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by **account deleted by request** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 4:46 pm

Toon confirm Crouch interest
By Graeme Bailey - Created on 12 Dec 2006

Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder has confirmed his interest in Liverpool's Peter Crouch.

The England striker looks to be losing his battle with Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy for a starting role as Rafa Benitez edges away from his rotation policy.

Roeder looks set to invest heavily in the January transfer window and a new striker is believed to be on his list of targets.

Crouch has been linked with a possible switch to St James' Park and now Roeder has admitted he is an admirer of the 25-year-old.

"I am an admirer of the way Peter Crouch plays and the fact is that he also scores goals," said Roeder, who is also believed to be keeping tabs on Mark Viduka.

The Middlesbrough striker was the subject of a bid from Newcastle in August and Roeder could look to try and prise him away from Teesside once again.

Roeder was also linked with weekend moves for a host of defenders including former Newcastle stars Jonathan Woodgate and Sylvain Distin, and Fulham's Zat Knight.

However, the Magpies supremo was quick to play down an interest in those three.

"I am not interested in bringing Jonathan Woodgate, Sylvain Distin or Zat Knight to Newcastle United," he told The Evening Chronicle.

Crouch seems to be struggling to get a starting place and if we do get the investment maybe we could go for a bigger name (not player

), but he has scored a lot of goals this year and was a very important player for us last season. What do you think, sell for £10million ? or keep him no matter what?

I can't believe how fast he seems to have dropped in Rafa's thinking, in a couple of months hes gone from England star to bench warmer. I must admit £10million would tempt me (but only if we have the investment to buy better).

by **stmichael** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 4:58 pm

s@int wrote:Toon confirm Crouch interest
By Graeme Bailey - Created on 12 Dec 2006

Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder has confirmed his interest in Liverpool's Peter Crouch.

The England striker looks to be losing his battle with Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy for a starting role as Rafa Benitez edges away from his rotation policy.

Roeder looks set to invest heavily in the January transfer window and a new striker is believed to be on his list of targets.

Crouch has been linked with a possible switch to St James' Park and now Roeder has admitted he is an admirer of the 25-year-old.

"I am an admirer of the way Peter Crouch plays and the fact is that he also scores goals," said Roeder, who is also believed to be keeping tabs on Mark Viduka.

The Middlesbrough striker was the subject of a bid from Newcastle in August and Roeder could look to try and prise him away from Teesside once again.

Roeder was also linked with weekend moves for a host of defenders including former Newcastle stars Jonathan Woodgate and Sylvain Distin, and Fulham's Zat Knight.

However, the Magpies supremo was quick to play down an interest in those three.

"I am not interested in bringing Jonathan Woodgate, Sylvain Distin or Zat Knight to Newcastle United," he told The Evening Chronicle.

Crouch seems to be struggling to get a starting place and if we do get the investment maybe we could go for a bigger name (not player ), but he has scored a lot of goals this year and was a very important player for us last season. What do you think, sell for £10million ? or keep him no matter what?

I can't believe how fast he seems to have dropped in Rafa's thinking, in a couple of months hes gone from England star to bench warmer. I must admit £10million would tempt me (but only if we have the investment to buy better).

newcastle crack me up. what a joke.

by **Igor Zidane** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:01 pm

That's a difficult one that saint, like yourself i think i'd only sell him if we were to get someone better.Plus a £3 million profit wouldn't be bad business.

I'd like to think we'd show him a bit of loyalty tho.

by **stmichael** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:06 pm

"I am an admirer of the way Peter Crouch plays and the fact is that he also scores goals"

no wonder roeder's a premiership manager with brilliant observations like that.

by **Redman in wales** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:24 pm

it would only happen if we had a definate deal done for another striker... if he went and just one of our stikers picked up an injury, we could be in real trouble during a busy march/april.

personally i dont think he will go in january, influx of money or not

by **red37** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 5:51 pm

You do somewhat get the impression that his services are no longer relied upon as often...whereas at one stage he became the sole beacon of hope for a while, where converting chances was concerned. (in my book he deserves to be treated fairly for the monumental strides he's made since joining from Southampton). Since the arrival of Kuyt he does seem to be dropping down the pecking order, albeit gradually. There again ive always thought Crouch is following the path i guessed he eventually would..ie more than useful in certain games when the onus becomes laden with a more direct way of cracking the code infront of a stubborn defence. Rather than an overused novelty, which sounds unfair but isnt meant to. If he isnt happy to be a squad man, whch unsurprisingly most of us would accept him to remain (for all the lads heroics and vital goals) then i say its equally prudent to allow his departure for consistant first team football as opposed to engendering resentment in the ranks. (Should he of course actually want to go, and this rumour have any meat on it). I sincerely hope that doesnt transpire...Crouch is to me, a worthwhile member of any competitive squad that regards flexibility and variety of play encouraging a reassuring element of 'awkwardness' into its attack, as a highly profitable tactic the opposition have to find a solution for by resistance against it and changing their own gameplan as a result. Any manager will hold that weapon with high esteem, in a League where the slightest advantage is worth its weight in Gold. Quite simply he's a major headache for any defence as we've witnessed many times... But overdoing it becomes rote and stagnation will set in ultimately. Maybe Peter is aware of the alarm bells all too well, after all this is what, his 6th club that he's played for the first team in a relatively short career to date, after leaving Tottenhams youth in 2000. Six clubs in as many years tells some tale of significance....Perhaps at the end of the day the fella is just too 'nice' to be the 'beast' Rafa needs him to be. It'll be a shame if he leaves, i like the fact that we have many 'options' creating anxiety for the opposition in allowing the masterplan to bear fruit. Just as a side bet, i suspect the manager wants to hang on to his services too..... we'll see.

by **Bad Bob** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:08 pm

Expect Rafa to pour cold water on this one sharpish. Crouch has worked hard to achieve at this level (which, let's face it, is several cuts above Newcastle at the moment) and he's still a vital part of the squad. The fact that he's getting fewer starts is no slight against the big man...it simply indicates that we have much more actual depth up top (rather than mere depth on paper) than we had last season. There will still be many games where Crouch will be the key to unsettling the defence and setting up chances. He brings something that our other strikers can't and that makes him valuable. Plus, he has the right balance of hunger and discipline: he's the kind of player that can sit on the bench for a stretch of games without spitting out his dummy, yet, when he comes on, he'll be fired up to show Rafa what a mistake it is to leave him out of the side. I think the barcodes will need to explore other options next month...our big man's staying put! :nod

by **red37** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:19 pm

Bad Bob wrote:Expect Rafa to pour cold water on this one sharpish. Crouch has worked hard to achieve at this level (which, let's face it, is several cuts above Newcastle at the moment) and he's still a vital part of the squad. The fact that he's getting fewer starts is no slight against the big man...it simply indicates that we have much more actual depth up top (rather than mere depth on paper) than we had last season. There will still be many games where Crouch will be the key to unsettling the defence and setting up chances. He brings something that our other strikers can't and that makes him valuable. Plus, he has the right balance of hunger and discipline: he's the kind of player that can sit on the bench for a stretch of games without spitting out his dummy, yet, when he comes on, he'll be fired up to show Rafa what a mistake it is to leave him out of the side. I think the barcodes will need to explore other options next month...our big man's staying put!

Bob - the master of condensing and decoding all the waffle that others try to get across, in half the amount of text! :;):

fully concur with you buddy.

by **Ciggy** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:23 pm

Typical Newcastle, desprate for defenders but hey lets go out and buy more strikers why not

by **red37** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:28 pm

Ciggy wrote:Typical Newcastle, desprate for defenders but hey lets go out and buy more strikers why not

was gonna say..knowing fat freddy - he'll shell out top dollar for anyone! wonder if he's heard about Diao's prowess up front

by **Bad Bob** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:40 pm

red37 wrote:But overdoing it becomes rote and stagnation will set in ultimately. Maybe Peter is aware of the alarm bells all too well, after all this is what, his 6th club that he's played for the first team in a relatively short career to date, after leaving Tottenhams youth in 2000. Six clubs in as many years tells some tale of significance....Perhaps at the end of the day the fella is just too 'nice' to be the 'beast' Rafa needs him to be. It'll be a shame if he leaves, i like the fact that we have many 'options' creating anxiety for the opposition in allowing the masterplan to bear fruit. Just as a side bet, i suspect the manager wants to hang on to his services too..... we'll see.

Good analysis, Red and your last bit has raised a couple of key points. First, I think you're right in suggesting there is a danger with Crouch that things will become a little one-note in attack. Once a competent defence sorts out how to deal with him, his impact can become diluted. More significantly, our players can get a little complacent with him leading the line--lumping speculative balls up to him rather than playing pass-and-move football on the deck. In either case, I think Crouch is most useful when used strategically and somewhat sparingly.

As for 'unleashing the beast', I've been impressed with Crouch's determination this season. He seems hungrier to mix it up a bit. it seems like his performances in the last calendar year--for club and country--have convinced him that he belongs at this level and now he seems prepared to fight for his place. His statements to the press about Rafa's rotation policy this fall, while always respectful, showed the right amount of muted annoyance IMO, which is exactly the hunger you want from players at this level. Last fall, I think Crouch would have been happy simply to be on the bench at Liverpool and now he's not--to me, that speaks volumes about how he's made the step up to this level, both on the pitch and in his mentality. A great example of both was the Galatasaray home game. He'd been in a rich vein of form yet Rafa kept dropping him. So, he gets a start against the Turks and, from the off, he was a handful. Both of his goals were beauties that symbolized a lad playing with, not only a lot of confidence, but also with a bit of a chip on his shoulder and something to prove.

Like Robbie, Crouch is a model professional who's placid exterior smoothes over, but doesn't quite mask, the intense competitor dwelling within. Both Fowler and Crouch will say all the correct things to the press but, when they get their chance, don't doubt for a minute that they intend to send Rafa a strong message about his selection policies. This is exactly what you want from your 3rd and 4th strikers...players with integrity, pride and competitive spirit who will push those above them in the pecking order every step of the way.

by **Bad Bob** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:41 pm

Ciggy wrote:Typical Newcastle, desprate for defenders but hey lets go out and buy more strikers why not

Maybe they think they can convert Crouch into a Hyypia-esque centreback, Ciggs! He's gotta be better than Titus Bramble, right? :laugh:

by **red37** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:00 pm

Superlative read, as per usual mate. its a pity its wasted in a rumour thread....but then i suppose there is such a thing as overkill. What else is left to say about the fella......lets just hope it is all bluff and gusto. The squad is a better place all round with as much (effective) variation as possible in it, for my money.

by **Smeg** » Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:38 pm

We'd be crazy not to take 10m if we get offered it.

by **mattylfc** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:43 pm

Cant see Crouchie leaving anytime soon. Couldnt have done too much more to prove his worth within the squad.

Not surprised that Newcastle want him, he would be an asset to any team. Agree with Bad Bob and Red37's comments, Rafa will move quickly to rubbish these rumours.

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