Peter Crouch...world class?

[SWPgotrobbed]

Where does Crouchy rank amongst the world's best strikers? I'll admit, I was one of many poking fun at Liverpool after they signed Crouch for 7 million which at the time seemed laughable. Obviously now Crouch has more than proven his worth. So, is Crouchy top 10? 20? ...30?

[broomtree]

Crouch isn't top 10. I would say he's around top20~top30.

[royalstilton]

Crouch's record for England would put him in the top 10.

He has scored 10 goals in 13 appearances = .77 gpg.

By comparison Henry has scored 36 goals in 86; Ronaldo 62 in 97; Sheva 31 in 69; RNV 28 in 54; Raúl 44 in 100.

Now, it's easy to get vaporous over Mr. Roboto's current numbers, but ya gotta admit, it's impressive, to say the least.

Unless you start thinking about who he's played against -- Andorra, Greece...

[mak9]

how did Crouch become a pro?

[NCunited]

I would say he is top 20.

[HSEUPASSION]

He's not world class. But he's very good. People should get off his case, he does everything that's asked of him.

At Liverpool he scored against Man Utd, at Southampton he scored against Arsenal. He doesn't score a ton, but he's there when he's needed.

[Alan D]

I don't like him as a player much but he gets the job done and scores a lot of goals so I'm starting to think he is world-class. I think he still needs to do it against World-class opposition against the likes of Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Italy etc. but we haven't been grouped with any of them teams in the Euro 08 qualifiers (although Croatia are pretty good) so we won't know for awhile.

[Pazarius]

Crouch is having a good run for England and scoring plenty of goals, albiet mostly against very weak opposition, and deserves his England place at the moment.

But to suggest he is now suddenly world class is ridiculous.

[West 'am 'till I die]

The best way to judge him would be to ask if any of the top 10 country's would swap one of their strikers for him? some would, most wouldn't!

[lost]

He can only be judged by his record. He is a striker, not a creator, the only thing he thinks about is getting the ball in the net. Yes, i am one of the many johnny come lately fans of crouch, but he has most certainly shut most of his doubters up.

(though, i would say in my own defence, i heard of this 6ft7 striker when he was playing for Portsmouth, and then saw him in the u21s. I thought he would be a very good target man then, though when he went to Villa and then after he went to Liverpool i thought he would never make it as a pro.)

IMO you don't compare crouch to the ronaldos and shevas, you compare him with the drogbas, jan kollers and luca tonis, and his record internationally is better than all these type of big centre forawrds, so long may it contiue. i would put him in the top 10 on form, but top 20 in terms of quality.

[Clan]

Crouch is having a good run for England and scoring plenty of goals, albiet mostly against very weak opposition, and deserves his England place at the moment.

But to suggest he is now suddenly world class is ridiculous.

Indeed.

Once he has a run of 6 or 7 games without a goal, he won't be starting anymore - unlike the truly world class strikers.

Still, as long as he's on his streak (:p) he simply must play.

[nicephoras]

IMO you don't compare crouch to the ronaldos and shevas, you compare him with the drogbas, jan kollers and luca tonis, and his record internationally is better than all these type of big centre forawrds

Practically every single one of his goals has come against poor opposition.

[lost]

Practically every single one of his goals has come against poor opposition.

Welome to the England experience.

[Mikey10]

Good player, underrated, but not World Class.

[The Potter]

Indeed.

Once he has a run of 6 or 7 games without a goal, he won't be starting anymore - unlike the truly world class strikers.

Still, as long as he's on his streak (:p) he simply must play.


Spot on, old man.

[nicephoras]

Welome to the England experience.

No, welcome to the Crouch experience. Hat tricks against Carribean minnows after having 8 chances isn't enough to make him world class.
Decent option for England, happens to be in decent form at the moment, is sorely lacking against top quality opposition.

[Chewmylegoff]

in my opinion crouch has not played enough games for his goal/game ratio to actually mean anything. especially because 5 of his goals came in 2 games against diabolical opposition.

i really really doubt that when (and if) he gets to say 30-40 caps he will have maintained this scoring rate.

[rolfefan1717]

the guy is very limited in what he can on the pitch. even his main strength, being a target man, is limited by physical, athletic defenders due to his unbelievable frail frame. yet, if england continue to play a system which properly uses their width with players such as downing, lennon, cole, and gerrard crouch will continue to be englands first choice striker. i personally dont believe he has the touch, skill, or passing abilities to be world class. i would love to be proven wrong though.

[liverbird]

No, welcome to the Lampard experience. No goals against Carribean minnows after having 8 chances isn't enough to make him world class.
Decent option for England, is sorely lacking against top quality opposition.

Fixed your post:D

Crouch does what's asked of him, and does it adequately, which is more than can be said about a number of England players. If I had unlimited funds I'd buy Shevchenko but for a national side one has to go with what's available. Rooney, Dafoe, Johnson are good to great forwards but are all better off the lead position and running at or behind defenders. Crouch will win balls hoofed out of the back, hold the ball up, and bring another forward into the play. He is a better than average passer in close quarters and he will score goals. As has been noted, for his size he's not the best header of the ball, but he can score that way with good service (ask John Terry about his last trip to Cardiff). So as a non-Englishman, I'd say he's the best you currently have for his assignment so why slag him off?

[nicephoras]

Fixed your post:D

No you didn't. And I'm not English.
And in big games, Crouch has routinely failed, both for England and for Liverpool. His biggest goal to date has been what - the goal against Jamaica? The goal against Chelsea in a glorified friendly?
Decent player, on a good run of form, nothing more.