If a decent offer came in for Crouch..

[Mattshark]

Probably shouldnt hijack the thread but you're going to need some evidence to make me think a Cafu & Carlos clone wouldnt improve our team!!

Attack wise yes, defensively they would make us poorer. Neither are great defnsive full backs and we would get exposed down the wings a lot. Cisse is just not very good.

I personally also think Carlos is seriously over rated.

[KK07]

I still can't see any team - especially in England - who would bid £8-10m for him.

Thats the main thing I reckon,no-one is gonna bid as much as is quoted here.
Only the other top teams would have that kind of money and I can't see Crouch going to Man u,Arsenal or Chelsea.

Maybe Newc will bid £20 mill but they're silly kunts!

So I wouldn't sell him as he offers a hell of alot to the team and his goals have been important this season.

He may not have pace but he's an intelligent footballer and definitely worth his place in the squad.

We need to look at replacing Fowler,because in Kuyt,Bellamy and Crouch we seem to have a mix of all the types of front men that there are.

As for Crouch scoting as many as Van Nilstoory,get a grip! :whatever:

Never gonna happen as much as I like Crouch.

[Kopite_Colin]

I'd sell them in this order:

Fowler
Pongolle
Bellamy
Crouch

Crouch is decent 4th striker to have, as is Bellamy, but neither are 1st 11 material in my book. I still believe we need 2 top class clinical goalscorers to add to Kuyt.

[Rosco]

So you'd sell our topscorer for £5mil + ? Who would you replace him with for £5m + ?

I would.

We play 38 league games a year. It's our main competition and Crouch has shown over the course of his career he's not up to being a good Premiership striker never mind a great one. He's got 2 goals in 14 games this season, has hit double figures in the Premiership once and averages less than 8 Premiership goals per season. He is one of the most limited players we've ever had.

As for replacing him ... we could bring back Cisse and Pongolle. They'll cost nothing. They both have more talent and are a greater goal threat. Alternatively we could sell them too, take the £11m (?) we'd probably get and put that to the £5m and we could go and buy a goalscorer like Klass Jan Huntelar or Darren Bent to name but two.

[Craig_H]

You rate Bent quite highly then Ross?

[El Jefecito]

I would.

We play 38 league games a year. It's our main competition and Crouch has shown over the course of his career he's not up to being a good Premiership striker never mind a great one. He's got 2 goals in 14 games this season, has hit double figures in the Premiership once and averages less than 8 Premiership goals per season. He is one of the most limited players we've ever had.

As for replacing him ... we could bring back Cisse and Pongolle. They'll cost nothing. They both have more talent and are a greater goal threat. Alternatively we could sell them too, take the £11m (?) we'd probably get and put that to the £5m and we could go and buy a goalscorer like Klass Jan Huntelar or Darren Bent to name but two.

Selective stats as usual. Is this the same Crouch who has 9 goals and 3 assists from 15 starts?

[Fiddy]

...would you consider selling?

We supposedly bought him in a £7m deal - but that probably includes wages etc. So if an offer came in of around £8m-£10m would you consider it good business and do the deal - and use the money to buy a replacement like Darren Bent?

I've thought about this for a few days now - and if it was up to me I'd say "yes". I know he's our top scorer - and I know he's miles better than most people gave him credit for before Rafa bought him - but I'd still do the deal. The main reason I'd do it is because of pace - or lack of.

Yesterday we looked so much more potent with Bellamy running the channels and with a ball over the top option. I know at home there's less space to use pace but you can still use it to your advantage.

I'm not anti-Crouch as such, I'm just weighing up people's opinion and seeing if they compare to my own. So, any takers?

H

Why is everyone obsessed with pace these days? I blame Pro Evo personally

If pace was the be-all and end-all, Cisse would be the man. But 'power is nothing without control'...Crouch obviously isn't here for his pace so his role is different - more holding the ball up, linking play, set pieces, getting on the end of loose balls etc, rather than running the channels or hanging on the last defender waiting to spring an offside trap.

What would a Crouch with pace be? Maybe a Drogba-type...which on his current form wouldn't be so bad. But quick strikers are a dime a dozen, strikers with Crouch's abilities are a lot rarer. He's done ok for us so far but I think we still don't play to his strengths, for years now we haven't put anywhere near the number of crosses into the box that we should be and that's what would suit him best.

[El Jefecito]

Why is everyone obsessed with pace these days? I blame Pro Evo personally

If pace was the be-all and end-all, Cisse would be the man. But 'power is nothing without control'...Crouch obviously isn't here for his pace so his role is different - more holding the ball up, linking play, set pieces, getting on the end of loose balls etc, rather than running the channels or hanging on the last defender waiting to spring an offside trap.

What would a Crouch with pace be? Maybe a Drogba-type...which on his current form wouldn't be so bad. But quick strikers are a dime a dozen, strikers with Crouch's abilities are a lot rarer. He's done ok for us so far but I think we still don't play to his strengths, for years now we haven't put anywhere near the number of crosses into the box that we should be and that's what would suit him best.

In the right game against the right team Crouch is unplayable, he's showed that so mnay times. To sacrafice that would be insane. Who else are you going to get that can create that kind of mismatch?

[Fiddy]

In the right game against the right team Crouch is unplayable, he's showed that so mnay times. To sacrafice that would be insane. Who else are you going to get that can create that kind of mismatch?

..which is my point. He's pretty unique, I can't really think of one other striker that is similar to him, so why get rid just because he isn't fast?

We should at least keep him until a better option comes along.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I wouldn't sell him for £8m - £10m. I think he's our best striker still. Bellamy obviously has more pace but Crouch offers plenty himself. He holds the ball up very well, is a pretty decent finisher & he'll always cause problems in the air. I know i'm in the minority but I prefer Crouch to Kuyt. I think what we need is another pacy striker to replace Robbie. Kuyt & Crouch do lack pace as a pair and without pace upfront we are easy to defend against. Teams can push up the pitch knowing they won't be done for pace. Wigan held a high line yesterday & bellamy exploited the space with his pace. Neither Crouch nor Kuyt can do that.

Totally agree.

If we can add a top quality finisher with pace to Crouch, Kuyt and Bellamy we'll be laughing.

[El Jefecito]

..which is my point. He's pretty unique, I can't really think of one other striker that is similar to him, so why get rid just because he isn't fast?

We should at least keep him until a better option comes along.

Hmmm, the shake smilie is broken

Like you I think he is irreplacable at this point in time. Koller is too old and Yao Ming chose basketball

[Fiddy]

Hmmm, the shake smilie is broken

Like you I think he is irreplacable at this point in time. Koller is too old and Yao Ming chose basketball

Well I think DJS is quite keen on......





















John Carew

[El Jefecito]

Totally agree.

If we can add a top quality finisher with pace to Crouch, Kuyt and Bellamy we'll be laughing.

I'd love it to happen but can't see a world class striker being prepared to share their playing time with those other 3. Robbie is probably about the best we could get given those circumstances.

[El Jefecito]

Well I think DJS is quite keen on......

John Carew

DJS

Aha, found the handshake smiley

[Fiddy]

I'd love it to happen but can't see a world class striker being prepared to share their playing time with those other 3. Robbie is probably about the best we could get given those circumstances.

Let me be controversial and say pace...finishing....Torres?

However if you believe current reports, Manure are all over him like **** on a Spanish fly.