Source: Daily_Mail
Tottenham striker Peter Crouch swaps dancing shoes for work boots
Peter Crouch admits that he thought Stoke City would be whipping boys when they came up to the Barclays Premier League - but he now fears that Tottenham Hotspur won't know how to deal with them.
In-form Spurs host Stoke on Saturday and the London club's striker needs a decent performance to help repair the damage caused by Sportsmail's pictures this week of him looking worse for wear on a night out.
The under-pressure England striker, who has apologised to his club manager Harry Redknapp over the photographs, knows that Saturday is a big day for him.
Peter Crouch
Tall order: Peter Crouch battles Portsmouth's Tal Ben-Haim (left) for the ball
With Jermaine Defoe suspended, he is guaranteed a start - and is ready for what should be a memorable tussle with England hopeful Ryan Shawcross.
Looking ahead to the encounter, Crouch - who scored for Portsmouth against Stoke at Fratton Park early last season - said: 'When they first came up they were favourites to go straight back down.
'But credit to Stoke, they've done fantastically well and they've established themselves in the Premier League.
'Teams might have fallen into the trap of thinking they were going to go out there and roll Stoke over last season but now everyone knows that's not the case.'
Peter Crouch and Jonathan Woodgate (right)
Victory dance: Crouch and Jonathan Woodgate (right) celebrate in the Movida nightclub after beating Portsmouth
Home advantage will make a big difference for Tottenham if the form book is anything to go by. Redknapp's side have won three of their four games at White Hart Lane so far this season - defeating Liverpool, Birmingham and Burnley - with the solitary defeat coming against Manchester United.
'We all know what they are all about,' added Crouch, reflecting on Stoke's aggressive tactics. Tony Pulis's side will be missing banned Robert Huth, who struck Matthew Upson in the face during last Saturday's 2-1 home win over West Ham United.
Abbey Clancy and Spurs footballer Peter Crouch
Trouble: Crouch got into trouble after being pictured on a night out with partner Abbey Clancy
But Crouch knows they will still be a hard defence to crack, with Carl Wilkinson likely to step in for Huth.
Shawcross made light of Huth's actions last Saturday after the West Ham game, jokingly telling Sportsmail: 'You know what Germans are like'. But Pulis condemned German Huth stronly and admits that the centre back's absence is 'a massive blow'.
Crouch, though, is not relaxing about facing Stoke minus Huth. The former Liverpool striker, who was pictured with his model girlfriend Abbey Clancy - and Jonathan Woodgate - on the infamous night out at the Movida nightclub, added: 'They are always a tough, tough team and a team that will be difficult to break down, a team that will try to impose itself on the game.
'They've had some great results, beat top teams and quite often teams just don't know how to deal with them with the long throws and set-pieces, but they have a lot of quality as well, so we'll have to be careful. It's not an easy game.'
Tottenham have earned plaudits for their relatively attractive style of football, but Crouch is aware that those tactics might not work against Stoke.
He thinks Tottenham should be focusing on rolling their sleeves up.
'We've got to be able to match their effort and commitment and that's something we'll endeavour to do,' he said. 'All said and done though, with the quality we have, we'd like to say we've got enough to beat them.'
