Liverpool FC Forum

[Seano Kop]

There isnt much point in keeping him unfortunately, because he's a very good player. But, in Crouch's mind, he's got to be wanting game time.

And for England's sake, he NEEDS game time - and I'm an Aussie.... that likes England in something.... good god there's a blue moon!!

[Leonmc0708]

Anyone in this thread feel a bit of a pleb after this shi.,te ?

[DRARREG8]

Crouch is great player and really i hope that he sign with a big team in summer cuz I don't like to see him on the bench, he has a great skill that we all know his head but the thing is how can he play in a team that torres is it's striker !!

GOOD LUCK CROUCHY
I LOVE YOU

[RedBlood]

Crouch is great player and really i hope that he sign with a big team in summer cuz I don't like to see him on the bench, he has a great skill that we all know his head but the thing is how can he play in a team that torres is it's striker !!

GOOD LUCK CROUCHY
I LOVE YOU

SUPER GAY! 

[hello_red]

Anyone in this thread feel a bit of a pleb after this shi.,te ?

haha a little as i wasnt to happy with the situation. However we have got our formation and Crouch does not fit into it.

[JBG]

Could Crouch be now looking for a way out

Peter Crouch could add to Rafa Benitez's woes
By Andrew Warshaw
Last Updated: 12:05am GMT 17/02/2008




England striker Peter Crouch could add to Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez's problems by quitting the club while still under contract as a result of a landmark legal case that has been described by Fifa president Sepp Blatter as having "far-reaching and damaging effects".

The case has also opened the way for dozens of Premier League stars like Chelsea's Frank Lampard - despite Avram Grant's denial yesterday - to leave their clubs while still under contract.

   
All smiles: but for how much longer will Peter Crouch be at Anfield?
In what is regarded as the most dangerous precedent since the Bosman decision, which only applies to out-of-contract footballers, former Wigan defender Andy Webster was the first player to take advantage of Article 17 of Fifa's regulations on the status and transfer of players.

This effectively allows players to hand in their notice if they have fulfilled three years of a four or five-year contract and are under the age of 28. If they are over 28, they can do it after two years.

Webster invoked the escape route when he walked out on Hearts to join Wigan after being frozen out at the Edinburgh club when he refused to sign a new contract. He was ordered by Fifa to pay £625,000, but when the case went to tribunal the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the payment to a mere £150,000 which, it said crucially, reflected Webster's wages rather than his transfer value - a bitter blow to his former club who believed he was worth £4.6 million.

To add salt to Hearts' wounds, Webster spent only a few months at Wigan before moving back to Scotland and is now at Rangers.

Crouch, who is expected to be left out of Liverpool's starting line-up for this week's high-profile Champions League showdown against Inter Milan, is the latest big name to consider using the loophole.

The Sunday Telegraph understands that Crouch is carefully considering exploiting the ruling, one of several options open to the England striker whose current deal expires at the end of next season.

Although both Liverpool and Crouch's agent Jonathan Barnett refused to confirm that similar action was being taken by the player, it is understood that the threat of buying out his contract and leaving for far less than his market value is likely to form part of Crouch's negotiations.

Barnett said clubs had nothing to worry about if they behaved responsibly: "Certainly it will change the way things are conducted and we are probably heading for a period of shorter contracts. But I've never heard of a player volunteering to leave a club when he is happy and being well-paid." Whether Crouch is happy is another matter, however; he played yesterday, but has started only six Premier League games this season.

Although the rule applies only to cross-border transfers, Graham Shear, one of the country's top sports lawyers, says this was an unviable restraint and "would certainly be challenged".

Nonsense article - the ruling would apply to hundreds of professional players in Britain so why write the article about Crouch?

A journalist making a story out of nothing.

[puroresu]

I will be very surprised if Crouch doesnt ask to leave in the summer.  He never plays and the system Rafa has us playing at the moment it doesnt look like he will be playing anytime soon.

[cavehill-reds]

I'd love to see big Crouch playing up front with Torres. I think his height and the speed of Torres would cause alot of problems for
2-0 Livepool

[god_bless_john_houlding]

After his performance against Arsenal at the weekend, he proved he can play up top in this new system on his todd. He was playing against who some consider to be the best centre halves in the league (toure, gallas) and he caused havoc and scored. He was playing without the luxery of Gerrard, like Torres has and he proved he could still score.

Crouch for me has to stay, and has to play whenever possible.

[azhan00]

crouch did very very well against arsenal last saturday..
but though we really hope that he will get to play alongside Torres
i doubt rafa will agree because of the system liverpool are using right now....

[oakton]

Crouch played well because we didn't kick a lot long ball to him and expect him to head the ball into the net.  Crouch's foot skills is a lot better than his header but Rafa seems to play the long ball tactics every time Crouch plays, which doesn't do him any favors.

[Espionage]

I would love to see Torres and Crouch in the same team once again, I think that Rafa will throw him in the mix to really surprise teams in some upcoming games.

[azhan00]

how many games left ?

CL - 4
League - 5

[zirgoz]

please rafa let him play behind torres, with gerrard on the right, alonso mascherano in the middle, babel on the left, and dont play too many long balls to crouch. this formation will rock!

[LiverpoolMadman]

He played well on the last match ... more positive (try take the defend when he have the ball ) than neg. If he continue plays like that ... I'm sure he will be in Liverpool next season.