Scarlet Pimpernel

[Indy_Bones 444]

What''s happened to Andrew Crofts???Was one of our best players last year, performed perfectly well at the start of the season in the prem, but has clearly fallen out of favour and not even on the bench recently.Has something gone on behind the scenes here, as I actually believe that Crofts would have been a better option for us in some of our recent games than what we went with, and it just seems odd that he''s so far down the pecking order at the minute when a number of players aren''t performing.Thoughts?

[norfolkbroadslim 225]

Equally, if not more so, what''s happened to Simeon Jackson???

[Indy 3,471]

And Lappin!

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"]What''s happened to Andrew Crofts???

Was one of our best players last year, performed perfectly well at the start of the season in the prem, but has clearly fallen out of favour and not even on the bench recently.

Has something gone on behind the scenes here, as I actually believe that Crofts would have been a better option for us in some of our recent games than what we went with, and it just seems odd that he''s so far down the pecking order at the minute when a number of players aren''t performing.

Thoughts?
[/quote]

Perhaps a bit unlucky to be as far out of the picture as he seems to be but he just doesn''t offer enough with the ball.

 

He doesn''t really have enough about him to cause teams problems at this level and other players can bring more to the team.

 

Who would you play him ahead of?

[norfolkbroadslim 225]

[quote user="Indy"]And Lappin![/quote]

 

Err, no!

 

Jackson was playing really well, MOTM performances, then just disappeared like Lord Lucan![:^)]

[SnakepitCanary 0]

I was wondering the exact the same thing about Jackson. He put in good performances for the team and looked a threat, even with the lack of goals. Maybe Lambert wants to give other players a chance before the end of the season?

Crofts for me will be sold. He''s a commited player but lacks technical ability at this level, unfortunately. He will go with fond memories, though. Without his braces at Barnsley, Sheff Utd and other key goals we wouldn''t be in the Premiership.

[Indy_Bones 444]

[quote user="GJP"]Who would you play him ahead of?[/quote]That would depend entirely on the formation, and what style of play we were looking for.Crofts main weakness appears to be his utility as whilst he''s not as defensively minded as Johnson, but offers more going forwards, his range of passing isn''t as good as Fox''s but he''s stronger in the tackle and better at attacking again, Howson has the edge in most areas but Crofts is arguably better defensively than he is. I''d say that he''s similar in a way to Surman, but with better body strength and tackling, but not quite as much craft and guile.Considering our dearth of goals from the central area, the 8 he got last season could have been very valuable, although some are looking to Howson for this instead.Personally at the minute, if we went for the 4-5-1, I''d play him in the centre with Howson and Fox, and I''d also argue that he could do a job on the right if we had to switch Martin to CB and Bennett to RB.

[Block Y Seat 176 80]

I don''t think Crofts has done anything wrong. Lambert is driven to raise standards and win games

He will bring in better players as and when availability and funds allow. The revolving door in management is the same for player''s.

It must be THE hardest part of their job to say to a player you have signed and managed. Sorry son but your not good enough for the present squad i''m letting you go.

H

[GJP 79]

[quote user="Indy_Bones"][quote user="GJP"]Who would you play him ahead of?[/quote]
That would depend entirely on the formation, and what style of play we were looking for.

Crofts main weakness appears to be his utility as whilst he''s not as defensively minded as Johnson, but offers more going forwards, his range of passing isn''t as good as Fox''s but he''s stronger in the tackle and better at attacking again, Howson has the edge in most areas but Crofts is arguably better defensively than he is. I''d say that he''s similar in a way to Surman, but with better body strength and tackling, but not quite as much craft and guile.

Considering our dearth of goals from the central area, the 8 he got last season could have been very valuable, although some are looking to Howson for this instead.

Personally at the minute, if we went for the 4-5-1, I''d play him in the centre with Howson and Fox, and I''d also argue that he could do a job on the right if we had to switch Martin to CB and Bennett to RB.
[/quote]

 

Yeah, see, this is what I think about Leon Barnett. What has he done that''s so wrong when we''re clearly not any better without him? The only centreback who really has looked the business this season is Whitbread and he''s either injured (again) or off to Sunderland/somewhere else.

 

[AJ 1,359]

Barnett is another one, did really well at the start of the seasons then doesn''t even get a look in!

[Indy 3,471]

I only referred to Lappin, because he spent so long out in the cold, then helped us into this division too!

Yes he hasn''t really had much of a look in and will probably be playing for someone like Hibernian next year so not really one to refer to, apart from the same likelyhood that those mentioned will also be on the way out in the summer!

[Shack Attack 0]

Crofts suffers from a similar problem to Johnson in that he is an all purpose player in an era where midfielders tend to be split between atttacking and defensive styles. I''ve discussed this before here but that type of player does not really exist at the top level anymore. There has not been one game this season where I have watched and thought ''We could really do with Crofts here''. Would we really have been any higher if Crofts had have played a larger number of games this season? Decent enough but never going to make a difference at this level.

[chicken 0]

I like Crofts, you can''t question his commitment and strength. In many ways he is like Gary Holt was. He busts a gut, he wins the ball but you don''t really expect to see a lot else from him.

In terms of central midfielders there is a sort of accepted three types; defensive minded, attacking minded and box to box.

When you are playing 4-4-2 you can switch them around a bit in the middle depending on what you want to do.

Now the defensive midfielder doesnt have to be defensive per se, they tend to prefer sitting in front of the back four collecting the loose balls and trying to get things going from there. Almost like an advanced sweeper. We used to have Crook do that job for us very well. At times Fox plays that role brilliantly.

Johnson for me is stronger than Crofts and better with the ball at his feet.

Howson is a better attacking midfielder and possibly the main central attacking midfielder we have. It makes sense to play both him and Johnson as they have played together previously and know each others games.

I think Surman plays well, if not better, at times in the middle too.But Crofts should never be seen as an option on the wing when you have Bennett, Surman and Pilkington all ahead of him in my opinion.

I wouldn''t be surprised to see Crofts stay and Smith leave.

[TheRock 192]

What about Chris Martin?Before the end of the season, surely he should be given another run-out, from what I recall, he played against Stoke (H), Chelsea (A) and for about 10 mins at Man U (A).I''ve heard (and seen from two of his games at Palace) that he can now play behind the front 1/2 in Howson/Hoolahan''s CAM/CM as well as a hold-up striker. IMO I don''t think we should lose him in the summer.

[smooth 114]

Crofts is not like Gary Holt, last season Crofts proved he could go forward, put in a great long pass, cross and even score some very good goals. I never saw Gary Holt do that.He is not in the first team squad because obviously through training he does not do enough to enter the first team squad. He has played some games this season, I wouldn''t say he has been a difference maker and has become a squad player, which many of our starters now will become this summer. We are moving forward at an alarming rate, but we are now moving where we are looking for improvement from the individuals here... many of our players have played league 1 football at Colchester, Brighton, Huddersfield, Millwall and Leeds prior to playing in the premiership this season. They have stepped up but there is only so far they can go before you need genuine talent.I have to say I am not surprised to Jacko out of the first team squad, Vaughan is right to get some games under his belt (and is ahead of jackson on the pecking order), Wilby, Morison and Holt will be ahead of S Jacko.