Friday 18th November 2005
ANFIELD ONLINE LFC NEWS

RAFA URGES CROUCH TO BE MEANER

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has urged Peter Crouch to start getting tough, and dishing it out a bit, to become a better striker.

Benitez says: "Centre forwards in England cannot be too nice - you must be aggressive and be hard against defenders because they will be hard against you.

"He is a player with ability, but because he has quality does not mean he has to be so nice.

"For me it is important for him to improve in such areas, he is a very good lad, but maybe too nice.

"It is difficult to change these things but he is clever and he can see what he needs to do.

"Some players do not have quality and they are more aggressive, he tries to win with quality but needs not to be so nice."

The Spaniard continued: "Peter has a knack of changing games, we are aware he can do that and we know he can give to us another style and way of playing.

"He is different to the others and he is well liked and respected, and that is why lots of people in our dressing room and England's understand and appreciate what the does.

"But he is a nice lad, sometimes too nice. I know he has said he will jump into the Kop when he scores, but I always say to him that if he gives the team something different and always works hard that is enough, I do not care who scores the goals.

"If his team-mates can score goals I will be happy. He creates a lot of space when he comes on, he creates chaos sometimes and real problems.

"That gives space for (Fernando) Morientes and (Djibril) Cisse and the rest to exploit."

There has been grudging praise for Crouch and the mayhem and disorganisation amongst opponents his arrival can create.

Benitez said: "He showed at Aston Villa and for England that he is a good player and someone who will do the things we need to improve our team.

"There's no point in comparing him to other players and saying he's better or worse, because the important thing is he's a player we needed to help us move forward.

"I was pleased to see Peter receive some positive comments from people outside of the club after the Villa and England matches.

"In the dressing room here, everyone knows what he brings to the team but it has seemed over recent weeks that others just wanted to criticise him."

The Editor