[lfc-news] Mark Lawrenson column - Post

Liverpool Daily Post, 19 July 2005
We laugh, but this beanpole can be a Liverpool fairytale
By Mark Lawrenson, Daily Post

ON the day after Liverpool won the Champions League, if anyone would
have suggested Peter Crouch was on Rafael Benitez's wish list, they'd
have been laughed out of Istanbul.

Just a few weeks on though and it looks like the Southampton beanpole is
on his way to Anfield - and I have to say I think it is a good signing.

I know people have yet to be convinced, but I believe Crouch would be a
signing purely with the Premiership in mind. Liverpool would buy him
purely to help them breach the top three clubs, and at domestic level,
you can't deny that he is a handful.

Playing for a relegated team, he scored 16 goals last season so there's
no reason to believe he wouldn't be able to do that for Liverpool in a
team that creates more chances and has more possession.

I'd bet that Benitez has looked at last season when, lest we forget,
Liverpool lost 14 games in the league and thought I know how to play in
Europe, but I need to change my style domestically.

Of course his options were limited at time last season with Djibril
Cisse's injury, Fernando Morientes still settling in and Milan Baros
misfiring at times. Now that those three are fit, someone like Crouch
gives him another option of a traditional target man.

I always thought Morientes would fulfill that role, but I believe he is
more comfortable playing off another striker, as is Cisse. At times,
Baros gives the impression he wouldn't notice if Lord Lucan and Father
Christmas were his strike partners, but he always does well alongside
Jan Koller for the Czech Republic.

Crouch offers more of an aerial threat than Liverpool's other strikers,
and in a season when I can see Benitez trying several formations, that
is a priceless attribute.

As to whether we will see Crouch linking up with Michael Owen this
season, I have my doubts. Obviously if Michael is available, any club
would be interested because he virtually guarentees 20 goals a season.
He also has a very strong link with Liverpool, meaning any move back
would be a comfortable, familiar option.

The first problem though is that Real Madrid have not signed anyone to
replace him yet, despite all the talk about Robinho. Secondly they also
appear to want a big fee for him, which Liverpool may not have.

Finally, one of the oldest adages in football is that you should never
go back. Of course, every rule has an exception - just ask Ian Rush -
and you can never say never.

Speaking as a former player, I was delighted to welcome Rushie back and
I'd bet Liverpool's current players would say the same about Michael.

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