Liverpool FC Forum

[TheoRacle]

Tbh when your team enjoys an average of more than 55% posession and has 14 shots each game any decent striker should be embarrased not to get well into double figures in a season!  I'm still to be convinced though, that dollar for dollar we've got the best return on 7 million quid that we could have.

Don't get me wrong, I think Crouch is definately a good player but we've seen this season that we are definately missing a player who can convert chances more often. Crouch's strike rate (based on stats for all comps up to and including to Dec 18 courtesy of ESPN Soccernet) is 3 goals from 41 shots. The much maligned Cisse has 13 goals from 38 shots (and I am not particularly a fan of Cisse either), Henry has 13 from 54, Drogba 10 from 41, Owen 12 from 17 and for fans of Yakubu he has 11 from 29.  The claim is that Crouch offers more than just goal scoring but I don't see a proportionately high number of assists from him either.  Yes he has shown some great touch and laid off a few good balls that have resulted in goals but Liverpool fans are hard to please - we expect nothing less upfront.

At the end of the day, Crouch and his fellow strikers have some big boots to fill (yes I know - he does actually have very big feet but you get the gist!). As long as we're scoring a couple of goals each game we have the luxury of saying "Wow, what a great game Peter had, a couple of nice touches, he made a great chance for Stevie and wasn't he unlucky not score from one of the 4 chances of his own?'  But if the goals from midfield dry up for a week or two we'll all be saying where are our strikers again.

[A.B.]

He's scored 5 goals in 6 games after a long drought. I can see him going on to score more goals now. Aside from the goals, he's made an obvious impact on the team. He's made the important flick ons and such to other players that have made a difference when we attack.

[Espionage]

I was one of the few that was not dissapointed when i heard that Rafa was looking at Crouch as a possible target, i was actually exited. I could not be happier for Crouch..... Glad to see him forcing some own goals !!

[TheoRacle]

Ahh thanks A.B. I couldn't figure out what the fifth goal was. ESPN show three plus an OG against the barcodes (obviously Crouch's by the way). It seems ESPN havent yet changed the OG against Wiigan to show as PC's so my stats above should read 4 goals from 41 shots up to and incl Dec 18th.

I still stand by comments however -  I don't think PC has given us anything demonstrably different or better than I would have expected from any decent centre forward.  For example, an in form Morientes arguably can and has shown all of the technique, intelligence and ability to play the role Crouch is now fulfilling.   

I too would like to think that Crouch's goal drought is now well and truly broken but I still can't see him getting close to 20 goals a season in the EPL and my point is that with the service and strength of posession we have, if we had a striker that could convert 25% or more of all chances no one could say we are not the complete team.

[66-1112520797]

You know I was just thinking this myself the other day, seven million for Crouchie could turn out to be a bargain. I said at the begining Crouch would of been worth closer to 3-4 million and was pretty sceptical about us signing him, but who can honestly say they wasnt ?
Anyway he's a red now and is showing why he is so effective, but as BigMick said strikers are there to primairily score goals and will get judged on that alone.
Maybe with some more clinical finishing and selfisness infront of goal he will add to his goal tally, but at the end of the day I do think we have got a good deal in signing Crouch.

Here is another question though, would this thread have been started if Liverpool were in such form ?
I bet Crouch would have come under heavy critisism if Liverpool were not getting the results and struggling to keep pace with the top six or seven. I myself would of probably whinged during a "crisis" that Crouch isnt scoring and laid blame on him.
Dont get me wrong I think he is a good allround footballer and definately brings a bit of difference to the team , and I like him.
But it is probably to early and Mick has been clever asking this while we are on such a rich vain of form and the fans are all feeling positive.

[GOAT]

yes i was one who heavily criticised rafa for signing crouch at the start of the season but he has proved me wrong and has become a key member of the first 11

[Red @ Heart]

When i first heard that liverpool were going to sign Peter Crouch i thoight WTF is Rafa doing buying that usless piece of garbage and to top it off it was going to cost Liverpool £7mil, TBH before Liverpool even thought of buying Crouch i didnt take much notice of him because i just thought cos he played for southampton and only seemed to score from the spot that he was not a talented player, I even posted on this foeum before how i felt about Liverpool buying him, AND boy was i wrong Peter Crouch has got to be one of the best signings in the premiership, To be a good player, a talented player you have got to play with good talented players around you, Crouch didnt have that at southampton so he couldnt show properly what he was capable of, Ok i know he is no Ronaldo Or Rooney but IMO he has good control (for a lanky person) he is very very aware of whats around him and plays a damn good ball into positions where a team mate can capitlise from, also i find that Crouch is very good in the air and is very unselfish, He will score more goals, he is still learning the game and can only get better I am very pleased of what Peter Crouch has to offer for Liverpool Footbal Club, IMHO opinion and just like what some one else said in this thread We  got Crouch and £7mil was well spent.  I hope that some of you will agree with me.

[Lionheart]

In all honesty Crouch has grown out of sight to what he was when he first came to LFC. So you can't honestly make a comparrison now to what he was when he came here, because it's not the same player.

I doubted his ability to shine here but this was based on my own knowledge of him as a Southampton player. At THAT level he wasn't going to amount to much. But I also doubted that he would have the ability to grow and adapt to the Rafa and LFC style of play. On that I was wrong.

Crouchy has developed into a player that is unrecognisable from what he was last season. Rafa obviously saw something in the lad and I suppose that is why he is manager of LFC and no of us are. I can live with that!!! 

I pray that Crouch will continue to grow and learn.

[hobbes]

I know I said Crouch isn't the striker we should get. True. I did say. He does nothing to score.

People change. Crouch was lousy and now he is improving. He has more confident now. He boss around the forward area.

Nevertheless he is a supporting striker who will score (occasionally).

So I have no worries for him for now. (Especially after witnessing Crouch strenght when he just by a simple push manage to topple Bower down in a summersault manner. )


My worries now is Morientes. Ciise couldnt score in 10 minutes- 15  minutes time he is palyed. Find. But Morientes plays a full 70 - 80 minutes yet doesnt score. Truly, lately, I find Morientes is playing in full force. He even comes and defend. Good. But he could not head the ball in the net. He could not nick a goal. Why. ? A bad spell? Is he experiencing what Crouch had?

I would rather pair Sinama Ponggole/ Ciise with Crouch. Probably this will give the strikers the urge to compete for the place.

[MilitiaRusher]

My worries now is Morientes. Ciise couldnt score in 10 minutes- 15  minutes time he is palyed. Find. But Morientes plays a full 70 - 80 minutes yet doesnt score. Truly, lately, I find Morientes is playing in full force. He even comes and defend. Good. But he could not head the ball in the net. He could not nick a goal. Why. ? A bad spell? Is he experiencing what Crouch had?

Did you happen to miss the Boro game?

[redmikey]

There are not many LFC fans out there who didn't think WTF

I think crouch loves the support he got from the fans it was great to see him give bowyer a lesson it shows the whole team are together

Once again Rafa has given a understimate player confidents to show what they can do in a system that suits them.  Nando looks a different player he always had class but didn't look like he could cope with the pace of the EPL.

If owen comes back . when cissie goes he would have to fight to get in the team .

Dose anyone know if the buy out clause is real?? or just pub rumour??

Even  though i wanted cissie after watchin the french footy and yesterday he seemed to have a first touch and the lad loves playing for the reds Rafa has already decided he is off IMO

[bigmick]

Tbh when your team enjoys an average of more than 55% posession and has 14 shots each game any decent striker should be embarrased not to get well into double figures in a season!  I'm still to be convinced though, that dollar for dollar we've got the best return on 7 million quid that we could have.

Don't get me wrong, I think Crouch is definately a good player but we've seen this season that we are definately missing a player who can convert chances more often. Crouch's strike rate (based on stats for all comps up to and including to Dec 18 courtesy of ESPN Soccernet) is 3 goals from 41 shots. The much maligned Cisse has 13 goals from 38 shots (and I am not particularly a fan of Cisse either), Henry has 13 from 54, Drogba 10 from 41, Owen 12 from 17 and for fans of Yakubu he has 11 from 29.  The claim is that Crouch offers more than just goal scoring but I don't see a proportionately high number of assists from him either.  Yes he has shown some great touch and laid off a few good balls that have resulted in goals but Liverpool fans are hard to please - we expect nothing less upfront.

At the end of the day, Crouch and his fellow strikers have some big boots to fill (yes I know - he does actually have very big feet but you get the gist!). As long as we're scoring a couple of goals each game we have the luxury of saying "Wow, what a great game Peter had, a couple of nice touches, he made a great chance for Stevie and wasn't he unl y not score from one of the 4 chances of his own?'  But if the goals from midfield dry up for a week or two we'll all be saying where are our strikers again.

Oracle you are without question one of the most interesting posters on the forum with all your stats and I really enjoy reading your insights. Wouldn't it be fair to say though, that if I played upfront for Liverpool complete with snail-like pace, beer belly and nightbefore curry erse, I wouldn't get many scoring opportunities or indeed shots. Infact, the only opportunity I'd get to score a goal would be from a set-piece. Not from a header you understand, but from a scramble after it had hit someones knee, rolled between another blokes legs and found its way to me, standing unmarked two years out. Now I'll let you into a secret here, I don't miss from there so my stats would be 100% in terms of shots to goal ratio. Get me in the team Rafa, that's what I say 

Sorry mate, in no way do I mean to take the p!ss I genuinely do enjoy reading your stuff.

[Gareth G]

I'm happy with what I said because I backed the move from the start. I always knew the Crouch was a decent player, but I didn't realise he was that good il Southampton beat us 2 - 0 at St. Marys last year and we just couldn't cope with him. However I was still shocked when we went for him but still backed the managers decision as I knew what he had.

[Owzat]

Tbh when your team enjoys an average of more than 55% posession and has 14 shots each game any decent striker should be embarrased not to get well into double figures in a season!  I'm still to be convinced though, that dollar for dollar we've got the best return on 7 million quid that we could have.

Don't get me wrong, I think Crouch is definately a good player but we've seen this season that we are definately missing a player who can convert chances more often. Crouch's strike rate (based on stats for all comps up to and including to Dec 18 courtesy of ESPN Soccernet) is 3 goals from 41 shots. The much maligned Cisse has 13 goals from 38 shots (and I am not particularly a fan of Cisse either), Henry has 13 from 54, Drogba 10 from 41, Owen 12 from 17 and for fans of Yakubu he has 11 from 29.  The claim is that Crouch offers more than just goal scoring but I don't see a proportionately high number of assists from him either.  Yes he has shown some great touch and laid off a few good balls that have resulted in goals but Liverpool fans are hard to please - we expect nothing less upfront.

At the end of the day, Crouch and his fellow strikers have some big boots to fill (yes I know - he does actually have very big feet but you get the gist!). As long as we're scoring a couple of goals each game we have the luxury of saying "Wow, what a great game Peter had, a couple of nice touches, he made a great chance for Stevie and wasn't he unl y not score from one of the 4 chances of his own?'  But if the goals from midfield dry up for a week or two we'll all be saying where are our strikers again.

I have to agree, Crouch may have good touches and play some good passes but for a striker over £5m you expect a better goals return. I think a few are getting carried away with his sudden run of goals having said they don't matter, two against Saprissa plus a couple of dubious ones hardly co s as prolific. And the fact remains our defence is keeping us right up there, 22 goals in 16 games simply isn't good enough overall

And before I get slagged off for not jumping on the Crouch bandwagon I've never said he is a player I just think the pro-Crouch fans are way too willing to give him credit for breathing and when someone only ever looks at the positives you question whether they are looking at it from an objective viewpoint

[DAV]

I was not happy when we signed him
7million was far to much in my opinion
he is improving
but as of yet, hasn't proved to me that it was money well spent.
But things change and i hope i'm proven wrong