Peter Crouch to Newcastle

[The Glove]

He's ****ing useless. Lack of matches or not, that's no excuse for missing point-blank free headers with weak nods rather than thumping finishes.

Are we supposed to believe that only a run of games will give him back his neck muscles?

This is true. You take your chances when they come along, especially since he ****ed up a load of sitters.

[bazza76]

attitude of players

Was dissapointed to see Crouch throwing toys out of his pram in the last game against Blackburn after he was taken off, that kinda attitude spreads thought the team like a virus, and he would want to cut it out, also thought i seen Gonzales doing something similar after when he got subbed, so that trend has to stop. Before long we could see Bellamy and a few others doing the same, which would be a nightmare.
The point im making really thoguh is, does Rafa have to man manage a little more than he has been. Will this kind of attitude be tollerated in our setup by management, surely Rafa must have seen the replays of that. If the lads in the first team want someone to look up to, they should look no further than the dude. Personally, i think Rafa should tell whoever doesnt appreciate the ability of the squad and Rafa's techniques, they should go elsewhere.

[redlancer]

This is just my interpretation of things so feel free to disagree.

The problem crouch has got is the way we are playing this season. Last year at times we had the tendancy to launch the ball up to crouch to either let him flick it on somewhere or alternatively to hold it up and wait for the midfield to show up (granted that may be a generalisation and a half). The simple fact is that most things went throught the middle and we were looking for crouch to use his natural game of holding up play and bringing in the players around him. This season Rafa has got his wingers and there is no longer the tendancy to play this way. Because of that Crouch looks out of sorts. When the ball goes in to him he is now invariably slowing down a quick counter attack and, imo losing the ball too much. He also is not quite as lethal as he could be when the ball comes in to the box from wide areas, as opposed to Robbie and Garcia.

So in short Crouch was the player we needed last year for the players we had and style of football we were playing. This year he is far less effective for the same reason. If Rafa wants to continue to play that way he needs to seriously consider whether Crouch is an effective use of capital, I would be tempted to say he isn't but I'm not sure if we could do better for less than 15mil. I would like to see robbie get more of a run to be honest.

good post.

We are getting faster and hence i think Crouch and Robbie will be too slow.
But as you I'd like to see Fowler given a chance to come on and feed of either Kuyt or Bellamy.
As for Crouch throwing his teddies, that said to me his position is under threat. He should be converting more headers

[Redspin]

My first post after many months of browsing this forum:

Crouch, the man is a useless turd. Sorry to say it - yes we lost but forgive me for making the lanky ****e a scapegoat but this match was lost due to him and only him. You can talk about all the goals he's scored in his Liverpool career, but they've all been put on a plate for him excluding that overhead-kick goal he scored against Galatasary. He has missed far too many chances in his career and today was no exception. He should have easily scored 3 goals today. His final header on goal in the 36th minute that was saved was a disgrace. Any average striker could have scored that - thus my conclusion is that he is clearly below average. His workrate was awful today (and always has been) and he brought nothing to the game - playing crouch was like having 10 men on the pitch. He doesn't win many headers and is poor at heading and doesn't even have good feet. People say he has good feet, but every ****ing footballer has good feet - if they didn't have good feet, they wouldn't be a footballer.

So someone please tell me his qualities? He was bought as a target man who would take advantage of crosses being put into the box and provide an aerial threat on goal. But he can't head, so what use is he? And to make matters worse, the way he reacted to being substituted was a disgrace - when he sat down on the bench he threw a coat. You can call it him being passionate and caring but it was a sellfish reaction from him - clearly he thought he didn't deserve to be substituted but believe me he did. I'm surprised he made it back on the pitch at half time. Ronny Rosenthal was a far better player than this man for those of you who can remember him.

The good news is that he's still got market value and luckliy there are many clubs in the premiership who will be stupid enough to sign him. Liverpool should not make a loss on him financially and mark my words (not that I make many posts), he will be gone at the end of the season. With the potential of funding coming in a few months, there's no chance he will be sold in January but instead in the summer when a replacement and the funding are finalised.

On a plus note, the perfomance against Blackburn wasn't bad at all. Alonso was absolutely immense today. He put so many tackles in and his passes were stunning. He really drove the team forward today and was unlucky not to score a couple of goals. I'm pleased that he now has started to puch forward more this season and he really has excelled in the last few matches.
We didn't deserve to lose but one man made sure that we did.

Thanks and I'm sorry if I've offended any Crouch fans but his perfomances are a justification of my thoughts on him.

Excellent post - I agree 100%. Please post more to raise the standard on here

[Pepe]

7% conversion rate last season in the PL. Most headers in the box out of all the players in the PL. 2 headed goals! TWO! The worst conversion rate out of all the top 10 teams strikers in the PL last season. He had a 22% conversion rate the season before. This season he has managed 2 PL goals. He's on his way to another 7% conversion rate season. What I think?

Sell sell SELL!

Hey mate, where do you get these stats from?

[Shaggy]

He makes them all up to fit whatever anti-Crouch agenda is currently being discussed.

[Mumsafan]

Actually I wouldn't miss him if he went.

[Morph]

Actually I wouldn't miss him if he went.

Snap but only as long as we got a suitable replacement, wouldn't want us to go short in his absence.

[Shaggy]

Just done the 'morning papers' review on SSN. That unmentionable paper that is nearly always full of horse-**** says Crouch is 'set to move to Newcastle for £12m' (), and they also showed an unnamed broadsheet reporting "Crouch set to be sold to Newcastle to pave the way for a move for David Villa".

[kurtangle01]

Just done the 'morning papers' review on SSN. That unmentionable paper that is nearly always full of horse-**** says Crouch is 'set to move to Newcastle for £12m' (), and they also showed an unnamed broadsheet reporting "Crouch set to be sold to Newcastle to pave the way for a move for David Villa".

As much as I'd love it for us to sign David Villa it ain't going to happen. The only way I could see it happening is if we spent our entire summer budget on him which is highly doubtful IMHO.

As for Crouch... what we have to ask ourselves is could he play a major part in a title winning side? Because that's what our aspirations are. I don't think he could there for he is a dispensible member of our squad and the right thing for us to do would be to sell him whilst we could make a decent wedge back. That time must surely be soon and lets face it there couldn't be anyone better to be chasing him the the barcodes because they throw silly money about as we've seen plenty of times before.

I was also dissapointed with his reaction on Tuesday when he was subbed. He desrved to be subbed due to his inept finishing in front of goal and his poor quality in front of goal cost us dearly on Tuesday.

[lfc4ever]

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/premiership/article2110251.ece

Liverpool prepare to sell Crouch to fund Villa move
By Jason Burt
Published: 29 December 2006

Liverpool are understood to be preparing to sell Peter Crouch - and want to sign Valencia's David Villa as the England striker's replacement. The moves, which would cost a combined total of more than £40m, could come as part of what is being predicted as the busiest January transfer window since the system was introduced four years ago.

There is a number of stumbling blocks to any deal, however. Although Crouch is wanted by Newcastle United, they may not be prepared to meet Liverpool's £12m valuation. Instead they would like to pay around half that amount for the 25-year-old, who moved to Anfield for £7m in the summer of 2005 from Southampton.

Liverpool need to generate a bigger fee for Crouch to help to pay for Villa, also 25, who would cost around £25m from Valencia and who has long been tipped for a move to the Premiership and is believed to favour joining Liverpool.

Villa, who scored 25 goals in 35 League games last season, but just eight so far this term, has long been admired by the Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, who has made attempts to sign the Spanish international. Villa would not be eligible for Liverpool's European Cup tie against Barcelona, having already played in the competition this season and with Valencia still involved it will make his transfer even harder to secure.

Crouch has fallen out of favour and in recent weeks has fallen further behind Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy. He got his chance against Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day but was singled out for criticism by Benitez after missing three headed chances.

That defeat meant Liverpool slipped out of the Champions' League places and, with the takeover by Dubai International Capital still to be completed, they need to add fresh impetus to their season. Blackburn's Lucas Neill is also expected to sign next month.

With Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi injured, the Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder has targeted a striker as his main January signing. He is considering Lyon's John Carew, who has been told he can leave the French champions and could arrive initially on loan, as a cheaper alternative should Newcastle fail to land Crouch.

As he attempts to add more physical presence to his attack Roeder also knows that Charlton are unlikely to sell another of his targets, Darren Bent.

* The Charlton manager, Alan Pardew, has said that he is confident of signing the former Hearts defender Stephen Pressley. The Sweden defender Andreas Granqvist will join Wigan on loan until June.

[Shaggy]

I like Crouch, and ideally I'd love to keep him as a 3rd or 4th choice - but if we were offered £12m for him, it'd probably be best to sell....provided, of course, we have somebody else, somebody better, lined up. I can't see it being Villa though - no chance.

[kurtangle01]

P.S.

The fact that Rafa has had him on the bench so often recently shows that he's not as confident as he once was in Crouch. That also signals the end for him IMHO just as it did with Nando.

[El Jefecito]

P.S.

The fact that Rafa has had him on the bench so often recently shows that he's not as confident as he once was in Crouch. That also signals the end for him IMHO just as it did with Nando.

Rafa sees Crouch as plan B. Someone to throw on @ the end of games when we are pressing real hard. He's not going to be first choice now that we have Bellamy and Kuyt. Villa would be a massive upgrade from Crouchie, but I just can't see him agreeing to move to the premiership or indeed even adapting.

@ the moment Crouch is the best of a bad lot.

[kurtangle01]

http://sport.independent.co.uk/footb...cle2110251.ece

Liverpool prepare to sell Crouch to fund Villa move
By Jason Burt
Published: 29 December 2006

Liverpool are understood to be preparing to sell Peter Crouch - and want to sign Valencia's David Villa as the England striker's replacement. The moves, which would cost a combined total of more than £40m, could come as part of what is being predicted as the busiest January transfer window since the system was introduced four years ago.

There is a number of stumbling blocks to any deal, however. Although Crouch is wanted by Newcastle United, they may not be prepared to meet Liverpool's £12m valuation. Instead they would like to pay around half that amount for the 25-year-old, who moved to Anfield for £7m in the summer of 2005 from Southampton.

Liverpool need to generate a bigger fee for Crouch to help to pay for Villa, also 25, who would cost around £25m from Valencia and who has long been tipped for a move to the Premiership and is believed to favour joining Liverpool.
Villa, who scored 25 goals in 35 League games last season, but just eight so far this term, has long been admired by the Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, who has made attempts to sign the Spanish international. Villa would not be eligible for Liverpool's European Cup tie against Barcelona, having already played in the competition this season and with Valencia still involved it will make his transfer even harder to secure.

Crouch has fallen out of favour and in recent weeks has fallen further behind Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy. He got his chance against Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day but was singled out for criticism by Benitez after missing three headed chances.

That defeat meant Liverpool slipped out of the Champions' League places and, with the takeover by Dubai International Capital still to be completed, they need to add fresh impetus to their season. Blackburn's Lucas Neill is also expected to sign next month.

With Michael Owen and Shola Ameobi injured, the Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder has targeted a striker as his main January signing. He is considering Lyon's John Carew, who has been told he can leave the French champions and could arrive initially on loan, as a cheaper alternative should Newcastle fail to land Crouch.

As he attempts to add more physical presence to his attack Roeder also knows that Charlton are unlikely to sell another of his targets, Darren Bent.

* The Charlton manager, Alan Pardew, has said that he is confident of signing the former Hearts defender Stephen Pressley. The Sweden defender Andreas Granqvist will join Wigan on loan until June.

As nice as that sounds the statement is completely false. If I remember correctly he said that he, 1) Had no desire to play in England. and, 2) He never fancied playing for us.