Sometimes players say ‘what we want to hear’ or at least ‘what they might think we want to hear’ but I have always been of the opinion that what Peter Crouch says is as it is, and what he says is what he wants to say…
Well, today the big man has again in The News spoken of his delight at being back a Pompey, a club and place that he regards as ‘his home’, and says he has no desire to leave the club that he feels he can give his best years to – 28-32 are the years that he feels are the ones when a player is at his peak, and he has just turned 28.
Crouch also spoke of his regret at leaving the club when he did in the first place, obviously he went onto big things but he felt he left too soon when he joined Villa – but with a huge offer made for him, some £4m profit on what we had laid out on a raw talent some 10-months prior it was a no-brainer for a then struggling Division One side. Basically he paid for our promotion, and eventually found his way back home, going full circle!
I think that a lot of people have been thinking the England man has looked, and acted like a player that is ‘back home’ since his return, and this is a view that I have very much shared and my mate Ken – you know the one, just in case I have not mentioned it enough, the one from the FSF! – has often referred to this being what he feels about him.
For me Crouch still gets some stick, no matter how hard he tries, which I think is unfair and even unwarranted. It is clear to see that the guy needs a goal, if anything he is trying too hard to get this – once it comes, and it will come, the weight will be lifted and the confidence will return. This, the return of confidence, is clearly visible again in David James and Glen Johnson, both of whom had looked as though they were suffering from the same low in confidence and it showed…
We are not going to go down, so unless we look to push Crouch out the door he will not be going anywhere for some time to come. I would like to hear more be coming out with similar things – but only want to hear it if it is true, but do feel that unless we want them out his club and country teammates already mentioned above – and both a key performers for us – share similar thoughts to him, and I guess to be fair plenty more in our squad too to be honest.
I know many, even myself included at times, have this concern that ‘unless Sacha Gaydamak sells us we will be in the position where we have to sell more players in the summer’, but in all reality this ‘should not’ be the case, and unless he is doing so for his own pocket we really should not have to sell anyone, well unless they want to leave! And Niko Kranjcar could be one, and he is today being ‘linked’ with Everton – although to be fair to the Croat he has said he will see out his contract and will not move on unless it is to a club that sees him move forward. And even then might not go unless the club want him out.
Ok, we ‘might’ be some £30m-£40m in debt, but the money that the premier league will pay out to us for next season – another reason why it is so vital to stay in this league! – will wipe out a massive, if not all, of this, then think about the wages we already save on big earners sold and those wages that will be saved on ‘dead wood’ going and another ‘1 or 2 big earners’ that might not have their contracts renewed, or decide they want out… Yep, I know we will need to bring players in, but we can still do that, as remember there is quality to be found out there without paying a fortune, not to mention bringing some of our talented youngsters through.
I know, I have, as I so often do, gone off at a tangent but Crouch’s own thoughts on wanting to stay and knock-on effects we can get from this commitment and my other thoughts shared do go hand in hand really and before the doom and gloom again begins in the summer I thought I would get in early – think about my ramblings, and although not all might seem the case now, and will almost certainly go against the picture painted by the media when the time comes, they do make sense…
Basically in a nutshell keeping Crouch, who is clearly content where he is, and many others despite the need to cut costs, which we have done and will do again in the summer but without a major significance to the playing staff despite what we will be told! – In terms of quality available at least, yep numbers decrease of course.
Committed, content and quality players, exactly what we need, and in the main this is what we have and will continue to get – as said lets see others follow in the footsteps of Crouch and commit these qualities to us, and mean it…
PLAY UP POMPEY!
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