Peter Crouch

[carheex]

I feel that someone needs to stick up for him and I'm surprised it's me. I was very apprehensive when we first signed him and didn't look too good until his first goal but he has surely proved everyone wrong at all levels since then, hasn't he?

You can't expect crouch to be match sharp when isn't getting matches. Too many fans, not the educated ones I might add, are giving him a really hard time at the moment. Rafa is surely to blame - he was dropped, for no apparent reason, when he was on a really hot scoring streak for both club & country. That must destroy your confidence and generally confuse you (especially playing 2nd fiddle to the likes of heskey!!).

He's always being told he's part of Rafa's plans yet he'll only field him against weaker opposition. It's not Crouch's fault that his team mates hoof it up to him - they should know he isn't strong in the air. With the ball at his feet (when he's match sharp) he's a formidable striker.

[sonsofthedesert]

Congrats on not starting a thread about Alonso and good points.

[carheex]

Congrats on not starting a thread about Alonso and good points.

I need to calm down before I start on XA......

[poorscousertommy]

Crouch was **** today, end of.

Gave the ball away everytime he went near it.

[carheex]

Crouch was **** today, end of.

Gave the ball away everytime he went near it.

will you at least read my point before commenting? No one is saying he was good today (very few players were!), I'm discussing the reasons...

[kurtangle01]

There was alot of talk about why he wasn't starting many games for us but today it's not hard to see why Torres is favoured.

Crouch couldn't realistically go and knock on Rafa's door and tell him that he desreves to be in the team ahead of anyone else at the moment because whether he likes it or not Kuyt, Voronin and Torres have all played better than so far this season.

If Rafa was selecting his team on merit today Crouch wouldn't have been anywhere near the 16.

I hate criticising him because I genuinely like the guy both as a person and a player but he has to step up his game if he's going to play regulary for us this season.

[JPK]

Our hoofing of the ball today was mainly down to him and then he could'nt win it.I had to agree with Andy Gray today (I hate to admit it) when he commented on how much slower it is when Crouch gets the ball compared to Kuyt and Torres.He was'nt the only bad one today

[Red Chilli]

I find it hard to accept when people criticise individual players and this is no exception.
Crouch has doen enough to deserve a starting place ALONGSIDE Torres IMO as opposed to instead of Torres. He can't be expected to play brilliantly against Portsmouth when half the team is made up of squad players and everyone bar the keeper has a shocker.

Face it, the team was **** as a whole today, not just Crouch/Pennant/Alonso/Voronin. However, Crouch's form deserved a starting place IMO.

[carheex]

There was alot of talk about why he wasn't starting many games for us but today it's not hard to see why Torres is favoured.

Crouch couldn't realistically go and knock on Rafa's door and tell him that he desreves to be in the team ahead of anyone else at the moment because whether he likes it or not Kuyt, Voronin and Torres have all played better than so far this season.

If Rafa was selecting his team on merit today Crouch wouldn't have been anywhere near the 16.

I hate criticising him because I genuinely like the guy both as a person and a player but he has to step up his game if he's going to play regulary for us this season.

But that's the problem - he can't step his game up if he isn't given enough chances. When he is given a chance, he's lost match sharpness since the last time he played. Obviously not everyone can play all the time, no one is suggesting that, all I'm saying is that he hasn't suddenly become rubbish.....his form is down to the lack of opportunities and getting a decent run in the team - which is not his fault.

[Imy]

Our hoofing of the ball today was mainly down to him and then he could'nt win it.I had to agree with Andy Gray today (I hate to admit it) when he commented on how much slower it is when Crouch gets the ball compared to Kuyt and Torres.He was'nt the only bad one today

Theres no problem with booting the ball long if lets say you have dogbreath upfront who can actually do something with it, Crouch with his little pace, little strength and NO heading ability is not the targetman to do this too. He's got a good touch for a big man, so Kuyt has as good a touch and he brings much more to the team yet he gets slaughtered (no i'm no Kuyt lover either).

With him stalling on a contract i would not be unhappy to see him leave.

[carheex]

Our hoofing of the ball today was mainly down to him and then he could'nt win it.I had to agree with Andy Gray today (I hate to admit it) when he commented on how much slower it is when Crouch gets the ball compared to Kuyt and Torres.He was'nt the only bad one today

Nonsense. It is NOT Crouch's fault that his team mates hoof it to him - the whole worl knows that isn't where his strengths lie. The blame for that tactic must surely lie with the "hoofers" of said ball, or Rafa for telling them to do it. Anyone but Crouch is to blame.

[Biff]

Crouch is a good player but today he was woeful.

[AFII]

There was alot of talk about why he wasn't starting many games for us but today it's not hard to see why Torres is favoured.

Crouch couldn't realistically go and knock on Rafa's door and tell him that he desreves to be in the team ahead of anyone else at the moment because whether he likes it or not Kuyt, Voronin and Torres have all played better than so far this season.

If Rafa was selecting his team on merit today Crouch wouldn't have been anywhere near the 16.

I hate criticising him because I genuinely like the guy both as a person and a player but he has to step up his game if he's going to play regulary for us this season.

Our hoofing of the ball today was mainly down to him and then he could'nt win it.I had to agree with Andy Gray today (I hate to admit it) when he commented on how much slower it is when Crouch gets the ball compared to Kuyt and Torres.He was'nt the only bad one today

That is the way we play with Crouch on the pitch. He wasn't any worse than Voronin but that is not the point. The point is that we change our tactic to a worse one just because of one player, Crouch.

Rafa deserves his bit of stick for that because he is the one who thinks that Crouch is good in the air. He is better on the floor than in the air so it's stupid to hoof them up time after time to Crouch.

[Svennis]

Hopefully Rafa will sell him in january.

[JPK]

I find it hard to accept when people criticise individual players and this is no exception.
Crouch has doen enough to deserve a starting place ALONGSIDE Torres IMO as opposed to instead of Torres. He can't be expected to play brilliantly against Portsmouth when half the team is made up of squad players and everyone bar the keeper has a shocker.

Face it, the team was **** as a whole today, not just Crouch/Pennant/Alonso/Voronin. However, Crouch's form deserved a starting place IMO.

Seven of todays team are more or less regulars.IMO he has not done enough to have a starting place.Kuyt brings so much more to the team.We missed him todays linking the play are feeding the wingers with the ball.