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Posted:
Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:18 pmby LFC2007
bigmick wrote:LFC2007 wrote:bigmick wrote:my problem was with the initial fee on his head of 15 million quid. Quite clearly we would never have got that in a million years, but thankfully everyone has seen sense in the end.
I'd have preferred no fee to be mentioned, but as it happened Rafa chose to test the market and placed a £15m valuation on him, I think it quite unlikely he actually expected to get that amount. Though if you set the price slightly higher than you expect you may just get slightly more. I don't think there was ever much of a risk of pricing him out of a move, esp with Pompey's strong interest. This 'we'd be lucky to get £5m for him given that we've p!ssed him off and he only has a year remaining on his contract' lark doesn't appear to have been an accurate assessment of the situation.
Ah I misunderstood LFC. That said I don't think I ever said "we'll be lucky to get 5 million for him" (infact I'm almost certain I didn't). I did say though that if we stuck to the ridiculous initial valuation we would would price him out of a move, and we would have.
FWIW though, 8 mill plus add ons or whatever it is is about as good as we could have hoped for under the circumstances. keeping him here last season has probably cost us conservatively in the region of 4 mill in lost transfer revenue, but these things happen.
In fairness to the manager, I suspect that the 4-5-1 wasn't something he was planning at the outset of the season, and as such he probably envisaged Crouch playing a much bigger part than he did. We did kind of stumble upon the method to some extent, and once we'd found it we stuck with it and I of all people can't criticise Rafa for that.
All in all it's a decent conclusion to an interesting episode for club and player. He was an excellent signing in the first place, a really good spot by Rafa and few gave him a chance. The manager then showed huge stubborness in continuing to pick him through his initial drought, and was rewarded with a player who was worth comforably more than we paid for him. Then bizarrely, when Crouch was in the form of his life Rafa seemed to lose faith in him and rotated him out of form. Obviously the signing of Torres (another excellent buy) meant he was always second fiddle (or third behind Kuyt for the first two thirds of this season) and in a team which only plays with one striker, he was bound to get limited opportunities.
Good luck to him though, and a fair priice for the club in the end given the circumstances.
I detect a suspecting hunch that that's probably a fair assessment, maybe, but you never know, perhaps. 
FWIW, initial valuations are rarely adhered to, and given Crouch's situation I don't think Rafa ever expected to achieve a price of £15m.
I exaggerated in that other post btw, though you did say £10m would be unbelievable, so we've got ourselves an unbelievable deal (add ons incl), not just a fair one 
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:01 amby crazyhorse
We have good a good price for a good player. I will miss him.
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:44 amby 7_Kewell
crazyhorse wrote:We have good a good price for a good player. I will miss him.
good yes, but not good enough to be a 1st team regular io regret to say. Yes, i liked crouch....but i think he might regret leaving us for Pompy.
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:30 amby maypaxvobiscum
Fo Dne wrote:Owzat wrote:Redman in wales wrote:SundanceKid wrote:sgs wrote:bigmick wrote:Good luck to the fella. There has been a bit of protracted debate about whether or not he's any good. Barring injuries, putting my neck on nthe line I'm going for 15 league goals for Pompey next season. I know it's early and all that but I think they're buying a good player.
I should also say that I think it's entirely sensible that we sell him, and that given the fact we've allowed his contract to run down 8Mill with add ons is a decent fee. I didn't have a problem with us "advertising" the fact he was up for sale (that much was obvious given the fact that he only had a year to go and we never played him), my problem was with the initial fee on his head of 15 million quid. Quite clearly we would never have got that in a million years, but thankfully everyone has seen sense in the end.
Anyway I'll say it again so I can be quoted if he bombs out. 15 league goals for Pompey next season, and I won't even include penalties either.
Crouch is'nt worth 15M yet Bent is worth what- 12-13m....
Why are Liverpool players being underpriced and others made to be worth the high valuation?
Because we don't win a damned thing
and because Crouch only has a year left on his contract...
£11m or what ever it isis a lot of money for someone with only 1 year left on their contract who'd in all honesty leave the following year anyway.
Look at the fat frank situation as well. £6m or £7m (touted) for someone who 2 seasons ago would have gone for treble that (whether we think he's worth it or not!)
Truth is we should have sold him in January, we
might have got £15m for him then (or last August) Prices in the market are getting silly, none more so than the Barny affair. Quite how we can consider spending £18m on a non-striker and in a position we don't badly need to fill, I don't get. Now we're selling a striker which leaves Kuyt (now playing RM), Voronin (not impressed too many) and Torres (wonderkid)
Why do you keep calling Barry, "Barny"?
Some of the names you come out with for opposing teams and players are shockingly childish and quite frankly irritating and put people off reading the interesting points in your posts.
You're a complete stat freak and stats can lie, but sometimes you have a valid point and your stats can back things up... other times they are a myth.
Why ruin your posts with the childish name calling of other teams and players? I really don't understand it...
you know Owzat, nothing against you but i totally agree with Fo Dne. you do have good read and very interesting points with your stats and stuff but this barny thing..is it gonna go on after he joins liverpool? 
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:01 amby laza
7_Kewell wrote:crazyhorse wrote:We have good a good price for a good player. I will miss him.
good yes, but not good enough to be a 1st team regular io regret to say. Yes, i liked crouch....but i think he might regret leaving us for Pompy.
Well who does leave us and go onto to better things.
You watch some smarta..e pull some name out for me
Best of luck to Crouchie bbut its probably a good deal for both club and player
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:25 amby ConnO'var
Crouch agrees terms on £11m Pompey deal - Soccernet
Portsmouth are expected to tie up the signing of Peter Crouch from Liverpool in the next two days. Crouch has agreed personal terms with Portsmouth and the England striker will complete his move to Fratton Park providing his medical results are acceptable. Crouch, 27, will be joining Portsmouth for the second time, having played for the club in the 2001/02 season before joining Aston Villa.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez admitted he wanted to keep Crouch at Anfield, but the player's desire for regular first-team football persuaded him to seek a summer move.
The deal worth around £10million will see Crouch join fellow England international Jermain Defoe at Portsmouth, and they could be a regular partnership next season as boss Harry Redknapp looks to follow up the club's FA Cup triumph with an improved league finish. Portsmouth finished eighth in the Barclays Premier League last season, but qualified for the UEFA Cup via the FA Cup.
Crouch scored 19 goals in 39 games in his first spell at Portsmouth.
His first-team opportunities at Liverpool became limited last season following the signing of Fernando Torres, although he managed 11 goals. In total, he netted 42 goals in 135 appearances over three years with Liverpool.
*******************
Looks like it's finally done and dusted. Good luck Peter. I had me doubts about you when you 1st signed but I must say you've done well. Guess you're just not quite what Rafa needs.
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:31 pmby stmichael
pompey will be a force next season and will push for the top six imo. defoe and crouch is an excellent partnership in the making.
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 12:38 pmby The Manhattan Project
11M is a great price.
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 1:07 pmby Owzat
stmichael wrote:pompey will be a force next season and will push for the top six imo. defoe and crouch is an excellent partnership in the making.
I could comment on all aspects, but I will simply ask (since I can't remember) but weren't pompey there or thereabouts last season? So you might say they have already pushed for the top six
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 1:44 pmby JohnBull
Lee J wrote:your so full of sh!t I can smell ya from here
You've obviously not seen the happy couple in the Newz Bar. She's not called Dyson for nothing.
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 1:59 pmby Igor Zidane
JohnBull wrote:Lee J wrote:your so full of sh!t I can smell ya from here
You've obviously not seen the happy couple in the Newz Bar. She's not called Dyson for nothing.
heard the same rumours meself john . Abi clancy will be the ruination of crouch . Anyway well done peter lad , thanks for the memories and good luck for the future.
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:05 pmby account deleted by request
Igor Zidane wrote:JohnBull wrote:Lee J wrote:your so full of sh!t I can smell ya from here
You've obviously not seen the happy couple in the Newz Bar. She's not called Dyson for nothing.
heard the same rumours meself john . Abi clancy will be the ruination of crouch . Anyway well done peter lad , thanks for the memories and good luck for the future.
I was hoping it was because she had other talents 
...... another fantacy bites the dust..... or white powder
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:11 pmby Toffeehater
Pompey will be a force to reckoned with next season but they don't have quality wingers besides kranjar to supply balls to crouch like he did at LFC . I think crouch might regret leaving LFC , as he would probably never play at a biggier club but i can't blame him as he wants first team footie and is a england regular now so he would want to play at a club that could offer him .
All the best crouch lad
Posted:
Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:12 pmby bigmick
I would think there is some kind of random drug testing in football these days surely? Isn't that what caught Ferdinand out when he "forgot it was on"?
as long as the players look after their health