Crouch to Portsmouth

[LFC Barry]

6 April 2008
CROUCH BACK TO POMPEY
By Scott Piecha

Peter Crouch has agreed to join Portsmouth in the summer in a move worth £8million.

The Liverpool striker will sign a four-year deal at the end of the season worth £60,000 a week to link up with Harry Redknapp again. Crouch played under Redknapp at Southampton and the Pompey boss sees him as the perfect partner for Jermain Defoe who joined in January for £7.5m from Spurs.

The 6ft 7ins beanpole striker has been looking for a way out of Anfield, with boss Rafa Benitez making it clear he is no longer a regular in the first team. Crouch has been linked with a move to Manchester City, Aston Villa and Newcastle, but has chosen to rejoin the South Coast side where he made his name.

With 18 goals in 37 league games for Pompey in 2001-2 he helped keep them in the Championship before Redknapp took over at Fratton Park to guide them into the top flight.

http://www.people.co.uk/sport/footba...name_page.html


It'd be a shame to see him go. Surely we should be geting closer to 10 million

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Crouch & Defoe would be a very very interesting partnership ... Both are capable goal scorers and a good mixture of height & speed ... I think it's a mistake to let go of Crouch of Rafa wants to revert to the 4-4-2 option - he's a far better foil for Torres than Kuyt. However, if Rafa intends to continue with this 4-2-3-1, then Crouch really has no future other than a backup to Nando.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

With less than a year left on his contract I don't think we'd have got much more to tell you the truth.

 

[LFC Barry]

Its another mess up with the contracts. Why do we let them run to 12 months?

This should have been sored out in January

 

[furyoo]

Is the source reliable?

 

[Molbystwin]

8M is probably slightly better business for them than for us but still for a player with 1 year left.... He has more or less doubled in value since he arrived at our club and played 20 or so times for England scoring goals for us and for the national team.

He is our second best striker and a very good player and his record is impressive. He has also scored some very good goals and his attitude and behaviour on and of the pitch are exemplary. If we sell we will need to buy somebody better and that will not be cheap!

I will be sad to lose the gangly freak but he does need to play, looking back a few years when the rumours surfaced about us signing him not many of us were thinking he would be as good as he was/is nor indeed that we would sell him on for more than we paid for him!

 

[Rosco]

That's not a bad deal given he only has a year left on the contract.

Ultimately he isn't good enough so I think we're better off to let him go and move on.

 

[vantage]

About the same as we got for another striker with 1 year left on his contract, but a tad shorter. The previous year he had been touted as being worth £40m, so if true, I think it is a good deal.

Despite the awful start to his Anfield career, I like the lad and hope he does well.

 

[Judge Jules]

I don't agree he's "not good enough" and I'll be sorry to see him (and the options he gives us) leave the club, but it's a good move for him.

 

[vantage]

[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=22280.msg534085#msg534085 date=1207480189]
I don't agree he's "not good enough" and I'll be sorry to see him (and the options he gives us) leave the club, but it's a good move for him.
[/quote]

I agree. But it is his career.

 

[Milner]

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=22280.msg534063#msg534063 date=1207477823]
Crouch & Defoe would be a very very interesting partnership ... Both are capable goal scorers and a good mixture of height & speed ... I think it's a mistake to let go of Crouch of Rafa wants to revert to the 4-4-2 option - he's a far better foil for Torres than Kuyt. However, if Rafa intends to continue with this 4-2-3-1, then Crouch really has no future other than a backup to Nando.
[/quote]
Can't argue with any of that. I'd much rather sell Kuyt or Voronin though.

 

[Oncy]

Its fucking funny how we spend all year saying 'so and so is shit, we should sell' then when we hear that a deal is struck everyone is all 'WHAT 12M THATS A JOKE HE'S WORLD CLASS'

8m for Crouch is good dosh as is 6m for Deaders.

 

[rebel23]

Pompey are building a decent team there, Crouch, Defoe with Baros and Kanu as forwards, with a tight and experienced defence and a ground no one likes to go to, that's pretty strong

 

[SaintGeorge67]

Not good enough. Sell him.

 

[dee]

[quote author=rebel23 link=topic=22280.msg534139#msg534139 date=1207483245]
Pompey are building a decent team there, Crouch, Defoe with Baros and Kanu as forwards, with a tight and experienced defence and a ground no one likes to go to, that's pretty strong
[/quote]

HeHe but what about their new stadium plans!

 

[keniget]

This is surely a bit premature?

Only yesterday Rafa was saying that a contract is still on the table and that Crouch has a future here if he wants it. Would he have said that if a deal was already in place?

 

[Vlads Quiff]

We are a bit transparent aren't we. The only reason the club are trying to get him to sign a contract is so they do better than £8m.

regards

 

[Wizardry]

My heart says he's not good enough but my head is still not convinced. He was by far our best for the first 45 yesterday and has done very well for us when given the chance.

Having said that, Rafa clearly doesn't rate him and he must wonder what he needs to do given Kuyt has been placed ahead of him constantly, irrespective of form.

As for the price - well, it's about 1m above what we got him for so you've got to be pleased - particularly when we all said we'd been conned to pay that amount to begin with.

 

[The Slugmonster]

[quote author=LFC Barry link=topic=22280.msg534066#msg534066 date=1207477988]
Its another mess up with the contracts. Why do we let them run to 12 months?

This should have been sored out in January
[/quote]

Well apparently there was/is a contract offer on the table but im sure crouch was waiting to see whether he could break back into the team or rafas plans before signing it. Id do the same and it saves him being priced out of the market come the summer.

 

[vantage]

[quote author=Wizardry link=topic=22280.msg534304#msg534304 date=1207492747]
My heart says he's not good enough but my head is still not convinced. He was by far our best for the first 45 yesterday and has done very well for us when given the chance.

Having said that, Rafa clearly doesn't rate him and he must wonder what he needs to do given Kuyt has been placed ahead of him constantly, irrespective of form.

As for the price - well, it's about 1m above what we got him for so you've got to be pleased - particularly when we all said we'd been conned to pay that amount to begin with.
[/quote]

Kuyt has played ahead of him because of the new formation. Crouchie cannot play on the left or right of a 3, (we tried it once) and no-one will forgive Rafa if he changes the formation again, or moves Torres.

 

[Squiggles]

All things considered, that would be a good deal. He's twice the goal-threat Kuyt will ever be so I shall be sorry to see him go, but seeing as Benitez is unfamiliar with the term I'm not in the least bit surprised.

 

[Roger REDerer]

We have been banging on about shipping the dross out of Anfield for ages......

Crouch is one of them. He has had his chances and to be honest, we have been very impatient with him. Remember his barren spell not too long ago ? 18 matches without scoring was it ?

If we're to inch closer towards the top 3, we have to be ruthless. No more average shite.

Thank you for your contribution Crouchie but goodbye, you're (one of) the weakest link.

 

[manwithnoname]

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=22280.msg534381#msg534381 date=1207498877]

He's twice the goal-threat Kuyt will ever be so I shall be sorry to see him go

[/quote]

Yes, the facts certainly back that fucking statement up, what with Crouch's BEST EVER PREMIERSHIP TALLY IN HIS ENTIRE FUCKING CAREER BEING 12.

Which, incidentally, is Kuyt's best-ever tally. Delivered in his first ever season in the Premiership.

 

[Atlas]

8 million is good for us, thanks Harry and goodbye Crouch.

 

[manwithnoname]

Thank you for your contribution Crouchie but goodbye, you're (one of) the weakest link.

Not even stone-age Amazonian headhunters say "You are the weakest link, goodbye" anymore, you fucking cretin.

 

[Wizardry]

[quote author=vantage link=topic=22280.msg534379#msg534379 date=1207498708]
[quote author=Wizardry link=topic=22280.msg534304#msg534304 date=1207492747]
My heart says he's not good enough but my head is still not convinced. He was by far our best for the first 45 yesterday and has done very well for us when given the chance.

Having said that, Rafa clearly doesn't rate him and he must wonder what he needs to do given Kuyt has been placed ahead of him constantly, irrespective of form.

As for the price - well, it's about 1m above what we got him for so you've got to be pleased - particularly when we all said we'd been conned to pay that amount to begin with.
[/quote]

Kuyt has played ahead of him because of the new formation. Crouchie cannot play on the left or right of a 3, (we tried it once) and no-one will forgive Rafa if he changes the formation again, or moves Torres.
[/quote]

True, Crouch can't play on the left or right - despite Rafa trying it out a couple of times. As you say that pretty much strikes him out for the current formation. Let's not kid ourselves, though, that we've been playing this formation all season. We played 4-4-2 plenty of times and Kuyt has been the 2nd striker despite being in dire form and Crouch scoring whenever given the chance.

 

[Roger REDerer]

[quote author=Brendan link=topic=22280.msg534497#msg534497 date=1207509807]

Thank you for your contribution Crouchie but goodbye, you're (one of) the weakest link.

Not even stone-age Amazonian headhunters say "You are the weakest link, goodbye" anymore, you fucking cretin.
[/quote]

Sue me you prick.

 

[mark1975]

[quote author=Brendan link=topic=22280.msg534491#msg534491 date=1207509569]
[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=22280.msg534381#msg534381 date=1207498877]

He's twice the goal-threat Kuyt will ever be so I shall be sorry to see him go

[/quote]

Yes, the facts certainly back that fucking statement up, what with Crouch's BEST EVER PREMIERSHIP TALLY IN HIS ENTIRE FUCKING CAREER BEING 12.

Which, incidentally, is Kuyt's best-ever tally. Delivered in his first ever season in the Premiership.
[/quote]

By the kind of goals they score, it's a bit obvious who is the better finisher.

His record this season is still good compared to how many starts he's had, 7 league starts/3 goals, 4 FA Cup starts/2 goals, 7 EU starts, 4 goals. Kuyt's scored the same amount of goals in the league, in how many starts?

 

[RolandG]

Crouch is a great player but doesn't last the 90 minutes and has been woeful most times he has started. He has great quality without a doubt. Off the bench he is a good impact player but the lad deserves more.

His problem at the moment is that Rafa has found a formation that wins us games. He is unlikely to change the formation which has obvious implications for Crouch. Peter has england ambitions so its fairly straightforward where his future lies.

 

[Digsyy]

What england aspirations??? I thought England are not in the Euros....I'm amazed at how all footballers looking for regular football will clamour for a move on the basis of turning up for their national teams....when in reality no one has really turned on conistent good performances for the Three Lions in ages.