Andy Carroll - Best Striker in the World

[topscorer]

fair enough, but its only guessing. Why don't people cut Carroll some slack and judge him properly after a season. That isn't saying don't question him but not be so quick to judge on half a dozen games. Some people are forming such drastic opinions and stances that they're backing themselves into corners which they'll rarely want to retreat from for fear of loss of face. There's a decent chance we'll have a beast of a forward on our hands. He'll always look clumsy and will never be as fast as Usain Bolt and will never have the footwork of suarez, the sooner people accept this, the easier it'll be to move on.

the main problem I see is in his head. Is he dedicated enough to make it work. I have no doubts regarding his attributes at all.

I think it's fair enough to question any players particular performance or talk about weaknesses and strengths but some people have just written him off as a complete waste of money and space that will never be good enough already which is ridiculous.

[Neil Young]

fair enough, but its only guessing. Why don't people cut Carroll some slack and judge him properly after a season. That isn't saying don't question him but not be so quick to judge on half a dozen games. Some people are forming such drastic opinions and stances that they're backing themselves into corners which they'll rarely want to retreat from for fear of loss of face. There's a decent chance we'll have a beast of a forward on our hands. He'll always look clumsy and will never be as fast as Usain Bolt and will never have the footwork of suarez, the sooner people accept this, the easier it'll be to move on.

the main problem I see is in his head. Is he dedicated enough to make it work. I have no doubts regarding his attributes at all.

I agree with much of that, especially the bit about guessing. What's more important, airing frankly less than well-informed judgements about one of our players or trying to remain positive?

The positive approach might not just help make a difference to the player in question, it would also help make this place less painful. It's like people feel the forum exists for therapy, so they can get their worries off their chests.

I'm not suggesting we all have to be cheerleaders for the club and players at all times but an attempt at balance and perspective would be a start.

[Neil Young]

Granted some wouldn't but in my opinion we could have got some cracking strikers for that sort of money. Llorente would have been good (just off the top of my head).

Er, well possibly. And possibly not.

I agree, I think Llorente looks good in Spain. But we have no idea whether he'd (a) want to play in England, (b) want to move to a club without CL football (for the second season running) and that didn't even manage the EL this season, and (c) whether, as Bob says, he'd actually end up being better than Carroll anyway.

[Glenn Hysen]

I agree with much of that, especially the bit about guessing. What's more important, airing frankly less than well-informed judgements about one of our players or trying to remain positive?

The positive approach might not just help make a difference to the player in question, it would also help make this place less painful. It's like people feel the forum exists for therapy, so they can get their worries off their chests.

I'm not suggesting we all have to be cheerleaders for the club and players at all times but an attempt at balance and perspective would be a start.

[SB]

I just hope he doesn't take as long as Crouchy did to break his LFC duck.

He'll get slaughtered if he does

[Rich]

I just hope he doesn't take as long as Crouchy did to break his LFC duck.

He'll get slaughtered if he does

Eh?

[Shaggy]

[davegrady1]

I just hope he doesn't take as long as Crouchy did to break his LFC duck.

He'll get slaughtered if he does

Do you mean this year SB? as he's already broken his duck against City last season.

[Roboklopp]

Jury is out for me. Hasnt been amazing, but has been nowhere as bad as some say. Problem is with that price tag & having to stand up alongside Suarez & the lagacy of Torres, he's always gonna be under immense pressure to perform.

If I'm pushed, I expect him to be a good player for us- perhaps very good even- but I'm not sure he'll live up to that price tag. Still it's early doors & we wouldnt be the only ones to waste £30m on a striker (Berbatoss, Robinho, Shevchenko). I certainly reckon he'll be better than any of those!

I'll be giving him half a season though before I even start to judge properly.

[Fredo]

I just hope he doesn't take as long as Crouchy did to break his LFC duck.

He'll get slaughtered if he does

[The_weatherman]

IMO we have to look past the price tag and focus on Carroll the player, right now it doesn't matter how much he cost, it matters that he is playing for Liverpool and looks like he's getting fitter then before and is adding to the team. He'll score loads eventually, just like Torres will eventually.

[Assassin]

IMO we have to look past the price tag and focus on Carroll the player, right now it doesn't matter how much he cost, it matters that he is playing for Liverpool and looks like he's getting fitter then before and is adding to the team. He'll score loads eventually, just like Torres will eventually.

+1

[Parr_Zee]

and would Llorente be better than Carroll?

I think so.

[Parr_Zee]

Some people are forming such drastic opinions and stances that they're backing themselves into corners which they'll rarely want to retreat from for fear of loss of face.

Do you genuinely beleive that?

I want Carroll to be the beast we were promised.
I want Carroll to score 15-25 goals a season.
I want Carroll to dominate and bully defenders.
I want Carroll to become the next Alan Shearer.

...but from what i'm seeing, it looks unlikely that these things will happen. If i'm proved wrong then brilliant, i'll come out and say that it was a lack of confidence or fitness or whatever it might be. But at the moment, Andy Carroll is performing nowhere near the required standards of a team with Champions League and title ambitions.

I'm sure one day in the not too distant future he'll have a good game and score a couple of goals, and people will come out and say I told you so. But for me his movement, positioning, heading, touch, passing is all looking distinctly average.

[Parr_Zee]

Still it's early doors & we wouldnt be the only ones to waste £30m on a striker (Berbatoss)

Are you for real? Berbatov has hardly been a flop. 21 goals last season! And some sublime performances.