Well Andy Carroll is a cunt

[WaltonRed]

Make sure you all spread that pic of Cahill with the boys on facebook it'll do the Blues nuts in

[Mustangt125]

The irony is that that post makes you sound like a total puff.

 

Nah, just not buying into the whole vneck thing. Never will.

[nickjt]

Nah, just not buying into the whole vneck thing. Never will.

 

2 weeks for that. You been practicing in rough?

[Mustangt125]

2 weeks for that. You been practicing in rough?

 

What?

[Jim MM]

What?

 

3 weeks for that? Are you sending these in the mail?

[Mustangt125]

3 weeks for that? Are you sending these in the mail?

 

Haha. No, I don't check the site every day and go back to old posts all the time, though.

[WhiskeyJar]

Jesus why is this thread still going?

 

I have more fun looking at this:

 

[Jim MM]

Jesus why is this thread still going?

 

I have more fun looking at this:

 

 

That's what Andy Carroll was seeing at 3a.m. that night when he tried to set up a game of pool on the craps table.

[silverlining]

That Andy Carroll story by Bascombe on Sunday, is there anything substantial to it?

 

Seemed like a bit of nothing about nothing, but I wondered if anyone had hearsd anything concrete.

[Major Tom]

What was the story, sl?

 

edit: Just read it. I would say there is nothing in it.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I don't touch the paper. What was the story?

[silverlining]

What was the story, sl?

 

edit: Just read it. I would say there is nothing in it.

 

Well, yeah. I read it, but can't remember anything in it, apart from some vague stuff about possibly some "Anfield Insiders" being concerned about his lifestyle/ fitness or something.

[JaminKibbler]

Well, yeah. I read it, but can't remember anything in it, apart from some vague stuff about possibly some "Anfield Insiders" being concerned about his lifestyle/ fitness or something.

 

My mate said it was just Bascombe moaning about Carroll being unfit but then completely contradicting himself saying it was because he was injured.

 

Just a way of filling up pages i'm guessing.

[Major Tom]

ANDY CARROLL will return to Liverpool next month already facing a fight to prove he can fit into Kenny Dalglish's long-term plans.

Carroll should have been leading the England Under-21 attack against Spain tonight.

Instead, the Liverpool striker's summer holiday represents the calm before the storm as he readies himself for the most important season of his career.

Just six months after Carroll's £35million move to Anfield from Newcastle, there are genuine concerns as to whether the striker has what it takes to make his time on Merseyside a success.

The 22-year-old's lifestyle and lack of fitness are making many at the club fear he is destined to become an expensive mistake unless he can rid himself of bad habits and bad influences.

The Geordie will be under intense pressure to start delivering in August after being given a relatively easy ride in his first six months at Liverpool.

Although he scored twice, his fitness levels started to alarm the club during the climax to the campaign.

His lack of contribution to the club's recovery from 12th to sixth under Dalglish slipped under the radar largely due to the impact of Luis Suarez.

The Uruguayan, who signed on the same deadline day in January, was able to distract attention from the void left by Fernando Torres.

There were plenty at Anfield who thought Carroll would have been better off in Denmark with the Under-21s rather than sunning himself on holiday

And, while Torres was universally slammed for his difficulties settling at Stamford Bridge, it has been relatively ignored that, without Suarez's impact, the £35m spent on Carroll would have received much more damning scrutiny.

Carroll, the eighth-most expensive footballer in history and the second-most expensive player playing for a British club behind Torres, was injured when he arrived and continued to pick up niggles during training.

That was put down in part to his poor shape, which is not helped by his off-the-pitch routine.

The striker has been described as a throwback to another era, but that applies to his social life as much as his style of play.

Before arriving at Anfield his off-field reputation had eclipsed his impressive displays for Newcastle, for whom he scored 33 goals in 91 appearances.

He was fined for a nightclub assault and also involved in a highly publicised training ground incident which left team-mate Steven Taylor with a broken jaw.

Since arriving, he has been spotted celebrating Liverpool wins in city centre bars. The feeling is that close friends ought to be looking after him and warning him he will not survive at Anfield unless he oversees a massive change in approach.

There were plenty at Anfield who thought Carroll would have been better off in Denmark with the Under-21s rather than sunning himself on holiday.

But that would mean he'd miss the start of Liverpool's pre-season and Dalglish felt it could have done more harm than good.

Instead, come the first week of July, the striker is likely to be worked like he has never been before.

Those first few weeks of conditioning work will be the most crucial he will ever undertake.

Should Carroll not emerge from that looking like a new player, it is no exaggeration to suggest his Liverpool career will be under immediate threat.

The biggest problem will be how Carroll fits into a team which is to be built on youthful energy, movement and running opponents ragged.

Serious questions were starting to be raised about whether Carroll should be in the team at all. And it will not get any easier for him in August

Seven days at the end of last season exposed where Carroll's difficulties lie. In their penultimate away game at Fulham, the pace, athleticism and mobility of Dalglish's midfield and strike force demonstrated his long-term vision for how Liverpool will play.

Suarez and Dirk Kuyt excelled because of their ability to drag defenders into areas they felt uncomfortable.

Five days later at home to Spurs, Liverpool were unrecognisable. Carroll led the line looking unfit and unsuited to the high-tempo game Dalglish wants.

His movement was poor, his touch suspect and the balance of the team was badly affected.

He could hide behind a troublesome knee injury which forced him out of the final game at Aston Villa, but in reality the end of the season came at the right time.

Serious questions were starting to be raised about whether Carroll should be in the team at all. And it will not get any easier for him in August.

Dalglish's summer transfer targets are designed to add more vibrancy in midfield and attack.

Jordan Henderson will be as likely to play right midfield as central. Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam's likely arrival will raise the possibility of Dalglish favouring 4-3-3.

The interest in Ipswich's Connor Wickham will offer more competition, although on the basis of their form at the end of last season Suarez and Kuyt are undroppable.

So where will Carroll play? He will certainly offer a different option with his physical presence, but the Kop was anticipating much more for £35m.

He is in danger of transforming himself from the new Alan Shearer into an impact sub.

Still, there is no doubt that under Dalglish Carroll will be given the chance to thrive.

"We did not sign Andy for six months, we signed him for six years," was the manager's response to any Carroll questions last season.

 

Bascombe's view..

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

I only got a third into it before giving up. What a poor way to word the article. It demonstrates a complete lack of perspective. I'd take some time to refute some of the absolute garbage that has been written there, but everybody here already knows what bollocks it is.

[Red Phoenix]

I only got a third into it before giving up. What a poor way to word the article.

 

Read about the same. He didn't play much and the article just seems over the top. Waiting until the season starts to see how he goes.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Read about the same. He didn't play much and the article just seems over the top. Waiting until the season starts to see how he goes.

 

I've read it all now. It's fucking disgusting.

[silverlining]

My mate said it was just Bascombe moaning about Carroll being unfit but then completely contradicting himself saying it was because he was injured.

 

Just a way of filling up pages i'm guessing.

 

But it was a pretty big piece and seemed to be positioned as an amazing exclusive, but had virtually nothing in it. Unless of course, there have been some rumblings....

[lfc_sotorious]

its very easy to write a negative piece on carroll. Poor journalism from bascombe

[JohnnyH]

I actually don't mind that article at all.

 

I think it will be a healthy shot across the bow for Carroll. I thought the guy was an arsehole when at Newcastle, but as is the prerogative of all footy fans, now he has joined us I am now happy to excuse his behaviour as youthful exuberance and stories been embellished to sell papers. But if he has been out more then he should, or not putting in the work to get very fit, then hopefully this piece will put a rocket up his arse. In fact I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if some people at the club knew this piece was going to come out and didn’t mind at all.

 

Looking at the fluidity of our play under Dalglish, I think any honest Liverpool fan will admit to having at least a moments concern as to how a slow player like Carroll would fit in. Of course if we go into a flat 442 then Carroll should fit in fine if we cross ball after ball into him, but any quick pass and move stuff could be lost on him. It was why I didn’t mind Crouch leaving us when he did as I felt all good attacks more often than not broke up once they got to Crouch because he couldn’t keep up.

 

I think it’ll be very interesting to see how we try and get the best out of Carroll without losing some of the superb pass and move play we saw at times under Kenny in the 2nd half of last season.

 

Also, hopefully we can get Carroll fitter then he has been in the past and speed up his movement and train of thought. Certainly for spells in the City game when he got 2 he looked unplayable, but then for the other parts of the match the game seemed to entirely pass him by.

 

It’s a conundrum, but a good one to have as he has undoubted talent.

[Mr.Smoketoomuch]

What JohnnyH said.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

It's quite possibly the worst sports article I've read this year. Disgraceful, in my opinion.

[Captain]

I actually don't mind that article at all.

 

I think it will be a healthy shot across the bow for Carroll. I thought the guy was an arsehole when at Newcastle, but as is the prerogative of all footy fans, now he has joined us I am now happy to excuse his behaviour as youthful exuberance and stories been embellished to sell papers. But if he has been out more then he should, or not putting in the work to get very fit, then hopefully this piece will put a rocket up his arse. In fact I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if some people at the club knew this piece was going to come out and didn’t mind at all.

 

It seems Carroll likes to go clubbing. It also seems he wants to be the Liverpool no. 9 for years to come.

 

If Carroll himself doesn't realize he can't have it both ways, I'm sure the manager will point it out to him. In fact, I'm pretty sure Kenny already has.

 

The ball's in your court, Andy.

[punkhunter]

I think the lad's 'top drawer' TBH, and I don't even think he's all that slow. I did notice how much beef he'd put on during his absence through injury with the barcodes, but before that he had pace. It was inevitable that he would struggle to make an immediate impact, due largely to the fact that he came to us with an injury. And it was inevitable that the knee jerkers would start asking questions about his suitability to LFC.

 

The King is a tremendous judge, and he spent big on Carroll for a reason. He knows how he has the ability to absolutely murder centre halves both on the ground and in the air. This lad has it all. Yeah, his mental strength is the main concern, but I would expect to see this improve the more focussed he becomes on his football, and once he's settled into his new environment. Looks like he's got a fit bird to keep him happy too!

 

Just wait and see him flourish under the guidance of KK

[JohnnyH]

This out clubbing thing and partying all night is just specualtion so I wouldn't take it as fact as the press will love to stir up shite for our club, but (and here comes the war) I don't think Bascombe wants to stir up shite. Whatever Chris's relationship and views on former Liverpool managers, I don't see him wanting to make up shite to cause trouble for the club and Kenny.