The Cresswell Thread

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PF.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by PF. »

goa127 wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:46 am To me Cresswell's only real problem is his lack of pace. He'll always lose a man for man race but paradoxically he's often at his best against out and out wingers. Runners from deep trouble him more.
He isn't the quickest but he is smarter than most and positions himself well I think.

I've always thought his weakness is his build and height - Cress is regularly targeted by the opposition with crosses from the right toward the back stick as he obviously struggles to hold off an attacker running toward the ball in full flight.

However, you don't play more than 200 games in the premier league for West Ham under four different managers if you're a significant defensive liability.

I wouldn't have him up there with the best three or four in the league but he is obviously an integral part of the squad - off the pitch too by the looks of it.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by pezza20 »

He is a very decent left back whose qualities augment the structure of the side when going forward - however as with all full backs he has his faults, never tackles, allows too many crosses into the box and his ability to fend of strikers on crosses is abysmal.

However he has many attributes, he knows the system, can play in a 3 or 4 at the back and has more often than not first class delivery into the box

I don't think there is a left back anywhere who is excellent in all departments, but the important thing is the one you have fits the team structure and the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

If Cresswell was international class he would most likely be with Man City or Liverpool by now, but for us he is dependable and fits nicely in what Moyes wants
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by mumbles87 »

:scarfer:
carnage wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 7:19 am Being overrun was never his fault though. Even the very best full backs need support at times.
That's what I was trying to say

Not all his fault, he didn't have his a game yes but you could put prime Ashley Cole in our defence at one point and made him look average
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by YorksHammer »

goa127 wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:46 am To me Cresswell's only real problem is his lack of pace. He'll always lose a man for man race but paradoxically he's often at his best against out and out wingers. Runners from deep trouble him more.
That and his lack of height - evident by Kane's header at the weekend. That's not uncommon for full backs, but strikers and wide forwards - the best ones, at least - identify it and exploit it. Antonio did it loads in the season where he got on the end of the balls Payet was putting in, for example.

His assist at the weekend was his first, in the league, all season, and a lot of what he does relies on set piece delivery - last season he got a number of assists, but a high percentage of them were from dead balls and not open play (one of the ones that was was the long punt up field that Fornals finished against Leicester, I think). That's fine, but there's only so long we can support a player who is, essentially, a dead ball specialist.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by ChzMff »

I wanted to bring this one to the front as I thought Cresswell was outstanding last night and has been playing out of his skin for well over a year now. He was defensively very solid against quite possibly the best player in world football right now. I thought the challenge on Henderson was brilliant and exactly what you want in the opening minutes against a dangerous opponent. The way they work the ball down the left hand side in some very tight spots is great to watch and largely because the quality of his first touch. There was one in the second half where he picked the ball out the air beautifully.

He has been a bit disrespected by some of our support but he has been a fantastic servant for the club and seems to have taken his already very solid game to the next level.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by Pete647580 »

ChzMff wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:34 am I wanted to bring this one to the front as I thought Cresswell was outstanding last night and has been playing out of his skin for well over a year now. He was defensively very solid against quite possibly the best player in world football right now. I thought the challenge on Henderson was brilliant and exactly what you want in the opening minutes against a dangerous opponent. The way they work the ball down the left hand side in some very tight spots is great to watch and largely because the quality of his first touch. There was one in the second half where he picked the ball out the air beautifully.

He has been a bit disrespected by some of our support but he has been a fantastic servant for the club and seems to have taken his already very solid game to the next level.
I agree. He's just one example of a player with some limitations but we've found a system and approach that enables him to give of his best. I thought his tackle on Henderson put down a marker at the start of the game.

Reckon he's really benefited from having Stuart Pearce in his ear 7 days a week :grin:
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by Jabsco79 »

He’s more worthy of an England place on current form than Shaw and make him understudy to Chilwell.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by pharaoh »

Another example of one of the players improved under Moyes...so easy for a 'top 6 club to spend 50-60 million to bring in another player but to work and get the best out of what you have is another level
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by Pete647580 »

pharaoh wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:23 pm Another example of one of the players improved under Moyes...so easy for a 'top 6 club to spend 50-60 million to bring in another player but to work and get the best out of what you have is another level
This. All day long.

There's a reason Alex Ferguson saw Moyes as his natural successor.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by DasNutNock2 »

The best part was when he chopped Henderson in half.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by r99c »

I actually find Cress unbelievable. Very good for us at the start of his career with us, then a bad injury followed by loss of form. It's unreal how he has refound it when most would struggle particularly playing that demanding full back/getting forward position. Extremely important to us now and playing out of his skin, long may it continue him wearing that magic hat.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

He is looking better now because we have a system that suits full backs
A very solid central midfield base and an extremely hard working player in front of him, not to mention a pragmatic way of playing that ensures we have decent shape when we lose the ball
He doesn't get forward as much as him and Masuaku did under Pelligrini, which suits his game

All of the above has had a massive positive affect on his confidence - which you can see in the improvement on the ball

I liked Pelligrini a lot but playing full back under him was an extremely difficult gig
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by goa127 »

YorksHammer wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 8:30 am That and his lack of height - evident by Kane's header at the weekend. That's not uncommon for full backs, but strikers and wide forwards - the best ones, at least - identify it and exploit it. Antonio did it loads in the season where he got on the end of the balls Payet was putting in, for example.

His assist at the weekend was his first, in the league, all season, and a lot of what he does relies on set piece delivery - last season he got a number of assists, but a high percentage of them were from dead balls and not open play (one of the ones that was was the long punt up field that Fornals finished against Leicester, I think). That's fine, but there's only so long we can support a player who is, essentially, a dead ball specialist.
I'm not sure how many tall fullbacks there are in the premier league. Alonso at chelsea but he's actually a pretty poor fullback, he's very much a wingback. TTA at liverpool same as alonso. Ironically Craig Dawson often played right back for WBA, but I think that was an emergency stand-in job rather than a positional move
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by johnnyb »

That tackle on Henderson was very enjoyable, mainly because I can't stand 'Hendo'.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by bigcarpchaser »

I’m always impressed that his hair is always perfect :)
He must get through a massive amount of gel. Like an Olivier Giroud amount.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by e17 »

johnnyb wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 8:13 pm That tackle on Henderson was very enjoyable, mainly because I can't stand 'Hendo'.
There’s something weird about the bloke
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by jastons »

Any chance of Cresswell being back for Norwich? We are really missing him.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by yakandyeti »

If he’s genuinely been touch and go for the last couple of days you’d hope he’d be back at the weekend.
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by hammerman11 »

If he's nit ready then don't risk him
Longello or Arthur fir left back against a poor Norwich should be ok
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Re: The Cresswell Thread

Post by sendô »

We desperately need him back vs Norwich. His crossing and set pieces have been massively missed. I honestly didn't appreciate just how good his balls into the box were until he got injured.
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