Playing Crooks in midfield

Ravshoutsatbeck said:
The thing with our current team and a lot of modern football tactics is the lack of fixed positions and they change in possession/out of possession.

Crooks is playing ahead of Hackney and barlaser, but deeper than he was earlier in the season. In possession he plays as a right sided attacking midfielder - out of possession he plays more in the centre.

Our whole team works to overload the right side with lots of options for short passes while using the left back as a winger in possession with a plan to cross early for an overload on the right.

Crooks works well with Jones. Chuba worked well with Forss, but moved more central once we got Archer because them being close together was important.

We don't play like a formation drawn on paper - so arguing if someone is an 8 or a 10 is redundant
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100% this.
 
Jonny Ingbar said:
He's definitely playing more as an 8, not a 10 recently, in terms of the area of the pitch he has been asked to operate in.

Him and Jones compliment each other really well and both have seen an upturn in form as a result.

Was an obvious MOTM yesterday.
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Does this mean he's an inside right, and Jones an outside right (in old money)?
 
Anton_Berg said:
Does this mean he's an inside right, and Jones an outside right (in old money)?
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Ha ha, possibly.

As already suggested, it's a little difficult to attach traditional 'positions' to many of Carricks squad, given each operates in specific areas, which aren't necessarily what it appears when the formation is considered.

It works though, as it did last season and the re-emergence of Jones and Crooks has been brilliant.

I wonder if Dijksteel will finish getting the old band back together, if the rumours of Smiths injury are correct.
 
Carrick utilising the Crooks/Jones/Dijksteel (or Smith) overloads so beloved of Wilder.

I also think Crooks looks sharper and faster this season than last year when he looked laboured even when playing deeper. It may be down to fitness but he's playing as well as he did when we went on the initial great run when Wilder came in.
 
Something to consider. Crooks has started 8 games in the league. During that time he has scored 2 goals with 3 assists. If he keeps up that rate over the next 34 games that would be 10-12 goals and 15+ assists for a total of 25+ goals and assists combined. By comparison, Akpom had 30 goals and assists combined in the Championship last season.
 
I would agree with the posters saying he's playing more like an 8 than a 10 now, whereas he was nearer a 10 / second striker earlier in the season.

He still lines up in the AMC position off the ball, but with the ball he's operating about 10 yards deeper and drifting wider right. He's also standing off and not helping Coburn press the back line which I think a true 10 would.
 
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