Andy Carroll -" Liverpool willing to sell "

[overthe]

He was awful today, he's just an awful player, there's no getting away from it. Moonface on ITV was right when he said Dalglish and Gerrard did 'protest too much' when bigging up Carroll, I bet Gerrard especially thinks he's shite.

 

He was lauded for knocking the ball on, but even when he did that a few times most often it was into space where nobody was, one point it went straight up in the air and looped down. Even when Downing swung a couple of decent balls in and Carroll was in the box, he was in the wrong part of the box and nowhere near the ball - something he should have used his judgement early on to make sure was the case.

 

Whatever strikers have that lets them be in the right place at the right time, or know where other players are, the instinct, deftness, the 'thing' which Fowler had supernatural amounts of - Carroll just hasn't got any of it, in fact he's probably got less of it than me. An utterly and thoroughly blunt instrument.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, he ain't pulling up trees right now but as others have said, his skill set requires certain things and one of them is decent crosses.

 

He simply isn't getting them. Forgive me if i am wrong but i don't recall a single cross landing between the sticks, less than twelve yards out at head height. Unless a cross is all of those things, it ain't ending up in the back of the net. Gerrard showed against Newcastle how to cross but we've not seen much since then.

 

As for holding the ball up, when its coming to your head there ain't much choice really.

[Il Fenomeno]

Very true. Today, Carroll was isolated up front for all the game until Kuyt came on. I fucking hate it when we play one up top. Kuyt's no good at it and neither is Carroll. But no one can question Carroll's effort today imo.

 

Kuyt missed with 2 easy headers today. I dread to think of the comments if it had of been Carroll who missed them.

 

I dont understand why we are playing one up top when it clearly doesnt suit us and never has really suited us even when el sulk was here.

 

One up top with Torres was fine. It was the wingers, and the injuries to Torres, that meant we didn't win the title in the season we were second not the one upfront formation. That's a proven formation. We were better with Torres upfront and Gerrard in behind.

 

It just doesn't work if you don't have any midfielders making runs into the box to support the striker. That's where its been going wrong for us in recent games, we've been playing so deep for fear of being exposed defensively and that means no ones been able to get into the box when the ball does go forward.

[Guest San Don]

One up top with Torres was fine. It was the wingers, and the injuries to Torres, that meant we didn't win the title in the season we were second not the one upfront formation. That's a proven formation. We were better with Torres upfront and Gerrard in behind.

 

It just doesn't work if you don't have any midfielders making runs into the box to support the striker. That's where its been going wrong for us in recent games, we've been playing so deep for fear of being exposed defensively and that means no ones been able to get into the box when the ball does go forward.

 

Not all the time it wasnt. And I've said I hate one up top under Houllier, benitez and the King.

[Lee909]

Nothing wrong with a lone striker of you have the right players in the midfield.

I don't think it suits Carroll though as he doesn't have the pace to stretch defenders.When Torres played on his own teams couldn't hold a highline because of his pace,but teams can push up on Carroll ad he isn't going to beat them on a long ball.

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

He was awful today, he's just an awful player, there's no getting away from it.

 

To see Bellamy, a 32 year old player with fucked knees, closing down the defenders, and Carroll just waddling around, hardly even breaking into a jog, was so frustrating.

[Guest LFD]

I remember when we played Arsenal a few years ago and Plessis made his debut. Crouch played the lone striker role and was brilliant. If you don't have pace or threat to hurt a defense on your own, you have to hold the ball up and wait for support. Crouch was brilliant at doing this... no reason why Carroll can't do this - but he doesn't hold the ball up well for his size. Kuyt holds the ball up better than Carroll and so did Ngog.

 

I know he had shit service today and I have no problems not being a threat, as our team were very defensive today. I have no problem him not holding the ball up when the ball is near his head and all he can do is flick it on. But there was times today he should have held the ball up better and when you don't have pace or aren't offering threat to the opposition, then you have to hold up the ball. Evra beat him in the air at one point in the first half, everytime Evans got close to him, he'd fall on his arse and get out muscled... he is a big guy and that shouldn't happen.

[Il Fenomeno]

Not all the time it wasnt. And I've said I hate one up top under Houllier, benitez and the King.

 

I know you did, but you said it didn't suit us even when we had Torres. I just disagreed with that. People always for some reason associate playing 1 upfront with negative and defensive football, when its more the mentality of the manager and how he wants the team to play that dictates whether the team will be attacking or defensive. Look at Barca, they have 0 out and out strikers in their starting line up yet they seem to do fine...

 

And obviously we didn't win every game with that formation, nobody does but with Torres upfront on his own we had positive results more often than not...

[Mathewbet1]

Played well today had a hand in our first goal too - he attracted 3 defenders. To give agger space. Hopefully he will push on and get firing for when louis comes back could be the partnership takes off.

[-96-]

He's average as fuck but he was relatively ok today

[TheHowieLama]

I think some of those flick-ons and knock downs were actually his first touch.

[Paco]

guardian.

 

Liverpool have made a remarkable bid to swap Andy Carroll with Carlos Tevez and move on their club-record £35m signing not even a year after signing him from Newcastle United.

 

The Anfield club contacted City on Thursday to ask how much they want for Tevez and whether they would be willing to contemplate a straight exchange with Carroll. Brian Marwood, the City football administrator, rebuffed the idea immediately, even though Carroll is a player Roberto Mancini has admitted admiring when he was at Newcastle.

 

The move demonstrates how Liverpool are now openly looking at offloading Carroll despite the insistence behind the scenes at Anfield that he can still play a prominent part and Kenny Dalglish's praise for the player after the 2-1 FA Cup defeat of Manchester United.

 

Carroll has scored only six goals in 35 appearances since becoming the eighth most expensive footballer in history and has not even been able to establish himself as a regular starter this season.

 

His problems adapting on Merseyside have also left Liverpool willing to take a £10m hit on the player, with Tevez valued at £25m, though that revelation is hardly surprising considering his difficulties at Anfield, added to the sense that he has not always been fully focused.

 

Fabio Capello, the England manager, has already expressed misgivings about the lifestyle of a player who has managed only two league goals this season in 20 appearances.

 

Those remarks went down badly at Anfield, with Dalglish defending Carroll, but the questions will probably not go away until he becomes a regular scorer. Carroll's longest run of starts this season is three games and Marwood's decision was made on the basis that he could no longer improve their team even though Mancini has a shortage of front players at a time when Tevez's strike is in its 11th week and Mario Balotelli is now serving a four-match suspension.

 

Tevez is planning to return to Manchester next week now it has become apparent that Milan are not able to meet City's asking price and, unless anything changes before Tuesday's transfer deadline, his adviser, Kia Joorabchian, says the Argentinian wants to re-establish himself in the team.

 

Whether that is possible remains to be seen, with Mancini not prepared to entertain the idea unless there is an apology from Tevez for walking out on the club and the string of other offences that have already led to him being found guilty of gross misconduct and losing almost £10m in wages, fines and lost bonuses since the start of the season.

 

Tevez is still a formidable striker and finished as the league's joint-top scorer last season, but he will be returning to England with a severely damaged reputation and Liverpool's attempt to take him along the M62 will surprise many people given his propensity for causing dressing-room problems and an apparent dislike of living in England.

 

There is also the fact that, approaching his 28th birthday, he would not have fitted into Liverpool's usual policy of buying players at a young age who will keep a resale value over the course of their contract. Liverpool, however, were willing to make an exception and City would have been glad to arrange a deal after unsuccessful talks not just with Milan but also Juventus, Internazionale and Paris St-Germain. They remain open to offers for the Argentinian but will not change their mind about Carroll.

[Dante]

HA HA at that Guardian story, bit like trying to swap a Tonka Toy for a Ferrari.

[Randy Marsh]

Thought Carroll lead the line and held the ball up well today, well in lad.

[-96-]

Unfortunately City aren't that silly

[Guest LFD]

Let's hope that Guardian story is true!

[Il Fenomeno]

The Mirror are going with a similar story but they're saying we could attemp a swap with Demba Ba, not Tevez.

[ngogswilly]

The attempting to swap Carroll for Tevez one has to be bollox.

 

Theres no chance they would consider it. Unless we're deliberately trolling them.

[TheHowieLama]

Timon or Pumbaa at this point would be good business.

[Paco]

Demba Ba will quit Newcastle this summer and pocket a staggering £3million of a £7m buy-out clause.

 

The Magpies are furious details of the in-form Senegalese striker’s contract have been made public.

 

But they are resigned to losing the 26-year-old at the end of the season.

And his advisers made it clear widespread interest in him would *inevitably lead to his departure after just one *season in the North East.

 

Six Premier League clubs including *Tottenham and Liverpool are ready to meet the buy-out clause leaving Newcastle powerless to keep Ba if the player wishes to move on.

 

West Ham were in a similar *situation when they were *relegated from the Premier League last *season. Under the terms of Ba’s contract, they were forced to give him a free transfer.

 

It seems negotiations over Ba’s move to Newcastle last *summer depended on the buy-out clause being inserted, after the club refused to meet the player’s *personal demands or pay a *significant amount of agents’ fees.

 

Ba, who earns around £30,000 a week plus appearance money, is *expected to double his salary with another move and prefers to stay in the *Premier League despite *interest from European clubs.

 

His departure will *inevitably lead to more speculation about the return of Andy Carroll to *Newcastle 18 months after joining Liverpool for a *huge £35m.

 

Carroll’s relationship with Liverpool is disintegrating. Friends claim he would jump at a cut-price return to Newcastle.

[Guest San Don]

The Daily Manc is running both stories ie carroll for tevez \ ba.

 

I think they are just pissed because we fucked off both their teams.

[Moo]

That Guardian piece is the biggest load of shit.

As if we'd match Tevez's wage demands. Like we'd want a mercenary cunt like him here. Like City couldn't afford better (and probably cheaper) than Carroll.

[Jhinge Machha]

That Guardian piece is the biggest load of shit.

As if we'd match Tevez's wage demands. Like we'd want a mercenary cunt like him here. Like City couldn't afford better (and probably cheaper) than Carroll.

 

especially kenny.. imagine tevez refusing to warm up and all that.

 

tevez is a cunt simple as. will take him a couple of months before he starts to kick up fuss about not wanting to stay in england and criticize kenny.

 

also seen its written by daniel taylor. makes sense.

[Red Phoenix]

Have never, ever, wanted a player to just turn it around and prove people wrong so much. But to be honest if we made changes would just keep Andy and bring in a creative mid to try and give us better supply. He could still turn out to be a beast of a striker, I'd keep him for a while, maybe another season or two anyway.

 

Like when Nando was on his own up front too, we need better supply. It's not a new problem. And yes, Nando often dealt with that better, Andy is still young and learning though.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Red Phoenix

[xerxes]

Ironically the Man City win (Bellamy) and Man U (Dirk) have shown how at the highest level, class tells.

 

AC tried harder today, but made little impact.

 

Ba is a good shout. And with wages of just 30k to top and a sub £10m fee its stacks.

 

There is no way on earth that City would be stupid enough to take Carroll, and no way that we would be stupid enough to sign Tevez.

[Gooney]

Thats the last thing Carroll needed after his best game for the season