Andy Carroll - Best Striker in the World

[yamiedo]

for suarez to get beyond carroll from knock ons?

That is what I had in mind when they both joined. Carroll's knock downs to Suarez's quick feet.

[dww]

I can understand doing that definitely, my big issue is how immobile Carroll seems to be, it is a major worry in setting up in that manner.

I'm not sure he would have to be super mobile to play that way necessarily. More about taking the right positions which is probably something Dalglish would be good at teaching.

for suarez to get beyond carroll from knock ons?

Partly, yes. Also just to present the defence with the sort of movement that makes space when they are trying to stay deep.

The danger with Carroll (as with targetmen everywhere, but especially England) is that you put them furthest forward and proceed the lump the ball up to them - which inevitably results in a lot of turnovers. Moving the player deeper a/ usually gives them more space and consequently the time to control the ball and keep possession and b/ can encourage the rest of the team to develop attacks longer. If you can get the ball wide quickly enough it also means the targetman running into the area while defenders back peddle on crosses.

[JohnDoe]

See I disagree, teams that sit back deep are probably happier dealing with balls in the air than they would be with skill and guile. Hence when Torres was fit had a great record at scoring against deep lying teams.

Nobody wants to deal with Carroll in the air, no one. He can beat the most aerially dominant defenders in the league. I'd love to see sides sit deep and let Carroll park inside their box all game. Suicide.

I agree with most of that, but the big question is with the first paragraph: Does he have the ability or game intelligence to create a yard of space for himself at the right times to get those goals?

Short answer, yes. Long answer, I think Carroll's "intelligence" is a bit overplayed. He's got great instincts and is a menace in the box.

[The Birdman]

Carroll scored 13 PL goals in 23 PL starts last season and has 1 in 2 for England.
Everyone who knows anything about football (ex players, current players, managers etc...) rate him massively.

Some idiot fans posting on a forum beg to differ.

My opinion is Andy Carroll will be the best target man centre forward/striker in the PL next season, Suarez I would class more of an attacking player as he drifts left and right but I think Carroll will be better/more effective than Berbatov, Drogba, Torres, Crouch, Chamakh, Dzeko, Saha, Bent.
I'm not saying he'll score more goals than some of those but all round goals, assists, link play focal point of attack stuff.

Carroll could very very easily be as unplayable for us as Drogba has been at times in the past for Chelsea.
He needed to get fit, hopefully he's done that and the niggles are behind him and we needed to provide him with width and service which we have with Downing, Johnson, Gerrard, Suarez, Henderson, Adam, Kuyt and probably Enrique

[Norbs]

I don't think he's got the game intelligence to be a great player. He'll be decent and score a few goals, but that's about it, IMO.

Said it at the start and have not seen anything to change my opinion.

However, it all depends on what sort of game you're intending to play. If you're looking at getting a lot of crosses in and want a man on the end of them then he's your man. You don't need Barcaesque movement and intelligence to put your head on a crossed in ball

[Parr_Zee]

Nobody wants to deal with Carroll in the air, no one. He can beat the most aerially dominant defenders in the league.

Are you watching the same games as me? Because from what i've seen, he's been regularly beaten in the air by the defenders from Guangdong, a Malaysian XI, Hull, Galatasary and Valarenga.

[JohnDoe]

Are you watching the same games as me? Because from what i've seen, he's been regularly beaten in the air by the defenders from Guangdong, a Malaysian XI, Hull, Galatasary and Valarenga.

Voronin is a world beater if you take pre-season into account.

[Parr_Zee]

Voronin is a world beater if you take pre-season into account.

Are you saying that Carroll is not trying?

[the rev leeroy brown]

Voronin is a world beater if you take pre-season into account.

it is beyond beleif how many people **** their pants over pre season form - it is for fitness only. you hardly ever see a full team out playing to their best for 90 mins.

look at us, how many times have we played our best 11 from the start and not changed it at half time or subbed 6,7,8 players on and off.

andy carroll will be judged on season form with kenny's best 11 out on the pitch. to judge him on pre season is ****ing pathetic

[Parr_Zee]

it is beyond beleif how many people **** their pants over pre season form - it is for fitness only. you hardly ever see a full team out playing to their best for 90 mins.

look at us, how many times have we played our best 11 from the start and not changed it at half time or subbed 6,7,8 players on and off.

andy carroll will be judged on season form with kenny's best 11 out on the pitch. to judge him on pre season is ****ing pathetic

Are you for real? Yes, pre-season friendlies are about fitness, but it is also an indication about how well players are performing, gelling, and how ready they are for a league game.

Do you really think they can just switch it on for a competitive game if they've had a sh!t pre-season? We've struggled against 5 crap teams, whereas the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City etc either have 100% records, or are blowing teams away on a regular basis. Chelsea havn't conceded a goal, this pre-season - we've shipped 15!!!!!!!

...how do you explain this? Are they much fitter than us? Or are they trying harder?

[the rev leeroy brown]

Are you for real? Yes, pre-season friendlies are about fitness, but it is also an indication about how well players are performing, gelling, and how ready they are for a league game.

Do you really think they can just switch it on for a competitive game if they've had a sh!t pre-season? We've struggled against 5 crap teams, whereas the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City etc either have 100% records, or are blowing teams away on a regular basis. Chelsea havn't conceded a goal, this pre-season - we've shipped 15!!!!!!!

...how do you explain this? Are they much fitter than us? Or are they trying harder?

doni - insua - flanagan - krygiakos - kelly - robinson - degen - shelvey - poulsen - cole - carroll .................. our line up against gala. do you for one minute beleive that getting beat 3-0 with a line up that contains only 1 player that will start on the opening game of the season will affect our team spirit etc??? of course not.

doni - robinson - carra - ayala - kelly - maxi - aqua - poulsen - coady - cole - ngog . . . . . . .again only 1 player in this line up.

pre season, as i have already said, means **** but getting fitness up.

[Parr_Zee]

doni - insua - flanagan - krygiakos - kelly - robinson - degen - shelvey - poulsen - cole - carroll .................. our line up against gala. do you for one minute beleive that getting beat 3-0 with a line up that contains only 1 player that will start on the opening game of the season will affect our team spirit etc??? of course not.

doni - robinson - carra - ayala - kelly - maxi - aqua - poulsen - coady - cole - ngog . . . . . . .again only 1 player in this line up.

pre season, as i have already said, means **** but getting fitness up.

Versus Valarenga: Reina - Johnson - Carragher - Agger - Robinson - Adam - Henderson - Spearing - Downing - Kuyt - Carroll.

Probably 9 members of that team would be considered first XI material. Yet all we could muster against the reserves of a team who are 11th in the Norweigan League, was a poxy draw.

[Icon]

Versus Valarenga: Reina - Johnson - Carragher - Agger - Robinson - Adam - Henderson - Spearing - Downing - Kuyt - Carroll.

Probably 9 members of that team would be considered first XI material. Yet all we could muster against the reserves of a team who are 11th in the Norweigan League, was a poxy draw.

Rome wasn't built in a day.
Our pre-season is always a non event..?

[banditos]

Versus Valarenga: Reina - Johnson - Carragher - Agger - Robinson - Adam - Henderson - Spearing - Downing - Kuyt - Carroll.

Probably 9 members of that team would be considered first XI material. Yet all we could muster against the reserves of a team who are 11th in the Norweigan League, was a poxy draw.

Burgess/Brukner will have been absolutely flogging the boys in pre-season, so they have probably been going into these games quite fatigued. It certainly looked that way versus Valarenga. The fitness work will be eased off around now, so we should start to see them get a bit sharper.

[Mattshark]

I'm not sure he would have to be super mobile to play that way necessarily. More about taking the right positions which is probably something Dalglish would be good at teaching.

True, but It getting his play beyond that, I'm just worried.

Carroll scored 13 PL goals in 23 PL starts last season and has 1 in 2 for England.
Everyone who knows anything about football (ex players, current players, managers etc...) rate him massively.

Some idiot fans posting on a forum beg to differ.

My opinion is Andy Carroll will be the best target man centre forward/striker in the PL next season, Suarez I would class more of an attacking player as he drifts left and right but I think Carroll will be better/more effective than Berbatov, Drogba, Torres, Crouch, Chamakh, Dzeko, Saha, Bent.
I'm not saying he'll score more goals than some of those but all round goals, assists, link play focal point of attack stuff.

Carroll could very very easily be as unplayable for us as Drogba has been at times in the past for Chelsea.
He needed to get fit, hopefully he's done that and the niggles are behind him and we needed to provide him with width and service which we have with Downing, Johnson, Gerrard, Suarez, Henderson, Adam, Kuyt and probably Enrique

It is simply just having a different idea of what type of player and how they play, that is all.