"Crouch" Tiger Hidden Problems

Ben Hardinge by Contributor Written on June 15, 2009
PORTSMOUTH, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 18:  Peter Crouch of Portsmouth in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Portsmouth and Sunderland at Fratton Park on May 18, 2009 in Portsmouth, England.  (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Peter Crouch has recently come out stating that he has been let down by Pompey over the last season, by getting rid of various players and managers, getting knocked out of Europe, and had to fight hard to avoid relegation.

Crouch claimed that he wanted more from a club he was playing at, saying: "There are 15 players out of contract at the end of the season—no one knows who the manager is, we don't even know who the owner is to be honest.

"So anyone who is at the club wants reassurances about what is going to happen in the summer," the England striker said in the News of the World.

"And I'll certainly be asking. I need to find out."

Crouch added: "I'm really disappointed to be honest. We had Harry Redknapp, Jermain Defoe and Lassana Diarra were there, we were in Europe and there were ambitions for the club really going forward. Instead it has taken a backward step.

"I've got to look at it in the summer. We need some players, without a doubt.

"That's plain for everyone to see. Everybody who is a Portsmouth player wants to find out what is going on. Hopefully, things can turn around with prospective new owners. We need to strengthen the side. But I've no idea about the new owners."

Crouch admitted his hopes of playing for England at next year's World Cup depended on him having a successful domestic season, although he's played all season for Pompey and scored a fair amount of goals, and still hasn't featured loads?

He said: "If I'm going to have a chance of playing for England, I need to be playing well.

"What I don't need is to be fighting relegation."

Storrie told BBC Radio Solent: "Anybody in their right mind knows we're in due diligence.

"That means the club are technically in limbo for a month."

Storrie continued: "I'm surprised. I think Peter must have been caught off guard on these sort of comments. I'm sure if I speak to Peter he will tell me he didn't actually say it that way.

"It's very disappointing, but anybody and everybody who knows anything about the takeover of a business knows there's nothing you can do for a month whilst this is all going on."

I hope that for once in his life, Storrie is right, and Crouch didn't mean it to sound like that, because in and around Fratton Park, Crouchy has been a genuinely nice guy, worked hard, and scored us goals.

Do we really want to see him leave? I have heard people say on BBC606 forums that Jamie's Dad could offer a swap of Bent for Crouch, but would you take it? I'm not sure. We'd still need to bring in another striker on top of him.

Still backs up the fact that Redknapp is still after a load of Pompey players or ex-Pompey players for Spurs - Muntari, Diarra, Crouch, Johnson, James, whilst he already has Defoe.
At least Johnson will most likely go to Liverpool or Chelsea, even though I'm still hoping he doesn't go.

James most likely won't go, probably because of his age, and Muntari and Diarra won't want to move from two of the biggest clubs in the world (Inter and Real Madrid), to play under Redknapp at a dodgy London club, who can only get a mid-table finish and no realistic European ambitions.

Kranjcar has also committed his future to Portsmouth, as all speculation surrounding his move has been very quiet now.

"He's Big, He's Blue, He Scores With Abbey Too. PETER CROUCH, PETER CROUCH"
Let's hope we'll still be hearing that next season.

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written on June 15, 2009 Sports

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