Liverpool FC Forum

[Rafa D]

Newcastle have declared their interest in Peter Crouch. Our Big Man seems to be attracting the attention of the most laughable team in the league.

  Peter has not got much game time recently and when I first heard this I thought, typical tabloid bullshit, Crouchies not playing so there jumping on it. However I then read this article:

Newcastle Confirm Interest

   I believe Rafa would not even contemplate letting the Big Man go. Peter Crouch has come on leaps and bounds in his 18 months that he has been at Anfield. He is now a integral part of our squad. When we first heard Rafa had signed him many fans were shell shocked, however after his very first game at Anfield, the fans knew we had something special.

You will never see Crouchie sprint through beating the offside trap and slotting one in the top corner, however what he is good at, he is very good at. His hold up play in up there with the best of them, his technique - not just for a big man!! - is world class and although he is not pretty, he is very very effective at what he does. When Crouchie occupies a position up front, in my opinion, we see a lot more of Steven Gerrard. Whenever Crouchie plays he holds the ball up a lot better than our other strikers, and this gives Gerrard time to bomb forward and get in the thick of the action. Just look out for it next time there both playing. Maybe Gerrards drop in form has something to do with Crouchies omission?

  He has earned himkself folk law status on the Kop because of his work ethic and his abilities. I for one would be unhappy to see Crouch move on and I suggest many other Liverpool fans would. I would not worry about this too much though. Rafa knows how valuable he is to his team, he was a signing that Rafa pursued vigourously over the summer of 2005 and I think he is very happy with what Peter has done so far. He is learning all the time and seems quite happy to play hard and train hard for his place in the team, The Liverpool Mentality.

I don't think Peter would want to go and Rafa certainly would not sell him.

[tubby]

I think once the money starts rolling in Rafa will get strict and there wont be many fringe players. I like Crouchy but im yet to see him perform against the big teams.

[hello_red]

just wandering how much is crouch worth now after what he has achieved over the last 18 months with liverpool fc?

i like the player, just wanna know if we would make any decent profit if he was too go.

[Bad Bob]

I think once the money starts rolling in Rafa will get strict and there wont be many fringe players. I like Crouchy but im yet to see him perform against the big teams.

To be fair, he did score the goals that got us by: 1) the Mancs in last year's FA Cup and 2) Chelsea in the Charity Shield.  I think he can have an impact in the big games, provided he gets the service from midfield.

[RedBlood]

for me crouch is a good player, but he is a plan-b type player an impact player. he's useful to the squad so should not be sold but we shouldnt build our attack around him

[Rafa D]

What did everyone think of Peter Crouch's performance yesterday against Arsenal?

He has not played for a while because of his broken nose but I was very impressed with his work rate, fitness and general play. His hatrick went down a treat also!

He started very brightly and done well to get in front of two of the quickest defenders in the Premiership in Toure and Gallas for his first goal. His second was what every fan has been waiting for - Peter Crouch scoring a proper header. His timing was perfect, his jump excellent and the direction and power of his header was something I was starting to feel we would never see. I hope that he starts to get his head onto a few more crosses like that we could soon see Peter making himself our first choice striker. His 3rd was brilliant as well, he took in down, controlled it well and the finish was spot on.

  His season has been stop-start this year. Rafa bizzarely was rotating him when he was in his richest vein of form and he has put a serious shout in for starting against PSV on Tuesday. He has been the source of some speculation for most of the season with Tottenham and Newcastle being banded around as his destination, but I would be a little disapointed if we lost Peter this season. I think he can offer us a lot and is a important member of the squad.

[account deleted by request]

I think Crouch has fkd everything up now. How the hell can Benitez go to Gilette and Hicks asking for money for a great striker now? They will just say "you have peter what more do you need"

[crossy11]

If he scores the goals, then how can he get dropped really. Some people say he's awful, but if he is scoring, that is what strikers are for!

[Bad Bob]

The bottom line is that Crouch is a good footballer.  He has prodigious skill in lots of different areas, he brings teammates into play well and he works very hard.  As yesterday showed, he can also have an eye for goal and a poacher's instinct on his day.  People who have been saying how much the press would be creaming today if that hat-trick were scored by Rooney are spot on--three absolutely sublime goals against a very strong defense after a significant injury lay-off and still he doesn't get the credit he deserves?

Crouch as a key part of the squad and getting rid of him would be folly.  Nonetheless, I still would like us to bring in a top striker this summer.  There's nowt wrong with strength in depth in all departments of the squad.

[Elchris]

i wish he does it more consistant....itz been the biggest problem this season our strikers are not scoring consistanly....all of our current strikers are capable of doing that

[EddieC]

i wish he does it more consistant....itz been the biggest problem this season our strikers are not scoring consistanly....all of our current strikers are capable of doing that

He's got a ratio of 0.42 goals per game, IMO that's pretty f#cking good for the type of player he is. He's never gonna be a 20+ goal a season striker, we need to buy someone who is, but he's a vital member of the squad for me. I honestly can't name anyone better at holding the ball up & bringing others into the play.

[Rafa D]

i wish he does it more consistant....itz been the biggest problem this season our strikers are not scoring consistanly....all of our current strikers are capable of doing that

I think the rotation has not helped though. Rafa rotated Crouch when he was banging them in left, right and centre. I was puzzled by it then and still cannot think why he done it.

[ivor_the_injun]

No-one's undroppable, but you can't argue with a hat trick against Arsenal. Not many players do that, however poor the Arsenal side on the pitch.

For me, rotating our strikers can only work when you back the players that are in form. That means Crouch starts midweek, and Bellamy and Kuyt need to impress Rafa in training the next couple of days. The next time Crouch has an off day, he's benched, and someone else gets the nod.

The way that Rafa has stuck by Bellamy and Kuyt this season has - for me - been ridiculously unfair to Crouch, who has easily been the pick of the strikers for us since last summer. Strikers at a big club like ours need to feel threatened by the players on the bench, and at times I've felt like Kuyt - for all his graft - has occasionally looked p*ssed off at missing chances, but not as p*ssed off as he'd be if he knew it was costing him a starting spot.

[The_Rock]

Lets just stick with a crouch & bellamy strike force (where possible) until the end of the season. I am sure, this strikeforce will bang in goals left, right and centre.....

This is not a dig at kujt.....but i do think he needs a break. He has worked so hard during our matches.....and now i think its taking its toll on him. Maybe he just needs a break of a few weeks....(look what a couple of weeks rest done for crouch)....

[wrighty (not mark!)]

To the ppl who knocked me for supporting crouch, shuv it up ur a.rse!