Liverpool FC Forum

[LiverpoolMadman]

In my Book , he's "gone", same goes to Rafa's Book. If we manage to sell him, maybe the money can be use a buy a good defender.

[maypaxvobiscum]

sell him.
we still have kuyt, torres, babel and voronin.
use the cash to buy a winger or a central defender instead.
the reason why reina was giving alot of long balls out is because we were running out of time and trying to utilize torres's pace, who unlike crouch, has ALOT of pace. i wouldnt call it a long ball style. just more direct.
as for crouch if u noticed almost every throw in was aimed at him. and im amazed for someone his height he had to use sol campbell's shoulder for support to win a header.

[Leonmc0708]

It looks like Peter is happy to have to fight for his place:

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N157008070917-0803.htm



Peter Crouch has once again reiterated his desire to fight for a regular starting place in Rafael Benitez's team. 
The Reds' striker made his first league start of the season on Saturday, but was replaced after an hour of the goalless stalemate at Portsmouth as Liverpool slipped off the top of the league table.
 
Crouch admits he'd like to have made more starts this term, but he's determined to prove himself an important member of the squad as the campaign goes on.
 
"There are times when it can be frustrating," said Crouch. "But I fully understand the manager's thinking and when called upon, I just have to make sure I'm ready.
 
"Maybe I'm not playing every week but I'll certainly get a good amount of games. Look at the team this season. We're challenging for the league, the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup. I want to be part of that and hopefully come away with a few medals.
 
"Everyone wants to be playing games. All the lads are greedy and want to play every game, but the manager has told me it is not possible to play in every game with the number of competitions we are in. That's good enough for me.
 
"Hopefully I can play a few more games than I have been doing, but I'm not too frustrated. I am confident I will get a good amount of games this year." 

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Intresting, and I have to say I am glad he has come out and said somthing to stop people thinking he wants to fu.ck off, however I cant see that stopping the journalists writing it anyway . . .

[tubby]

Regardless of anything with such a big squad and us challanging for many things he should just shut the up and be happy to put on that shirt. He should know full well this isnt a small club so rotation happens. The thing is with his he needs games to score so i think without them his scoring rate will go down and we could see him shipped of in the near future.

[maguskwt]

I'd much rather we signed a much more direct and pacey striker than Crouch, who for the size of him, can't head a ball for f*ck. It's laughable that the man scores more with his feet.

Haven't we just signed two more direct and pacey strikers in Torres and Babel who i'm sure will be playing as a striker this time next season.

As for the Crouch can't head a ball line, that's a myth in my eyes, complete bandwagon that everyone has decided to jump on. He's no Les Ferdinand but he can head a ball. I don't have the stats but i'll bet a good percentage of his goals for LFC and England the past two years have come from headers.

you've got to be kidding me right? I just don't understand how anyone can think he can head the ball. He can't!

He sometimes scores goals with his head yes... doesn't mean that he can head the ball... he has no technique no anticipation... he scores with his head when the ball conveniently comes to his head... and that's because he's how tall? 6'7" 6'8"? If you want to see someone who can head the ball... look at hyppia... crouch is nothing like him...

[Ace Ventura]

Like last season i think Crouch is getting a raw deal from Rafa.
He was top scorer last season despite Kuyt getting far more time on the pitch.
This season he has hardly had a look in and not been given one chance alongside the supposed main man (Torres).
To be honest he does look like a man who is short on confidence but we all know that he can do the business, he proved it regulaly last season.
Give him a chance alongside Torres, where Fernando can make the defenders worry about the ball in behind and then Crouch can hold the ball up and bring the midfield into play...then judge him.

[Sabre]

Like last season i think Crouch is getting a raw deal from Rafa.
He was top scorer last season despite Kuyt getting far more time on the pitch.
This season he has hardly had a look in and not been given one chance alongside the supposed main man (Torres).
To be honest he does look like a man who is short on confidence but we all know that he can do the business, he proved it regulaly last season.
Give him a chance alongside Torres, where Fernando can make the defenders worry about the ball in behind and then Crouch can hold the ball up and bring the midfield into play...then judge him.

Happy to see that there are Crouch defenders out there. I think that last point is very important. Torres is a player that has done superbly well so far, but just like he was without scoring for Spain in a year (7-8 games) he will have such a drought in this team. If he doesn't and scores regularly like he has until now, I will have to say I'm astonished.

But I do agree he improves the team a lot, and that he benefits his team mates with his game. And for what is worth, I too want to see Crouch and Torres together.

[Rockthekop]

I`m not a fan of Crouch, never have been but he surprised me last season with some of his performances and his goal tally.  I have a lot of respect for the big man but I think his ego is deluding him as to how good a player he is.  He`s a decent player but with Torres, Kuyt, Babel & Voronin ahead of him in the pecking order, I think he would be best moving on.  If he`s frustrated already after only five games I think come January he`ll be asking for a move.

[Ace Ventura]

I`m not a fan of Crouch, never have been but he surprised me last season with some of his performances and his goal tally.  I have a lot of respect for the big man but I think his ego is deluding him as to how good a player he is.  He`s a decent player but with Torres, Kuyt, Babel & Voronin ahead of him in the pecking order, I think he would be best moving on.  If he`s frustrated already after only five games I think come January he`ll be asking for a move.

Where has this myth come from about his ego ?
So far all i have seen is comments suggesting he understands that he is part of a squad and that he is happy to fight for his place.
Also why are all of them players ahead of him in the pecking order ? Rafa hasnt once stated that.
He has been underused so far this season, and hasnt looked great when he has played but the criticism he is receiving now is unfair...especially questioning his attitude, without any actual reason to.
He might not be in my side if i had to pick my best 11 for a one off match but as Rafa keeps saying its a long season with so many games and Peter will prove his worth over the course, am 100% confident of that.

[Rockthekop]

Rafa hasn't mentioned or wouldn't admit to a pecking order for obvious reasons but that`s how I see it.    I just think Crouch won't get the game time he wants.  Unless we have a couple of injuries I can't see much changing.  Rafa likes to rotate as we all know and he expects players to perform when they get the call.  Crouch especially has to play well when he gets the chance, the pressure is more intense on him this season.

[AB's Red Army]

Fact of the matter is Crouch is yet to have a convincing performance. Even in the Tolouse game, a game in which he scored, he missed shitloads of sitters against a opposition.

He was poor in the summer and has been so far in the games he's played.

[Ace Ventura]

If he had of scored the volley against Toulouse then everyone would of been raving about him, the fact is he missed and maybe should of done better with another couple of chances but its not easy for strikers coming in when they have not been getting games.
For one it affects confidence and other thing it creates pressure on him. The media hasnt helped trying to make stuff up without any foundation, but the 2 or 3 games he has started it means that he is being scrutinised more than other players, when he hasnt had much time on the pitch and will obviously be rusty.
People are looking for a scapegoat after dropping a couple of points on Saturday and Crouch is an easy target.
But not one that deserves it imo.
Get him in a side that contains our best players and see the difference, put him in a side that contains 4 or 5 changes from the previous game and it helps nobody.

[club_Levis]

Fact of the matter is Crouch is yet to have a convincing performance. Even in the Tolouse game, a game in which he scored, he missed shitloads of sitters against a opposition.

He was poor in the summer and has been so far in the games he's played.

That sums it up mate...his time is up imo. Decent player for the likes of Boro etal. Nice bloke though but unfortunately for him we have better strikers than him.

[Emerald Red]

I'd much rather we signed a much more direct and pacey striker than Crouch, who for the size of him, can't head a ball for f*ck. It's laughable that the man scores more with his feet.

Haven't we just signed two more direct and pacey strikers in Torres and Babel who i'm sure will be playing as a striker this time next season.

As for the Crouch can't head a ball line, that's a myth in my eyes, complete bandwagon that everyone has decided to jump on. He's no Les Ferdinand but he can head a ball. I don't have the stats but i'll bet a good percentage of his goals for LFC and England the past two years have come from headers.

you've got to be kidding me right? I just don't understand how anyone can think he can head the ball. He can't!

He sometimes scores goals with his head yes... doesn't mean that he can head the ball... he has no technique no anticipation... he scores with his head when the ball conveniently comes to his head... and that's because he's how tall? 6'7" 6'8"? If you want to see someone who can head the ball... look at hyppia... crouch is nothing like him...

Exactly. And as far as my comment goes about signing a pacey and more direct forward, I meant anyone along that lines to replace Crouch. And until Rafa starts playing Babel up front, I wouldn't regard him being a striker as yet. If he does, then either a right winger or a left back will do me in replacement.

[destro]

I don't buy into all this "He owes Rafa b.ollox" , what exactly does he owe him ? So he stuck by him when he wasn't scoring he had just paid well over the odds IMO for him, did anyone expect him to come out and say he was wrong, it was a waste of money ? What other options did he have Cisse, Morientes, he kept giving him chances because he was the best of a bad bunch and after Xabi he was his most expensive signing.

Maybe Crouch should come out and say Rafa owes him for his F.A Cup winner against United or his winner against Chelsea in the Charity shield or his double against Galatasaray in the Champions League and the winner against PSV

Torres and Voronin have both hit the ground running so it easier to dismiss Crouch, already the whispers are starting about Kuyt, then it will be Voronins turn and maybe in a few years time when Rafa pays 30 Million plus for another striker Torres wont seem all that, too many people forget exactly what Crouch has done for us. What happens if Torres gets injured and we have cashed in on Crouch, is everyone on here 100% happy with a Kuyt Voronin partnership or will we hear more suggestions to play Babel upfront with one of them instead of saying maybe we should of kept Crouch after all !