Would Crouchie have gotten into the England team if

[Guest prophet]

has not discovered this gem?

 

Look....when he was yet to be in the Pool setup, olde Sven was not even in the know.

 

England has to thank Rafa for this discovery as Sven is as blind as a bat in daylite.

[R A Softlad]

Don't think he discovered him but he has improved him as a player so no.

[Guest prophet]

What i meant by discoverd was that Crouch has been thro Villa, Poutsmouth? and Soton before us. Look like a career in the lower regions of the league.

 

Even his spurt of goals for Soton could have been construed as a half season wonder but........i guess Rafa saw sumthin different....

[Rushian]

he made his debut at Southampton.

[Guest prophet]

Thanks Rushian. Didnt realised that.

 

So would any other manager have sees the gem?

 

This line comes to mind : " Crouch gives another option to attack with his height. Defenders find him akward to defend aganist"

[Michael]

Look at it the other way round: Heskey was dropped by Sven as soon as he no longer played for a big team. Sven picks his players according to what players big teams have picked. Walcott would have had no chance were he still at Southampton even if he had played every game for them, but he gets picked without even having played for Arsenal because he belongs to that club.

[Martian]

No, Crouch would not have been on the team. The same situation applied to Luis Garcia and the Spanish team. He was deployed in the same fashion that Rafa had used at Liverpool with great success. England's great genius of a manager should have had Fowler on the team instead of wasting a slot on Wenger's boy. Playing Fowler alongside Crouch for at least part of the game will have been more productive.

[fyds]

he made his debut at Southampton.

Do you mean playing for us at Southampton? Or do you mean got his first England game while at Southampton?

 

Crouchy's first full first team debut was for QPR after they took him from Tottenham, where he started.

Edited June 6, 2006 by fyds

[Rimbeux]

Eriksson took him to the USA last summer, and started him with Owen. If he had stayed in the championship, who knows, but he was already in Eriksson's plans

[Alonso]

Look at it the other way round: Heskey was dropped by Sven as soon as he no longer played for a big team. Sven picks his players according to what players big teams have picked. Walcott would have had no chance were he still at Southampton even if he had played every game for them, but he gets picked without even having played for Arsenal because he belongs to that club.

Phil Neville is another prime example.

[Benitez]

Do you mean playing for us at Southampton? Or do you mean got his first England game while at Southampton?

 

Crouchy's first full first team debut was for QPR after they took him from Tottenham, where he started.

 

 

your memory can't be that bad Fyds - to even ask if Rushian meant that

 

It was for England. It was that USA trip thingy end of last season that was widely critisised. And the team was missing many regular England first teamers. I doubt Crouchy would have been there but for that fact.

 

As for whether he'd be going to the world cup - well the big part of the reason he is is cos he's had a good season at Liverpool and that has carried onto his England form. He probably does get more consideration cos he's at one of the bigger clubs, but that's been the way for a long time.

 

But Crouchy's there on merit. Whether he'd be there if he'd been signed by someone else, who knows!

[Ronnie Whelan]

He was quite a bit away from a start in Englands first game in the world cup, which at this stage looks very likely.

[Couldbe]

If Bent or Defoe were a Liverpool players they would be in the squad, so Crouch has benefited from joining Liverpool

[Kvarme Ate My Food]

would Crouchie have got into the Liverpool side if Sven had not discovered this gem?

[Cobs]

would Crouchie have got into the Liverpool side if Sven had not discovered this gem?

 

Look....when he was yet to be in the Pool setup, olde Rafa was not even in the know.

 

Liverpool has to thank Sven for this discovery as Rafa is as blind as a bat in daylite.

[hagi_complex]

[RafaShanks]

Doesn't the credit go to Gerry "I can't control my neck" Francis?

[Guz]

His 16 goals for southampton got him recognised for england and he went on the tour to the USA. We weren't the only ones in for Crouch, there were a couple of others - including a couple of the promoted clubs I think. But we outbid them and ofcourse, when the european champions knock on your door you don't say no.

 

I dont know if Crouch has improved as a player because I dont know how good or bad he really was. But he has taken advantage of being at a top club and having a manager with unrivalled faith in him. Not to mention the lack of other english striking options

[RedNik]

Happens with tons of players. Step up to a bigger club and they're assumed to be better players, and get picked for the national squad - not that that isnt the case with Crouch.

 

Another example is Saha.

[Guest Scot]

Happens with tons of players. Step up to a bigger club and they're assumed to be better players, and get picked for the national squad - not that that isnt the case with Crouch.

 

Another example is Saha.

 

Heskey