Scoring in Brothels - Half Time

[pumbaa]

Look at the fucking height on that, air traffic control must have been panicking.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41771000/jpg/_41771726_crouchgoal416.jpg

But the thing is, that was the only time he actually jumped for a ball!

Overall assessment - very poor, not creative enough to break down a poor side (who to be fair played with passion and commitment). They were all shit, with the exception of Terry who is fast becoming a legend in my eyes (despite the fact he plays for Chelsea). Ashley Cole was crap, Beckham (aside from the cross to Crouch) was crap, Owen was anonymous, Crouch was awful, Lampard didn't impress me, Gerrard (goal apart) was shite again.

Lennon looked OK when he came on - at least he ran with the ball. Rooney getting 30 minutes is promising.

[Batch]

Also has David James knicked Robinson's body somehow. Dodgy fucking keeper.

Cole had an off game. Midfiled, just no pace and flair whatsoever. Crouch was crap and Owen was worse.

We were so slow and plodding, uncreative and simply awful. Lennon provided the only bright spark. Can't really judge Rooney, he needs games and I wouldn't be suprised to see him play 60 against the Swedes (all being well).

That said, we are through to the next round. We must improve.

[Ben Wah Balls]

Crouch was definitely not awful, even apart from the crucial goal he also set up Lampard who should have scored and made a number of good passes which is far more than Owen did whilst he was on. Trinidad and Tobago have a 6'7" defender who played well so his height was less of an advantage than normal but he still made the breakthrough, which is after all what won us the game and I think Crouch is the only player who would have scored that.

[DiV]

Sorry Ben, Crouch was awful....

....as for the t&t defender marking him, it was only dennis lawerence for christ sake, who plays for a 4th division side...and last time he came to the county ground the man he was supposed to be marking scored a hat trick...

The whole team were awful today...

[Ben Wah Balls]

He wasn't outstanding but he played well and I think he can be happy with his 6th goal in 5 games. The point is not that Lawrence is a great player, just he's one of the few defenders Crouch doesn't have a height advantage over. Despite that Crouch played well and scored a very good goal.

My ratings would be:

Robinson 5
Carragher 5
John Terry 8
Rio Ferdinand 6
Ashley Cole 5
Beckham 6
Gerrard 6
Lampard 6
Joe Cole 6
Owen 5
Crouch 7
Lennon 9
Rooney 6
Downing 6

[pumbaa]

He wasn't outstanding but he played well and I think he can be happy with his 6th goal in 5 games. The point is not that Lawrence is a great player, just he's one of the few defenders Crouch doesn't have a height advantage over. Despite that Crouch played well. and scored a very good goal.

My ratings would be:

Robinson 5 - he wasn't that bad!
Carragher 5 - better than Cole, who had a stinker
John Terry 8
Rio Ferdinand 6
Ashley Cole 5
Beckham 6
Gerrard 6
Lampard 6
Joe Cole 6
Owen 5
Crouch 7 - Hmmmmm, generous!
Lennon 9 - Did well, but not a 9/10 performance IMHO. 8 would be pushing it, but still our attacking best player.
Rooney 6
Downing 6

Ben my friend, take off your Crouch-tinted glasses and put on my (not fake) Oakley's just for one moment. Overall, Crouch did not play well today. Granted, he took the goal very well, but one well taken goal does not a good performance make. He was no worse, nor better, than anyone else, Terry aside.[/b]

[DMR]

Well I defended them after Paraguay but that wasn't much better. However could work in our favour, think of the huge performances in the group stages in 2002 and 2004 and that counted against us I reckon.

I thought the back 4 and keeper were rubbish for us today mind and not alot of optimism, beckham did well again imo. crouch wasn't very accomplished at all.

[Ben Wah Balls]

Robinson had little to do and fucked up once which nearly led to them taking the lead. I rate him highly but by his standards not a good game. Carragher and Ashley Cole I thought were both poor, Neville was just as bad last game though. 7 just isn't generous for Crouch he scored the fucking winning goal! Without that goal we wouldn't be through to the next round, so that alone puts his score up by 1 or 2. Even if he hadn't scored he was worth at least a 6 so 7 is perfectly fair.

Lennon wasn't on for that long but when he was on he won corners, beat players easily and caused all sorts of problems for them which we hadn't being doing up till then. He was also involved in the buildup for both goals. Maybe just 8 would be fair but I really think that bringing on Lennon made the difference, more so than Rooney. One positive was that Sven got the substitutions right today.

[sonic youth]

absolute gash i'm supporting spain instead

[DMR]

you're a fucking paddy anyway, what the fuck do we care

[sonic youth]

touché.

[DiV]

7 just isn't generous for Crouch he scored the fucking winning goal!

After already missing what was, by far and away an easier chance and generally doing nothing and not threatening the goal at all.

Without that goal we wouldn't be through to the next round, so that alone puts his score up by 1 or 2.

Thats complete and utter rubbish, you dont know how the game would have gone had he not scored, Gerrard might have still scored...someone else might have scored. We might have drawn and beaten Swenden. We could have easily still gone through without that goal

Even if he hadn't scored he was worth at least a 6 so 7 is perfectly fair.

Bar the goal he did nothing.

[DMR]

Come on Benjamin, if he gains one for the goal he loses 2 for the 2 times he attempted comical scissor kicks.

[Sade]

Crouch reminds me of Ifil  

Good goal stevie G!!!

[Ben Wah Balls]

7 just isn't generous for Crouch he scored the fucking winning goal!

After already missing what was, by far and away an easier chance and generally doing nothing and not threatening the goal at all.

He could have done better with one shot but as for doing nothing that's simply nonsense.

Without that goal we wouldn't be through to the next round, so that alone puts his score up by 1 or 2.

Thats complete and utter rubbish, you dont know how the game would have gone had he not scored, Gerrard might have still scored...someone else might have scored. We might have drawn and beaten Swenden. We could have easily still gone through without that goal

No it's not rubbish, the goal came with less than 10 minutes to go, that goal was absolutely crucial, it broke the deadlock which is what we needed to do. Crouch's goal was enough to send us through. Gerrard simply confirmed it.

Even if he hadn't scored he was worth at least a 6 so 7 is perfectly fair.

Bar the goal he did nothing.

 :shake: You're simply wrong, 5 minutes before that goal he set up Lampard for one of our best chances of the game. Even before that he'd looked far more of a threat than Owen.