Liverpool FC Forum

[azriahmad]

Crouch did very well at Southampton last season.

I did not expect him to bang in 20+ goals a season but I do expect him to score at least 10. What has surprised me most is his work ethics - he work his socks off and he has become very effective in creating very decent opportunities for team-mates by his knockdowns. His high work rate fits Rafa's vision of team football to a T. He should have cost us not more than 5 million, but after his difficulties with the pressure of not getting goals, he is playing better and better by the game. Another surprise is his despite his height, he is not that good at headers and can lose quite easily to six foot plus defenders who are shorter than him - perhaps Graham Taylor's assessment that he did not have to develop his heading abilities when he was much younger because of his height.

Any partner would appreciate his contribution and both he and Morrientes worked had to harry opponents when we don't have possession. I can see why Rafa is not so enthusiastic about Owen, a great goalscorer, but not much else.

[115-1073096938]

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

This is people talking rubbish as usual.

First of all, Dean Ashton would have been by far the best option, a big lad with everything. He would thrive in a team like Liverpool. He can score goals, he's fairly quick, got excellent skill, a nice touch, works hard for the team and has good intelligence. For me he'd still be my first choice, also we'd get him at an excellent price.

However, Crouch has done really well. To suggest you are unconvinced because of a lack of goals is an arguement you could maybe get away with if you are ignorant to what he actually brings.

But to question his alround play and what he brings to the side because of a lack of direct assists is simply madness.

Good players are always involved in good things. IE a good full back might carry the ball 20 yards, then make an overlapping dummy run which will open up the space for the player he passes to, to cut inside and play a killer ball.

If you watch teams there best players are usually at the centre of everything. Even if its playing the simple five yard pass that keeps a move alive. They always have some influence. Sometimes that five yard pass might be alot cleverer than a 40 yard diagnol ball. Two goals that spring to mind straight away where Crouch done excellently well was Betis away for Luis Garcia's goal and against Newcastle the other day with his lay off for Steven Gerrard.

Two completely different contributions to completely different types of goals.

Crouch won't score 20 goals a season regularly in my opinion. He's not got ellectric pace, superb power or Zidane like skill, balance and vision. He is however the key word... a FOOTBALLER. Like Bullard, Pennant and Ashton. Footballers.

Players who would do well anywhere. I never once slagged Crouch. I always knew he was a good player and his performances now aren't suprising me. What i did question is if he was the correct player, for me he wouldn't have been. I still believe Ashton would give us more, however Crouchie has been superb in a number of games this season and when he's settled a bit more and the team settles around him a bit more i fully expect him to become a vital member of the TEAM simply because of what he offers.

To all the people out there who scoffed at him, who laugh at my suggestions for Bullard... remember what i said, keyword... FOOTBALLERS.

[115-1073096938]

Crouch did very well at Southampton last season.

I did not expect him to bang in 20+ goals a season but I do expect him to score at least 10. What has surprised me most is his work ethics - he work his socks off and he has become very effective in creating very decent opportunities for team-mates by his knockdowns. His high work rate fits Rafa's vision of team football to a T. He should have cost us not more than 5 million, but after his difficulties with the pressure of not getting goals, he is playing better and better by the game. Another surprise is his despite his height, he is not that good at headers and can lose quite easily to six foot plus defenders who are shorter than him - perhaps Graham Taylor's assessment that he did not have to develop his heading abilities when he was much younger because of his height.

Any partner would appreciate his contribution and both he and Morrientes worked had to harry opponents when we don't have possession. I can see why Rafa is not so enthusiastic about Owen, a great goalscorer, but not much else.

What you've just said stinks of someone who's never saw Michael Owen live.

Owen works hard for the team. He doesn't chase down like an idiot but he's ALWAYS in the right position when the opposition defence has the ball. The other day against Newcastle was an example, Hyypia and Carragher had to go long alot of times because of Owen and Shearer's positioning not allowing them to play the ball around at the back.

Things like this make a difference to patterns of play. Which teams spend most of the week training to co er and perfect.

[drummerphil]

I agree with your Dean Ashton stance.I've been very vocal about him on here from when he was at Crewe.To me he is the one english player in the last couple of years i wanted as a red before anyone else.I've said before he is the new Alan Shearer in waiting and we really  messed up not taking him.I still think any premiership club would get him for around 3 million and would have him over Cisse in my team any day of the week.

[ivor_the_injun]

I'm thrilled with Crouch, and I'm proud to say that I backed him to the hilt from the start. For such a giant, his touch is absolutely phenomenal. You'd think him controlling a football would be like you trying to sign your name with a pen sellotaped to the end of a broom handle, but he really is a class act with the ball on the deck.

For me, he's been so good and so influential on our play that he's streets ahead of Morientes and Cisse in the pecking order. And at the rate he's going, he's not too far away from Sven's first 11 for the World Cup as well.

Absolutely delighted for him - he seems a genuinely good guy off the pitch, but as we saw when he flew in on Bowyer at the weekend, he'll run the length of the pitch to help his teammates out. 

[crazyhorse]

Crouch has the potential to be Toshack 2, but he has a long way to go.

The club has needed a strong target man up front for years - no one has done the job well for the club since Ian Rush in his later years when playing with Robbie, and to say he was a useless header of the ball is an understatement.

We have the ability and an added dimension to our attacking play that we have not had for so many seasons, when we relied on passing through the oppositions defence - Crouch gives us an added option and allows for the midfield to join in attacks and give us a lot of pace. Defences are terrified of him and are immediately on the back footand backing off him to stop us getting hold of the second ball and Stevie and Alonso are starting to dominate teams with the extra room this provides. We are breaking down teams this season we would have struggled to score against last year because of the "Crouch Factor". The added directness and pace of the attacking is how English football should be played - skillful, exact and sometimes direct but with the added precision of the traditional passing game LFC has always strove to play.

At the moment i would say that we are the most attractive side to watch in the PL, as well as having the best defence.

   

[ivor_the_injun]

At the moment i would say that we are the most attractive side to watch in the PL, as well as having the best defence.

   

I absolutely agree. Some of our one-touch stuff has been absolutely phenomenal in the last month or so.

The fact that Crouch has a good little passing game as well as the obvious intimidating presence has been integral to this.

[A.B.]

6 goals in 6 starts

[GOAT]

yeah crouch has been fantastic and hes now becoming a regular goalscorer. Nicely taken goal tonight

[115-1073096938]

Crouch has started more than 6 games.

[A.B.]

I know you nit picking b@stard , in the last 6 starts [he didn't start against Sao Paulo], he scored 6 goals.

[115-1073096938]

No doubt it will appear on text as an own goal tonight... 

[A.B.]

Press Association still haven't credited him with the Newcastle goal

[mighty mo]

took his goal brilliantly tonight

[Espionage]

The thing that I love about Crouch is that he is the perfect centre forward for our midfield, who says we need an "true" striker? I would be perfectly happy seeing the formation below and i think that this is Rafa's eventual plan. So what if Crouch only gets 13-16 per season, his positioning and the amo of attention he recieves more than makes up for not being a 20+ striker

Reina
Finnan Carragher Hypia Riise
        Alonso Sissoko
            Gerrard
    ?                Gonzales/Kewell
             Crouch

Also it is great that he does well in the premiership, but so far he has done extremely well in the Champions League as well!!! defenders just do not no how to play him..