Ian Rush : " Why I'm backing Crouch to succeed. "
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Liverpool goalscoring legend Ian Rush tells us why he believes Peter Crouch will prove the doubters wrong and offers some words of advice to the striker who's seeking his first goal for the Reds.
For the sake of his confidence there's no doubt that Peter Crouch needs a goal as soon as possible but, for me, his failure to yet hit the back of the net in a red shirt should not detract from what I believe has been an encouraging start to his Liverpool career.
Like every Liverpudlian I was willing him to get off the mark against Anderlecht at Anfield on Wednesday night. The fact that he didn't will have had his critics rubbing their hands with glee but there is no way I am going to give up on him after just 13 games.
Like Rafa, I have the utmost faith in him in succeeding here. I know there are many out there who questioned the wisdom of his signing in the summer but I believed then, and still do, that Liverpool got themselves a very good player when they paid Southampton £7 million for his services.
A lot has been made about his height and because of this I think his performances have come under even greater scrutiny, which is a touch unfair.
At six foot seven inches tall everyone is expecting him to pose a major threat in the air. Of course, aerial presence is one of the key components of his game but without a winger to feed him the big man has frustratingly found himself starved of service.
My advice to him would be to keep believing in himself. Scoring goals is, of course, what being a striker is all about but if he starts to worry about it too much then there's a danger he may start feeling sorry for himself and that could affect his overall game.
It's no secret that Rafa is on the lookout for a wide-man and if, as expected, one arrives in January then I'm sure we'll see the best of Peter Crouch.
That's not to say he doesn't have anything else to offer. Far from it. Like probably many Liverpool fans I have been surprised by just how good he has been with the ball at his feet and his link-up play has been particularly pleasing.
Unfortunately, a striker is judged on the goals he scores and that is why he'll be feeling the pressure a bit at the moment.
He's probably feeling a bit down right now at not yet registering a goal in Liverpool colours. Who wouldn't? It's only natural. He'll be desperate to break his duck but he must not dwell on it too much.
If he keeps working hard, maintains his concentration and continues to play as well as he has been then the goals will come. I'm sure of that. He just needs to keep his head up and stay positive.
Rafael Benitez is a shrewd judge and he wouldn't have splashed out £7 million on him if he didn't think he could cut it at Anfield. As Peter proved last season, he can score goals in the Premiership.
On a number of occasions this season he's found himself in an isolated role up front and this has not made life any easier. It is hard playing as a lone attacker and even the best strikers in the world would struggle with no support.
I'm not trying to make excuses but we must also remember that he's still new to the club and not every player settles in straight away.
Everything at Liverpool is will be different - the lifestyle, the training, the tactics and the atmosphere. With respect to Southampton and his other former clubs, they are not as big as Liverpool and adapting to life at a club of this size is not always easy.
I remember when I first joined Liverpool from Chester in 1980. Making that step up was massive and I struggled at first. I went seven games without scoring and even contemplated putting in a transfer request.
I was perhaps too anxious to impress and one day in training Bob Paisley pulled me to one side and explained that I must be more selfish in front of goal. My strike partner at the time Kenny Dalglish was also quick to offer me words of encouragement and knowing they were fully behind me helped lift a huge weight off my shoulders.
In later years I encouraged Robbie Fowler in the same way and I've no doubt that Rafa and the Liverpool players are doing the same with Peter right now. You could see on Wednesday that the likes of Steven Gerrard and co were doing his best to help set him up.
Going back to my early days at the club, even though I was slow to get off the mark the fact that the team was winning eased the pressure slightly and I'm hoping it'll be the same now. With the current team getting back to winning ways and scoring goals again this past week maybe the weight of expectation on Peter will not be as intense.
The good thing for Peter is that the Liverpool fans are faithful and they will give him time. So long as he continues to give 100 per cent they will stick with him and having their support behind you is very important in a situation like this
Like Bob said to me though, I think he has to show a bit more greed in front of goal. If he can start showing this on Saturday against Aston Villa then I'd back him to end his much-publicised barren run.
The good thing for Peter is that the Liverpool the fans are faithful and they will give him time. So long as he continues to give 100 per cent they will stick with him and having their support behind you is very important in a situation like this
The Liverpudlians will be at Villa Park in their thousands on Saturday and I'm sure he can count on them for their backing if selected. Should he be given the nod then I'd love to see him given a full 90 minutes to show what he can do.
Aston Villa are not having the best of times and Liverpool will go there high on confidence after recent wins in the Premiership and Champions League.
Villa Park was always a happy hunting ground for me and I hope it proves the same for Peter. I once scored a famous hat-trick there in front of the live TV cameras on an icy Friday night. It's a game people still talk about but hopefully after Saturday they'll have a new game and new name to remember whenever Liverpool prepare for a trip to Villa Park in the future.
Having played briefly for Villa earlier in his career, it's a ground that Peter will be well familiar with and wouldn't it be great if it's the venue where he finally scores his first Liverpool goal?
Good luck Peter and the best of luck. We're all right behind you. -
I think he will flourish in the 442 formation,but i doubt he's a 25 goal a season striker..however when partnered with cisse,it should be quite good..
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The holte end will boo him see if next time kop end got boo baros louder anot
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Trust me , Anfield will never boo Milan Baros , in fact , I expect The Kop to give a Standing Ovation no different to any of our ex-heroes .Originally posted by The man who was death:The holte end will boo him see if next time kop end got boo baros louder anot
Anfield doesn't have any history of booing ex-players . -
u sure meh?? nick barmby also never boo??Originally posted by Poolman:Trust me , Anfield will never boo Milan Baros , in fact , I expect The Kop to give a Standing Ovation no different to any of our ex-heroes .
Anfield doesn't have any history of booing ex-players . -
I doubt he can get @ least 10 goals for this season...
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I seriously tink someone shd beef him up - both in terms of confidence and physically
As a fan, I won't judge him so soon....altho I tot his contribution on the pitch wasn't all tat bad. Let's give him some time!
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Nick Barmby ? Got meh ? When he played for Leeds or what ? No impression leh .Originally posted by The man who was death:u sure meh?? nick barmby also never boo?? -
not the players, the coach got problem.
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Maybe what Benitez wants from Crouch is not about scoring , it's about holding ball , run into threatening position , open up offensive position for team mates , and winning penalties !
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when he played for everton mah, didn't he move from pool to everton??Originally posted by Poolman:Nick Barmby ? Got meh ? When he played for Leeds or what ? No impression leh .
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No la , he moved from Everton to LFC la .Originally posted by The man who was death:when he played for everton mah, didn't he move from pool to everton??
Let me go check his profile . -
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Apart from his exceptional height, I don't think Crouch possesses much of the sought after qualities of a good striker. Anticipation, Pace, Strength, Finishing, Composure and Decision making.
Good thing is that he's still young and there's a lot of time left for him to improve himself as a player. As long as he works hard, he'll improve. The staff and players are backing him and most understandably so.
I'll give him 2 years at Anfield. If he does'nt show enough improvement, he's off.
