Adelaide captain Nathan van Berlo says the AFL club's players endorse coach Neil Craig as the man to lead the Crows out of their troubled times.

Van Berlo believes Craig, under scrutiny after notching just three wins so far this year and with his battling outfit in 14th spot, should be reappointed next season.

Craig's contract was to expire at season's end, but the seven-year coach has been placed on Adelaide's staff.

Van Berlo said speculation about Craig's tenure was "going to happen" in such a poor season.

"The media do a great job of highlighting coaching roles or player's roles, whatever it might be," van Berlo said on Tuesday.

"But Craigy knows he has got the full support of the playing group and the football club itself.

"And he is more committed than ever to the football club, as are the playing group, so to us it's no issue whatsoever."

Asked if Craig was the man to lead the Crows again next year, van Berlo replied: "I believe he is."

Van Berlo, in his first year as skipper, said injuries and inexperience were factors in Adelaide's slide, but not excuses.

"We will cop some criticism, as we have been, and it's probably deservedly that we do put ourselves in the firing line at the moment," he said.

"But the best we can do as a group is stay united and focus on getting that consistent competitive effort."

The Crows were awaiting results from scans on Kurt Tippett's injured left shoulder with the key forward expected to miss Friday's away clash with Western Bulldogs.

Van Berlo said improvement at stoppages, where the Crows are getting battered, was urgently needed against the Dogs, who are also struggling with just three wins this season.

"We look at it structurally, we train it, and we keep looking at ways we can do it better," he said.

"If we knew how we could do it better we would obviously be improving better than we are at the moment.

"But we're still working hard it and we have got a firm belief that with the competitive nature of the midfield group, things will turn around sooner than later."

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