Crewe Opposition Analysis —
So far this season & last Dave Artell has used a 433 formation:
They have used it to good effect this season, sitting 9th currently in League One although would move down to 11th if PPG was used as thye have played 3 more games than Oxford & Ipswich below them.
Using @experimental361’s xG table, Crewe would currently sit 4th although like in the League Table they have played which means using PPG they would go down to 6th.
VS Gillingham, Crewe deserved to lose the game although the scoreline was perhaps harsh & vs Wimbledon it was a close game that Crewe edged & could’ve easily won.
Going forwards Crewe rank very well compared to the rest of League 1. Like us their passing & possession statistics are very high but they can convert this into touches in the box & chances. They struggle at moving the ball into the opposition 3rd like us but when they do they can up the tempo & consistently get it into good areas.
Using this table we can see that Crewe don’t press high or look to engage in challenges. Their PPDA (passes per defensive action) & Challenge Intensity are low so therefore don’t look to press high. Crewe aren’t strong aerially & struggled against the physical sides of Gillingham & Wimbledon.
In Possession —
Crewe are a very possession based team & are one of the only teams to dominate the ball against us.
They look to play out from the back & will only go long if they have to, which hurt them against Gillingham.
From goal kicks Crewe will sometimes have 3 men in the box but this is mostly when they play against a 2 upfront meaning they then have a numerical advantage in buildup. vs a 1 upfront this is unlilely & they will have 2 in the box to then build from.
When building up from a goal kick Crewe will shift from a 433 to an asymmetric 4231. Finney pushes up into an advanced area while Lowery drops deep next to Wintle to give another option in build up.
Finney’s movement means that Kirk can then drop into the half space to receive from Beckles, this is a common move. Finney can then get close to the striker if Crewe go long as he can then run off the second ball or takes up Kirk’s position & looks to run the channels.
Crewe prefer to move the ball into central areas from goal kicks rather than wide areas as they can then be squeezed & forced long which disrupts their play. They will generally play into midfield then back into defence & circulate the ball around & exchange positions with each other until they can find some space to be exploited centrally.
vs teams that press high & in scrappy games, Crewe struggle to impose themselves & then struggle to play their game.
Ryan Wintle is the best long range passer in the Crewe team & when he gets the ball he will often look to play switch balls into the wide areas.
Earlier in the season in the game vs Ipswich, Wintle completed 8 switches of play & consistently exploited space that we left on the far side. This hasn’t been as effective recently due to the loss of both Crewe’s FB’s. Perry Ng has moved to Cardiff for a small fee whereas Pickering has been linked with a move to the Championship this window & is currently injured.
Despite the loss of the FB’s, the 2 ‘replacements’ for them still perform similar roles & take up the same positions but the quality they have in these areas isn’t as good.
The relationship between Kirk & Pickering was very important to Crewe’s success but Kirk & Adebisi have got off to a strong start.
The understanding of where to be & when is strong & there are promising signs growing between the two players.
When the ball is on the right Adebisi comes inside & takes up a LCM position to provide an extra body in midfield. This then allows the LCM, Finney to be more advanced & be a threat in the box.
In the 2nd image above, Crewe move the ball from right to left & Kirk drops inside to receive the ball, Adebisi sees this & almost instantly makes the run outside of him down the wing. In the final 3rd one of Kirk/Adebisi will always be holding width while the other sits inside. The LCM, Finney operates higher than both of them as he is in the box supporting the ST.
Charlie Kirk is Crewe’s best player & their biggest threat. One main thing he does is ball manipulation. His body shape when on the ball can influence where defenders think he’s going before he changes direction due to low centre of gravity. Kirk often uses runner ff the ball to manipulate defenders as well.
Adebisi’s run distracts the defender then leaving Kirk space to cut inside.
The inside positioning of either of Adebisi/Kirk & high positioning of Finney always creates a lot of options to create openings from.
Finney’s high positioning gives whoever is inside more time on the ball as if someone steps out to press leaves space in behind for Finney. Option 1 here (in blue) is to play a ball in between CB & WB to find the run of Finney. Option 2 (in black) is for Kirk to spin off his man in behind & then Adebisi to play him in. Option 3 (in red) is for Adebisi to play a 1–2 with Kirk & move into the space.
The execution of these moves recently has been off with Adebisi often misplacing passes & overrunning the ball pressing him when he gets it while also keeping shape is an oppurtunity for us to regain the ball.
The LCM, Finney takes up high positions & is always looking to get beyond the striker/get in behind. From goal kicks or when Crewe go long, Porter will drop then creating space for Finney to run into if the header is won. In the final 3rd he is constantly on the shoulder of defenders looking to get in behind for either a 1v1 or to get into an area to perform a cutback.
On the right side Crewe have many of the same rules as on the left, the RB will often come inside when the ball is on the right to give an extra body in midfield which allows, the RCM, Lowery to get into the box.
When the ball is on the right wing, the RB sometimes gets forwards to overlap but mostly covers in the case of a turnover. The RW, Owen Dale holds width which then allows Lowery more space inside of him in the right half space. Lowery is a big threat in the fianl 3rd & can break down defences a number of ways. He is both footed & can go either way so unpredictable. He has a low centre of gravity which allows him to manoeuvre in tight spaces which helps him a lot in the final 3rd. Lowery generally comes over to support on the right wing causing wide overloads. This attracts the opposition to one side before the ball can be moved into Wintle who can then switch play. Lowery is intelligent off the ball when in wode positions looks to make 3rd man runs between FB & CB, can sit deep to cover as well as taking up good positions in the half spaces.
Despite a lot of play coming out wide & looking to overload these areas Crewe rarely “cross” the. When outwide they’ll work the ball inside before finding runs from wide positions to then cut back into the box.
Off the ball —
As previously stated Crewe are quite passive out of possession. They don’t press high & are lightweight in midfield meaning they are quite easy to bypass.
All 3 of there midfielders, Finney, Lowery & Wintle all rank in the bottom section for tackles & interceptions per 90 mins which shows their weakness defensively.
Crewe generally match up to the opposition’s formation/shape on the ball. vs a 433/4141 they will have a 4231 off the ball so they can disrupt the DM’s game. vs a 4231 Crewe will become a 4141 off the ball with Wintle sweeping up in between the midfield & defence as well as marking the opposition number 10.
I would much prefer if we played a 433/4141 as this then puts Crewe into a 4231 when we are building up which is easier to bypass & play through. When we progress the ball forwards Crewe will then revert back to their 451/4141 shape off the ball. Playing a 433 will mean we have two number 8’s/free 8’s who can exploit the half spaces where Finney & Lowery are positioned & combining with the wingers in these areas.
Kenlock at LB instead of Ward gives us a better option on the overlap as well as a better option when they come inside, overloading the half spaces. Kenlock is very good at coming inside & can pick out angled passes into Drinan from here.
