Benitez loses his patience as he tries to cash in on defiant Crouch

[zigackly]

Cisse [...] scored goals, and he could run fast. He can't be that shit he had loads of assists and 19 goals playing mainly on the wing.

 

Whilst no-one can disagree with that per se, the reason he was playing on the wing was that he was clearly a busted flush up front and apparently was unable to understand the offside rule, which is ultimately why Benitez got shot of him.

[Toddler]

I desperately want us to continue in the same vein as we did in the summer, I worry we will not and that we will stray from what works (in my opinion) in relation to attacking players at least, that is all

 

I really want us .......

 

That wasn't all, was it!

[Hermes]

I I think our squad is far better than it was when Rafa as it should be.

 

Eh? you're starting to sound like that Swedish chef.

[Thants]

 

Its now 83rd most rated sports page on youtube today. Special thanks to the person who gave it 5 stars, does Saatchi tune in here?

 

EDIT: Its now 90th. Can't believe it, my art is on the wain already. Such a fickle industry.

[Section_31]

I don't think even Nostradamus could have predicted how bad Morientes would have turned out for Liverpool.

 

Balague did, said he was a lazy soft bastard who couldn't take a dig and wouldn't make it at Liverpool. (loses something in the translation)

 

Someone mentioned the scouting system, I remember Bascombe saying a while back that under the Moores administration they wouldn't let Rafa change the scouting set-up, and that much to his annoyance we had fifty scouts in Merseyside and seven in the rest of the world (!)

 

The rev is right too, no more fucking French/Dutch league 'maybe one day shoulda coulda woulda' players - how about spending every last penny on another Torres-class signing instead?

[cochcaer]

Whilst no-one can disagree with that per se, the reason he was playing on the wing was that he was clearly a busted flush up front and apparently was unable to understand the offside rule, which is ultimately why Benitez got shot of him.

 

No, I think he played on the wing because there was often no alternative if Rafa wanted to use Gerrard centrally. He wasn't great but apart from Torres I'd not be heartbroken if any of our other strikers were shipped out.

[zico]

Whilst no-one can disagree with that per se, the reason he was playing on the wing was that he was clearly a busted flush up front and apparently was unable to understand the offside rule, which is ultimately why Benitez got shot of him.

 

Oh yes, the old offside mystery, still don´t think he has quite figured it out :lol:

[zico]

But the original point is spending in excess of 10/20M doesn't guarantee you a player who will suddenly win everything for you. The price means he is highly sought after but doesn't guarantee that he will settle in to a new club or system any more than a player who costs nothing or under 3M.

 

No guarantees, but better odds...... Hence the price difference.....

[zico]

You're just pissed they haven't mentioned Nasri ;)

 

Oh and for whoever said we need a left winger then put Quaresma at the top of the suggestions - Stop it.

 

Why? He is currently the best available, in fact if he had a twin I would want one on the him on the right as well... Now that would have sorted out the problems we have out wide ;)

 

Nutter

 

Comming from you I take that as a compliment.....

 

I´d really like to see your preferred targets though!!!

[Cardie]

Why?

 

 

Because he's a right winger who occasionally plays on the left.

Because he has no left foot and has to attempt that ridiculous outside of the right foot nonsense.

Because if you're paying 20+million for a left winger it'd be handy if he had a left foot and was actually a left winger?

[rebel23]

City set to offer Crouch an £8m way out

By IAN LADYMAN - Last updated at 23:12pm on 10th October 2007

 

Sven Goran Eriksson will be able to buy Peter Crouch for £8million in the January transfer window if he follows up his interest in the Liverpool and England striker.

 

The Manchester City manager has put Crouch on his list of possibles after learning that he is unhappy at his failure to secure a regular starting place this season and is ready to quit Anfield.

 

Eriksson needs a centre forward after losing Valeri Bojinov with a serious knee injury and believes 26-year-old Crouch is one of the most proficient strikers in the Premier League.

 

Crouch cost £7m when he moved to Anfield from Southampton two years ago and City feared that a price tag between £12m-£15m would put them out of the running, but it is understood Liverpool are prepared to take substantially less.

 

Crouch will only have 18 months left on his contract in January. He has made it clear he will not sign a new deal as long as coach Rafael Benitez prefers Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt and Andriy Voronin in his rotation policy.

 

This season Crouch has made just one League start and his only goal came in the second leg of the Champions League qualifier against Toulouse.

 

Crouch is aware of City's interest and has told friends he would relish the opportunity to join up with Eriksson, who gave him his England chance and took him to the World Cup Finals in Germany.

 

Eriksson believes that £8m would represent a good price for Crouch — a player he knows and trusts.

 

He said: "I've spoken to the people upstairs and the news at the moment is good. I'm told that I can operate in January, so that is good."

 

Despite their impressive start to the season, there is concern among City's coaching staff that the current team may not have enough goals and they are lacking a 20-goal per season striker.

 

They are relying on Emile Mpenza as a lone striker while Georgios Samaras seeks a return to form and Italian Rolando Bianchi tries to settle in England.

 

Bianchi was the big hope when he arrived in the summer but he has disappointed after scoring on his debut and there are some at City who are already wondering if he has the physical ability and appetite to prosper in the Premier League.

 

Eriksson has been told by owner Thaksin Shinawatra that he can go back with a £4m bid for Palermo midfielder Mark Bresciano — who he almost signed in August — and that he can have money for a centre forward.

 

The former Thai prime minister is not able to bankroll Eriksson to the extent that has been suggested by some and is certainly not able to spend money in the same lavish fashion that Roman Abramovich has at Chelsea.

 

Indeed, it was because Palermo wanted £4m in one up-front payment that the deal to sign Bresciano failed. England defender Micah Richards has vowed to sign a new contract at City, despite negotiations dragging on.

 

Richards, 19, said: "I'm in final talks and hopefully we'll have something signed very, very soon, it's just down to the finer details.

 

"It's certainly not the case that I want to move anywhere. I'm looking for a new house in Manchester, so why would I want to move anywhere now?

 

"I'm enjoying my football week in, week out and I'm playing for England, so what more could I want at the moment?"

 

Link

[Red Nick]

8m just shows what a huge mistake it was not selling him in the summer

 

His value worst way was 12m in the summer.

 

its not my money so its not my problem

[Liquid football]

I'm taking all this stuff with a pinch of salt at the moment, but, if that was true, it would be a pathetic amount when you consider what other players are going for and would be pretty much the perfect signing for City.

[Rashid]

Because he's a right winger who occasionally plays on the left.

Because he has no left foot and has to attempt that ridiculous outside of the right foot nonsense.

Because if you're paying 20+million for a left winger it'd be handy if he had a left foot and was actually a left winger?

 

He has played on the left many times and can play very well there, in fact if he came here he would be our best left winger too given that Kewell can't string two games together.

 

I can think of many top class left sided players who don't have a right foot.

[zico]

Because he's a right winger who occasionally plays on the left.

Because he has no left foot and has to attempt that ridiculous outside of the right foot nonsense.

Because if you're paying 20+million for a left winger it'd be handy if he had a left foot and was actually a left winger?

 

It´s not like his right foot is useless is it?

 

Besides he already has more goals and assists for Porto playing on the left this year, than Pennant has had during his entire stay at Liverpool combined.....

 

BTW that ridiculus outside of the foot nonsense happens to hit it´s target more often than we manage on both wings combined, including when we play Gerrard plays out wide...

[dirty_sanchez]

I'd take Cisse over the other 3 we have mate, he scored goals, and he could run fast. He can't be that shit he had loads of assists and 19 goals playing mainly on the wing. He isn't my type of player as I like the elegant, stylish types or players with brute strength and power who can score goals - Cisse is none of those but he is better than the guys who replaced him. (IMO)

 

Technically Torres replaced him though and Torres will more than likely score 19 goals for us. Don't forget that Cisse might have scored 19 goals but there were loads more that he should have scored but timed his runs wrongly or went for power over placement with his shots. Also, while the likes of Voronin and Kuyt might not have the pace of Cisse, they have far more footballing intelligence than him and much higher work rates. It doesn't matter so much if our team doesn't play pretty football as long as we win. It doesn't even matter if we don't have anyone in our team scoring 20 goals a season as long as someone scores.

[G Richards]

8m just shows what a huge mistake it was not selling him in the summer

 

His value worst way was 12m in the summer.

 

its not my money so its not my problem

 

I tend to agree with this. It is possible that Rafa genuinely did not know how his new strikers would settle, so he kept Crouch as insurance. Given that Torres and Voronin are up and running, and we already know what Kuyt brings, and given that Crouch might possibly not have the mental strength to cope with being out of the team (and perform at a high level when called on), then Rafa will now act.

 

The delay has likely cost us a few million, but given that Rafa is cautious, I imagine he wanted to see how his strikers settled before offloading Crouch.

 

Another caveat might be Babel. It is possible that Rafa sees him more as a striker now too, so there is even less room for Crouch.

 

This is all a bit of a shame, becasue Crouch did well for us and he is a genuinely likeable lad. But if Rafa won't play him regularly, and if the player himself is unsettled by this, and cannot play at his best when called upon, then a parting of the ways is best for all concerned.

 

I just hope that when it does happen Crouch doesn't do the 'kiss and tell' rubbish with the press.

[havarantagain]

lets face it Crouch hasn't set the game alight this season for us given the chances he has had. I've always thought he offered something different especially when we 'hoof' up front from the back. No doubt Raffa will sell to get a lesser replacement with 'potential' and Crouch will score the goal for Citeh to claim fourth spot in the league.

[hamstrung]

Comming from you I take that as a compliment.....

 

I´d really like to see your preferred targets though!!!

 

 

I don't claim to be any great expert on world football. Some people do, but there are only a few people on here with the knowledge to back it up as I see it. Many bluff/claim without the knowledge to back it up.

 

For example - Dos Santos as one of your choices. He has started 1 first team game. I am sure you'll claim to watch all the youth championships etc but I'd be inclined to disbelieve you. S'all about the name.

 

Didn't you come from Koptalk?

[stringvest]

Plus Dirk's ace.

 

no he isn't.

[hamstrung]

Yes he is

[Dirk]

no he isn't.

 

 

Does your mother know that you're out?

[stringvest]

I wouldn't and I know you know there's more to a players game than running with your head down as fast as you can...unless you're name is Milan Baros. Very interesting looking at your three players and the current three, the thing that strikes me is attitude. Cisse, Baros and Pongolle's attitude stinks and they are hardly team players, the current three certainly are.

 

Leicester/Birmingham/Wigan/Sunderland etc etc always have 11 team players. You can't honestly suggest that Crouch and Kuyt have done anything this year that Cisse, Baros or Pongolle couldn't have done - they've both stunk (and I'm a fan of Crouch). As for Voronin, it's unfair to have a pop at him as it's his first season, but my initial impressions are that he just seems to be a more technically gifted and intelligent version of Kuyt, with even worse hair.

[hamstrung]

They are better players. The season started 6 weeks ago or something, but they have proved themselves since they arrived.

 

For example, could any of those 3 scored the Crouch hat trick against Arsenal? Doubt it.

[Rashid]

They are better players. The season started 6 weeks ago or something, but they have proved themselves since they arrived.

 

For example, could any of those 3 scored the Crouch hat trick against Arsenal? Doubt it.

 

I don't think Kuyt, Crouch and Voronin are an improvement on Baros, Pongolle and Cisse not where talent or pace is concerned. On goal scored I'd guess they are all about equal.

 

We certainly won more trophies with Baros and Cisse and than we did with Kuyt and Crouch that's for sure.