K Jay

You will laugh or cry, I don't know which. And Crock just knows Crouch is gonna do it in the Bluecamp.

Under-pressure Liverpool striker Peter Crouch needs to look no further than Sunderland's Jonathan Stead for reassurances as he struggles to open his goalscoring account for his new club.

Just as Crouch is under pressure to justify his £7m move from Southampton, Stead has found the going even tougher since Black Cats boss Mick McCarthy parted with £1.9m, almost half his meagre transfer kitty, on the England Under-21 international.

"I sympathise with him, it's horrible," said Stead.

"Everybody keeps talking about it while all I am trying to do is forget about it.

"It's difficult. Sometimes you just have to stop thinking about scoring that first goal, play your own game, hope that things will drop for you and the chances come when you are least expecting them.

"I feel for him but I don't like people comparing me too much with him. We have to play our own game and I feel after last Saturday's game against Aston Villa, I am getting back to the form of a couple of years ago."

But Stead goes into Saturday's bottom-of-the-table clash with Birmingham willingly prepared to sacrifice his first goal for the club for three points.

"That first goal would be the icing on the cake for me," said Stead.

"But I would willingly not score for the next three games if we got the three points each game, it wouldn't bother me at all.

"I never thought for one minute Sunderland would be in this position when I came here, but the game with Birmingham is a chance for us to change things round a bit.

"Three points would take us above Birmingham so that would be a psychological boost for us because coming off after last Saturday's home defeat by Aston Villa was the worst feeling I have had for a long time."

I had a sig, once.

Tyler Durden

WC Hall Of Famer

On the one hand, I do feel sorry for Crouch. On the other hand it is so god damn funny it's not true.

K Jay

Word Jumble.

Arse Banjo A Crouch A Cant Cows With Hit.

I had a sig, once.

Crockerinho

Wrestling Moderator

That is so true, it always happens against City.

Every time a striker as barren run all he needs is a game against City, I remember a few years back Owen hadnt scored in about 10-12 game, played against us and got an hat-trick.

Im still holding out for a City win though

Mikk

WC's Sexy Beast

I feel sorry for crouch and for stead and i heard last match against villa stead wanted to take the penalty just so he could get off the mark but whitehead took it instead and scored.

But crouch is a different story, he's the new Heksey of liverpool :happy:

Crockerinho

Wrestling Moderator

He's worse than Heskey

K Jay

Crouch V Heskey.

hmmmm....

All said and done it's a pointless debate they are both shite.

I had a sig, once.

Joseph T. Cool

WC HOF'er

K Jay -

Forgive me if this has been asked and for being off topic but who is that in your sig?

I want to find some stuff for the Ladies of JVN forum.

Thanks.

The Phantom

That's Nadine Coyle from Girls Aloud.

K Jay

Pressure on Reds - Mick


Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy believes the pressure is on Liverpool in Wednesday night's rearranged Premiership match at the Stadium of Light.

The game has been brought forward from 17 December to accommodate Liverpool's involvement in the World Club Championship in the Far East, with the two clubs experiencing vastly different fortunes.

The Black Cats have lost their last seven matches - including six in the Premiership and four of them at home - while the European champions are running into form following an unbeaten six-match run.

Ironically Sunderland's last win in the Premiership was against tonight's opponents exactly three years ago before the ill-fated run to relegation with the lowest tally of just 19 points.

"No disrespect to Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Birmingham City, but playing against Liverpool is a different pressure," said McCarthy. "Those clubs might be at the bottom all season long scrapping it out, Liverpool won't be.

"They will be pushing for a Champions League spot, no question. They have been moving up the league. The pressure is slightly different, they are expected to turn us over without any problem.

"It's nice to have the game coming around so quickly after last Saturday's disappointing last 20-minute performance against Birmingham as the players have not had too long to think about it.

"I don't hide away from the facts of life or the facts of football. I might be a little more kinder or a little more gentler with my tone but I don't think 32,000 Sunderland fans want me to try and defend the last 20 minutes of the Birmingham match.

"I want a performance the crowd can be proud of like earlier in the season when we were producing good displays without the results."

With just five points from 14 matches and facing an imbalanced programme of having played three more matches at home after Wednesday's game,the Black Cats are in danger of being left with too much to do to avoid the dreaded drop again.

"I don't want us to be cast adrift and too far back," added McCarthy. "We want to be in with a shout all season long. It went to the last day of the season last season and we would like to get ourselves in that position.

"We were no better, no worse, than Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Birmingham until they scored. We were all very ordinary until they scored and I just wish we had had the chance to score first."

Goals have been at a premium, however, at one end while the defensive record is easily the worst in the Premiership with the 2-0 win at Middlesbrough the only clean sheet.

Jon Stead has still to get off the mark following his £1.9m move from Blackburn and though comparisons will be made with Liverpool's Peter Crouch - who has gone 20 games without scoring for club and country since switching from Southampton for £7m - McCarthy would not bet against his man getting off the mark first.

"Jonathan Stead has done really well recently and if I am looking for any bright spots it has come from him and young goalkeeper Ben Alnwick," said McCarthy.

"He had opportunities earlier in the season and did not take them but he has performed better and worked harder. He has looked more like the player I was expecting and you never know, he might get that first goal ahead of Peter Crouch."

Geez Mick you're club is full of comedians, they could sell out the stadium of light for stand-up.

I had a sig, once.