The plot thickens

If we could trust a word Harry Redknapp says, Peter Crouch is all but ours.   Here:

“Portsmouth are trying to sell Crouchie,” said Redknapp. “I like Crouchie but at the moment we have got four good strikers so it’s not a priority. We are not desperate at the moment for strikers.

“I just felt at the type of money, it’s an awful lot of money. No disrespect, he is 28 or 29 now. Basically it’s an expensive deal because there is no return when you pay that type of money and obviously his salary is high. I don’t know whether it is possible for us to do that deal.

“I think most teams would be pleased to have him on their team but the whole package looks expensive to be fair and that’s the problem. He’s top player in my opinion. I spoke to the chairman about it and he felt it all looked a little bit expensive for a 28 or 29 year old. It’s up to Daniel, he would have to look at the deal and see if it stacks up. If it was something he felt he could do and it was financially OK I would be interested in him for sure.”

To me that sounds like typical Redknappspeak for “get it done, Chairman” and “lower the price, Portsmouth”.

So if Sunderland are out, and Spurs are already well off up front, that leaves… Fulham.

Would that things might be so simple.   It does feel a bit like a turning point for the club:

With Crouch:

Two England forwards up front
A midfield that contains Wales’ best player, America’s best player, Danny Murphy and an improving Dickson Etuhu (with a Hungarian international, a Norwegian international, a WBA captain and perhaps a Denmark international fighting for time)
The best defence we’ve had
The best goalkeeper in the league.

That’s really good.

Without Crouch you have all of that but a gaping void where you want an England international.  And while the Nevlands and Kamaras and Zamoras of this world can do a job, it kind of feels like we want to go a step further now.   We may not be the 7th best team in the league, but a good player at the position where we’re weakest is a mouthwatering prospect.

We shall see.

In other news, all those Helsinki plans are off.  Wayne Brown’s opportunity to provide serious inside dope is over.  It’s all about Lithuania now, as Vetra beat HJK 3-1.    Cool beans.