Liverpool FC Forum

[account deleted by request]

I just read opta stats for Liverpool for this season on SkySports..... more crosses than any other Prem team.....only 6 headers scored! I know Crouch knocks a few down for other people but with over 800 crosses we can only score 6 headers ffs and we have one of tallest squads in prem. I think he will be a great squad player and also for some away games but we NEED better first team strikers. For a tall player (very tall) he cant head very well and can't jump. Maybe thats why the seven dwarves are so popular as possible signings ie SWP,Bellamy,Owen,Defoe,Saviola,Pennant and Simao

[Good Bob]

as one of the few on here who championed the signing of this guy in the first place, i just wandered how you reflect on peter crouch's first year at lfc? as far as i'm concerned he was never brought in to be our first choice striker but the way things have worked out, he's found himself playing on a more regular basis than most would have predicted.

so it's quite simple.

1. looking back, do you still think we over-paid for him in the first place?

2. did you have every faith that he would come through his initial goal drought at the start of the season?

3. what areas of his game do you still think he can improve?

4. how many goals can he realistically expect to score next season, assuming we are bringing in gonzalez and a right winger?

5. crouch for england now. starter or plan b?


having not been utilised correctly in the beginning (he's never a lone striker) i think we should be pleased. anybody can see that he's now an important part of our team and we struggle to hold onto possession in the final third when he's not playing. with a quick lethal striker alongside him next season i think we'll see the best of the lad.

Thoughts?

1. Yes i do. Ashton moved for 7million which is about right. He's a class act. Crouch is a DECENT player who realistically we should have paid no more than 5million for. However, whats done is done.

2. Of course. All strikers have droughts. He was playing well though and helping us control games and keep the ball making us very difficult to play against. He will never be consistently prolific.

3. I think he's as good as he'll ever be. He should score a few more goals. Around the 16 mark in all comps and possibly gain a bit more consistency. But apart from that i think we're seeing all we'll ever see from him.

4. Roughly around 14-17. I'd be suprised if he scored more than that.

5. Crouch shouldn't be near the England team. There are better english strikers than him. Owen, Rooney, Ashton, Fowler and Defoe to name five.

We shouldn't have signed Crouch. I stand be my comments over the last 5 years that Ashton was the man for us and we missed the boat big time. He was the best player on the pitch while he was there in the cup final and barring in mind he was against Hyypia and Carragher rather than Ferdinand and Gabbidon that says something about the class difference in my opinion.

However, now that he's here i guess we'll have to live with it. He's not a bad player and does contribute. It just annoys me that far far better (different class) was out there for the same money and we missed it.

[Good Bob]

I hope he isnt the first name on the team sheet of every game next season, he should be used sparingly or when we play 5-4-1.
Ok him Morientes and Cisse have a lot of pressure on their shoulders because Liverpool is known for it to have excellent goal scoring fowards Fowler doesnt have to worry or prove anything.

But Barnes, Rush, Fowler, Owen, Dalglish and now Peter Crouch, I know he offers something different and he can change a game, but I think we need to buy two strikers in the summer if we are to challenge Chelsea, I like the lad as a person im not slating him but I would prefer to see someone else thats going to get us atleast 20 goals a season upfront and not depend on Gerrard getting us vital goals at vital times, it has to be the teams responsibilty and not just the captains.

Riise said after the game I knew we would'nt lose cause we had Gerrard on the pitch and he would get them out of the sh.it sort of thing.
This is not the attitude we want Rafa must have gone off his head infact he will still be fuming now.
He wants perfection, the teams been playing great even when Gerrard hasnt played, but lets not go back to how things have been the last few years by depending on the best player in the world .

Gerrard is nowhere near the best player in the world.

[66-1112520797]

Gerrard is nowhere near the best player in the world.

As you can see I found that statement quite funny Stu, knowhere near the best. FFS NOWHERE !

Wrong choice of words mate .

[anfieldadorer]

as one of the few on here who championed the signing of this guy in the first place, i just wandered how you reflect on peter crouch's first year at lfc? as far as i'm concerned he was never brought in to be our first choice striker but the way things have worked out, he's found himself playing on a more regular basis than most would have predicted.

so it's quite simple.

having not been utilised correctly in the beginning (he's never a lone striker) i think we should be pleased. anybody can see that he's now an important part of our team and we struggle to hold onto possession in the final third when he's not playing. with a quick lethal striker alongside him next season i think we'll see the best of the lad.

Thoughts?

give us "owen of year 2001" (not necessarily meaning i want owen back) and i would change my avatar with the current team

not necessarily based on stats, it's a bit sad but true that our most capable scorer is currently laid in the captain who is not a striker, and i dare to say, assuming cisse is leaving, the next season's most prolific forward (gerrard excluded of course) will be claimed by robbie (unless we are to land a top class striker). our strikers should shoulder the biggest responsibility of us finishing third with only one point adrifted from the second.

crouch arrival was planned to particularly fill the vacant area of scoring opportunities being evacuated by the other main strikers who are less capable to, that is in the air. If the maximum rate of a perfect striker were 10 (nostriker's perfect) then our main striker should be expected to make somewhere around 7-8 out of it. then crouch is expected to fill somewhere around the remaining 2-3 through his exclusive aerial capability (and also a bit part out of the 7-8)

So, IMO, crouch arrival is quite a strategic measure from rafa to increase goal probability -which he is not being optimally there yet and i think rafa has already prepared that he's no our past owen or fowler, probably not even cisse or baros. However he has a capability where the other strikers are lack of.



1. looking back, do you still think we over-paid for him in the first place?
sort of over, i would rate him for around 5M

2. did you have every faith that he would come through his initial goal drought at the start of the season?
he will, but he's none at 'man of 22 goals pr season'

3. what areas of his game do you still think he can improve?
he should be making the best at his most expected natural talent (that other strikers are lack of), that is in the air


4. how many goals can he realistically expect to score next season, assuming we are bringing in gonzalez and a right winger?
i would be quite happy if he can reach around 15 goals (EPL only)


5. crouch for england now. starter or plan b?
absolutely plan B if all current main strikers were fine

[anfieldadorer]

I hope he isnt the first name on the team sheet of every game next season, he should be used sparingly or when we play 5-4-1.
Ok him Morientes and Cisse have a lot of pressure on their shoulders because Liverpool is known for it to have excellent goal scoring fowards Fowler doesnt have to worry or prove anything.

But Barnes, Rush, Fowler, Owen, Dalglish and now Peter Crouch, I know he offers something different and he can change a game, but I think we need to buy two strikers in the summer if we are to challenge Chelsea, I like the lad as a person im not slating him but I would prefer to see someone else thats going to get us atleast 20 goals a season upfront and not depend on Gerrard getting us vital goals at vital times, it has to be the teams responsibilty and not just the captains.

Riise said after the game I knew we would'nt lose cause we had Gerrard on the pitch and he would get them out of the sh.it sort of thing.
This is not the attitude we want Rafa must have gone off his head infact he will still be fuming now.
He wants perfection, the teams been playing great even when Gerrard hasnt played, but lets not go back to how things have been the last few years by depending on the best player in the world .

Gerrard is nowhere near the best player in the world.

should be included in thread "misquotes of the season"

[onizukaeikichi]

IMO he did well for us this season but one thing i would like to see him improve is his header, most of the itme his headers to goals are soft or misstargeted, inject more pace and accurancy into it will earn us more goals next saeson!

[tubby]

as one of the few on here who championed the signing of this guy in the first place, i just wandered how you reflect on peter crouch's first year at lfc? as far as i'm concerned he was never brought in to be our first choice striker but the way things have worked out, he's found himself playing on a more regular basis than most would have predicted.

so it's quite simple.

1. looking back, do you still think we over-paid for him in the first place?

2. did you have every faith that he would come through his initial goal drought at the start of the season?

3. what areas of his game do you still think he can improve?

4. how many goals can he realistically expect to score next season, assuming we are bringing in gonzalez and a right winger?

5. crouch for england now. starter or plan b?


having not been utilised correctly in the beginning (he's never a lone striker) i think we should be pleased. anybody can see that he's now an important part of our team and we struggle to hold onto possession in the final third when he's not playing. with a quick lethal striker alongside him next season i think we'll see the best of the lad.

Thoughts?

Looking back now I dont think we overpaid for hi. A few more goals would have been nice but generally he needs to improved playing against the bigger sides.

I think next years with decent service from the wingers we could possibly see him score more.

I must admist I was as sceptical as most of you at the Prospect of him putting on the Liverpool shirt but he came good in the end.

Whats disgusts me though is hoe he is booed by his own countries fans.

At Liverpool Football Club we know how important the fans are to the team in the way it plays and we all saw against so many teams last year and this, how the fans support can change a game

Well as much as I want to see England win the World Cup, how do they expect the team to feel supported and confident when they dont support the team 100%.

[stmichael]

I think Rafa himself summed it up when he said: "We knew he wasn't the best striker in the world, but he was what we needed"

The way we've played with the players we've had available, he's done a good job, and has contributed to the likes of Gerrard banging them in from midfield. Its not always as easy as using opta stats to look at direct assists etc, but how a player influences the dynamics of the side.

IF Rafa had the cash he'd no doubt buy two world-class forwards but would always have a place for Crouch, and not just when things were going wrong, but to tailor his tactics for a particular threat, to allow us to play higher up the pitch when needs be. When we've been under the kosh this season - Chelsea being the example that springs to mind - who hasn't noticed how much we suffer when he's not there or been taken off? the ball just comes straight back at us again and again.

[48-1119859832]

I just read opta stats for Liverpool for this season on SkySports..... more crosses than any other Prem team.....only 6 headers scored! I know Crouch knocks a few down for other people but with over 800 crosses we can only score 6 headers ffs and we have one of tallest squads in prem. I think he will be a great squad player and also for some away games but we NEED better first team strikers. For a tall player (very tall) he cant head very well and can't jump. Maybe thats why the seven dwarves are so popular as possible signings ie SWP,Bellamy,Owen,Defoe,Saviola,Pennant and Simao

Crouch doesn't place his headers into the corners of the goal, he nods them str8 at the keeper, Morientes headers never found the back of the net.

BTW! Do these include the nod downs that Crouch has had to do due to him being a target man? Or are these headers on goal?

[tubby]

I just read opta stats for Liverpool for this season on SkySports..... more crosses than any other Prem team.....only 6 headers scored! I know Crouch knocks a few down for other people but with over 800 crosses we can only score 6 headers ffs and we have one of tallest squads in prem. I think he will be a great squad player and also for some away games but we NEED better first team strikers. For a tall player (very tall) he cant head very well and can't jump. Maybe thats why the seven dwarves are so popular as possible signings ie SWP,Bellamy,Owen,Defoe,Saviola,Pennant and Simao

Crouch doesn't place his headers into the corners of the goal, he nods them str8 at the keeper, Morientes headers never found the back of the net.

BTW! Do these include the nod downs that Crouch has had to do due to him being a target man? Or are these headers on goal?

It is a mystery why someone of his size cant bury headers on a regular basis but I guess thats just not his strengh. Hopefully Rafa can work on this in training and improved aspects of his game further.

[Speedy Gonzalez]

I think Rafa himself summed it up when he said: "We knew he wasn't the best striker in the world, but he was what we needed"

You think Rafa summed it up?

If he wasn't the best striker in the world then why was he what we needed?

Major Contradiction by Rafa.

We can't keep relying on Steven Gerrard to BAng them in time and again,and the strikers at LFC have to take responsibility.

I'm sorry but being 6ft 7ins is no advantage for Crouch.

He is useless in the air, which has been proven this season, as he cant get his head on crosses and when he does, no power or direction in his heading. COnsidering he is as tall as he is, he struggles to win headers. ALso, he is not very quick to get to balls played behind defenders etc. he's very slow.

is only attribute is getting the ball to feet, and laying it off.

Not good enough, and he doesnt offer much we never had in Heskey and Cisse.
He needs to do more.

Im sorry, but if you guys think this guy is a superstar, then ou need to take off your beer goggles.

[account deleted by request]

I dont think Crouch is a superstar but I do believe he has played an important role for Liverpool this season. Like many have said before, if we get the right strikers in I dont believe he will play as often next season.I agree that his heading ability is poor for someone of his height but hopefully this can be worked on. As for his price, yes we paid slightly over the odds but compared to Drogba or Cisse he was a bargain. Personally I think he needs to put some muscle on so he doesnt get pushed all over the place as he was in the final. I dont think he is going to be a part of the next great Liverpool team but I believe he will help us get there.

[48-1119859832]

I dont think he is going to be a part of the next great Liverpool team but I believe he will help us get there.

I disagree with that statement greatly. I think he is already part of the great new team which is still in progress. Rafa likes to have a target man in his team. He used Carew for that in Valencia because he was tall strong, held the ball up well and chipped in with the odd goal here and there.

Crouch hold the ball up, nods it down for the likes of Fowler, Gerrard & Garcia to run onto, he also chips in with the odd goal here and there. I do however agree that, he (Crouch) doesn't use his height (which is his strength) to full effect, then again it common knowledge that most tall people don't use their height to their advantage.

He needs to work on his physical attributes and needs to work on jumping aswell as placing his headers but I'm confident that as he spends some more time playing in the top league in England with one of the top clubs he will be able to improve his overall game drastically.

I agree £7million was too much for him, but then again which player doesn't get over paid for these days? Rafa wanted a target man and Redknapp wouldn't let him go for less than £7million, so we had no choice but to shell out.

I think £7million will prove to be a bargain in the future and I believe Crouch has many more years left at Anfield.

[Kano]

I dont think he is going to be a part of the next great Liverpool team but I believe he will help us get there.

I disagree with that statement greatly. I think he is already part of the great new team which is still in progress. Rafa likes to have a target man in his team. He used Carew for that in Valencia because he was tall strong, held the ball up well and chipped in with the odd goal here and there.

Crouch hold the ball up, nods it down for the likes of Fowler, Gerrard & Garcia to run onto, he also chips in with the odd goal here and there. I do however agree that, he (Crouch) doesn't use his height (which is his strength) to full effect, then again it common knowledge that most tall people don't use their height to their advantage.

He needs to work on his physical attributes and needs to work on jumping aswell as placing his headers but I'm confident that as he spends some more time playing in the top league in England with one of the top clubs he will be able to improve his overall game drastically.

I agree £7million was too much for him, but then again which player doesn't get over paid for these days? Rafa wanted a target man and Redknapp wouldn't let him go for less than £7million, so we had no choice but to shell out.

I think £7million will prove to be a bargain in the future and I believe Crouch has many more years left at Anfield.

Exactly. If he contributes posativly to results and works his skinny of then we cant complain. The lad has done well after all to break into the England team.

If he was just a bit more accurate with his head and more powerful when running as he as quite good skills for such a tall striker then he could well improve his personal game.