Stoke City: Peter Crouch puts results before his own personal glory

PETER Crouch is fretting more about Stoke City’s results than his personal goal tally.

Crouch goes into this afternoon’s clash against Fulham at the Britannia Stadium with four goals this season.

But it’s been six games since he last hit the back of the net with that match-winning brace at home to Swansea City on September 29.

Boss Tony Pulis isn’t too concerned, however, and doesn’t seem to have been overly bothered by pictures earlier this week of Crouch looking a little ‘tired’ after a celebrity night out with his wife and friends.

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“Crouchy’s fine,” said Pulis, “he worries about us winning.

“If you have a look at the goal Jon Walters scores (on Monday), the first person to him is Crouchy.

“That’s typical of what Peter is – he’s not an individual who worries about himself. He’s not one of those egotistical lads.

“There are some players who score a goal, but they lose the game and they are absolutely delighted. You wouldn’t put Peter in that category. He’s been absolutely brilliant.”

Pulis, below, believes Crouch is among those Stoke players coming within a whisker of bagging the goals their efforts have been warranting.

“We’re creating the opportunities. Against West Ham we could have come in at least two goals to the good. And even late on we had great opportunities.

“Matthew Etherington has got down the sides twice and could not beat the first man. If he misses the first man we have two players inside the six-yard box to finish it off.

“It’s so thin a margin between success and failure at this level, but we have to keep believing in what we are doing and playing the way we are playing.

“We are creating the opportunities and chances.”

TONY Pulis eats, sleeps and drinks Stoke City Football Club.

That’s what a report from the League Managers’ Association says about Premier League bosses.

It claims they have next to no time for a life outside of their all-consuming jobs in what has long been regarded the most exciting league in the world.

Pulis is currently the fifth longest-serving manager in the country after rejoining Stoke six seasons ago.

And with more than 850 games under his belt, he could become the next man to join the select list of just 19 in history to have managed more than 1,000 games in this country.

“You’ve got to be a certain character to be a manager, whether in the Premier League or down in the Third Division,” he said.

“I’ve been fortunate to have worked down at the bottom, as well as the top, and there’s still enormous pressure down at the bottom.

“You have to be a certain person to handle it, pretty resilient and strong.

“But I’m not complaining. It’s my job and nobody forced me into it.

“I feel I’m very privileged and this is a fantastic football club.

“The Coates family have been wonderful to me and the club... and I’m privileged to be a part of it.”