Andy Carroll

[dom9]

Downing should show more bottle and beat men and get to the byline before crossing

This he rarely does.

We could take this to the Downing thread, but should he?

Getting a good early cross in is a great option if your team is anticipating them. Beckham made a whole career from it.

I don't understand the English obsession with players beating other players. It's how we play in the school playground. It is a high risk strategy, and only the exceptional few can do it.

When I was kid, we used to play footy against loads of foreign kids in our local park, and they would always beat us. Not because they were better individually, but because they didn't try and dribble round the whole team. They were brought up to pass the ball.

Rafa got consistently slated over the years for not buying that kind of winger. Like it's a pre-requisite to playing football or something.

[Rowan]

Downing should show more bottle and beat men and get to the byline before crossing

This he rarely does.

He'd rather abdicate responsibility and cross from further up the pitch which in general are easier to defend against and harder to score from

Yes Carroll should do more but I think we have seen some signs of improvement in all departments of Carrolls game

Back in his Boro days Downing used to spend his freetime taking pictures of his willy and sending them to his regular girlfrind. Unfortunately he was also a bit of a ladies man too and was, by all accounts, rampant. Anyway, his girlfriend found out about a couple of his conquests, printed off of selection of his fave 'Little Stewy' photos and plastered them all over the communal areas in the apartment block he was living in at the time

Downing

[Lecter]

We could take this to the Downing thread, but should he?

Getting a good early cross in is a great option if your team is anticipating them. Beckham made a whole career from it.

I don't understand the English obsession with players beating other players. It's how we play in the school playground. It is a high risk strategy, and only the exceptional few can do it.

When I was kid, we used to play footy against loads of foreign kids in our local park, and they would always beat us. Not because they were better individually, but because they didn't try and dribble round the whole team. They were brought up to pass the ball.

Rafa got consistently slated over the years for not buying that kind of winger. Like it's a pre-requisite to playing football or something.

Downings delivery isnt a patch on that of Beckham & Gerrard for that matter so its better that he crosses from nearer the byline as those balls are more difficult to defend

The thing that really pisses me off about Downing is that he will often beat a man once and you are just urging him to go at the fullback again and again but he rarely does (ther other week against Baines being an exception to the rule)

I dont know whether he thinks I've done it once so I dont need to do it again or its something else

[Mostar]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu7nMfpU8Dg"]Carroll long range pass & stepovers 23-04-2012 - YouTube[/ame]

[vlahka]

Dazzling

[baitman]

more like a sleepover

[Mostar]

Carroll vs WBA Compilation


[ame="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqcelx_carroll-vs-wba_lifestyle"]Carroll vs WBA 23-04-2012 - Video Dailymotion[/ame]

[Bender]

[ame="http://youtu.be/0l2QsNAgh68"]http://youtu.be/0l2QsNAgh68[/ame]

[Gingawaria]

Did the shirt proud today Andy...shame the same cant be said of everyone else.

[peekay]

Did the shirt proud today Andy...shame the same cant be said of everyone else.

[yamiedo]

Did the shirt proud today Andy...shame the same cant be said of everyone else.

To be fair I think the responsibity has to be on Kenny's shoulders today. He started with the wrong system and Jay Spearing should not have been in an FA Cup final for us. Carroll came in and the system changed and we looked like a different team. Everybody started to look lively after the change.

[Gaz]

This is the Andy Carroll we need to see more of in a red shirt

[cream]

Well done Andy, only one who turned up today.

[doogle]

This is the Andy Carroll we need to see more of in a red shirt

he's been playing well in the last month or two

[Gibbo]

Earned a lot of respect from me today Carroll, played his best football for us and looked like a £35 million pound striker. Two great goals.