Left to Their Own Devices
In Harry Pickering and Charlie Kirk, Crewe’s left-hand side provides two of the most talented attacking young threats in the division
Lower league football often reminds football supporters of yesteryear, how football used to look through the nostalgic lens of flying tackles and dodgy haircuts. ‘Proper football’.
Despite their many flaws, League Two’s Crewe Alexandra prove that this is nonsense.
Since the turn of the year, Crewe have played a 4-3-3 formation that resembles many of the world’s most revered sides, with a focus on zippy possession on the floor.
Few players have benefitted more from this prudent tactical switch than the left sided pair of left back Harry Pickering and Inverted Winger, Charlie Kirk.
Charlie Kirk
Aged just 21, Charlie Kirk has potential. As a predominately right footed player playing high up on the left-hand side, he is a nifty and skilful operator outside.
His heatmap shows his role – stretching the defence wide, rather than simply coming inside on his preferred right whenever the team is in possession. From this wide berth, he uses his favoured right foot to stand up crosses to onrushing attackers at the back post.
Kirk is an allrounder in the attacking third, with good dribbling (his 74.55% success rate last season was very good), and willingness to hit through balls and crosses (6 assists last year). Only 6 players in League Two passed the ball into the box more than Kirk last season on a per90 basis, and one of those was Crewe’s own Callum Ainley.
Kirk also got on the end of moves. Crewe fans will fondly remember the occasional long range worldies (see goals against MK Dons and Forest Green), but it is his ghosting at the back post that will more consistently bring him attacking return, and should be greater emphasised this season. His underlying numbers (10 goals from 6.88 expected) show he may have got a little lucky last season.
Defensively he isn’t especially active in winning the ball back and ‘keeps his boots clean’, though he chips in here and there.
Ultimately, Kirk is a more than useful piece of Crewe’s attack. Only 2 other Crewe players (Ryan Wintle, and outgoing keeper Ben Garrett) got more minutes under their belt than Kirk last season, experience which will be vital for his continued development. I’m backing him to kick on this season, especially considering defences will have to account for the marauding Harry Pickering overlapping him.
Harry Pickering
“No-one grows up wanting to be Gary Neville” is the famous Jamie Carragher quote which epitomises how full backs have been viewed in football. The last to be picked, the least glamourous, always converted from more interesting positions.
However, in Harry Pickering, Crewe have a full back in a similar mould to Trent-Alexander Arnold, Liverpool’s wonderkid.
Through Pickering and his weapon of choice (his left peg), Crewe provide a threat to opposition defences through crosses and long balls.
Pickering leads the team in crosses per 90 (3.57) and through passes per 90 (1.71) showing his willingness to create chances from the left back position. He uses his crossing and passing range to great effect, with incisive and direct balls into forward players.
Overlapping Kirk, Pickering uses low crosses to good effect.
His heatmap shows his taste for getting up and down the left flank.
Deep in his own half, Pickering also trusts his technique to deliver longer passes, mixing up Crewe’s play which often relies on shorter interplay. He hit 11.16 long passes per 90 last season, comfortably leading the team. When they came off, they provided a great option–
However, his defending has room to improve. The data backs this up, with the young full back winning just under 25% of his defensive duals (right back Perry Ng won 47%). His tackling and ability to cut off opposition passes could also do with improving.
By rounding off his defensive ability with experience and emphasis in training, he projects becoming a true ‘all round’ full back at a young age. That kind of player doesn’t stick around in League Two for long.
20 year old Pickering provides a rare ‘X Factor’ for Crewe from a deeper position, and with improvements to his defending this season, should receive higher division suitors looking to bolster their variety of creative options.
Overall, Crewe’s left sided duo both boast the rare combination of youth and experience. With small improvements this year, they could go a long way to dictating the success of David Artell’s side.