*Official* English Football Season 2007-08

[Tom Halsey]

As for the second bit did you actually bother to read what you quoted? No team can truly cope with high 6 footers, height almost transcends quality of defenses, as does to a lesser extent pace. Better teams stop the source, which is easy when it's England because we're too busy fitting pet players in to have a balanced side. But if you hit good crosses into a 6' 7" player he's going to head it, you can't stop it once the ball is in the air (cheating defenders excepted). Obviously if you're facing a one-dimensional side you can defender deeper or further up the pitch, England don't seem to be able to provide pace getting in behind defenses and height at the same time for whatever reason.

So basically you have just explained why he isn't very good for England, thankyou for doing my job. The problem with Crouch though, more than lack of service, is that he is a dire header of the ball. Forget his height, he is rubbish in the air.

Crouch doesn't score goals against good sides, that's proven by his stats for Liverpool and to a lesser extent England. And he doesn't set very many up either, he can't head it, and good sides will just cut off his supply.

 

[bugssy]

im a li9verpool fan and i loathe crouch........

 

[Scaly piscine]

So basically you have just explained why he isn't very good for England, thankyou for doing my job. The problem with Crouch though, more than lack of service, is that he is a dire header of the ball. Forget his height, he is rubbish in the air.

Crouch doesn't score goals against good sides, that's proven by his stats for Liverpool and to a lesser extent England. And he doesn't set very many up either, he can't head it, and good sides will just cut off his supply.

If England want to win anything they'll need to provide some service to whoever is up front. Crouch still managed to score 12 goals in 19 games, including a few appearances as sub. When you say something is proven by his stats you'd better get producing them hadn't you.

 

[NUFAN]

How about Derbyshire and Agbonlahor?

I would definately pick Johnson as the starting striker and I wouldn't worry about Defoe at the moment as much as I like him.

 

[Tom Halsey]

If England want to win anything they'll need to provide some service to whoever is up front. Crouch still managed to score 12 goals in 19 games, including a few appearances as sub. When you say something is proven by his stats you'd better get producing them hadn't you.

Crouch has only scored 17 league goals for Liverpool in 63 games, and that includes dire sides. None of his international goals come against a side even half-decent. The reason for this is that good sides cut off his service. It is quite clear-cut really.

 

[NUFAN]

Yeah Crouch is extremely overrated.

 

[1-9-7-7]

How about Derbyshire and Agbonlahor?

I would definately pick Johnson as the starting striker and I wouldn't worry about Defoe at the moment as much as I like him.

Would like to see Agoblahor given a chance soon against a lower side for England.
Unless he has, but I don't think so?

 

[roseboy64]

Crouch has only scored 17 league goals for Liverpool in 63 games, and that includes dire sides. None of his international goals come against a side even half-decent. The reason for this is that good sides cut off his service. It is quite clear-cut really.

He's still scored them though so he would definitely be in my squad for now at least.

 

[sideshowtim]

Crouch's robot dance should be reason enough for his automatic selection.

 

[BoyBrumby]

How about Derbyshire and Agbonlahor?

I would definately pick Johnson as the starting striker and I wouldn't worry about Defoe at the moment as much as I like him.

Would like to see Agoblahor given a chance soon against a lower side for England.
Unless he has, but I don't think so?

Agbonlahor rather blotted his copybook with his conduct when in the Under-21s he was "unavailable" to take a phone call from Pearce so doubt he'll be seriously considered.

Derbyshire's promising, but not ready for internationals yet judging by the way more established Prem players like Bent & Defoe have struggled when they've made the step up.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Crouch has only scored 17 league goals for Liverpool in 63 games, and that includes dire sides. None of his international goals come against a side even half-decent. The reason for this is that good sides cut off his service. It is quite clear-cut really.

Which would be a compelling argument if there was anyone else who showed any sign of scoring any goals ever against anyone.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Which would be a compelling argument if there was anyone else who showed any sign of scoring any goals ever against anyone.

That's true, however we have had our best striker by miles injured for over a year (and I hope he recovers to his old hieghts otherwise we really are screwed), and Rooney even at his best isn't a goalscorer. And there are a few players who havem't even been tested yet.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Crouch has only scored 17 league goals for Liverpool in 63 games, and that includes dire sides. None of his international goals come against a side even half-decent. The reason for this is that good sides cut off his service. It is quite clear-cut really.

How many of those 63 games are as sub?

Also describe some 'half-decent' sides Crouch has played a full game for England against. I bet there ain't many.


Edit: Conveniently omitted the 14 goals from 33 appearances in other Liverpool games - a lot of those as sub as well no doubt.

 

[Tom Halsey]

How many of those 63 games are as sub?

Also describe some 'half-decent' sides Crouch has played a full game for England against. I bet there ain't many.


Edit: Conveniently omitted the 14 goals from 33 appearances in other Liverpool games - a lot of those as sub as well no doubt.

14 from 33 others weren't on the site I used - though presumably they're cup games against lots of lower league opposition, of course.

The fact that a lot of those 63 games were probably as sub is actually quite damning on Crouch - he can't even get into his domestic side's starting XI.

As for how many decent sides Crouch has played against - admittedly the only one from memory is Portugal, and IIRC that was as sub. However if he can only score 12 in 19 against rubbish sides, it doesn't fill me with hope that he'll set the world alight against the good ones.

 

[Scaly piscine]

14 from 33 others weren't on the site I used - though presumably they're cup games against lots of lower league opposition, of course.

The fact that a lot of those 63 games were probably as sub is actually quite damning on Crouch - he can't even get into his domestic side's starting XI.

As for how many decent sides Crouch has played against - admittedly the only one from memory is Portugal, and IIRC that was as sub. However if he can only score 12 in 19 against rubbish sides, it doesn't fill me with hope that he'll set the world alight against the good ones.

Oh come on how many goals has anyone else scored against fairly poor sides? England are useless at putting poor sides away. Given he's often sub Crouch did pretty well last season (scored 7 from 13 in Europe, 18 from 47 overall), he struggled a bit the season before.

Just found on here:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/peter-crouch.html

Crouch averaged less than 50 minutes a game in the league last season.

 

[BoyBrumby]

3-1 to the Toffees at the break. Oh, happy day.

 

[aussie]

ah its time likes these i wish Bellamy were English.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Oh come on how many goals has anyone else scored against fairly poor sides? England are useless at putting poor sides away. Given he's often sub Crouch did pretty well last season (scored 7 from 13 in Europe, 18 from 47 overall), he struggled a bit the season before.

Just found on here:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/peter-crouch.html

Crouch averaged less than 50 minutes a game in the league last season.

England are useless at putting poor sides away, and the fact that Crouch (and others) don't score more goals is a big reason for that.

The fact that Crouch averages less than 50 minutes a game for his domestic side doesn't help your argument.

 

[Pup Clarke]

ah its time likes these i wish Bellamy were English.

Hmmm...indeed. He'd certainly fit in nicely with the prima donnas and thugs (Dyer, Woodgate, Barton).

 

[Scaly piscine]

England are useless at putting poor sides away, and the fact that Crouch (and others) don't score more goals is a big reason for that.

The fact that Crouch averages less than 50 minutes a game for his domestic side doesn't help your argument.

Try not to contradict yourself. One minute you're saying Crouch only scores against poor sides (12 goals in 19 games with some sub appearances is a very good ratio at international level) then you're saying England are poor at putting poor sides away because Crouch doesn't score enough goals. Should he have scored a double-hatrick against Jamaica then? Hit four against Greece?

As for averaging less than 50 minutes a game that just again indicates how inept Benitez is in league games, as we know already.

By the way Crouch has played as sub in 7 of his 19 England games and since 2006 has scored 12 goals in 15 games. During which time Rooney scored 1 goal in 10 games (starting all but 1 of them), as well as getting sent off.