Carlos' crossing

[Arazi]

Am I the only the one who thinks Carlos Edwards actually puts in good crosses or has seen Carlos put in good crosses for Trinidad in the last couple games?

The consensus on this board is that the man can't cross to save his life and I beg to differ, I've seen Carlos put in many good crosses for Trinidad throughout the semifinal round. I too used to say Carlos couldn't cross wen i was watching the hex on TV back in 05. But now that i could afford ticket to watch the game live I think alyuh very harsh on the man. Case in point, on Wednesday, I saw Carlos give Kenwyne one bess cross, good height, pace and Kenwyne header the ball straight down into the ground with the goal at his mercy... nobody talk about that cross..they just say Carlos can't cross to save he life..

I honestly think what makes Carlos' crosses look bad is our system - Look at our offense we generally play one up front  with a five man midfield..aside from our striker Carlos is usually or most advanced player..so using the formation from the last game I noticed the general pattern when Carlos is in the position to cross with our other offensive players/ midfielders

Kenwyne - the lone striker assumes a position in the penalty area..usually to the vicinity of the spot..usually has the attention of two or three defenders

Daniel - the left midfielder (cuz he is no winger) usually is somewhere in the attacking third on the left but not close the penalty area nor making any kind of supporting run into the area or on the flank. Notice his postion for his goal..he's usually about there His off the ball play is poor ppl..yes it is...

Latapy - support striker/attacking mid will linger around the top of the box looking for the cutback..moves into space for the play well but is not an aerial threat hence most of Carlos attempts to find him has to be along the ground or a bess chip a la US game. Put a man to watch his run and Carlos' job gets harder

Birchall - Defensive mid/ball winner is also hovering around the box looking for a layoff to blast, rarely runs into the penalty area..

Yorke - Defensive mid/ deep lying playmaker will make the run into the area in support but usually has more ground to cover to get there after performing defensive duties, and often starts the offensive play in the defensive third...

So now the probability of Carlos finding someone with a cross is what based on this?

I see Carlos play good crosses against Guatemala, USA and Cuba that ppl say was shit that i say was a good cross (in that it was well flighted, the keeper couldn't go out to claim it without being left in no man's land) just that the positioning of the other players (usually Daniel) doesn't support the play for the cross very well

Thoughts?
 

[Boodsy]

carlos is an excellent player, regardless of what de other forumites might think....de man only just regaining match fitness (IMHO).. he have real potential to be a big player in the premier league....remember he was very instrumental for sunderland gaining promotion to the premier league... i think he just lost a bit of self confidence since his injury...but he seems to getting over that now....

[Quags]

Nah Azari I think you being to hash on us ,some just saying hes not money with them and he needs to improve ...if he does he will get a huge raise.

[Boodsy]

see what ah mean...

http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=16256

[frico]

Arazi,sometimes I also feel that many comments about some players are un-warrented and very harsh,another player that is hammered is Aklie Edwards,as a whole I think some comments are made without any technical back-up.

[Filho]

Not historically the best part of his game. Sometimes you have to blame the runners for the success of a cross, but Carlos has had the same problems with his club teams where he is inconsistent...it's not just the national team

People doh get on Carlos for crosses that doh hit their target...not me anyway. It is crosses that have the wrong shape, or angle, or speed or some combination of the three where you realize even if we had 5 men in the box..none would have readched it. Sometimes a bad cross is just a bad cross.

But I find the man has clearly improved and I can think of at least 3 goals that we've scored in qualifying that are a direct result of his crosses. Latas against USA, Daniel against Cuba and Stern against Bermuda in Bermuda. And for sure the Latas one against USA was pure skill, vision and and great decision making..wasn't no whipped cross that happened to meet it's target. The Daniel goal....Carlos was also moving at speed and couldah just rip wild, but he looked up and picked out Scotty with a nice cut back...Scotty mistrap and Daniel did the rest. So I giving de man props..is not just skill and speed now..his crossing producing tangible results and real goalscoring opportunities and yuh cyah ask for too much more from you wide men

[7 blessings]

Oh come on...of the man can't cross then he cannot cross!!! Simple!! Nobody eh saying that the man worthless....but the man cannot cross...ever since i watching him play ,he jus cannot cross....to much float..to little accuracy.
He jus have to play to his strengths and that is beating the left back, drawing the double coverage in the box, and slotting in a telling ball along the ground to a man making ah run in the center...but with regards to a genuine cross from the near the corners of the field...the man really not verse with dat...and i always wonder why as a big man, playing wing all dem years, playing alongside so much englishman who have all them technical skill with regards to basic crossing...i jus wonder if he ever realise that as a weakness in his game and seek some advice or pointers from ah teammate as a man who want to improve himself as a player...cause he should!

[arrow]

at least he tries to cross...has Daniel ever sent in a cross from the left?

[Quags]

gosh ,yah cant even critque nobody any more ,with out men ,blowing it all out of proportion,recently.I think we should turn into mutual admiration society oui.And apply to Mount St Benedict ,to Canonize all Trini players .
Not u arrow.

[Touches]

Me ent lowering my standards for none of alyuh here.

He cyar cross consistently or accurately and for a man who is a professional and plying his trade in the EPL that is unnacceptable...dais yuh wuk, dat is the position yuh does play on the field and that is what a winger does do.

He doh ever play it in one time, he must cut back, feint, turn up and have a man jumpin and then it allows the whole defence to recover.

[Anbrat]

Me ent lowering my standards for none of alyuh here.

He cyar cross consistently or accurately and for a man who is a professional and plying his trade in the EPL that is unnacceptable...dais yuh wuk, dat is the position yuh does play on the field and that is what a winger does do.

He doh ever play it in one time, he must cut back, feint, turn up and have a man jumpin and then it allows the whole defence to recover.

Well said, Touches.

[weary1969]

D truth does offend Trinis dey like d chain up scene. Carlos is d best man we ever produce when it come 2 crossin d ball

[elan]

My probs with Carlos is just prior to his crosses. He beats the defender on way to free himself and apparently he gets lost and goes right back into the defender. He needs to take the space he frees after sending the defender the wrong way, he does one or two to much.
Regarding his crosses he is back to pre WC days. His crosses are crosses and that's it. As a winger your crosses have to hit the player, not just put it in because. He has shown he is on the up again picking out players now and then. He has to work on the variety some more.

[Arazi]

Me ent lowering my standards for none of alyuh here.

He cyar cross consistently or accurately and for a man who is a professional and plying his trade in the EPL that is unnacceptable...dais yuh wuk, dat is the position yuh does play on the field and that is what a winger does do.

He doh ever play it in one time, he must cut back, feint, turn up and have a man jumpin and then it allows the whole defence to recover.

fair enough..i just saying i've seen a definite improvement in his crossing, so to say he is a waste  of time with is crosses is a bit harsh, along with an obvious obstacle to amount of crosses he could put in, i believe some of the flack he gets on here is a bit much..tha's all i was saying...
take it as u want...

[GunnerStunner]

the man can cross BUT our game is not eveloved enough to utilise it

[trini_stallion]

carlos is an excellent player, regardless of what de other forumites might think....de man only just regaining match fitness (IMHO).. he have real potential to be a big player in the premier league....remember he was very instrumental for sunderland gaining promotion to the premier league... i think he just lost a bit of self confidence since his injury...but he seems to getting over that now....

100% agreeee with this post...

de man is ah bosss...buh we trini's is like to make ah scene once things eh hundred right away!

[kev]

Never been that fussed about cross accuracy tbh, his job should be to beat his man and cross / put the ball into a dangerous area where the forwards should be running into / waiting. 

Carlos lost his confidence through injury either happy to pass the ball back or throw the ball in the general direction of the box refusing to try to beat his man.  These crosses balls are usually easily defended as at wrong angle or too high.  Carlos would give sunderland 3 or 4 outs instead of the 2 or 3 they have now, Kenwyn, Cisse and Richardson, it gives the opposing defence a lot to think / worry about. 

I hope he plays today and isn't shackled by instructions a good game, goal or assist would do the world of good for his confidence.  I have always liked Carlos and this is his last chance (given his age) at a shot at the prem, I thought he was one of the few players from the promotion team that would make teh transition but injury seems to have taken that chance.  I hope his luck is changing, because we need a good out like Carlos because we can't defend for love or money.

[jai john]

Carlos is one of our best players but he would be even better if he could be more accurate with his crosses. He must know that this is a problem and I believe his confidence is lacking in this area. I counted three consecutive crosses which he delivered low into the box against Cuba with jones screaming on the far post. In one of those instances Jones was being policed by the shortest man on the pitch !!!
A simple ally oop would have been all that was needed. Jones gets there when the ball is delivered, what he does when he gets there is subject for another discussion. Surely carlos, like any of us can spot a mismatch, as he does look up, but I believe he has lost some confidence in himself after over hitting so many.
His contribution in the other arteas of the game is invaluable but maybe a stint with the psycologist in this area will work wonders. This is not a new problem however so we will see if he can overcome it.

[elan]

Never been that fussed about cross accuracy tbh, his job should be to beat his man and cross / put the ball into a dangerous area where the forwards should be running into / waiting. 

Carlos lost his confidence through injury either happy to pass the ball back or throw the ball in the general direction of the box refusing to try to beat his man.  These crosses balls are usually easily defended as at wrong angle or too high.  Carlos would give sunderland 3 or 4 outs instead of the 2 or 3 they have now, Kenwyn, Cisse and Richardson, it gives the opposing defence a lot to think / worry about. 

I hope he plays today and isn't shackled by instructions a good game, goal or assist would do the world of good for his confidence.  I have always liked Carlos and this is his last chance (given his age) at a shot at the prem, I thought he was one of the few players from the promotion team that would make teh transition but injury seems to have taken that chance.  I hope his luck is changing, because we need a good out like Carlos because we can't defend for love or money.

In modern football it is not good enough to just cross the ball into a danger area, you have to ba able to pick out the runner in the best situation to finish the goal. Arguably the back of the six is the most dangerous spot to play he ball in a cross, but what if the runner is on the PK, or front six, then you have to find that player and play the ball in such a manner the player would be able to finish the goal.

[KND2]

He plays too narrow as a winger and hence does not have the necessary time and space to put in good crosses.  Also everything is relative.
compared to beckham he cannot cross that well. But for a Trinidad team he is a good crosser.

He needs to figure out if he is going to try to drive the offense or try to supply the offense.

The main proble is the coaching tactics.

[College]

not sure what going on with Carlos' crossing ... not consistent enough, sometimes i feel thats why he cuts back as much as he does... doesnt have the confidence to deliver a telling cross so he cuts it back on the left to look for something else.

[vapotrini]

Oh come on...of the man can't cross then he cannot cross!!! Simple!! Nobody eh saying that the man worthless....but the man cannot cross...ever since i watching him play ,he jus cannot cross....to much float..to little accuracy.

Totally agree.

And so what if he had one good cross to KJ? What about the 7 or so other's that were awful? Put anyone whose played football in their life out there and I'm sure they can do that too. Let's be honest, 1 in 8 is garbage! That's not acceptable at this level. That said though, every other aspect of his game is great, IMO.

[palos]

Funny how football commentators say that Carlos is the best winger in CONCACAF.

And these people NOT from T&T.

[College]

Funny how football commentators say that Carlos is the best winger in CONCACAF.

And these people NOT from T&T.

There in no true great winger in CONCACAF .... Beasley, IMO was the best, pre-injury. Carlos is definitely one that stands out but you have to admit that he himself would suggest that his crossing needs work and consistency to take him to the next level ...

[weary1969]

Dat just mean d others say does cross worse

[palos]

Funny how football commentators say that Carlos is the best winger in CONCACAF.

And these people NOT from T&T.

There in no true great winger in CONCACAF .... Beasley, IMO was the best, pre-injury. Carlos is definitely one that stands out but you have to admit that he himself would suggest that his crossing needs work and consistency to take him to the next level ...

You've obviously never seen Mexico's Andres Guardado in action.  I eh go even mention David Suazo from Honduras who plays out wide for his country more often than not.

[kicker]

Carlos' crossing deficiency has become a stigma now... Even if his crosses are currently decent it will only take one or two bad ones per game for him to remain a poor crosser in our heads.  Every winger delivers a couple poor crosses here and there. 

[College]

Funny how football commentators say that Carlos is the best winger in CONCACAF.

And these people NOT from T&T.

There in no true great winger in CONCACAF .... Beasley, IMO was the best, pre-injury. Carlos is definitely one that stands out but you have to admit that he himself would suggest that his crossing needs work and consistency to take him to the next level ...

You've obviously never seen Mexico's Andres Guardado in action.  I eh go even mention David Suazo from Honduras who plays out wide for his country more often than not.

Good but not great.... even Donovan when he plays outside is more productive than most, he up dey in the CONCACAF in terms of quality and goals...

[trini_stallion]

Carlos' crossing deficiency has become a stigma now... Even if his crosses are currently decent it will only take one or two bad ones per game for him to remain a poor crosser in our heads.  Every winger delivers a couple poor crosses here and there. 

agreeed...
I mean, Carlos getting bad name for his recent poor performance...and it seeming as though he improving now...

But look at Stern...our #1 goal scorer...ent de other day he was in rut...not scoring any goals...but he eh getting axe like C. Edwards...and yes Stern has been there and did the necessary work when required...buh he was/in a rut jusssoo...buh no injury o nothing...and ize ah 100% Stern fan...