When Liverpool signed Newcastle striker Andy Carroll for £35 million back in January, Reds fans were hailing the signature of one of the brightest talents in English football. Now fans are joining in with ‘what a waste of money chants’ by Tottenham fans at White Hart Lane. So how long will it be until Carroll wishes he’d never left Newcastle? This is what one Liverpool fan thinks of Newcastle’s former number nine…
You would think that any player with a £35million price tag is a certain starter. For the latter part of the 2010-2011 season, Carroll was blighted by injury in a red shirt, limiting him to sporadic appearances. Fast forward to this month and Carroll has come through a pre-season campaign unscathed and is fully fit. But it’s not been all plain sailing.
In the first league match of the season, Luis Suarez ran rings around the Sunderland defence before understandably tiring after a summer of brilliance for Uruguay at the Copa America. Carroll was unable to provide the same spark as his strike partner and as Suarez became less effective, Liverpool’s threat diminished.
The following league game saw Carroll start as a lone striker against Arsenal, but yet again it was the introduction of Suarez that changed the game – forcing a mistake for the first goal and scoring the second.
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Liverpool’s best performance of the season came in the most recent league game against Bolton. Dalglish decided to leave Andy Carroll on the bench, preferring a two-pronged attack of Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt – a partnership which worked brilliantly in the second half of the 2010-2011 season.
Without Andy Carroll on the pitch, the team didn’t rely on the easy option of hitting it long to the target man and were encouraged instead into playing more patiently.
When Carroll entered the game, with the scoreline already at 3-0, he looked sluggish. On one such occasion, Stewart Downing – who had yet another superb game – whipped in a delightful cross for the Geordie to attack, but he was caught on his heels and got nowhere near the ball.
In the absence of Luis Suarez’s darting runs, Liverpool suddenly looked a more one-dimensional and predictable team.
By all means, Andy Carroll is an excellent centre-forward. He will score many goals for Liverpool this season and in seasons to come, but from the evidence seen thus far, a Kuyt-Suarez strike pairing looks far more potent.
In a poll of over 1,000 Liverpool fans on OurKop.com, only 1/5 of supporters would have Andy Carroll in their starting eleven. He’s clearly not appreciated an Anfield, so are his days at Liverpool numbered and would you accept him back at Newcastle?
Written by Kristian Johnson
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Its like your ex leaving you because the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but when she finds out the other guy is a jerk she wants you back… Do you take her back?
@valle if she shags like a rabbit, of course you do.
We def need a striker but I would not trust him to do the same thing again.
take him back on loan in January, he will score goals and be the guy our wingers need to ping crosses too. Then that gets us to the summer and we can see if its worked and anfield want to sell or we go after some other guy. This Sochaux guy seems to be another one of these give me a better deal or I’ll quit types……
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding his transfer and who ultimately made the decision on him leaving. He could have said No and stayed, but he chose to go, chose money over loyalty to his hometown club and the iconic shirt which he had the privilage of wearing. He’s made his bed now, he can lie in it, top player or not
Agree
Funny to see Judas as the new bench warmer. Would never take him back
Said for a long time now, The Toon are now playing some expansive football due to the fact that we are no longer that one dimensional side which housed Carrol. When you continually channel everything towards one player, it stands to reason that you are limiting your options severely.
We got very well paid for Carrol and have reaped the benefits through the change in our style of play. I think it would be a massive backward step to resign AC at any price. Don’t want him back. Nothing against the man, but he left to feather his nest and now finds it waterlogged. Tough shit.
Excellent post, thats how I feel on the AC matter
Made your bed kid. Lie in it.
if he’d never played for us the answer would be yes but at no more than £6-7M which is top whack for Ashley anyway
Andy who?
I think Liverpool fans are missing something, and the is that the tactics are ‘king’ kennys. Kicking it long at Carroll doesn’t work and he needs exceptional man management, yet this is missed. But why would you be surprised, you can’t expect success when you sell you’re best midfielder of last season and buy the 5th best midfielder at Sunderland and a one dimensional oaf for £30m.
Carroll may leave, I’d have him back, but he knows he’ll not get picked for England regularly if he’s with us. He’ll come good when LFC get a decent manager, but that won’t happen because the yanks will be scared of him.
I would take him back but he would never be number 9 again.
Here is what I think happened with his transfer. Liverpool offered a shiteload of money or asked how much he would cost. Because he was our 9 and it was last minute we said $35 mill which is obscene and they took it. Lameass went to Andy and said look we love you lad but these guys are offering 35 mill and we have to take it. You dont mind going to Liverpool and tripling your wages do you?
It’s not that sinister it’s just what most of us would do if we were Ashley or Carroll.
Either way Andy will get at least a year or two to prove his worth and by that time if he has not who knows if we would want him back anyway.
The problem he’s having at Cessepool is, the team & tactics aren’t set up to play his style of game, thus he’s useless.. when he was at the Toon, we set our whole game & tactics around Carroll & it worked, so Cessepool buying him for £35m was a very high gamble & it hasn’t worked, it will never work cause thats not the way Cessepool play footy, they’re more of a pass & play team, not a hoof it up field type of team, so it won’t matter who the manager is, it would mean they would have to buy loads of new players to surround Carroll which I can’t see them doing…
Would I have him back, no… we’ve now moved on & we’re turning into the sort of team that doesn’t need to hoof it up field either, so Carroll wouldn’t work in our team now & I doubt he’d fit into anyother team, apart from maybe Stoke.. lol
Peter Beardsley left for greener pastures and came back and what a job he did for us.Would I have AC back-YES!!
Sorry but no… I agree with Toon69, We have built a different squad up and the only reason it worked with us was because of joey barton. Mayb carroll could go to QPR and get on the end of barton’s balls again…. pun intended.
Most of us likened Carroll to Duncan Ferguson, and like big dunc on his day he can be unplayable. Unfortunatly like Ferguson his day is few and far between!
Spurs player in waiting!
Dalgliesh only ever won things with other peoples teams. He’s never built a team of his own 35mil was a ridiculous sum to pay. As a team the Toon have moved on we don’t want his style of forward now – need little quick character.
Goerdie85….Although long from being my favorite manager Dalgliesh did manage to take Blackburn from the old 2nd division(1991)to PL champions in 1995 with a team he built(Walker bought).
I wouldn’t have him back at 35M. I said at the time he shouldn’t get in the side. I have watched him for 2 – 3 years previous and it was only in the latter stages of the promotion season and the beginning of last that he looked as if he was going to be any good. If kenny is willing to pay 35M for a 3rd – 4th choice striker, then I would worry how long is the money going to last. 2 seassons ago under benitez you looked liked genuine title contenders. I already think I’ve waisted my £10 bet in liverpool winning it this year. No better than under Benitez, although much better than Newcastle, Who’s heading the right direction at the greatest pace?
With respect, there is only Charlietoon talking any sense amongst you, your either all self employed or unemployed!!
loyalty in football does not exist any more people, and why would you stay loyal to a club that has won nowt for as long as us??
Don’t get me wrong, Nolan and Barton can rot in hell for me, THEY left for money and went to lesser teams
Carroll and Enrique left for footballing reason, yes they got better wages as well but we picked up excellent fees for them so everyone’s a winner
Would I be disappointed if he came back… Not likely, he gives us option and can mix it with big ugly CBs (Stoke) but doesn’t have to be in the starting 11 ever game.
Do I want him back… Not really arsed… I don’t believe he is the missing piece at the mo, but then neither are the strikers we were linked with in the summer.
If we can get him back for a low fee, why not??!!
Let’s not cut our noses off here, we can’t afford to do that.
He and Torres didn’t give themselves the price tags, yet again the press build players up and kick them when they’re down
doesn’t stop them being good players and yes both are playing for teams who’s systems don’t suit their style of play.
All that said it’s irrelevant anyway coz Liverpool aren’t ever gonna sell him yet anyway
I agree the toon’s football has been liberated by AC’s departure.. he also looks less than hellbent to get on the end of things at liverpool – as if embarrassed about his size and style. Worth more to us than anyone else alas.
It’s going to be a long drawn out affair watching KD trying to get anything like £35m out of this kid’s performance this season.
I think Spurs would have been a better destination – and he yet may end up there, as opposed to a toon return.
If we are honest Andy Carroll got away with having poor games for us cos he’s a local lad and the fans loved that fact,By no means was he excellent wk in wk out and his nights out were overlooked because of him being a local lad.
Difference is Liverpool fans will not overlook his off field antics or poor performances cos other than him playing for their club there is nothing connecting him to them.
I think he made a bad choice joining them as their team set up is very different and so too has Jose Enrique who is a better player than the current Liverpool standard
Carrol back at St. James’ should be welcomed at least we’ll have the best part of the GBP35,000,000 at hand and the player too for cheap – less than what we paid