[redmarkYankees]

Crouch isn't in the squad to score goals, though, he's there to hold the ball up and bring others into play. Despite his size, that doesn't mean England should be pumping balls at his head, because he's not great in the air. He is good at receiving balls at his feet, on his chest, on his thigh, with his back to goal, holding it up and laying it off intelligently to a midfielder, or (not quite so good) threading it through for a quick striker.

I don't know anyone who suggests Crouch is a "great" player, not even the most loyal of Liverpool fans. Intelligent and useful, yes. No-one pretends he's a great goalscorer. He shouldn't be plan A, but he's a decent option. Not his fault SGE didn't pick 5 strikers, or picked 2 unfit ones, or picked a teenager he seems unwilling to actually use. I would definitely have taken Bent for his goalscoring last season; Defoe didn't have a great year, but he could have left Walcott behind and taken both.

As for Hargreaves - give him some credit, he had a good game. Carrick might have had a good game given the chance, but it would have been a different style. Regardless, Hargreaves did have a good game. He brough tempo and bustle to the midfield, which Carrick wouldn't necessarily. In the second half, it was Beckham who disappeared, and Cole/Lampard who don't bother tracking back - Hargreaves was overrun because of the lack of support until Gerrard came on, but worked his socks off.