Football fans in mourning as Garth Crooks's 'Team of the Week' replacement promises major change

Football is a game all about opinions and few caused as much as a stir as Garth Crooks' infamous Team of the Week picks for BBC Sport.

But it has been announced they will be no more with Troy Deeney replacing Crooks with his own takes.

Crooks' Teams of the Week usually got people talking for either featuring players in a wacky formation or just totally out of position, being picked in positions they've never played in their entire careers.

Deeney himself wasn't immune to this.

In a BBC column, Deeney said: "I really admire his [Crook's] approach because, when he has an opinion, he is not afraid to say it and he is always able to back it up - yet he never comes across as someone who is trying to be controversial just to get likes or views on social media or anywhere else.

"I was lucky enough to make Garth's Team of the Week on a couple of occasions during my Watford days, although it has to be said I was not always put in the position where I had played on the pitch.

"When I helped Watford beat Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-finals in 2016, he picked me but used me as a holding midfielder instead of a striker. That was a new one on me, to be honest!

"I know Garth was famous for sometimes choosing unusual formations like that, but I am going to do things a bit differently. In my team, I promise players will be in their correct positions for starters!"

Fans are mourning the fact they will no longer see Crooks' famous selections.

One user posted a couple of screenshots of past Crooks selections, which among them include Jamie Vardy as a right-sided midfielder and Marko Arnautovic as a wing-back.

Another shared a reason Crooks gave for including David de Gea in a Team of the Week following a game in which he made zero saves.

One said Crooks' Team of the Week selections will "live on forever".

Another said they look forward to the Team of the Week to see what wacky formations would be picked.

One posted a famous gif of Roy Hodgson in reaction to the news.

Another said: "BBC stands for Bring Back Crooks. We want Garth Crooks back."

And one posted a screenshot from a famous Crooks selection, adding "Troy Deeney has a lot to live up too [sic]".

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.