Crouch In Europe

[BrooklynRed]

He's scored in the Champions League, he's scored in the league and yet he gets very little respect.... from officials.

My biggest concern about Crouch in Europe is that, frustratingly, I feel European referees tend to penalize him all out of proportion because of his height. In almost every Champions League match in which he has played, Peter Crouch has constantly been called for phantom fouls when playing with his back to goal, whether heading the ball from behind a player or posting players up with his back to goal. I see Crouch getting frustrated all the time and he ofetn responds with a goal, which is to his credit, but I think European officials have NO IDEA what to do with him. When he is legitimately fouled, he rarely gets a call going his way. I don't understand it. In a match this important and this tight, any inch given could be deadly.

I was watching the Inter v Roma Italian Cup final second leg this weekend, and I swear the ref was watching a different match than the rest of the universe, calling fouls in ridiculous situations, missing a clear penalty, etc. I know Italian football has a terrible reputation now for match fixing, but this performance did nothing to restore confidence in the credibility of the game. In the case of Crouch and English teams in general, our strength (physical play) is often taken away by officials who are not used to our style of play. No one suffers more than Peter Crouch.

Am I just hallucinating or is anyone else frustrated watching Crouch's advantage (height and touch) taken away from him by touchy officials?

[Marky]

He gets a raw deal from the officials in EVERY game imho.

[Shaggy]

He's scored in the Champions League, he's scored in the league and yet he gets very little respect.... from officials.

My biggest concern about Crouch in Europe is that, frustratingly, I feel European referees tend to penalize him all out of proportion because of his height. In almost every Champions League match in which he has played, Peter Crouch has constantly been called for phantom fouls when playing with his back to goal, whether heading the ball from behind a player or posting players up with his back to goal. I see Crouch getting frustrated all the time and he ofetn responds with a goal, which is to his credit, but I think European officials have NO IDEA what to do with him. When he is legitimately fouled, he rarely gets a call going his way. I don't understand it. In a match this important and this tight, any inch given could be deadly.

I was watching the Inter v Roma Italian Cup final second leg this weekend, and I swear the ref was watching a different match than the rest of the universe, calling fouls in ridiculous situations, missing a clear penalty, etc. I know Italian football has a terrible reputation now for match fixing, but this performance did nothing to restore confidence in the credibility of the game. In the case of Crouch and English teams in general, our strength (physical play) is often taken away by officials who are not used to our style of play. No one suffers more than Peter Crouch.

Am I just hallucinating or is anyone else frustrated watching Crouch's advantage (height and touch) taken away from him by touchy officials?

I totally agree. Defenders with a bit of nous just duck forward, while making no attempt to play the ball whatsoever, causing Crouch to end up on the defender's shoulders and making it look like he's climbing all over him.

It's total bollocks and a proper ref, a ref who's actually played the game, would be able to tell when defenders are getting up to such tricks.

Not to worry though, eh? Virtually every CL game this season I've been tearing my hair out over refs blowing against Crouch for **** all, yet invariably Crouch has popped up with a goal. He's been our key player throughout this whole run - our no.1 player bar none - and he should obviously start tomorrow night.

If he doesn't start the game, you'd have to wonder if he has a future cos he couldn't possibly have done anything more to warrant a starting place.

[BrooklynRed]

Completely agree he should start; He's our best striker. That said, I can't help but worry that he will once again be taken out of the match by the ref. It infuriates me!

[Shaggy]

Completely agree he should start; He's our best striker. That said, I can't help but worry that he will once again be taken out of the match by the ref. It infuriates me!

But my point is...it might not matter if he's taken out of the game by **** refereeing/cynical defending for 89 minutes, so long as he pops up with his regulation European goal in the other minute.

It is infuriating though.

[Red_Al_77]

[dww]

I totally agree. Defenders with a bit of nous just duck forward, while making no attempt to play the ball whatsoever, causing Crouch to end up on the defender's shoulders and making it look like he's climbing all over him.

It's total bollocks and a proper ref, a ref who's actually played the game, would be able to tell when defenders are getting up to such tricks.

Not to worry though, eh? Virtually every CL game this season I've been tearing my hair out over refs blowing against Crouch for **** all, yet invariably Crouch has popped up with a goal. He's been our key player throughout this whole run - our no.1 player bar none - and he should obviously start tomorrow night.

If he doesn't start the game, you'd have to wonder if he has a future cos he couldn't possibly have done anything more to warrant a starting place.

I agree completely about the Crouch being treated unfairly but I have yet to see any evidence that players as refs are any better. It would be interesting to see but as far as I know noone who has played to a decent level has refereed to a decent level.

Obviously money is a big factor in who can be bothered to do the job, but at the lower levels where it happens slightly more often there is no corellation between former playing ability/standard and the quality of a referee.

[Roboklopp]

Aye, I've been annoyed about this for ages & everyone I've watched the games with agrees.

Fingers crossed though he gets some slack on wed- could be the difference.

[Morse]

Who is the ref?

[mchaggis]

Who is the ref?

Fangel or sth, Barca at home this season

[Shaggy]

I agree completely about the Crouch being treated unfairly but I have yet to see any evidence that players as refs are any better. It would be interesting to see but as far as I know noone who has played to a decent level has refereed to a decent level.

Obviously money is a big factor in who can be bothered to do the job, but at the lower levels where it happens slightly more often there is no corellation between former playing ability/standard and the quality of a referee.

I didn't mean as a professional. I just mean competitive football full-stop. You only have to look at how some of them run to realise they ended up as refs 'cos they couldn't kick a ball to save their lives.

I remember seeing a Premiership ref on TV...can't remember who though...may have been Riley, and he had a kick of a ball. It was laughable...he kicked like a girl.

[Parm]

He gets a raw deal from the officials in EVERY game imho.

yup. a lot of 50-50's go so far against him it's untrue