Peter Crouch (Striker)

It seems like after his excellent performance Saturday, Peter wants to play first team football every week and who can blame him? Here's what he said from The Times Website:

Peter Crouch ready to fly from Anfield

Peter Crouch has given the strongest indication that he is planning to leave Liverpool at the end of the season. The England striker has been offered an extension to his contract, which has one year to run, but is reluctant to sign because Rafael BenÍtez cannot guarantee him first-team football.

Crouch has been a peripheral figure at Anfield this season, making his first Barclays Premier League start in more than two months in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal, and is ready to move on in search of more regular appearances. Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have expressed interest and Portsmouth, his former club, could join the race for his signature, with Liverpool prepared to sell rather than risk losing him for nothing in 12 months’ time.

“I’d love to stay, it’s a fantastic club and I love everything about it, but I’ve got to be realistic,” Crouch said. “If I want to have any aspirations of playing for England or furthering my career, then I have to be playing. And that doesn’t seem to be the case at the moment. It can be disheartening and I’ll have to look at it. What I will do, when called upon towards the end of this season, is give my best and then look at it in the summer.”

Crouch gave Liverpool the lead at the Emirates Stadium with a well-taken goal and created chances missed by John Arne Riise and Andriy Voronin, but the striker acknowledged that he has no chance of keeping his place for tomorrow’s Champions League quarter-final, second leg against Arsenal at Anfield.

“It’s pretty clear I probably won’t start on Tuesday, to be honest,” Crouch, 27, said. “I think obviously if the manager plays one up front he’s more than likely to go with Fernando [Torres] and rightly so, he’s been fantastic this season. But for me, I have to work hard in training and, when given the opportunity, I have to do as well as I can.”

BenÍtez has not given up hope of convincing Crouch to stay, even if his opportunities are likely to be limited. The Spaniard insisted that his team would not be practising penalties before Arsenal’s visit, even if a shoot-out seems the most likely outcome after three 1-1 draws between the teams this season.

“Peter Crouch is a very good professional,” BenÍtez said. “That is the reason why we offered him a new contract and I have confidence he will sign. I do not believe too much in practising penalties. I believe sometimes it is more the heart than the quality of the players. You know which players will be good when they are called from the halfway line. It is not just quality. It is to be calm and to know what to do.”

I love crouch to stay with us 'cos he can score nice goals like galatasaray in champion league, the h-trick against arsenal and the last weekand goal was brillant too. We need to sell the worst striker in liverpool history Voronin.

RAFA CONFIDENT CROUCH WILL STAY

Paul Eaton 07 April 2008
 
  Rafael Benitez today reiterated his belief that Peter Crouch will end the speculation over his future by signing a new contract at Anfield. 

While Sami Hyypia agreed a new deal with the Reds over the weekend, Crouch is still pondering over whether or not to further his career on Merseyside having been offered an extended contract by the club.
 
After netting Liverpool's goal at the Emirates on Saturday Crouch admitted his frustration over his lack of games this season, but Benitez is remaining confident the player will decide to stay.
 
"Peter Crouch is a very good professional," said the manager. "That is the reason why we offered him a new contract.
 
"I have confidence he will sign. The player wants to. At the moment, we are playing with only one striker, but we can play with two. It is not a problem.
 
"If you are in a team which wins trophies and you know you can be an important part of that squad.
 
"I know he is happy here and that he wants to play. But that is football. We have offered the contract and we need to wait."
 
Crouch admits he would love to stay but that no decision will be taken until the end of the campaign.
 
"I'd love to stay, it's a fantastic club and I love everything about it," he said. “But I've got to be realistic, and if I want to have any aspirations of playing for England, or furthering my career, then I have to be playing.
 
"But I'll have to look at it at the end of the season. Now I'm concentrating on winning something for Liverpool and playing some part in the end of the season.
 
"We've got a Champions League run-in and it's exciting for us, and all my efforts are focused on that."

****************************************************************************************

I hope Crouchy stays I really do, but I think he will need an assurance from Rafa that he will definitely get more games if he is to put pen to paper.
 
 

I don't think Crouchy will stay, because as long as we play one up-front... more times than not he will not be playing.

Will be interesting to see how it all pans out... particularly if Crouchy comes on a sub at some point for a vital goal/s.. in which case we (and Rafa) would be morally in debt to the chap.

IRWT

If Crouch stays I really do think Torres will bring the best out of him, he should sign again and he will be given more games. Torres and Crouch will form a great partnership given the time to do so.

I would like to state now my respect and admiration for Crouch as a player and a person. He has done a fantastic job for us in his time here and despite being not only left out of the team but also to see Voronin get a run ahead of him last Wednesday and he has not moaned once to the press. I read today that he doesnt want to leave as he loves the club and everything about it but at the end of the season he willl sit down and think about his future but in the meantime everytime hes called from the bench he will give his all.

I really hope he stays as he has lots to offer us and I believe hes a perfect foil for Torres. I also believe he is underestimated as a footballer. And if does go I hope the fans of whoever he signs for feel ashamed of themselves for there freak chants they belt at  him when playing aginst us

One final question from me on this subject... If or when Torres finally gets injured, and it will happen I'm afraid to say, Crouchy's gone (I hope against hope), who steps up and what formation do we use then? A 4-4-2 with who and who up front? Kuty and my little ponytail? Lets get real, loosing Crouchy would be one of the worst things that happen and I mean it. I'm gutted it has come to this for Big Pete and Liverpool FC.... I believe in miracles... This is FC

I like crouch in the same way you like a shirt that doesnt fit. You may like it, you may want to wear it... but theres no point because it doesnt fit... so it has to go back to the shop

I really dont want to see him go. I feel he offers a differnt dimension that can be crucial over the course of a season. Unfortunatley its looking more and more likely that he will leave. How much would everyone want for him?. I honestly dont think £15million is asking too much.

Honestly, I don't want to see this man go either but he is right, he does deserve quite better. If he does leave the club I'll be happy for the team that gets him  but if it's in this league no chealsea, Man U, Arsenal or Everton I truly hate those clubs. I don't know how much 15 million Euros are in dollars but, I don't think he cares for money he just wants to play. 
 

Yesterday he was one of the best players 'cos he was losing marking and leave torres a good space for him to attack.
hope he stay with us and our hopeless ponytail go for anyone.

Even dropping a nuclear bomb on arsenal's defence couldnt have been more effective than Crouch was last night. They had no clue as to what to do with him. If they didnt push their defence so far up they could have lost by far more than 2 goals.

http://sport.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/04/09/Prem-Redknapp-on-Crouch-and-Mensah/

This report continues with the rush for Crouch by other teams at the end of the season> I really hope we dont sell.

I was made up to see Crouch in the starting XI. Could this have been Rafa's tactical masterstroke of the season, to prove to the big man that he is 100% wanted and NEEDED in a Champions League class side next season?

If Crouch goes I will be gutted. he is a true football statesman and ambassador for the game; polite, diffident, modest, patient and never once grumbled to the media when everyone thought he'd been left out in the wilderness.

Crouchie, you're a gentleman.

I do like Crouchie, he seems a nice guy but I really don't think he'll be here next season. He's a good footballer too, however sometimes I think it tempts our players to play it long and I really can't stand watching long ball after long ball. He hinted that he's reconsidering to stay at Anfield, but lets be realistic.. if someone like Villa is bought in the summer then there is an even bigger chance he won't get many games next season.

If we are to sell him, then now is the time. 27 years old and the summer after we definitely won't need him and he might be worth hardly anything by then. If we are planning to sell him in the future, this summer will be the best time. Maybe Newcastle or Aston Villa might be interested? We'll have to see...

Its pretty much down to him.

If your offered a new contract and the manager continues to say he is confident you will stay and you are part of his plans and then you are gonna say yes they arent gonna say now were gonna sell you to a small club bye bye mate.

One thing i dont get with us next season, if people got their way this would be our strike force.

Torres
Kuyt
New signing
Nemeth
Babel
Crouch

6 strikers never. take out one that may go, e.g. crouch could although he shouldnt. People want babel to remain a winger ? I doubt it. No new signing i doubt it. Nemeth to remain in reserves i doubt it. Its so confusing our fans seem to want too much at times.

Babel is far better as a striker but can play as a winger proving that he can attack from there and win a pen, or in American - 'PK'

Anyway if Babel was to be a striker next season (highly unlikely because Kewell will go) then this should be our strike force;

Babel
Nemeth
Torres
Kuyt

Torres & Babel to lead the line. If not Babel upfront then I'd buy another striker.

Babel is far better as a striker but can play as a winger proving that he can attack from there and win a pen, or in American - 'PK'

Anyway if Babel was to be a striker next season (highly unlikely because Kewell will go) then this should be our strike force;

Babel
Nemeth
Torres
Kuyt

Torres & Babel to lead the line. If not Babel upfront then I'd buy another striker.

We'll just buy a new LM. Leto is training with the first team when his issue is sorted i think he will make the step up very soon thats two LM's.

Would you play 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1

We'll just buy a new LM. Leto is training with the first team when his issue is sorted I think he will make the step up very soon thats two LM's.

Would you play 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1

Leto? What issue has he got?

I'm really not sure what formation I'd play. I think 4-2-3-1 would suit Gerrard and Torres far better but then again 4-4-2 is probably more offensive but where would Gerrard play? On the right?

The whole passport thing. Apparently its similar to the problem speedy had before he joined us but a bit different.

Thats what i mean all this has to be thought out before we think about personnel who should stay and go, it all affects the teams performances and the way the team is built in my opinion.

We can say we want so and so as our strikers but some would work in one certain system and some wouldnt. Of couse we can change it but getting accustomed to one system brings success as we can see now with the 4-2-3-1.

We need a balance of attacking and defensive players as well as a balanced formation that suits those players.

If our manager is Rafa next season then I'd prefare him to play some sort of 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 formation. I don't think two holding midfielders is actually nessesery. Steven Gerrard is not going to play a central role in a 4-4-2 formation, even I know he can't play there with just one other midfielder as he goes walkabouts far too often!


-----------------CF
---LWF------------------------RWF
-----------AM---------CM
-----------------DM
-----LB-----CB-------CB------RB
-----------------GK

I would play that formation, 4-3-3 is it? Or 4-5-1 whatever you want to call it. Anyway Barcelona play formation like this, and so did Chelsea when they had Robben & Duff on the wings.

I feel that striker could be Torres, LWF Babel, RWF new buy, AM Stevie, CM Lucas, DM Mascherano, LB Aurelio, CB Skrtel and Agger or Carra, RB new buy.

If we play 4-4-2 I feel that we'd need to buy either two wingers or one winger and one striker and also a right back. As we have plently of central midfielders (and thats our main strenght) I think playing with three midfielders would suit us better!

Thats what we played in our last prem game against arsenal.

Plessis was the DM, Lucas and Yossi the AM and CM, crouchie up top and pennant and i dont remeber who on the other wing i think it was Riise or someone.

It looked good and we ate up quite a bit of arsenals play.

I think we can cope with 1 DM, masch can do well there on his own and seems to thrive on the space. As long as people drop back to help out we are fine.

Sorry big boy, but I think your gone in the summer. Not a taste of the Champions League semi final, I do feel for you.

Can change things but I think he's not our standard, our standard is far better than Peter Crouch. Hope him the best of luck with his new club whoever that'll be...