What Does Peter Crouch Have to Do?

By: Daryl | November 3rd, 2007

There’s a growing feeling that Rafa Benitez needs to ditch Dirk Kuyt and kiss and make up with Peter Crouch. Kuyt is horribly out of form right now and missed at least two quality chances today during Liverpool’s 0-0 draw at Blackburn. Meanwhile Crouch started on the bench, again, and didn’t enter the fray until the 72nd minute. But when he did, Liverpool’s attack seemed to click. Not because the giraffe-man wins headers, but because he’s unselfish and is always looking to set up others. So why is Rafa so reluctant to give Crouchigol his chance?

It’s almost like he doesn’t really take Crouch seriously, because he looks so odd. There’s no denying he does look odd. But that’s no excuse for Benitez to treat him as a novelty act, someone to frighten opposition defenders with his freakishl long legs late in the game. OK, in some ways that works – he made a difference today for example – but it would work even more if he had a whole 90 minutes to play his game.

Not least because Crouch, like many other strikers, is a confidence player. If you have faith in him, and he’s feeling good, then you get the best from him. But reducing the poor guy to cameos is a waste of his talents, especially when the guy picked ahead of him is struggling.

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Category: English Premier League

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ricci

Crouchy doesn't have much pace, but Dirk Kuyt has even less pace. Playing Crouch and Kuyt together is just strange, they need to be paired with Voronin or Torres who weren't available today. Sissoko needed to come off for Lucas. The last few times I've seen Sissoko play I've been really shocked. I used to think he was great, but he just stifles the team. Liverpool needed that little bit of creativity to break down Blackburn and Lucas could have provided that no problem.
Michael

When Crouch is in, Liverpool just seem to score. It's as though Croush has some intangible quality about him. Perhaps because he's Peter Crouch everyone underrates him. He doesn't look like he should be able to do the things he does, but in my opinion he is a very solid striker.

I would absolutely choose him over the struggling Kuyt.
Daryl

Semi-agree with you finnegan. He's definitely not as good in the air as he should be, and he absolutely lacks pace (he had that one chance to go past Samba today near the end but couldn't get out of first gear) but I'd argue that he has really good technique. Not just a "good touch for a big man" but genuinely good technique.
finnegan

the reason rafa doesn't take him seriously is because he's peter crouch. while he may be deceptively agile for his size, he does not have the pace or skill on the ball to really pose a constant threat up front, aside from set pieces. arguably, even on set pieces he is not strong in the air - the ball is served in with pace and it just hits him in the face or he flicks it on. I've yet to see him jump up and attack the ball, sending it powerfully in another direction.