Peter Crouch: Always the bridesmaid but never the bride

Football FanCast columnist Tom Jones wonders whether Tottenham striker Peter Crouch should have a guaranteed place in England’s World Cup squad.

Tottenham striker Peter Crouch will get another chance to prove his worth for England on Saturday as he attempts to cement his place in Fabio Capello’s 2010 World Cup plans. But Crouch is still to become an automatic starter at White Hart Lane this season, and continues to be on the fringe of their first team plans as he was at Liverpool and still is for England. So despite Crouch’s impressive international goal scoring record and the immense contribution he makes for any team he plays in, why is he always the bridesmaid and never the bride?

Peter Crouch has been part of the England setup for a number of years now and he has one of the best international strike rates in the country. If he lines up against Brazil, Crouch will be looking to continue his remarkable international record, having scored an almost unbelievable 16 goals from 17 starts. That record stands up well against any other England striker, and you might think that those stats would guarantee him a place on the plane to South Africa next year. However, Crouch is still widely thought of as a useful squad player rather than a key first team member, but does the Spurs striker deserve more credit than he currently gets?

Whenever Crouch plays he is always a threat in the air due to his height and will always give defenders a hard time. He provides teams with an outlet up front and can link up play well, giving his managers a different option. But is his greatest asset used as a negative against him? When he lines up for England the team are often criticised for pumping the ball forward to him too early and too often, but surely that’s not his fault. If Crouch is used sparingly and in the right way, he provides a tremendous benefit for any team and has shown that he can score goals. So why is Crouch not thought of more highly within English football and why isn’t he treasured more by the fans?

One criticism that can be levelled against Crouch on the international stage is that most of his goals have come against so called weaker opponents. The question is whether he can perform against world class players on a consistent basis and Crouch himself knows that. He told The Mirror “If you can score and win against Brazil the manager will believe you can do it in a big tournament.” He further stated “to put in a good performance will be fantastic for your aspirations of making the side for the World Cup.” Saturday will be another good test to see where Crouch is at right now, but does he have what it takes to shine at the very highest level?

Whether it be for Liverpool, Tottenham or England, Peter Crouch is yet to fully establish himself as a world-class striker. Having made 5 starts and scored just once in the Premiership for Spurs this season, Crouch’s career is continuing on the same path. There is no doubting that Crouch is highly thought of by his respective managers, but he is still yet to establish himself as an automatic starter and fire in the goals on a consistent basis. Should we just accept that Crouch will always be the bridesmaid, or can he force himself to the forefront of Tottenham’s and England’s plans and finally get the opportunity to star on the highest stage and deliver at next year’s World Cup?