Andy Carroll - Best Striker in the World

[cream]

No laughing matter. You can't spend £35m on a striker and expect him to score goals, we need to spend another £20m on a winger specifically to put the ball on his head.

[Exiled_red]

I don't think we can judge him based on yesterday's performance, the whole team were dire he had almost no service for the 20 mins or so we had 11 players, then played the rest of the game out of position.

[vlahka]

we need to spend another £20m on a winger specifically to put the ball on his head.

Pretty sure thats what Downing was for. But he's sub par.

[cream]

Seriously though, if we're gonna get the best out of Carroll, we're gonna have to play with 2 wingers, play with pace and play on the counter. Can't see him working otherwise.

[Slinky Skills]

I actually thought he played ok yesterday, he tried to get stuck in to be fair and looked somewhat fitter and more energised.

He is void on confidence big time, he needs to rattle a few in and then he'll be rolling.

[cream]

Pretty sure thats what Downing was for. But he's sub par.

That was my point, maybe we need to buy another midfielder who can play the out to the winger...

[RichC]

to be fair to Carroll we were ****e for 28 minutes of the game offering little to no service then Adam got sent off and he was pushed out wide into a position that he really shouldn't have been playing in.

He worked hard over there on the right with little joy but then the entire team yesterday was dreadful.

He's short on confidence and yesterdays outing won't have helped matters but he was no worse than anyone else out there really.

[Kenneth]

Seriously though, if we're gonna get the best out of Carroll, we're gonna have to play with 2 wingers, play with pace and play on the counter. Can't see him working otherwise.

Agree. But the 20m would be better spent on another striker as things stand.

[vlahka]

I dont buy that argument. We were getting plenty of goals with suarez and torress when we didnt have any proper wingers. Now we have 1 whos a passable winger, and we're expected to buy more so we can make Carroll look good? Is this a case of player isnt good unless he's got good players around him? Cause if it is then he's a giant waste of money. He should be good from the start. Any sub par striker can look good with a good team around him. And for 35mill I expect more.

[Imy]

Seriously though, if we're gonna get the best out of Carroll, we're gonna have to play with 2 wingers, play with pace and play on the counter. Can't see him working otherwise.

Weren't the majority of Carroll's goals at Newcastle set up by Nolan and Barton? (obviously neither of which are wingers)

[BootRoom]

Seriously though, if we're gonna get the best out of Carroll, we're gonna have to play with 2 wingers, play with pace and play on the counter. Can't see him working otherwise.

That's all we need, more portions of camping out in our own half, inviting pressure.

How can somebody as slow as Caroll be effective in a counter attacking team? Slow players and counter attacks are not a happy marriage.

[BootRoom]

I dont buy that argument. We were getting plenty of goals with suarez and torress when we didnt have any proper wingers. Now we have 1 whos a passable winger, and we're expected to buy more so we can make Carroll look good? Is this a case of player isnt good unless he's got good players around him? Cause if it is then he's a giant waste of money. He should be good from the start. Any sub par striker can look good with a good team around him. And for 35mill I expect more.

That line was used for Cole, and reeks of a passenger-carrying situation.

[Mostar]

Seriously though, if we're gonna get the best out of Carroll, we're gonna have to play with 2 wingers, play with pace and play on the counter. Can't see him working otherwise.

Not sure if it would matter. Carroll's lack of mobility in the box is causing issues not the fact we don't have 2 wingers.

He is too slow getting there and it doesn't matter who you have on the wings would change that.

How many times Enrique, Downing and/or Bellamy after making good runs had to wait for Carroll to make his way in the box and even yesterday late in injury time Enrique had a great cross that didn't produce anything as Carroll was few seconds late to receive it.

Our problem is him and he needs to impose himself, use his physical attributes to his advantage (like he did with Newcastle) and be way more aggressive and attack the ball which is what he is not doing at the moment.

[Tee]

Not sure if it would matter. Carroll's lack of mobility in the box is causing issues not the fact we don't have 2 wingers.

He is too slow getting there and it doesn't matter who you have on the wings would change that.

How many times Enrique, Downing and/or Bellamy after making good runs had to wait for Carroll to make his way in the box and even yesterday late in injury time Enrique had a great cross that didn't produce anything as Carroll was few seconds late to receive it.

Our problem is him and he needs to impose himself, use his physical attributes on his advantage (like he did with Newcastle) and be way more aggressive and attack the ball which is what he is not doing at the moment.

[Daniel 7]

He hasn't looked dangerous aerially or in the box since he joined. He has moaned, sulked and gone to ground easier than Heskey. Infact, based on current form, he is only a shadow of the player Heskey was.