Stuart Pearce wanted Peter Crouch

By Mighty Reds
November 27 2005

Manchester City manager, Stuart Pearce has stated that he tried to buy Peter Crouch in the summer but Shaun Wright-Phillips hadn’t been sold at that time and City didn’t have the money.

The tall forward has been criticised and admired by many in the game but Pearce is of the admiring type. He was at Anfield the other night to watch Crouch in the game against Real Betis at Anfield. He said: "I can see why people don't like him," said Pearce.. "He is not very pleasing on the eye and he is not silky. "But in football, you have to be effective and you have to be a team player. I can only go on what I see and he was the best player on the pitch at Anfield last night, so he has to be doing something correct. "He is the right age, has the right ability and is a current England international. "I was interested in him during the summer but at the time we had not sold Shaun Wright-Phillips and there was no money available." Pearce believes as soon as Crouch gets his first goal he’ll be scoring regularly. He’s also been impressed with Peter Crouch’s mentality, admiring the way the player has refused to let his goal drought affect his game. "What you have to admire about Crouch is no matter how the game goes, or how his form is, he will not hide," said Pearce. "He is under the microscope for England and Liverpool because he has not scored but he showed no sense of anxiety all last night and deserves great credit for that. “From what I have been told, he is a great lad to have around. "People say he has no confidence but he carried on knocking away and once he mis-hits one into the corner, he will be off and running. "Having said that, I will dislike him intensely on Saturday and we want to stop him, even if it takes a pair of ladders."