A change of management has inevitably resulted in a change of shape, system and tactics for Crawley Town and therefore some players have had to adapt more than others.
This article will look at a player who has had to alter his game to accommodate a new role in this Crawley side.
Under previous manager Scott Lindsey, the Reds had been accustomed to a back three and likewise under Rob Elliot, who was in charge for most of Crawley’s League One campaign last season.
However since Colin Kazim-Richards appointment just 18 days ago the Reds have reverted to a back four. One player in particular, who has impressed playing in a fresh position in this new shape is Ade Adeyemo.
The 27 year old, who has been played as a right-back in Colin Kazim-Richards system, has adjusted well to his new position.
Due to injuries in that position, Adeyemo has had to fill in the right-back position and while that is not his conventional position he has performed extremely well in the three games to date that Kazim-Richards has taken charge of.
Adeyemo was signed from non-league outfit Cray Valley Paper Mills in the summer of 2023. The attack minded player has shown what he is capable of during his time with Crawley so far and continues to show his value to the squad in this new position.
Prior to the Newport County game just over a week ago, Kazim-Richards spoke about Adeyemo’s new position saying that “our thing with Ade playing right back, [is] we have to get him as high up [the pitch] though to effect the game as well because we know what he can do.”
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s game against Bristol Rovers, the Crawley boss said, “Obviously Ade has been playing [at] right-back,” he said. “He’s not a right back. If you were to look at Crawley from six, seven weeks ago, you’d be like, ‘well Ade’s not a right back.’
“But Kellan got injured and we believed that he could give us something from seeing the whole game. And I think he’s done really, really, really well.
“He’s been one of our main threats from that position. Sometimes it works out like that, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes as a player, you have to do a job for the team.”
Referring back to Kazim-Richards comments pre Newport, about trying to get Adeyemo on the ball as high up the pitch as possible when Crawley are in possession, is something that came in fruition against the Exiles when he provided the assist for Harry McKirdy’s first goal.
A brilliant ball was played over the top of Newport’s defence by Charlie Barker, which found Adeyemo high on the right flank before getting to the byline and putting it on a plate for McKirdy who tapped it home.
With the attack-minded Adeyemo aiming to push into the final third when Crawley are in possession, this ultimately leads to the Reds transitioning to a back three as Adeyemo is then effectively playing as a winger when Crawley proceed up the pitch.
Due to his strengths lying more in attack, Adeyemo is therefore is defensive liability playing at right-back. He competed well, holding his own against Gillingham and was arguably Crawley’s best player against Newport, in which the Reds by two goals to nil in both.
Adeyemo, however, was put to the test against playoff chasing Grimsby Town on Easter Monday which showed some cracks in his defensive game with the Mariners able to get round the sides of Crawley too easily on some occasions.
Nonetheless Adeyemo has been a standout player for Crawley Town since adapting to his new position as a right-back under Kazim-Richards and his next test comes this weekend when the Reds travel to the Memorial Stadium to take on the Gas.
