Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 4:40 am**

Whatever Rafa does I will give it a chance. I like his signings so far, not too pricey but good talent. If he likes Crouch, then I'll wait till the end of the year before I make up my mind on whether it was bad.

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:26 am**

charwell wrote:Please I pray to God we don't sign Rodney Trotter, he is absolute garbage. If we do sign him I won't be able to go in my local chippy again, the owner is a Saints fan and is wetting himself at the thought of getting rid and for a fat price! He even says he is a liability. I trust Rafa and stand to be corrected but he has signed a few lemons already but they were fairly cheap mistakes. Now Gerrard isn't going we can't gamble on this one!

quick question - who are the few lemons Rafa has signed?
pellegrino.. and?

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:39 am**

I wouldnt be so quick to call Pello signing a lemon
It was a free transfer and while the league was far too quick for him, i still believe a lot his value came at Melwood
Dunno about Crouch yet again seems like over priced talent maybe Rafa eyeing the future with new UEFA rules about home grown players in the squad though i still rather money spent on a quality defender

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:39 am**

With him around, we'll be very strong with high ball. Nando is very good in the air already. With 2 poles around, we'll be much better. Just cross with high ball, one of our players surely will get it....

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:53 am**

matt74 wrote:imo he would be a good signing (maybe not for more than £5M). He would be just about the only player we've got that you can knock a ball up to and he will hold on to it until support arrives. I would rather have him than Baros who just runs like a headless chicken and doesn't think to pass, that happened far too much last season when it looked like there was only 1 person in the attaking half. If Crouch can hold the ball and lay it off to Garcia or nando running up in support it would add another style of play whenever we need it. Could be very useful in away games in the CL...

why bring baros into this ?

crouch is simply not the type of player we should be looking for. He had a decent season with southampton but have u forgotten about his time with aston villa ?

If we are replacing baros, lets make sure we get someone better than him ......... Not emile heskey version 2005.

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:59 am**

If Rafa wants Crouch that much, that means that the gaffer has something in his mind. Anyway, i trust Rafa.

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:40 am**

Crouch is a decent player. If he was 6ft 2 instead of 6 ft 7 then we probably wouldn't be in for him. That said, the lads on here who describe him as garbage would probably have an entirely different view. Yes he's gangly and ungainly, but he's also got lots of skill and awareness to ally to the obvious difficulty he poses in the air.
Constantly harping back to his days at Villa and Portsmouth implies that it is impossible for players to ever improve. Sometimes guys just get the plot later in their careers (and Crouch is only 24 after all). Teddy Sheringham is a good example of a player who developed from a rough and tumble, up and at 'em hustler at Millwall into the thinking mans striker at Spurs and Manure. Similarly it was hard to imagine the damage Peter Beardsley must have done in his early years at Carlisle when you saw him one step ahead of everyone in a red shirt, an absolutely fantastic player. The reality of course is that he didn't do that much damage, he improved as a player in his later years. Crouch may just be one of these guys. I think Rafa is calling it about right.
Unproven? To an extent he is. Like Defoe was before Spurs signed him from a relegated team for 7 million. Like Cole was signed from the same team for 6 million. Not however like Drogba was, now he was proven and cost 23 million. For unproven read cheap.

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:44 am**

The only thing thats bothering me is the amount, i think he will be a more than useful addition, but to pay Rupert Lowe 7 million would really bother me, that would be a 5 million profit that sneering toff had made within a year on him.

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:58 am**

Personally not my cup of tea, can only imagine he is a different option upfront, a type of Forward we don't already have,

but hey, in Rafa we trust i suppose, you don't win what he has won, by signing 'lemons' (no offence charwell)

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:27 am**

when Raffa was at valencia didnt he play with john carew up front on his own seemed to work well , maybe he has the same idea for lfc in certain games.Carew and Crouch are very similar both big guys and both have a good touch this might just work I am not a fan of crouch but i am prepared to give him a go . obviously raffa thinks it will work so that will do for me

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:32 am**

LFCNUTTER wrote:when Raffa was at valencia didnt he play with john carew up front on his own seemed to work well , maybe he has the same idea for lfc in certain games.Carew and Crouch are very similar both big guys and both have a good touch this might just work I am not a fan of crouch but i am prepared to give him a go . obviously raffa thinks it will work so that will do for me

I totally agree with you but i think that 8 millions is too much for him. I would rather add 2 millions and get Dirk Kuyt.

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:36 am**

Big gamble on both players. Crouch had a good half a season, he was sh*t a Villa. Kuyt is unproven in the PL. Look at Kezman. He was awesome in the Dutch league, but couldn't do it here. Catch 22 time!

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:38 am**

if you look very carefully in the trophy you can see my reflection :;):

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:43 am**

Kezmin would have been a good premiership player it is just another case of chelsea ruining a good player. kezmin if given the chance would have scored goals but a top striker needs confidence something you will never get sitting on the bench.

Posted: **Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:49 am**

barnesrush wrote:crouch has touch, vision, good link up play, decent finishing, proven premiership effectiveness, height adds another dimension, youth, looks!?, and less settling in period in his favour, yet he is still overpriced by a greedy or desperate chairman. 4 mill tops.

COME ON RAFA HOW IS HE WORTH MORE THAN MORO???

And he plays for a team that just got relagated.
Only on the brink of england squad freindlies.

Liverpool FC Forum

Peter crouch - What does rafa see in him?