Andy Carroll - Best Striker in the World

[~LFCHistory~]

I must confess I have my doubts about him, but I think he needs to be given a run of games before we judge him.

Aside from the start of the season (Sunderland and Arsenal games) when he wasn't fully fit, he's only had a couple of times where he's started back to back games. These were against Wolves and Everton where he played well in both games scoring in the latter, and Stoke Carling Cup game and West Brom game, again he scored in the latter game. Then there was the Chelsea Carling Cup game and last night. I think some of his better games have come when he's been allowed back to back starts, I think he's very much a confidence player and will improve when he's given a run in the side, whether he will reach the level required or not I guess only time will tell.

The problem being as I've said previously is that we tend to play a better style (and you could argue more effective style) of football when he doesn't play. Which makes this quite a dilemma especially as we are struggling for goals. If other players were knocking in goals consistently it would be much easier to make a case for giving Carroll a run of games.

The problem with giving him a run of games is that we are already falling behind in the race for 4th, if AC gets games and continues to play like **** then we will drop more points and fall even further behind.

He's been here 10 months. I've seen all I need to - he's not Liverpool quality and he never will be.

[ronanm]

My patience is wearing thin with this lad. Would give him until the end of the season and if it didn't work out look to sell at the end of the Euro championships.

[Daniel 7]

Its been a year now near enough. He still looks puzzled by what is happening around him, he is on a different wavelength to the other attackers, whoever he plays with. He doesn't seem to be able to anticipate anything. His physical presence is laughable. He falls over much to easily. His pace is non existent - take last night - he was given the ball just inside the Fulham half, by the centre circle. He was immediately surrounded by 2 or 3 players, turned away (almost neatly) but when the space opened up for him, he didn't have the physical capability to get away from them. He ended up on the floor frustrated.

I don't see how Carroll is an upgrade on N'gog. N'gog's first touch was better, he had more pace and made a couple of emphatic finishes. Ok, Carroll has done that v Exeter and v Manchester City - the difference is Carroll was seemingly bought to lead the attack, whereas N'gog was a squad player.

It has to end soon, we're not scoring, he's not scoring and he spends most of the time looking upset, frustrated and bemused. If Blackburn were to offer £10m it would be a good deal. I just don't see anyone being interested in him. He's a Championship player way out of his depth.

[Exiled_red]

IMO people are being a little harsh on him

Last season in the Premiership he played a total of 446 minutes, (which is just under 5 whole games) scoring 2 goals

This season in the Premiership he has played 737 minutes (just over 8 whole games) and scored 2 goals

Stats from ESPN link

That gives a total of 1183 minutes or 13.14 games and 4 goals. Put like that he record is nowhere near as bad as is being made out, obviously we expect better, but taking into account the fact he's been recovering from injuries in that time. I think people are over-reacting to this largely out of frustration at the team not getting results.

[Glenn Hysen]

My patience is wearing thin with this lad. Would give him until the end of the season and if it didn't work out look to sell at the end of the Euro championships.

I would love it if he started playing well. Trying to have patience but after yesterday I'm really really worried. He's slow, not that good in the air and he managed to almost miss the ball completely in the first half when Suarez got around on the left wing, Kuyt would have bagged that. The camera showed him after he got subbed sitting on the bench with tears in his eyes.

[Mattshark]

IMO people are being a little harsh on him

Last season in the Premiership he played a total of 446 minutes, (which is just under 5 whole games) scoring 2 goals

This season in the Premiership he has played 737 minutes (just over 8 whole games) and scored 2 goals

Stats from ESPN link

That gives a total of 1183 minutes or 13.14 games and 4 goals. Put like that he record is nowhere near as bad as is being made out, obviously we expect better, but taking into account the fact he's been recovering from injuries in that time. I think people are over-reacting to this largely out of frustration at the team not getting results.

I think actually it has a lot more to do with lack of game intelligence, poor positioning and movement, lack of technical ability and that he really doesn't fit our style of play. I have nothing from him to suggest he'll be a good player for us in the long run.

[cream]

I think actually it has a lot more to do with lack of game intelligence, poor positioning and movement, lack of technical ability and that he really doesn't fit our style of play. I have nothing from him to suggest he'll be a good player for us in the long run.

About sums it up.

[Vermilion]

He'll come good, imo. I'm happy with his attitude, but he needs a goal or two, as at the moment i think pressure/form is having an effect and he's not playing his natural game as a result.

Should be quite simple really, tell him to make runs into the box, tell team mates to look for those runs and find him, for some reason he's not even doing that as often as he did at Newcastle, and yet we have better players to find him with crosses, apparently.

edit: Yeah, agree with point in below post, he's not a true 35 mill player, be he can be a huge assett to LFC going forward.

[Maxiedge]

I believe in Carroll.

He's not a 35m player but he's a 20m player who needs a run in the side to get sharp but that's the problem at the moment...every game is a must win and there's no room for passengers. A conundrum for Kenny.

[JBOX]

I believe in Carroll.

He's not a 35m player but he's a 20m player who needs a run in the side to get sharp but that's the problem at the moment...every game is a must win and there's no room for passengers. A conundrum for Kenny.

[Mattshark]

I believe in Carroll.

He's not a 35m player but he's a 20m player who needs a run in the side to get sharp but that's the problem at the moment...every game is a must win and there's no room for passengers. A conundrum for Kenny.

I'd be disappointed if we played 20m for him, he is not worth close to that either imo. He has been here nearly a year, been fit all season and yet he is showing next to nothing.

I think his good half season with Newcastle may have been a little misleading.

[Daniel 7]

Spot on Matt

[Mostar]

Would anyone swap him with Torres if the opportunity presented itself? I wouldn't really want to, but definitely would.

I would too.

In fairness I thought he was alright last night, people seem to be suggesting that if we replaced him all our problems would be over. I think this is an over simplification, he's only getting one or two decent chances a game, it's not like we're creating chance after chance for him and he's missing sitter after sitter.

The problem with Carroll for me is not one of his own making, the biggest problem I see with Carroll is that his presence in the team tends to result in us playing a more direct style and launching balls up to him rather than relying on other aspects of the team game, such as short quick passing, movement off the ball, and 1-2's etc which players like Maxi, Bellamy and Suarez do so well. I prefer this short, quick passing style of play myself, and think that launching balls up to Carroll should be a 'plan B' used primarily late in games when we need goals.

In fairness, doing alright is not good enough. He was in the team to score and he had 2,3 great goal scoring opportunities and he failed to deliver.

It becomes very frustrating to watch him when we have Maxi on the bench that had some very good performances as of late and can actually score and moves miles and miles better without the ball and is technically very good and don't even bring him in for a minute.

I think actually it has a lot more to do with lack of game intelligence, poor positioning and movement, lack of technical ability and that he really doesn't fit our style of play. I have nothing from him to suggest he'll be a good player for us in the long run.

Those are main problems that I personally see with Andy too. He doesn't move well without the ball, he is always one step too slow, doesn't have instincts where the ball may get, he doesn't attack the box, he's not aggressive enough and he doesn't uses his physical predispositions nearly as much as he should have.

When you couple that with lack of technical ability and poor first touch you have a player that will struggle to produce at the club of our size.

[doogle]

Dirk Kuyt
2011/12 Barclays Premier League
GAMES GOALS ASSISTS SHOTS
12..........0..........1.........18

Andy Carroll
2011/12 Barclays Premier League
GAMES GOALS ASSISTS SHOTS
13..........2..........0..........32

I also don't think Dirk is the answer, maybe we need someone else although even Suarez hasn't been prolific, maybe its more to do with how were set up or just really unlucky

Suarez
2011/12 Barclays Premier League
GAMES GOALS ASSISTS SHOTS
14..........4..........1.........62

[Vermilion]

Well, i think it has more to do with something else rather than AC, none of our forwards are scoring often enough for my liking, not even the ones people think are worth what we paid.