Thursday, September 07, 2006

Crouch

What exactly does Peter Crouch have to do to win true critical acclaim. OK so he scored three against Jamaica and two against Andorra (for which he got a bit of an undeserved warning from Rafa) to boost his 11 goal England tally, but all the great strikers cash in when they can. He looked great against Portugal up on his own when Rooney got sent off, and of course he was better suited to the role than Rooney, but again he did what was asked of him when it was needed.

He's come on and performed in virtually every England game he's ever played in, but as soon as Rooney's fit he'll probably get dropped. Why? He scores goals whatever the pressure, which is more than can be said of, Defoe (watch it sail over the crossbar from 10 yards) and in recent years Owen.

By all accounts he has the propensity to be absolutely dire. Ask Liverpool fans who watched the recent Hammers match, but lo and behold he popped up to score the winner.

He's slow, but he makes up for it with a disarmingly good feel for the ball and first touch considering his size.

I somehow think he'll remain a figure of fun. He'll never truly be taken seriously and maybe that dance was a very bad mistake. Had he not performed the robot, maybe people would have taken a better look. Who knows. Somehow I think he'll end up discarded. It's a shame.

6 comments:

Lucy said...

I hope he stays in but I guess Rooney will be prefered to him. It is a shame, Rooney is a lesser role model imo.

Name Witheld said...

I can't understand how some people don't like him. There's a couple of Newcastle fans at work who "think he's shite" but since when have Newcastle fans known anything about football?

Paul said...

Rooney and Crouch will be the front two if the players get their way - which judging by the stories coming out of the England camp seems to be the case at the moment.

Rooney himself has said he prefers Crouch because it gives the team more options.

Defoe will never be international class and Owen probably won't get that yard of extra pace back - Greaves, Lineker, and Shearer all struggled for pace after serious illness and injury I think Owen will be consigned to the history books - remembered for two moments of World Cup glory in 1998.

Linda Mason said...

Crouchinio.

That's all I have to say.

Paul said...

Mags

Do you mean in the style of Ronnie of Serghino the big useless lump from the crap Brazil sides of the late eighties?

Linda Mason said...

No Paul. I mean Crouchinio as in he scores more goals than the Brazilian strikers!

Cheeky bugger.