I didn''t think he had his best game on Saturday but obviously his work rate was, once again, outstanding. Which isn''t something to be underestimated, especially not in this league, but is underestimated far too easily by some.

As I''ve said about him from the start, the more he plays the better he''ll get. And that has been true this season. He''s played regularly as first choice winger this season and he''s got what 5 league goals? 2 or 3 more by the end of the season and that''ll be a very impressive return for a winger in a struggling side who supposedly has no end product.

His crossing is, generally, better than what people give him credit for. Not every one is delivered inch perfect onto someones forehead but if it was he''d be playing Premier League football. He does regularly deliver the ball into the right area and usually it''s our lack of presence in the box that means his deliveries are a waste.

There was a moment on Saturday where he carried the ball 50 or 60 yards and I think there was maybe 1 City player in the box when he went to cross it in. But that''s been our problem for a long time, we don''t have enough presence arriving in the opposition box and then what happens is people just point the finger at Croft for not being able to cross when most of the time there''s not much to cross for.

Get another good striker up with Cort and get a midfielder or two who can make an impact when they get in the box and all of a sudden Lee Crofts crossing will start looking a lot better.

One of the best right wingers in our league in my opinion and you can be sure if he leaves Norwich he''ll go to a team a lot higher up the league than ourselves

 

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I thought about who could be MoM on the way home and I came up with Croft by default, mainly because most other performances were pretty awful. On reflection, I agree that Carl Cort could also have qualified as I thought that he had a terrific game.

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[quote user="We Want Lappin Back"]Spot on GJP[/quote]

Always am, mate.

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[quote user="GJP"]

I didn''t think he had his best game on Saturday but obviously his work rate was, once again, outstanding. Which isn''t something to be underestimated, especially not in this league, but is underestimated far too easily by some.

As I''ve said about him from the start, the more he plays the better he''ll get. And that has been true this season. He''s played regularly as first choice winger this season and he''s got what 5 league goals? 2 or 3 more by the end of the season and that''ll be a very impressive return for a winger in a struggling side who supposedly has no end product.

His crossing is, generally, better than what people give him credit for. Not every one is delivered inch perfect onto someones forehead but if it was he''d be playing Premier League football. He does regularly deliver the ball into the right area and usually it''s our lack of presence in the box that means his deliveries are a waste.

There was a moment on Saturday where he carried the ball 50 or 60 yards and I think there was maybe 1 City player in the box when he went to cross it in. But that''s been our problem for a long time, we don''t have enough presence arriving in the opposition box and then what happens is people just point the finger at Croft for not being able to cross when most of the time there''s not much to cross for.

Get another good striker up with Cort and get a midfielder or two who can make an impact when they get in the box and all of a sudden Lee Crofts crossing will start looking a lot better.

One of the best right wingers in our league in my opinion and you can be sure if he leaves Norwich he''ll go to a team a lot higher up the league than ourselves

 

[/quote]Thought their right winger was very lively. Was Crofty as good as him. I think not. Thought second half Sammy Clingan was very good. Reads the game so well and if that him playing out of position I''d say play him there more often. Would have got my MoM or Carl Cort.

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[quote user="Hardhouse44"][quote user="GJP"]

I didn''t think he had his best game on Saturday but obviously his work rate was, once again, outstanding. Which isn''t something to be underestimated, especially not in this league, but is underestimated far too easily by some.

As I''ve said about him from the start, the more he plays the better he''ll get. And that has been true this season. He''s played regularly as first choice winger this season and he''s got what 5 league goals? 2 or 3 more by the end of the season and that''ll be a very impressive return for a winger in a struggling side who supposedly has no end product.

His crossing is, generally, better than what people give him credit for. Not every one is delivered inch perfect onto someones forehead but if it was he''d be playing Premier League football. He does regularly deliver the ball into the right area and usually it''s our lack of presence in the box that means his deliveries are a waste.

There was a moment on Saturday where he carried the ball 50 or 60 yards and I think there was maybe 1 City player in the box when he went to cross it in. But that''s been our problem for a long time, we don''t have enough presence arriving in the opposition box and then what happens is people just point the finger at Croft for not being able to cross when most of the time there''s not much to cross for.

Get another good striker up with Cort and get a midfielder or two who can make an impact when they get in the box and all of a sudden Lee Crofts crossing will start looking a lot better.

One of the best right wingers in our league in my opinion and you can be sure if he leaves Norwich he''ll go to a team a lot higher up the league than ourselves

 

[/quote]Thought their right winger was very lively. Was Crofty as good as him. I think not.

Thought second half Sammy Clingan was very good. Reads the game so well and if that him playing out of position I''d say play him there more often. Would have got my MoM or Carl Cort.


[/quote]

Yeah, their right winger was good, was it Ivan Sproule? Or something like that. He had Drury in knots.

For what it''s worth i would have given it to Cort, followed by Croft then Hoolahan. Cort looks like a player in the Berbatov mould, good touch and can win a few headers, could be a good asset.

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[quote user="Hardhouse44"]
Thought second half Sammy Clingan was very good. Reads the game so well and if that him playing out of position I''d say play him there more often. Would have got my MoM or Carl Cort.


[/quote]

I thought that too. And I also thought Fozzy looked much better in midfield than when he is beside Clingan. And I thought our full backs were poor and Grounds was shakey at centre back. So I got to wondering if Clingan could play beside Doc allowing Grounds to move to left back and Fozzy/Rusty in the centre of midfield. Something like:-

Marshall

Leijer Doherty Clingan Grounds

Croft Russell Fotheringham Carney/Hoolahan

Cort Cureton/Gow

 

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[quote user="colneycanary"]The best player on the pitch was Carl Cort followed by Lee Croft. I was pleasently surprised just how good Cort is![/quote]

Maybe we shouldn''t be surprised that a player Bobby Robson spent seven million pounds on (when £7m bought you quality) who hasn''t played that many games in his career turns out to be a good buy. It seems each manager that goes from Carrow Road leaves behind one little (or in this case - big) gem. Let''s hope he starts banging in some goals too.

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[quote user="GJP"]

He does regularly deliver the ball into the right area and usually it''s our lack of presence in the box that means his deliveries are a waste.

There was a moment on Saturday where he carried the ball 50 or 60 yards and I think there was maybe 1 City player in the box when he went to cross it in. But that''s been our problem for a long time, we don''t have enough presence arriving in the opposition box and then what happens is people just point the finger at Croft for not being able to cross when most of the time there''s not much to cross for.

[/quote]

 

Croft HAS improved and he is far more driect than he used to be,  which I love as it scares defences rigid,  and only he and Hoolahan do that for us at the moment.

I agree that a lack of support from central midfield, particularly when we are playing just one up front, does mean crofts targets are limitied.  However if WE fans know that there is likely to be limited support in and around the box then so should Croft or any winger.  He should have the awareness to know / see where his team mates are.  The fact that croft is putting in beautiful looking crosses in the ''right'' area when he is crossing is a mistake and lost possession if that is not where our players are - why cross to the near post if our sole striker is at the far one for example?   The cross may look good but may as well have gone straight out.  This applies to any one crossing and in particular the commentators eulogy of another beautiful looking cross from beckam to an opponent is inappropriate - it is still lost possession.

Industry is great if it has some purpose;  croft needs to check before delivering waiting for support if needed and we can then put teh pressure on the supporting players not getting there in time rather than yet another fantastic surging run ending with gifting our opponents the ball - ie wasted effort.

Watch sproule again - was less industrious than croft but far far more effective.

 

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[quote user="SNAP"]

[quote user="colneycanary"]The best player on the pitch was Carl Cort followed by Lee Croft. I was pleasently surprised just how good Cort is![/quote]

Maybe we shouldn''t be surprised that a player Bobby Robson spent seven million pounds on (when £7m bought you quality) who hasn''t played that many games in his career turns out to be a good buy. It seems each manager that goes from Carrow Road leaves behind one little (or in this case - big) gem. Let''s hope he starts banging in some goals too.

[/quote]

Robson was trying to buy Jason Euall

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[quote user="SNAP"]

It seems each manager that goes from Carrow Road leaves behind one little (or in this case - big) gem.

[/quote]

Who was Grant''s gem?

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The sponsors decided that Croft would be man of the match before the game because they wanted to meet him afterwards. Unfortunately the MOM award on the matchday is rarely a true reflectaion of a MOM performance. Elswhere Carl Court was given the MOM award, which after speaking to a few people who went to the game was far more justified.

 

 

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Carl Cort deserved the award on staurday without a doubt. Croft showed effort but no end product as he has done on several occassions this season.

 

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[quote user="Mook"][quote user="SNAP"]

It seems each manager that goes from Carrow Road leaves behind one little (or in this case - big) gem.

[/quote]

Who was Grant''s gem?

[/quote]Our inspirational captain Mark Fotheringham, of course...

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[quote user="ZippersLeftFoot"][quote user="GJP"]

He does regularly deliver the ball into the right area and usually it''s our lack of presence in the box that means his deliveries are a waste.

There was a moment on Saturday where he carried the ball 50 or 60 yards and I think there was maybe 1 City player in the box when he went to cross it in. But that''s been our problem for a long time, we don''t have enough presence arriving in the opposition box and then what happens is people just point the finger at Croft for not being able to cross when most of the time there''s not much to cross for.

[/quote]

 

Croft HAS improved and he is far more driect than he used to be,  which I love as it scares defences rigid,  and only he and Hoolahan do that for us at the moment.

I agree that a lack of support from central midfield, particularly when we are playing just one up front, does mean crofts targets are limitied.  However if WE fans know that there is likely to be limited support in and around the box then so should Croft or any winger.  He should have the awareness to know / see where his team mates are.  The fact that croft is putting in beautiful looking crosses in the ''right'' area when he is crossing is a mistake and lost possession if that is not where our players are - why cross to the near post if our sole striker is at the far one for example?   The cross may look good but may as well have gone straight out.  This applies to any one crossing and in particular the commentators eulogy of another beautiful looking cross from beckam to an opponent is inappropriate - it is still lost possession.

Industry is great if it has some purpose;  croft needs to check before delivering waiting for support if needed and we can then put teh pressure on the supporting players not getting there in time rather than yet another fantastic surging run ending with gifting our opponents the ball - ie wasted effort.

Watch sproule again - was less industrious than croft but far far more effective.

 

[/quote]

At the moment, where we are, we need 11 players giving it everything they''ve got. And unfortunately we haven''t got that at the moment. It''d be lovely to have some quality as well but you don''t need that to do well in this league. Look at Hull last season, nothing special football wise but they worked hard all across the pitch and that''s how they got the majority of their success. Ok they paid JayJay a small fortune to add a bit of flair here and there but that was the cherry on top.

If we do get a team of players all pulling their weight then we''ll be making progress, it goes a long way in this league.

Hopefully, one day, we''ll get to the stage where Croft can focus on being a right winger. Rather than an additional fullback and midfield ball winner and all the rest of it.

Then we''ll be able to judge the lad a bit more fairly, as a winger. But I couldn''t ask for anymore from him at the moment, he''s doing the work of 2 or 3 players.

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I see from the headline on the website today that Croft is asking the club to sort out his contract.  I hope they do it by the 28th because if they don''t then my season-ticket renewal is in jeopardy. I want to see a declaration of intent from the club for next season.  They should also offer Clingan a better contract now that Fulham have shown interest as this gives us greater bargaining power if we do eventually have to sell.  

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