What about Crouch?

[staggerlee]

Crouch was completely ripped into by the referee yesterday, in a way that often happens in the premiership - usually accompanied by his astonished face and outstretched arms of innocence that make him look like a surprised airliner preparing to take off.

These are the questions: Is Crouch committing an offence? Are refs just picking on him? Is he being fouled? What is it like to go into a fifty-fifty with Crouch? Can he start a fire by rubbing his legs together?

[Sam]

Both Crouch and his defender were pushing and pulling all the time and every call was against Crouch. Happens in the Premiership too, but not that often, it's more a 50-50 matter in the Premiership, I can live with that. The ref yesterday has been ridiculous though. Not only against Crouch, I remember a situation where Joe Cole was pushed by 2 defenders, still won the ball and the defender went down and the ref gave freekick to Paraguay. Fuckin joke. Worse than Uriah Rennie.

[saurabh]

Crouch is the man for England against T&T and Sweden. He'll kick Sweden where and when it hurts. ;)

[narduch]

That's a Mexican ref for you. Even the most minimal contact will not be tolerated, but diving is never punished.

[acricketer]

Crouch was singled out and punished for nothing. The ref won't see round 2. He was a pedantic prat.

[DanneS]

Crouch is the man for England against T&T and Sweden. He'll kick Sweden where and when it hurts. ;)
We put Teddy Lucic, the man without any feelings, on the task of handling Crouchinho. ;)

[staggerlee]

Also,

all this Crouchinho business: it just occurred to me, doesn't the "inho" suffix mean "small version of"? I.e. - I read somewhere that "Ronaldinho" actually means "little Ronaldo"? So isn't it the least suitable name for Crouch? If so - what would be the Portuguese/Brazilian suffix for "big" one, is there one?

[aqualex]

i think the inho is supposed to be a bit ironic.

at any rate, everyone kne crouch would get picked on because he was bigger, it happens all the time to the bigger players in any sport because it seems like they have an advantage (even though hes stick thin) the only question is to what extent the refs will pick on crouch.

the ref might have sucked but england were taking their time. they sat bak after the goal but hell a win is better than a draw :D

[staggerlee]

I know the inho is supposed to be ironic, but ironically, I think it is meant to be ironic for a different reason from that which I've pointed out myself, which is an irony in itself.

[lplover2k]

referee was bad!!! Gerrard didn't deserve a yellow card... the Paraguay fellow dived!!! :(

[You Knows It]

I know the inho is supposed to be ironic, but ironically, I think it is meant to be ironic for a different reason from that which I've pointed out myself, which is an irony in itself.

No it's not, it's meant totally in irony. When it was coined, people knew it meant little/small and Crouch is the opposite.

[DanneS]

I think without being an expert that Crouchão could mean "big crouch" in portuguese.

[staggerlee]

No it's not, it's meant totally in irony. When it was coined, people knew it meant little/small and Crouch is the opposite.

Before this gets very pedantic indeed I think I'll just concede.;)

[You Knows It]

Before this gets very pedantic indeed I think I'll just concede.;)

I know you were being pedantic but it's meant in total irony, say for instance you saw him and said "Hello shorty." That's the tone in which the nickname Crouchinho was set.

[Dirtycheat]

all the refs so far are shit- linesmen were good though.