What’s happened to Crooks?

He's just going through a sticky patch, he's been absolutely quality for most of the season.

The only thing I'd say is even when he was playing really well, he was picking up too many bookings.

He's on 13 yellows now and he gets a 3 match ban if he picks up 2 more in the next 7 games.
 
He has had a good season but I think struggles against more technical and mobile opposition like last night.

If we go up, I suspect he will be moved on.
 
A few have looked leggy recently, Crooks, Jones, Fry to name the obvious ones.

They've played a lot of football and given we have such a thin squad they tend to play every game in full.

I think Jones was rested last night, don't think he was 'ill' if I'm honest.

As much as it would have been good to beat the table toppers, Hull is a more important game, given its much more winnable and if you rest him at all, you rest him last night.
 
He hasn’t been himself since he came back from suspension. I think he suffers a bit from epilepsy, and maybe he is just physically drained. A few games from the bench might help him out, become a super sub like Duncan.
 
Deffo hasn't been himself, he seems second best to everything at the minute. While I'm a fan of crooks I think Riley should start the remaining games to get him up to speed and have crooks on the bench.
 
He looks totally out of sorts. Would not start him against Hull. We need energy from all the squad, what ever the reason we are not getting it from Crooks.
 
Jonny Ingbar said:
A few have looked leggy recently, Crooks, Jones, Fry to name the obvious ones.

They've played a lot of football and given we have such a thin squad they tend to play every game in full.

I think Jones was rested last night, don't think he was 'ill' if I'm honest.

As much as it would have been good to beat the table toppers, Hull is a more important game, given its much more winnable and if you rest him at all, you rest him last night.
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was listening to talk sport and i think it was darren bent talking about how a player if he plays 3 games in 8 days will struggle to keep the same level of performance playing so many games close together. if you look at that and look at our midfield 3, hell pretty much the whole team. they never rotate. no wonder we get howlers at the back and sloppy in midfield. no depth in the squad. we have a fatigued first 11 and the fresh reserves are still worse than them.
 
Do bookings accrued carry into the playoffs? If so there's no point benching him as he's so close to a suspension. Play him until he picks up 2 more bookings, he'll sit out the next 3 and be ready for the last few plus the playoffs.
If we bench him it's likely that he picks up the bookings a bit later and is out for when really needed.
 
I thought the 15 card suspension might have had a deadline before the end of the season? I suppose we have McGree now if he does, let’s face it there’s no way he’s going 7 games without 2 bookings 🙄
 
MidlandsBoroFan said:
Not wanting to unfairly knock the guy, but he just seems a completely different player the last month or 2.
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I think he was in a purple patch, there is a reason he was playing for Rotherham at 27, he doesn't have the consistency.

Great player to have in the squad and has had a good season, just don't expect his levels to stay that high all the time.
 
smoggieinmanc said:
He has had a good season but I think struggles against more technical and mobile opposition like last night.

If we go up, I suspect he will be moved on.
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spot on, his glass ceiling is playing against championship midfielders where they rely on a sense of physical not technical. They play in to his strengths. Once you get a player that has a great first touch, plays with their head up and keeps the ball moving, then Crooks chases shadows.
 
Dynamo Kev said:
was listening to talk sport and i think it was darren bent talking about how a player if he plays 3 games in 8 days will struggle to keep the same level of performance playing so many games close together. if you look at that and look at our midfield 3, hell pretty much the whole team. they never rotate. no wonder we get howlers at the back and sloppy in midfield. no depth in the squad. we have a fatigued first 11 and the fresh reserves are still worse than them.
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I think this week will see some rotation and already has. If we take the block of 4 games from yesterday to Easter Monday, that's 4 games in 11 days.

Lumley - will play all 4
Jones 3 / Peltier 1
Taylor 2 / Bola 2
McNair / Fry / Dijk will play all 4 if fit, maybe Bamba or Peltier will come in for a game or 2
Howson, Crooks, Tav will start 3 games, and McGree will rotate in for them
CFs will start 2 games each, except Coburn who will come off the bench
 
Way_Out_West said:
Do bookings accrued carry into the playoffs? If so there's no point benching him as he's so close to a suspension. Play him until he picks up 2 more bookings, he'll sit out the next 3 and be ready for the last few plus the playoffs.
If we bench him it's likely that he picks up the bookings a bit later and is out for when really needed.
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The suspension does, the bookings don't.
If he's on 14 bookings at the final whistle against Preston, we're golden, presuming we made the play-offs.

But I'd sooner he received the 3 match ban in the next few games than against Stoke or Preston.
We all know he's probably going to get booked twice if he plays 7 games, and he'd be a big loss if we were in the play-offs without him.
 
Alan_Breck said:
Matt Crooks walked past us in the North Stand, after being subbed, and he wasn't happy.

#UTB
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Good.. I want all players to be frustrated at being subbed, it shows they care (so long as it's shown in a respectful way).

I agree that he's having a rough patch. In his defence i'd say his all-action style is bound to wear him down eventually and other than suspensions he's barely had any rest. Not sure how many games he played at Rotherham but maybe he's feeling the pressure of being at a bigger club and being a key figure in the side. I'm sure he's also well aware that his bookings are totting up again and Wilder made it quite clear in his presser last night that he wasn't happy with him. Regardless of the last few games he has still had an impressive first season and has been a cracking signing. I have no doubts he will come good again.
 
Ex Footy Legs said:
Wilder picked the wrong team. Taylor is so safe it’s just boring
Given peltier on the right we needed something from the left which is why he got it wrong
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Wilder has transformed this squad from also-rans to contenders. But he described a "lack of belief" in the players last night. To be honest I think starting Taylor instead of Bola said the same about him. We had no threat on the left until Bola came on and instantly transformed the game. He was close to unplayable and ghosted past defenders. Wilder went for the 'safe' option and said himself that we looked poor in the first half. It bore all the signs of hoping to keep them out and sneaking a winner instead of believing we could win it on our terms. Even with the schoolboy defending for the Mitrovich goal we had chances to win it but limiting ourselves to going for it after we went behind ultimately cost us. More aggression from the Manager's starting selection required too I believe. And that might mean resting Crooks to get McGree involved from the start.
 
RavsDad said:
To be honest I think starting Taylor instead of Bola said the same about him.
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I'm guessing we were looking to play Taylor and Jones up until late yesterday afternoon.

Wilder went for Peltier to come in, didn't really have a choice, but didn't want to change both wingbacks.

Also likely to have wanted to keep Bola fresh, he hasn't started two games on the bounce since the start of December. He's had 11 weeks out, and has only started 2 games in the last month. I think he is being eased back in. I think he'll play vs Hull mind.
 
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