Crainie

[Fulwood Blade]

Why change something that has worked well THIS season, LAST season and the season before.

As good as Cranie has been, once again at Preston Basham showed WHY he is one of the most important players in the team.

It is him and only him that can seamlessly change positions/formation whilst a game is in motion.

It was Basham who was asked to move into midfield v Leeds and due to his durability and vision that scored quite possibly the most important goal of the season.

Mom according to deadbat

UTB

 

[Akinbiyi]

Cranie replaced Dowell at Villa and yesterday. The cry babies weren't moaning yesterday.

Dowell was playing wing back. How is that negative? It’s just reshuffling the defence.

 

[Topplayersleave]

Why change anything ?
Things are ok the way they are, and until things are not ok leave things alone

 

[Fanny magnet]

Why change something that has worked well THIS season, LAST season and the season before.

As good as Cranie has been, once again at Preston Basham showed WHY he is one of the most important players in the team.

It is him and only him that can seamlessly change positions/formation whilst a game is in motion.

It was Basham who was asked to move into midfield v Leeds and due to his durability and vision that scored quite possibly the most important goal of the season.

Mom according to deadbat

UTB

Didn't basham start in midfield in that game ?

 

[EddieColquhoun]

Dowell was playing wing back. How is that negative? It’s just reshuffling the defence.

The Dowell substitution at Villa was highlighted because we drew. A similar substitution has happened countless times this season often involving Stearman.
Stearman replaced Duffy on Saturday. Because a Preston player missed a late header nobody has moaned about the substitution.

 

[Tynemouth Blade]

Does anyone else agree, we look a better team when Crainie plays. If everyone is fit I would move Bash into mid field and play Crainie, especially away from home.
The next 6 games are not about style or pretty football, they are 6 cup finals we’ll need to scrap every minute to win any of them, and we need to win them all.

If only CW and AK had put him on rather than Johnson when JOC was injured v Bristol City!

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Didn't basham start in midfield in that game ?

He did start in midfield, but it's not a position he doesn't seems to like - he said so much after the Leeds game.

He appears to fit into a 5 in odd games to in effect "do a job" but he doesn't seem a natural midfield player.

CW appears to start him there only when we need to defend - first time was v Owls last season.

The number of times he is used to alter the formation during the game are too numerous to mention. You have to watch the game very carefully and it's missed by a lot. My nipper normally sees it before me when he says "we've gone to a 4". This is how it's worked in the past 3 years and for me where Basham is so good - it gives the entire team flexibility.

UTB

 

[Houston_Blade]

A bump for Crainie appreciation. He was excellent yesterday.

 

[Dimyan93]

100% deserves a year extension, even if its just for cover.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Cranie.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Cranie.

He's my McEverley

 

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

A bump for Crainie appreciation. He's been excellent whenever he's played.

Altered that for you mate

 

[LoughboroBlade]

He's my McEverley

 

[Bobby Boo]

He's my McEverley

Please tell me this is a woosh that has gone right over my fat head. McEverley was a fucking liability, possibly my least favourite player ever.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Please tell me this is a woosh that has gone right over my fat head. McEverley was a fucking liability, possibly my least favourite player ever.

I did enjoy his 'reducer' on that Portuguese lad at Coventry lol.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Please tell me this is a woosh that has gone right over my fat head. McEverley was a fucking liability, possibly my least favourite player ever.

Yes it is. I am referring to the fact that both frequently have/had their surname spelt wrong.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

One of the signings of the season for nowt!

Been vital and quality when called upon. How many fewer points do we have if we hadn’t signed him?

Played in huge games with clean sheets agains like wba, boro, Wednesday etc when we were thread bare. I’d argue Leeds would still be in second if wilder hadn’t picked him up deadline day

 

[Booker4]

Please tell me this is a woosh that has gone right over my fat head. McEverley was a fucking liability, possibly my least favourite player ever.

McEverley cost us nothing though and did reasonably well for the first few months, then he seemed to lose his confidence and made some silly decisions and errors. Players like Darius Henderson live longer in the memory for the wrong reasons for me, pound for pound one of the worst signings we've ever made in my view.

Back to Craneie and what a signing he's been and again fair play to Wilder for signing him, and fair play to Cranie for doing so well especially when you consider that he often doesn't get a run of games in the side. Whether we go up or not I would imagine Cranie will be offered another one year deal.

 

[Houston_Blade]

Just to be clear, Mceveley isn’t fit to lace Cranie’s boots. He was proper wank.

 

[ucandomagic]

His cross for Dowell’s goal at The Hawthorns was one of the finest pieces of skill from our team all season. The pass (from Freeman I think) was overhit, and because Martin slid into it, it covered the fact that he looked at the ball all the time and hooked it up and back like a perfect golf shot.

That one moment took us beyond West Brom, and looking up at Weeds. He barely ever makes a poor decision.



Without Martin Cranie we would be nowhere near automatic promotion.

 

[madeinsheffield]

McEverley cost us nothing though and did reasonably well for the first few months, then he seemed to lose his confidence and made some silly decisions and errors. Players like Darius Henderson live longer in the memory for the wrong reasons for me, pound for pound one of the worst signings we've ever made in my view.

Completely agree, yet he ended up with the Captain's armband, dark days indeed, we need to never forget where we were whilst enjoying these special times, it makes them even sweeter!

 

[PokerBlade]

Still bearing in mind that we aren't there yet, Crainie is one of the signings that looks to be the difference between us and Leeds. For weeks they've been talking about how they can't rotate the team and how some players in the squad (Alioski at the back has been a big one) are weak links.

We haven't shown any weak links (aside from the occasional scapegoating of Johnson). When we've lost players or needed to rotate the squad the reserves have stepped up and done the job. The WBA game wasn't just a fantastic result, it was achieved with key players missing. When Crainie steps in we don't have to adjust the system, we don't worry that we're weaker, we have someone reliable that slots straight in.

 

[JohnDenver]

Cranie.

Never heard of him.