It was clear to me, when we did some fun contest of top rated Carlton players in our lifetime that Crippa was getting overrated here. He's a wonderfully strong midfielder and love his top side of his game but people seem to think he could be some player that could play key forward too, simply because he is so big, but having seen it a number of times now, he just not that type of player. It stood out in St.Kilda practice game a few weeks back that with no McKay on field Crippa actually tried to play key forward almost half the night. When the ball was up other end to where I was sitting, with similar height you could at times confuse between Silvagni and Crippa but the difference was clear after a while as Silvagni played like a forward and would mark like one, Crippa just struggles as he might have the height but he does not have the forward craft. Plus, like Levi, even when Crippa has shots he just is nowhere near reliable enough. He is a midfielder and nothing more. Also if he going to play on back of the opposition ruckman he sometimes going to lose his footing like he did last night and cost us a goal. He's a gun midfielder but he does have his strength and weaknesses.Very concerned with Crippas form over the past year or so. He seems to talk a big game too for someone who hasn’t really done anything yet and has some glaring flaws in his game. Harsh, yes, but i find it irritating. The coaches seem to be more interested in keeping him happy than giving him a rocket, but maybe that’s the modern player for ya.
It’s hard to see why he has declined so glaringly but if he’s playing injured, he’s doing himself and the team a major disservice. I sincerely hope the bloke turns it around but at this point it feels like some harsh criticism both internally and externally would do him some good.
Concentrate on his strengths and play to them in midfield. A two minute stint forward a couple of times a game, I do not mind but him 10 minutes at a time plonked forward is robbing Peter to pay Paul but ending up stealing from Peter and Paul at same time.
Our coaching staff have a lot to answer for of continue to do same things when seen they do not work.
We can be an excellent side if we ever have Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay and Jack Silvagni as three marking forward with three smaller skillful types around them and Crippa bursting through the midfield passing it on to those smaller guys on the burst or other mids streaming forward.
But if we are going to continue the silliness of playing two of Levi, Crippa and McGovern in forward 50 for big chunks of game we are going to be middle of ladder side at best.
Work on your strengths Crippa and you could be a co-captain in a successful team but at moment, he is being used in dumb ways and he as a leader should give feedback to coaches when s**t not working out.
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