Andy Carroll - Best Striker in the World

[SB]

Kenny wants to play open attacking type of football and to service Carroll properly we'll definitely be needing a winger (2 would be better) as well as offensive minded LB like Enrique.

Good shout on Adam. I was thinking today how much more we could have stretched mancs with his passing if we had signed him in January.

Hopefully we'll be going back for him in the summer.

And hopefully not held to ransom for him. If Blackpool get relegated we should be OK as they'll have to let him go I reckon. They'll need the cash to rebuild so a deal could be done quickly I hope.

[RedReet]

I'd start him on Thursday, especially with no Suarez. Braga won't know what's hit 'em.

Forgot about that. That's 2 EL games to get fit before the Sunderland match.

Think my FF team might have a new CF.

[Pablo]

He'll be on the bench again if you believe what Kenny said about gradually increasing his minutes on the pitch.

Based on that I'd speculate he'll get 30 minutes on Thursday and possibly his first start the week after in the return leg.

[Pablo]

Oh and I'm still thinking back to his first touch yesterday. How lovely is it to see a CF for Liverpool again totally dominate in the air He leaped way above the United defence and after that they didn't even bother competing against him for balls in the air. Not only is he tall and strong, he's got a great leap on him and good timing. Beast

[SB]

I'm drooling over Suarez too much at present to give Carroll the time of day TBH.

[dww]

I'd start him on Thursday, especially with no Suarez. Braga won't know what's hit 'em.

Probably bench for me. Give him 30+ minutes.

I'm with Rich. I think he would get more opportunities late in the game and have less chance of getting knackered and consequently picking up a knock.

If we start with Kuyt up top I hope we ask someone to get close to him, as Suarez did in the United game. Too often we tend to let him run himself into the ground and he is not consistently the sort of player to do damage on his own.

[Mostar]

And hopefully not held to ransom for him. If Blackpool get relegated we should be OK as they'll have to let him go I reckon. They'll need the cash to rebuild so a deal could be done quickly I hope.

Not to wonder too much off the topic but I think getting Adam, if we decide to go after him, will be very difficult and possibly an expensive venture.

We were not the only one who showed interest in him and that is unlikely to change in the summer.

Yesterday clearly showed that both Spurs and Mancs need a player of his skills, as much as us, and both were the clubs linked with him in January.

I hope we sign him but wouldn't be surprised if we don't.

[Lecter]

Not to wonder too much off the topic but I think getting Adam, if we decide to go after him, will be very difficult and possibly an expensive venture.

We were not the only one who showed interest in him and that is unlikely to change in the summer.

Yesterday clearly showed that both Spurs and Mancs need a player of his skills, as much as us, and both were the clubs linked with him in January.

I hope we sign him but wouldn't be surprised if we don't.

With Adam its all to do with game time

Do you think he'd play more for United & Spurs than he would for us??

I reckon hes far more likely to play for us (and so does he apparently)

Hes already been offered bigger money (twice our offer) to move to City and hes a United fan yet wants to sign for us as he believes it will be his best option

[ntto]

did anybody else think our style of play changed dramatically when Carroll came on?

prior to that we were playing lovely 1 and 2 touch pass and move football and i didnt want it to descend into long balls pumped into the box

[Daffy Duck]

I missed his header yesterday, does anyone have a link to a video that shows it please?

[Mostar]

With Adam its all to do with game time

Do you think he'd play more for United & Spurs than he would for us??

I reckon hes far more likely to play for us (and so does he apparently)

Hes already been offered bigger money (twice our offer) to move to City and hes a United fan yet wants to sign for us as he believes it will be his best option

I hope you are right but I do think he can play almost as much for us as he could play for Spurs and United.

Scholes is already past his best and Carrick has been very inconsistent.

Spurs, on the other hand, Huddlestone is injured and Palacios and Sandro are not the same type of players.

I think both can give him lot of playing time and also an opportunity to play in CL (Spurs are still in it) is something that could not be overlooked.

[dww]

did anybody else think our style of play changed dramatically when Carroll came on?

prior to that we were playing lovely 1 and 2 touch pass and move football and i didnt want it to descend into long balls pumped into the box

We took a midfielder off for him so it was understandable. I thought even before the substitution that it was an awkward one and Kuyt and Surez up top were key to how we were playing. Also before we scored the third we could have done with bringing on a different CM as Meireles was looking a bit knackered and Gerrard was losing his positional discipline a little looking to cover for him.

[Exiled_red]

With Adam its all to do with game time

Do you think he'd play more for United & Spurs than he would for us??

I reckon hes far more likely to play for us (and so does he apparently)

Hes already been offered bigger money (twice our offer) to move to City and hes a United fan yet wants to sign for us as he believes it will be his best option

The Man Utd midfield yesterday was a joke, Scholes hasn't got long left and if he is around won't be a regular, Carrick was poor, Hargreaves is injured, Anderson is poor. Only really Fletcher is that good a long term option IMO. Based on this I wouldn't be so sure that he wouldn't get in the United team as often as he would get in ours.

[ronanm]

The Man Utd midfield yesterday was a joke, Scholes hasn't got long left and if he is around won't be a regular, Carrick was poor, Hargreaves is injured, Anderson is poor. Only really Fletcher is that good a long term option IMO. Based on this I wouldn't be so sure that he wouldn't get in the United team as often as he would get in ours.

Personally, I think Anderson is good - potentially excellent. They are also missing Valencia (not really a midfielder admittedly). Think the Glazers said they'd make £££ available in the summer (post Rooney's outburst) so I expect them to stregthen there as a priority. Schole and Giggs are a joke. Hargreaves we can forget about.

[Mostar]

The Man Utd midfield yesterday was a joke, Scholes hasn't got long left and if he is around won't be a regular, Carrick was poor, Hargreaves is injured, Anderson is poor. Only really Fletcher is that good a long term option IMO. Based on this I wouldn't be so sure that he wouldn't get in the United team as often as he would get in ours.

I said the same. They will need to improve the midfield quite a bit if they want to stay in top 4 contention and I personally thin Adam could see plenty of opportunities if he goes there. Fletcher is the only one who can give them some quality going forward 'cause all others struggle with either injuries, age and/or poor form.