3 hours ago
2
Liverpool has developed a begrudging respect for Pep Guardiola. He and Jurgen Klopp shared a generational rivalry at the top of English soccer, and both would acknowledge the other as among the very best around.
While there is absolutely no love lost when it comes to his Man City side, Guardiola himself is still recognized by most Liverpool supporters as a trailblazing manager. You can debate the extent to which money has influenced his achievements, but it's clear that few have shaped the modern game like he has.
As such, it's always interesting to hear what Guardiola has to say about Liverpool players past, present, and potential. You need to take what he says with a pinch of salt — he once declared Matheus Nunes one of the best players in the world amid links to the Reds, only to backtrack on that after actually signing him — but he and Klopp are often in a league of their own when holding court on all things football.
It's especially easy to listen to Guardiola when he is praising a player whom Liverpool fans already hold in high regard, subtly putting down a Manchester United legend in the process.
And as That Peter Crouch Podcast dug up last year, the Catalan did exactly that way back in 2006, long before he rocked up at the Etihad.
"Wayne Rooney is perhaps more decisive and beautiful to watch, but what's certain is that Crouch conditions you more," Guardiola purred while on punditry duty for the 2006 World Cup. "With Crouch, you have to play to Crouch's game, and playing to Crouch's game gives you a lot.
"He knows what he's doing, both with his head and his feet. One of the best virtues is his link-up play; he isn't just there for crosses into the box.
"He knows how to keep the play flowing, he gets the ball a thousand times in the air, and always keeps it. It seems simple, but very few strikers can and know how to do it."
On its face, it doesn't seem much like a Guardiola quote. The man famous for moving the diminutive Lionel Messi through the middle certainly hasn't deployed anyone in the Crouch mold in his time at Man City.
But it is perhaps another example of Guardiola being ahead of his time. After all, Crouch barely got a kick at the tournament in question, and England was left pondering whether it should have given the big man a bigger role.
And more than that, Guardiola's praise highlights a fundamental truth. Crouch was always more than just the "big man;" he was a genuinely technical player, one who deserved more respect than he got at the time.
Oddly enough, his legacy has probably improved in the intervening years. Perhaps because of his likeability as a podcaster and pundit, his career is looked back on fondly, and rightly so — he is, after all, a member of the rareified Premier League 100 goals club.
Crouch also holds a place in the folklore of numerous clubs. But Liverpool will feel they can truly claim him, after he settled in the city with his Scouse partner, Abbey Clancy.
Some of his most iconic moments came at Anfield, too. While it took him a long time to open his account, plenty of his goals were well worth the wait, not least a stunning Champions League bicycle kick against next week's opponent, Galatasaray.
Removing the red-tinted goggles, it would be a little difficult to make a case for Crouch over Rooney. But Guardiola's historic quotes are a worthy celebration of a truly unique footballing figure, one who made others play on his terms while possessing the quality to beat them at their own game too.
English (US) ·