Crouch Lovers

[ElRobbie]

Right, so what you are saying is that Crouch is very effective apart from when he is playing against the top 3. So why not have him in the squad for the other 32 games of the season??

He's more effective in easier games I agree (but doesn't that say it all abotu his quality?), and at times he is useful, but why not aspire to play better football in those games as well? He still does much the same thing in those games, makes the same mistakes and is let down by his shortfalls.

His heading for example, doesn't seem to have improved at all in a year and a half, why isn't he working flat out on strengthening his neck and getting more power and direction onto his headers?

He will never be quicker but that's an area of his game he could work on and doesn't appear to have made any progress. Like Rafa always says, you need to improve as a player, I'm sure he even had an indirect pop at Crouch earlier in the season along those lines.

[dirty_sanchez]

Crouch is not more effective in the easier games, he's more effective against teams that don't play with a deep lying defensive midfielder. Crouch's main role in the team is to hold the ball up and/or knock it down when the ball is in the air, which he does very effectively.

Put it this way, the people whose opinions count for something in the world of football, ie: pundits, managers, players etc, all think he's good.

[NICKZS]

He's more effective in easier games I agree (but doesn't that say it all abotu his quality?), and at times he is useful, but why not aspire to play better football in those games as well? He still does much the same thing in those games, makes the same mistakes and is let down by his shortfalls.

And what? We are winning those games, you admit it yourself. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

His heading for example, doesn't seem to have improved at all in a year and a half, why isn't he working flat out on strengthening his neck and getting more power and direction onto his headers?

How do you know he isn't? And were you bemoaning him when he put us through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup?

He will never be quicker but that's an area of his game he could work on and doesn't appear to have made any progress. Like Rafa always says, you need to improve as a player, I'm sure he even had an indirect pop at Crouch earlier in the season along those lines.

Lol, excuse me? He will never be quicker, but he should try and be quicker?

This is boring me and I think you are a lone voice here. You are trying to tell me that Crouch is not worth keeping and that we won't win the Premiership with him in the team. Well, Rafa seems to like him and unless a replacement is brought in who is better than Crouch and also provides the same options as him (unlikely), he is here to stay. End of.

[Shaggy]

And what? We are winning those games, you admit it yourself. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.



How do you know he isn't? And were you bemoaning him when he put us through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup?



Lol, excuse me? He will never be quicker, but he should try and be quicker?

This is boring me and I think you are a lone voice here. You are trying to tell me that Crouch is not worth keeping and that we won't win the Premiership with him in the team. Well, Rafa seems to like him and unless a replacement is brought in who is better than Crouch and also provides the same options as him (unlikely), he is here to stay. End of.

End of indeed.

What is it with the few Crouch naysayers? ****in bee in their bonnet/chip on their shoulder or what?!

Yeah, the reason we have failed to break down the better sides is all because of Crouch. [toys out of the pram]IT’S ALL HIS FAULT[/toys out of the pram]

I have a mate who BLAMED Crouch for the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal. HE BLAMED HIM. SOLELY.

I think it’s ****ing pathetic to be honest and shows a tremendous lack of understanding of the game.

[MrMichael]

But still failed to break down the top teams, how many points did we pick up against Man Utd and Chelsea last season? 1 point from 12, even this season so far we've picked up 3 from 12 in our games against the 'top 4'. That's why we were behind them, so what you are saying really, in a way proves my point, we had a good season in terms of points, but if we had better results against the top 2 we could have done better, it was evident.

That's where our problem lies, having that extra bit of quality in those games (and others where we can't break teams down) would help us bridge the gap, that's my point.

Ah, but why does that have to be about Crouch? Last season he was accompanied by Morientes and Cisse, Cisse who, if my memory serves correctly. missed an absolute sitter in the game at ManU that turned out to be the difference between second and third. But the fact still remains, that with Crouch featuring prominently, we finsihed with more points than we ever did in the decade before with a really prolific striker featuring.

Now I'm not denying at all that we needed something more upfront, but for me the introduction of Kuyt and Bellamy was a big step in the right direction. It could well be that we need to take one more step, replace Fowler and push Crouch down the pecking order a little more, but he is totally worthy of a place in our squad imo, and our overall results with him in the team justify this completely.

For me, the "extra bit of quality" we have been lacking has been far more about genuine quality attacking midfield play.

[Maestro]

I think the role Crouch played in improving our away form last year has also gone unmentioned.
El Robbie, Kopite Colin - if Crouch is not the player we need, who is? Rafa wanted a particular kind of striker, and RvN or Michael Owen are not viable alternatives to a player like Crouch. Yes, granted they would score more goals, but it's all about the TEAM. Crouch's contribution has been immense since he's joined us. He's not perfect, but he's been very important for us.
Can you name me a better player who plays the same role that Crouch does with whom we can replace him? Just curious....

[Neil Young]

Has anyone learned anything interesting from this thread?

[ElRobbie]

Has anyone learned anything interesting from this thread?

You don't have to learn anything from a thread, it's a discussion forum not a lecture forum.

[lfc4ever]

Has anyone learned anything interesting from this thread?

Nope, we are were we were before KO on Saturday, nothing new at all.

And as for having a pop at LFC players, personally picked by Rafa I might add, and who give it all on a Saturday, and won the match as well, by so called supporters, is disgusting and should be discouraged. Some people just have no manners.

[ElRobbie]

Lol, excuse me? He will never be quicker, but he should try and be quicker?

You've picked that up wrong, I said he would never be quicker, but when I said 'but that's an area of his game he could work' on I was referring to his heading ability which I had talked about in the paragraph above.

If he has been working on his heading ability, it hasn't done any good and he needs to work harder.

[dirty_sanchez]

Has anyone learned anything interesting from this thread?

That perhaps Liverpool doesn't have "The most knowledgeable fans in the world"*


*tm (c) etc...

[Neil Young]

You don't have to learn anything from a thread, it's a discussion forum not a lecture forum.

Sure, it just seems a bit pointless to me. What's the point if it's not to listen to others' points of view and either confirm or rethink your own?

...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

[Harv]

Jesus titty ****ing christ!!

Is this pointless thread still going.

[ElRobbie]

End of indeed.

What is it with the few Crouch naysayers? ****in bee in their bonnet/chip on their shoulder or what?!

Yeah, the reason we have failed to break down the better sides is all because of Crouch. [toys out of the pram]IT’S ALL HIS FAULT[/toys out of the pram]

I have a mate who BLAMED Crouch for the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal. HE BLAMED HIM. SOLELY.

I think it’s ****ing pathetic to be honest and shows a tremendous lack of understanding of the game.

It's not a case of blaming Crouch personally, its just saying we need better quality than him up front to win the title.

A tremendous lack of understanding of the game? Oh yeah, cause he has all the assets of a top striker doesn't he, **** me, give me strength, are you for real?

[ElRobbie]

That perhaps Liverpool doesn't have "The most knowledgeable fans in the world"*


*tm (c) etc...

Or maybe our hopes, beliefs and standards have just dropped, I really thought we aspired to playing better football.