With the Crouch-baiting season in full swing and with the striker's confidence being systematically shredded by abuse of his every touch, he should be reassured the one person not to blame for Liverpool's current abysmal form is him.

There are far more men in red shirts who should be in the firing line way ahead of Peter Crouch, who seems to be carrying the can for everything going wrong at Anfield.

Crouch has become an easy target, easy to see, easy to pillory and easy to blame every time Liverpool's dreadful domestic form comes under the spotlight. Which is pretty much every week at the moment.

But the real cause of Liverpool's collapse from European champions to a side dumped out of the Carling Cup by Crystal Palace, is that boss Rafael Benitez, for all his genius in Europe, has never really come to terms with the physical, high-tempo demand of the Premiership.

Liverpool's form in Europe is outstanding, where the game is slower and more technical.

Under Benitez, Liverpool have played 25 European matches and won 17. But their last 25 domestic matches in all competitions have brought just nine victories.

Their Premiership form since the beginning of the year has seen them win just nine of 26 matches.

The likes of Southampton, Crystal Palace, Birmingham, Blackburn and Manchester City have registered victories over a side that claimed their fifth European Cup during the same period.

The contrast is alarming, and the blame certainly cannot be put at Crouch's door. The point of Crouch is that he is a workmanlike target man who does a decent job when asked to play in that role, and he is pointless when he is not used properly.

Despite being jeered by England fans, his games for his country have been fine and he has not let anyone down.

So far he has not scored in 11 matches for Liverpool, but you can count on one hand the chances that have fallen his way during that spell, while all around him supposed top stars cannot hit a barn door from six yards.

The cruel truth is that although Benitez is aware of the different demands on players in the English game, he has not been able to solve the problem at Anfield.

His misjudgment of what is required here has been underlined by the failure of players imported from Spain, Antonio Nunez and Mauricio Pellegrino, to make the grade in such a physical environment.

Both have returned to La Liga, and you must wonder how long Fernando Morientes has got before being shipped home. There is no question he has sublime touch and skill but he has never come to terms with being hounded by a posse of midfielders or how much of a battering centre forwards get here from defenders.

And then there is Harry Kewell, back in the side after two summer groin operations and still not showing a hint of the form he once produced at Leeds.

What is lacking from his game is spirit, and that is not lost on the Anfield audience.

So Crouch should be told to sit down, concentrate on his own form and how to best ignore the constant abuse, while the rest of Rafa's boys come to terms very quickly with the ferocity of the game in England.