Andy Carroll - Best Striker in the World

[Kenneth]

And we wouldn't have told Chelsea not to worry about the seven mill, just give us £43m instead.

[Craig_H]

But Newcastle would not have known how much we were getting for Torres. If it were me I would have enquired how much Newcastle wanted for Carroll. If they said anything near £35m, I would have told them to do one, and quickly look elsewhere. For that price we could have had our pick of most of the strikers in the world.

We could, and i would personally have rather looked elsewhere, but i expect the manager/owners probably wanted someone who wouldnt need time to settle into the PL and english football - bearing in mind it was January and there is no break in matches, compared to the summer - it would be reasonable for them to want a player who could theoretically not need to time to adjust to the english game.

[Neil Young]

But Newcastle would not have known how much we were getting for Torres. If it were me I would have enquired how much Newcastle wanted for Carroll. If they said anything near £35m, I would have told them to do one, and quickly look elsewhere. For that price we could have had our pick of most of the strikers in the world.

Why do you think that? And anyway, even if that were true, Dalglish clearly is focussed on recruiting British players so, even if it were somehow demonstrably true, I can't see how it's relevant.

I fully accept you can say what you think you would have done in the circumstances but (a) you have no idea what the actual circumstances were and (b) it doesn't enlighten anyone as to what took place. In fact, rather than shedding light, it's like a shadow - it's precisely what didn't happen.

[Craig_H]

To be fair Neil, whilst the 'you dont know the circumstances' point is true, it does also apply to most stuff we discuss on here

In one fell swoop, you're effectively declaring 90% of the forums to be pointless

[Neil Young]

Probably more.

And it is.

[Kenneth]

Anyway, the fairytale script where he gets fit over the summer then bosses the PL, provig his worth and making all of the sceptics look stupid, it doesn't look like it's going to happen that way. And while it was always unlikely, it is a shame.

[Craig_H]

Probably more.

And it is.

Heartbreaking stuff

[The_weatherman]

I'm not going to criticise Carroll, but i agree with this completely - the idea that we were always going to pay £15m less for Carroll than we got for Torres, is laughable IMO.

We didnt go upto £35m because Chelsea paid £50m for Torres, we went to £35m because our previous bids of lower amounts were rejected. We eventually got to £35m and this was accepted. The fact that it was £15m lower than the Torres fee was mere coincidence.

As has been said, if we'd bid £28m and Newcastle had accepted it, we wouldnt have gone "Oh hang on, Torres has gone for £50m, so we're upping it to £35m."



I dont believe that for a second, regardless of whether JWH said it or not. The idea that we had one phone in one hand with Chelsea on the other end, and another in the other hand with Newcastle there, going from one to the other, telling one to hold on while we spoke to the other - which is effectively what this suggests, is absurd

Well this came from JWH himself though, but is it conceivable that we were considering a 35 million pound offer for Torres and were trying to get Carroll for 20, then Ashley all of a sudden jacks his price up and we, being late in the transfer deadline day just do the same to Chelsea, maybe disclose that we are buying a replacement for Torres and hence he can't go until that negotitation is done, hence Chelsea cave in to get their man.

[danperkins]

I'll hold my judgement on Carroll until he's properly fit (clearly not) ,we have our team settled, players back from injuries, and our best team picked.

A few things i've noticed about Carroll whilst playing for us, is firstly he goes down so easily, he's forever on the deck. Must be a balance thing as he's a huge lad and really shouldn't be getting muscled off the ball that easily. Maybe with experience will come using his body strength and proportions to better use.

Also IMO, it seems he lets the head drop very easily. I've noticed it several times now that when a CB is getting the better of him or the game not going his way, he seems to get wound up very easily and frustrated. I'd worry that experienced CB's would take advantage of this, but he is still a young lad.

I do like what Carroll brings to LFC, although in saying that i don't want to see us hoofing the ball at every opportunity. To be fair to him, he hasn't really got great service "yet", and IMO he has been unlucky with certain things i.e. goals disallowed,soft free kicks given against him, and if these things had of gone right for him who knows what would have happened.

I would like to see him in the box more, IMO he is dropping way too deep to receive the ball, we need him closer to goal. Granted he wants to get into the game and is good at holding the ball up but we need him up top. IMO he cannot hold the line like Torres/Suarez. He is very much dependent on other players to get the best out of Andy Carroll IMO, he isn't the man to make something out of nothing, but that doesn't mean he cannot be a highly effective player for us.

Give him time and let things settle IMO and then judge him in a few months, so much scope there IMO. Some good service from likes of Downing,Adam & Gerrard, we could see a superstar.

[Craig_H]

Well this came from JWH himself though, but is it conceivable that we were considering a 35 million pound offer for Torres and were trying to get Carroll for 20, then Ashley all of a sudden jacks his price up and we, being late in the transfer deadline day just do the same to Chelsea, maybe disclose that we are buying a replacement for Torres and hence he can't go until that negotitation is done, hence Chelsea cave in to get their man.

I dont doubt that JWH said it, but people often come out with certain bits of 'rhetoric' which are clearly not really true - which is what i think this is.

I think it was quite simply a case that the world and his mum knew Torres was going to be sold for a massive hefty fee, and Newcastle used that to their advantage, kept rejecting our bids for Carroll until it reached an amount that Mike Ashley simply couldnt refuse.

[Pablo]

Why do people keep saying Andy Carroll is "clearly not fit"? He looks a lot slimmer than last year that's for sure.

Do you all suddenly expect him to start running like Usain Bolt?

[danperkins]

Why do people keep saying Andy Carroll is "clearly not fit"? He looks a lot slimmer than last year that's for sure.

Do you all suddenly expect him to start running like Usain Bolt?

Suppose it's all about match fitness and sharpness after pre season, i remember Wayne Rooney saying it takes him 6 matches to get fully match fit, i suppose each player differs.

Carroll is a big lad and hopefully 3 or 4 more games and he "should" be there or there abouts. He isn't the most athletic of guys but he does look a bit leggy and lagging at moment IMO, like so many players at the start of the season. Mind you receiving the ball deep and running around like a lunatic isn't exactly the type of game he should be playing IOM, rather see him in tjhe box, close to goal.

[red g]

Didnt spurs have a bid of 28m turned down for carroll in January?

think its fair to say whoeever was going to buy carroll was going to have to pay stupid money to get him and it just so happens we were awash with stupid money after getting 50m for TOrres

[Mostar]

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/107117.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Carroll now worth more than £35m - Dalglish

Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish has admitted that only "time will tell" whether the decision to spend a combined £55 million on Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll will prove "stupid".

Carroll joined from Newcastle for £35m in January following Fernando Torres' move to Chelsea, and has scored just two league goals for Kenny Dalglish's side since then - although his appearances have been limited by injury.

Meanwhile, England international midfielder Henderson cost a reported £20m from Sunderland this summer, a fee that raised a few eyebrows given the amount of options available to Dalglish in central areas.

Given the Reds' significant outlay - Alexander Doni, Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam and Jose Enrique have also arrived in recent months - the pressure is on Dalglish to deliver a top-four place, a quest that was boosted by an impressive 2-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday.

And Dalglish has told his doubters to pass judgement on the summer splurge later in the season. "If you want to buy [Carroll or Henderson] now, you'll pay more than I did," Dalglish said. "Bold? Stupid? Time will tell."

[Daniel 7]

I think there's been a misinterpretation of the £35m fee and the difference to Chelsea.

What JWH said was, as long as there was a £15m profit minimum, the deal would have gone ahead. With LFC receiving £50m the MAXIMUM we would go to was £35m, and thats what we paid.