Peter Crouch feels he has done enough in recent internationals to warrant a starting place for England, as he looks to stake a claim for South Africa 2010.
The Portsmouth front man has a fantastic goal scoring record for England, hitting the net 15 times in 33 games (only 15 starts), but has seen himself pushed to the bench by the re-emergence of Emile Heskey.
Fabio Capello appears determined to play with a target man up front and Wayne Rooney playing off the lone striker and Heskey looks to be top of the pecking order for that role.
But Peter Crouch would have every right to question why he is not ahead of the Villa striker, whose goal record reads six goals in 52 matches.
In Heskey’s defence, he offers a lot of other attributes to make up for a lack of potency in the area, but many feel Crouch brings those same credentials as well as goals to the table.
The 28-year-old was on the score sheet in England’s last qualifier, a 2-1 win over Ukraine in April, and he’s hoping that display was enough to earn a start in the upcoming matches against Kazakhstan and Andorra.
Crouch admitted: “Everyone wants to start games but it's not always the case. The way we play is with one main striker up front and that's been Heskey.
“I got my chance because of the injuries but I felt like I did well enough.”
The former Liverpool man says “it’s important England qualify for South Africa as soon as possible”, with the big striker hoping he will be on the plane to the finals next summer.
Baring injury or a nightmare season, Crouch looks a near certainty to make that flight with a lack of target man for Capello to select from, but he must be concerned that the Italian sees him as more of a threat from off the bench.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Kenya Coach Boycotts Nigeria Trip
Kenya's coach Antoine Hey boycotted the team's trip to Abuja, Nigeria for Sunday's World Cup qualifying match against the Super Eagles, a day after Kenya's players protested over non-payment of their allowances.
Hey arrived at the airport 30 minutes after the plane had taken off, saying he'd been held up in the traffic. But later, Hey revealed that he deliberately boycotted traveling with the team after Football Kenya Limited failed to pay him his salary.
The team's physical trainer, Kamal Harat also joined the head coach in the boycott over non-payment of their salaries. The assistant coach Swaleh Muhiddin had left for Nigeria earlier in the week, and will now possibly handle the team in the absence of Hey, who was appointed in February this year.
His short tenure has been surrounded by quarrels with Kenya's premier league clubs, which have almost derailed the national team’s preparations for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Since he was appointed, Harambee Stars have only played one international match - against Tunisia in March - which they lost 2-1.
The Hey snub comes a day after Kenya's players boycotted training on Tuesday, demanding to be paid their allowances after being in the camp for three weeks.
But yesterday the government, through the Minister of Youth and Sports Hellen Sambili, settled their allowance claims by presenting 2.7 million Kenya shillings ($34,730) to Harambee Stars captain Musa Otieno.
MY POV: Strange times for Kenya football. But isn't that always the case?
So will he show up? If he does, how will Kenya do against a motivated Nigerian side?
If he doesn't, who coaches the side? And how will the team be affected by not having their trainer there?
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