Andy Carroll - Best Striker in the World

[Shaggy]

I didn't rate him at all when we signed him but decided to give him a completely clean slate.

Problem is I would've been better judging him on his Newcastle form as he's got nowhere near it with us and the slate is dirtier now than it was when we bought him. I've tried to keep my counsel but I'm really worried we've creamed £35m on the useless lump I thought he was at Newcastle.

[sean_lfc]

I didn't rate him at all when we signed him but decided to give him a completely clean slate.

Problem is I would've been better judging him on his Newcastle form as he's got nowhere near it with us and the slate is dirtier now than it was when we bought him. I've tried to keep my counsel but I'm really worried we've creamed £35m on the useless lump I thought he was at Newcastle.

I wouldn't be worried mate. At Newcastle his goal record was something like 1 in 2. He just needs quality service, some confidence and we'll see the best of him. I remember watching quite a few Geordie games and he was scoring for fun, great goals.

It's not really helping that our midfield seems to be disjointed and we're having problems and lack of creativity (again) all over the park.

We'll come good and so will he. Chill.

[Shaggy]

That's the problem for me , even when he was scoring goals I didn't think he was very good. Lots of rubbish strikers have spells scoring goals.

I hope you're right obviously.

[sean_lfc]

That's the problem for me , even when he was scoring goals I didn't think he was very good. Lots of rubbish strikers have spells scoring goals.

I hope you're right obviously.

In 57 league games he scored 31 goals. That's quite good in my book.

Trust me on this one, I saw it in my cuppa this morning.
Everyone seems to be a bit nervous about us, but we'll come good. Course we will. Some of the football we've seen under Kenny's been the best we've seen in years, ping pong football like in the late 80s/early 90s. It'll gel, we've got lots of new players in, they need to get up to the speed of thought Kenny demands.

Wait til we get Stevie back as well, it'll make a world of difference, just because I believe he'll be great at transferring that speed of thought onto the pitch and all the other players, who might not have seen it, will then get the 'Aha, so that's how it goes!'. We'll be thrashing teams into oblivion soon, no worries.

[RichC]

In 57 league games he scored 31 goals. That's quite good in my book.

Trust me on this one, I saw it in my cuppa this morning.
Everyone seems to be a bit nervous about us, but we'll come good. Course we will. Some of the football we've seen under Kenny's been the best we've seen in years, ping pong football like in the late 80s/early 90s. It'll gel, we've got lots of new players in, they need to get up to the speed of thought Kenny demands.

Wait til we get Stevie back as well, it'll make a world of difference, just because I believe he'll be great at transferring that speed of thought onto the pitch and all the other players, who might not have seen it, will then get the 'Aha, so that's how it goes!'. We'll be thrashing teams into oblivion soon, no worries.

Ahhhh a positive post on a **** house of a monday -

[Kenneth]

What league were these 57 games in by the way?

[The Birdman]

I posted something similar elsewhere but for Carroll to be effective we need to press high up the pitch and keep the space between front and back as small as possible (as in the defence not dropping deep)
That means the service to him is better (into feet and at his chest), more controlled and the midfield are closer to him to offer support or to run beyond him.
While we continue to play deep that stretches our team, creates gaps between back and midfield then midfield and front, the passes become aimless long balls and no-one is close enough to support Carroll quick enough so we keep losing possession.

The reason we are deep is Carra, play Carroll or Carra but we won't be effective with both in the team.

[Zapater]

In 57 league games he scored 31 goals. That's quite good in my book.

Trust me on this one, I saw it in my cuppa this morning.
Everyone seems to be a bit nervous about us, but we'll come good. Course we will. Some of the football we've seen under Kenny's been the best we've seen in years, ping pong football like in the late 80s/early 90s. It'll gel, we've got lots of new players in, they need to get up to the speed of thought Kenny demands.

Wait til we get Stevie back as well, it'll make a world of difference, just because I believe he'll be great at transferring that speed of thought onto the pitch and all the other players, who might not have seen it, will then get the 'Aha, so that's how it goes!'. We'll be thrashing teams into oblivion soon, no worries.

Most of those were in the Championship, no? I'm afraid to say it, he's wank. And even if I'm wrong and he isn't he's just a terrible fit stylistically which was my initial concern and I don't see how he can come right regardless of which players we have, unless we change the entire team obviously. Apart from the Citeh game last season he's done absolutely nothing in a red shirt to suggest things will change. His sluggish, lazy, clumsy and just not a very good player.

Also, I find it amusing how many times we're looking for a goal at the end of the game, someone pumps the ball into the box and he's lurking on the penalty box or just outside, drives me crazy. It makes me even more infuriated when there's time to play and we could just be playing normally and Carragher finds it necessary to hoof the ball at him every time (See Arsenal) just because he's massive.

This doesn't look good.

[Kenneth]

It's not really carra, it's playing Adam and Lucas in the middle of a 4-4-2.

[Roboklopp]

I didn't rate him at all when we signed him but decided to give him a completely clean slate.

Problem is I would've been better judging him on his Newcastle form as he's got nowhere near it with us and the slate is dirtier now than it was when we bought him. I've tried to keep my counsel but I'm really worried we've creamed £35m on the useless lump I thought he was at Newcastle.

Trying really hard not to use the handshake smiley.

[Daniel 7]

I made the point before that David Nugent had a similair record to Carroll and an England cap before he went to Portsmouth, and his goals compilation video on YouTube was spectacular!

I remember the day we signed him and Shaggy comparing him to Beattie - you've done well to hold your tongue! I've shied away from this thread recently because I know what kind of football I like to see Liverpool play. Its the kind we played in the 5-2 against Fulham, the Bolton home game this season, and I know the cultured, skilful players I like to see playing that kind of football.

I wonder if any geordies are looking at this thread and lifting our quotes like some posters on here have with Torres on the Chelsea forums. They must be laughing their heads off, because regardless of their lack of a replacement, they seem far better off without him.

[Shaggy]

Man I hate being negative about our players, especially young lads like him. What can I do - I've never rated him and I'm not the sort to start pretending I suddenly think he's brilliant cos he's signed for us. I've tried to keep quiet and let him prove me hopelessly wrong. There's still plenty of time for that to be fair and he might yet prove an absolute beast. I just see no signs of improvement. In fact, he seems to be getting even worse. My heart sinks when I see his name on the team sheet.

[Daniel 7]

Start Carroll, stop Liverpool

[Tee]

Lets see how he copes with Stevie on the same pitch as him.

[Kenneth]

This quote when he left Newcastle didn't bode well

“I didn’t want to leave that’s why I signed a five year deal. I was pushed out of the door.”