Liverpool FC Forum

[Scottbot]

From BBC Sport - Seems there i ssome truth in the latest report.

Bruce issues warning to Pennant 

Pennant has been warned by Blues boss Steve Bruce
Angry Birmingham boss Steve Bruce has warned midfielder Jermaine Pennant to get his personal life in order.
Pennant, 22, was involved in an incident at a Birmingham club in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The Blues boss said: "If he doesn't sort out his personal life he's always going to be be associated with a bad boy reputation.

"At the moment, Jermaine is struggling to come to terms with that and the sooner he realises that the better."

Bruce's patience is wearing thin with Pennant who has been involved in previous incidents, although the Blues' boss is determined to try and stick by him.

Last April, Pennant served 30 days of a three-month prison sentence imposed for driving offences.

  He has to screw his loaf on and listen to people who give him advice

Steve Bruce
Blues back Pennant after incident
Released Pennant back with Blues 

When he was released, he was forced to play while wearing an electronic tagging device.

Birmingham chairman David Gold was also forced to defend Pennant after he was involved in an incident while on holiday last June.

Bruce said: "Unfortunately we're talking about Jermaine for the wrong reasons again. We should be talking about his football ability.

"I've been at this club for four years and I've never had a problem with any player until Jermaine came along. I knew when I got the telephone call who it would be about.

"But I will continue to go into bat for him because I'm determined he won't throw away the talent that he's got."

Bruce added :"We're not asking players to live like monks and cut themselves off but they must understand that they're in the public spotlight far more than I was in my day.

"He has to remember who he represents, and what the public perception is, these are the responsibilities the modern footballer has to live with.

"He has to screw his loaf on and listen to people who give him advice and stay out of these skirmishes he's getting himself into,

"if he doesn't, he's not going to progress and with his talent he can be anything he wants to be."

[TheoRacle]

Steve Bruce

"He has to screw his loaf on and listen to people who give him advice and stay out of these skirmishes he's getting himself into,

"if he doesn't, he's not going to progress and with his talent he can be anything he wants to be."

Says it all really..

I don't think Rafa would be prepared to buy into such a situation. Who needs that kind of issue to deal with as a boss?

Maybe if he'd been playing sublime football and had kept himself out of trouble for 18 months -2 years people would begin to believe he had seen the error of his ways and be worth the gamble.  For me though, I'd rather have paid the 5mill and gambled on Walcott.

[Lando_Griffin]

I have never ever seen Kewell play on the right before

Houllier played Kewell on the right quite a few times.

He also switches with Stevie all the time throughout games.

[Ola Mr Benitez]

I have never seen Crouchy head a ball as well as he did when he scored for England whilst he has played in a Liverpool shirt.

It makes you ask the question, is it more to do with the quality of the ball we are currently supplying him?  Joe Cole's ball into the box was brilliant, whipped in with curl and pace.  Do we have anyone who can do that?

SWP also played brilliant, and I would love to see him join us oin the summer.  Again the ball he played into Cole for the winning goal was class and I think SWP would help our strikers, especially Crouchy and Moro use their heads more effectively with that type of cross coming in from the right

[bigmick]

Crouch's movement for the header in the England game was top drawer, which is rare for him. He did a little check in and out number which got him a couple of yards on the defender. Obviously, once he has that and the delivery was as good as it was he's almost a certainty to win the header.
Playing for England can only make him better. I couldn't help but notice when he first came on he did his usual routine of getting in the pocket too early and the Uruguayans blocked him off expertly. He just sort of looks around incredulously when this happens but its not a foul, just good defending. Then with the goal he does his in and out which makes it much harder to screen him out of it. International games and Champions League will improve Crouch no end. My suspicion is that he will become better than almost any of us realise.

[7_Kewell]

I have never ever seen Kewell play on the right before

he does it 5-10 times every match.

[JC_81]

International games and Champions League will improve Crouch no end. My suspicion is that he will become better than almost any of us realise.

That's a good point Mick.  I also feel though that not only will Champions league and International football improve Crouch, but that's where he will produce his best performances. 

We all know his glaring weakness for a front man is his lack of pace.  But his technique, link-up play and intelligence are very good.  I feel that in time, the slightly slower tempo to European and CL games will provide the stage for Crouch to show his best.  It's all still pretty new to him this season, but maybe next season you will see him a better player at that level.

I also get the impression that a lot of these foreign sides don't have a clue how to play against him, the Uruguayans looked like they'd never seen anything like him, and against Argentina and teams in the World Club Championship he caused real problems.

England must bring him to the World Cup, he's the ideal player to have on the bench to change things if Owen/Rooney are not hitting it off in certain games.