Norwich after Crofts [merged]

[Mellotron]

Crofts most important contribution to the team is his goals, no reason why Hendrie couldn't match that. Hendrie or plenty of other midfielders in the bottom two leagues.

5 league goals all season from our most advanced central midfielder.

I'm not being snide or sly, I'm not having a "dig" at him, that's literally just the bare facts.

 

[sir danny cullip]

Crofts most important contribution to the team is his goals, no reason why Hendrie couldn't match that. Hendrie or plenty of other midfielders in the bottom two leagues.

Sorry don't agree with that. I rate Dicker and Navarro (and Hendrie for that matter) very highly but one thing that Croft's has that the other two don't is a real steely determination, worth ethic and to be honest a bit of sharpness in the middle of the park in terms of closing people down etc.

We don't have another option that gets about the park as well as Crofts and, although Navarro is primarily the man to break up play, Crofts contribution to that in terms of hassling players can't be underestimated.

EDIT: No doubt he has scored some important goals but I think his other work is just as/more important.

 

[Mellotron]

Sorry don't agree with that. I rate Dicker and Navarro (and Hendrie for that matter) very highly but one thing that Croft's has that the other two don't is a real steely determination, worth ethic and to be honest a bit of sharpness in the middle of the park in terms of closing people down etc.

We don't have another option that gets about the park as well as Crofts and, although Navarro is primarily the man to break up play, Crofts contribution to that in terms of hassling players can't be underestimated.

EDIT: No doubt he has scored some important goals but I think his other work is just as/more important.

See I do actually agree with that. He is genuinely very good at running around (so was Tommy Fraser).

I reckon for £250k odd we could find another midfielder with a good engine and not much else to their game, surely?

 

[HP Seagull]

Go on then, how exactly is he 'pivotal' to the team? What does he bring to the table more than others for example.

Do you really need me to explain? He is by far and way the most complete midfield player at the club. Navarro breaks up the play and gives the easy ball, Dicker does the same but has a slightly more attacking mindset, Hendrie (if we are including him) is good on the ball and can create for other players. I rate those three highly but Crofts does all of the above and much more.

He covers the most ground, puts in the most tackles, is brilliant in the air, gets into goalscoring positions, SCORES goals, leads by example, is consistent, and has a superb work and team ethic. Every club needs a player like Crofts and if you think he will be easily replaced then you are wrong.

 

[We're the Stripes]

Sorry don't agree with that. I rate Dicker and Navarro (and Hendrie for that matter) very highly but one thing that Croft's has that the other two don't is a real steely determination, worth ethic and to be honest a bit of sharpness in the middle of the park in terms of closing people down etc.

We don't have another option that gets about the park as well as Crofts and, although Navarro is primarily the man to break up play, Crofts contribution to that in terms of hassling players can't be underestimated.

EDIT: No doubt he has scored some important goals but I think his other work is just as/more important.

See I do actually agree with that. He is genuinely very good at running around (so was Tommy Fraser).

I reckon for £250k odd we could find another midfielder with a good engine and not much else to their game, surely?

Indeed I'd agree with both points. He's by far the most energetic, hard-working CM at the club, and I certainly think we'd miss him if we were to start with Navarro & Hendrie in the centre for instance. But because his energy & work ethic are his main attributes (imo, although he does other things very well), I don't think he'd be THAT hard to replace, especially with the decent fee we'd be likely to receive.

Of course I'd rather we just kept him and there'd be no need for all this discussion.

 

[sir danny cullip]

See I do actually agree with that. He is genuinely very good at running around (so was Tommy Fraser).

I reckon for £250k odd we could find another midfielder with a good engine and not much else to their game, surely?

I was one of Tommy Fraser's biggest critics, thought he was useless to be honest. Nice on the ball when he had time but just not very effective at all. Crofts is completely different, combative, a lot better on the ball (although this isn't his strongest point), great engine a real leader and pops up with a few goals.

To put him in the 'he's only good cause he's got an engine and runs around a lot' category is laughable.

 

[HP Seagull]

See I do actually agree with that. He is genuinely very good at running around (so was Tommy Fraser).

I reckon for £250k odd we could find another midfielder with a good engine and not much else to their game, surely?

That post on its own shows that you have no idea what makes a good midfield player. If you think all Crofts does is run around and 'doesn't have much else to his game' then you must have been watching a different team to me last season.

I actually rated Tommy Fraser when he was here but in hindsight Slade was right to release him. Crofts is on a whole new level.

 

[sir danny cullip]

Of course I'd rather we just kept him and there'd be no need for all this discussion.

Agree that we could find suitable replacements (depending on what price we get for him) but I think he appears to be a good leader and the fact he was recongised as player of the year without being 'spectacular' shows the importance of a player like that imo.

 

[Mellotron]

Lets go through these.

He covers the most ground, compared to Dicker and Navarro, agreed
puts in the most tackles, Roughly the same as the other two I reckon
is brilliant in the air, Is he? I've seen one headed goal from him, so not bad
gets into goalscoring positions, No he REALLY doesn't. This is one of my big issues with Crofts. He is RARELY in that Scholes/Lampard spot when you need him to be. I remember a few times both Forster and Murray being annoyed with him when they would cut the ball back and he was nowhere to be seen. Needs to get forward much much more.
SCORES goals, Five league goals from your most attacking centre mid? Not many.
leads by example, If you mean "tries hard", then yes
is consistent, Completely agreed, Consistently alright.
and has a superb work and team ethic. Totally agreed

 

[Mellotron]

I actually rated Tommy Fraser.

That post on it's own shows you have no idea what makes a good midfield player.

 

[pork pie]

If he goes, he goes and we get a fee. If wants to stay, and the Club want to spend the right amount of money on his wages to keep him - then great.

If he does go i'm happy that Gus will get a better player to replace him

 

[Mellotron]

For the record I would definitely rather we kept Crofts.

 

[algie]

Crofts has scored two with his head.One against Exeter and the other a glacing header at Withdean.Can't remember who,maybe Brentford.

 

[murraymints4brighton]

Crofts has been an integral part to our team this season and fully deserved his award for player of the year. He IS our best midfielder and could quite feasibly ply his trade in the Championship.

He is an engine, a driving force and one of the fittest players I have ever seen. He never stops running, he is strong and most notably he is a great asset from throw ins as he is always without fail making runs, shielding the ball and passing wide so we can break.

I can't really see Norwich coming in for him and even if they did, he is a pretty loyal and respectable bloke. He was made captain for a reason and he spent the best part of I think 8 years! at Gillingham and that takes some loyalty.

Every team needs a Crofts, he will be vital to the team getting promoted next season. The core of the squad, Brezovan, El-Abd, Elphick, Navarro, Crofts... All of those players will all give 100% despite knowing they are not the best yet we need them all for promotion. I think Norwich will find some Premiership castaway and Croft's will stay of his own accord anyway. (I hope)

 

[HP Seagull]

Lets go through these.

Right, let's try and clear this goal-scoring point up. You say he is an attacking midfield player - he is quite clearly not.

He's a box-to-box midfield player which is different. Scholes, in my opinion, is the best midfield player of the last 20 years, but he is in no way comparable to Crofts. Crofts does score goals (edit: seven, which is decent in a below average League One saide) but he is only the most advanced midfield player in our team because he plays with two completely defensive-minded midfielders. He maybe could get into more Scholes-like goal-scoring positions, but then he is not a Premier League footballer so is not going to be perfect.

At the moment he has to carry the midfield goal contribution on his own. He would be at his most effective when playing in between an attacking and defensive midfileder, when he would be able to chip in with goals like he does at the moment but would not carry the responsibility. Then he could do what he does best.

You also say that he is 'consistently alright' - I would say that he is consistently good. Gus Poyet, John Toshack, and (apparently) Paul Lambert would seem to agree with me.

 

[HP Seagull]

That post on it's own shows you have no idea what makes a good midfield player.

Yes I rated him, as decent. The rest of my post also says it was correct that he was released.

You also say that Crofts isn't great in the air - I suggest you watch him a bit closer.

 

[algie]

Crofts has been an integral part to our team this season and fully deserved his award for player of the year. He IS our best midfielder and could quite feasibly ply his trade in the Championship.

He is an engine, a driving force and one of the fittest players I have ever seen. He never stops running, he is strong and most notably he is a great asset from throw ins as he is always without fail making runs, shielding the ball and passing wide so we can break.

I can't really see Norwich coming in for him and even if they did, he is a pretty loyal and respectable bloke. He was made captain for a reason and he spent the best part of I think 8 years! at Gillingham and that takes some loyalty.

Every team needs a Crofts, he will be vital to the team getting promoted next season. The core of the squad, Brezovan, El-Abd, Elphick, Navarro, Crofts... All of those players will all give 100% despite knowing they are not the best yet we need them all for promotion. I think Norwich will find some Premiership castaway and Croft's will stay of his own accord anyway. (I hope)

Bennett is far more important to us then Navarro

 

[Mellotron]

Crofts has been an integral part to our team this season and fully deserved his award for player of the year. He IS our best midfielder and could quite feasibly ply his trade in the Championship.

While he IS incredibly hard-working and an asset to the team, if you are talking in terms of "footballing ability" he would be 4th behind Bennett, Dicker and Navarro for me.

 

[murraymints4brighton]

If he goes, he goes and we get a fee. If wants to stay, and the Club want to spend the right amount of money on his wages to keep him - then great.

If he does go i'm happy that Gus will get a better player to replace him

I think you may be doing him an injustice there. I trust Gus as much as anyone but he isn't going to find many Inigo Calderon's and the role Croft's play's is vital. He is a captain, a driving force and brings stability to the team. He does the job Hammond and Thompson where meant to do and wipes the floor with the likes of Fraser...

I think it is great you show trust in the manager to get it right with regards to signing's, but I really do hope the rumor fades into the Phil Mchunt box and we can have him in our team next season.

 

[questier]

I'd be very sorry to see him go. He's our captain and both the players and staff rave about his attitude and commitment to the club. I think the people on here who would be happy to see him leave for a decent fee, don't actually realise what he does for the team, both on and off the ball. He would be sorely missed, and it would be very similar to when Hammond left, we had a gaping hole in our midfield.