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Speculation intensified over the weekend about a potential swap deal involving Liverpool's Andy
Carroll and Manchester City outcast Carlos Tevez, and with the transfer window closing in about 15
hours, there's still time for a sensational (but improbable) deal to go through. Kenny Dalglish has
insisted that Carroll is going nowhere, but what is Roberto Mancini's take on the issue?
In recent weeks, it has become clear (IMO) that Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is losing patience
with Andy Carroll. Despite Luis Suarez being banned, and Liverpool desperately needing goals,
Carroll was left on the bench for crucial games against Stoke and Man City, and experienced the
nadir of being reduced to a time-wasting tactic in the last game.
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish publicly eviscerated his players after the wretched performance
against Bolton at the weekend, and threatened to get rid of certain playres if they continued to
perform in such a disappointing manner. Dalglish didn't name names, but Anfield legend Steve Nicol
has given his thoughts about who might be on Kenny's sh1t-list.
Former Liverpool striker David Johnson has questioned the club's tactical handling of 35m striker
Andy Carroll. Speaking to LFC TV, Johnson - who won the European Cup three times at Anfield -
argued that Liverpool had not done enough over the last year to intergrate Carroll effectively into
the team.
Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is probably the most criticised player at Anfield these days, and
given his disappointing performances over the last year, it's not hard to understand why. Not
everyone thinks that Carroll is waste of money though, and Bolton Boss Owen Coyle believes that the
big man will eventually come good for Liverpool.
Anfield can be an intimidating place for the best of players, but sometimes, even the club's own
players can feel 'overawed' by the responsibility and expectation associated with wearing the
famous red shirt. Liverpool legend Steve Nicol believes this might be the case with Andy Carroll,
but he's called on the beleaguered striker to 'get over it'.
Newcastle striker Demba Ba has slammed the lies and speculation over his future after someone
impersonating his agent claimed that Man United were interested in signing him. The official
Liverpool FC site reported a couple of days ago that Ba was wanted at Anfield, and since then,
speculation surrounding the striker has snowballed.
With the Carling Cup semi-final first-leg fast approaching, Anfield legend Tommy Smith has urged
Liverpool to learn from the mistakes that condemned the club to defeat against Man City last week.
Smith pulled no punches as he outlined his 'frustration' over Liverpool's 'poor' performance in the
3-0 defeat, and gave his view on what the club needs to do to beat City on Wednesday.
Former Arsenal and West Ham midfielder Stewart Robson has slammed Andy Carroll's performances for
Liverpool over the last year, claiming that the striker is not working hard enough on the field.
Robson was voted 'Player of the Year' for both Arsenal and West Ham during his playing days, and
after watching the Man City game, he told ESPN: "It doesn't matter whether Andy Carroll gets
service or not
Liverpool legend Steve McManaman has leapt to the defence of beleaguered striker Andy Carroll,
arguing that the goal-shy forward can do what Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo did at Man
United, which is triumph over unwarranted early criticism Carroll has scored only 3 goals in his
last 24 games for Liverpool, and he's currently in the midst of a barren spell that has lasted 10
games now.
So, how's that crossing toward Carroll thing going?
Through the first 17 league games, Liverpool averaged just under 19 crosses per match. In the three
since, Liverpool are averaging exactly 35 crosses per match, with 43 against Blackburn, 26 against
Newcastle, and 36 against City.
Manchester City Captain Vincent Kompany put in a superb man-of-the-match winning performance
against Liverpool last night, restricting under-pressure reds striker Andy Carroll to speculative
headers and knock-downs for most of the game. Most people watching would probably agree that it
looked like Kompany had Carroll in his pocket for the entire match, but after the game, the
defensive
Liverpool goalscoring legend John Aldridge seems to be losing patience with Andy Carroll, and he's
once again called on the striker to improve in one crucial area of his game.Aldridge recently
insisted that Carroll's positioning was 'poor' and his tactical awareness was 'frustrating', and
after watching him play against Newcastle last week, Aldo's frustration with the beleaguered player
seems to
Andy Carroll signed for Liverpool one year ago today, and it's fair to say that the big man has
still not settled in at Anfield. The question is, will he ever do the business for Liverpool? Stan
Collymore doesn't think so, and believes that the best way forward would be for Carroll to return
to Newcastle.
Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson expects struggling Liverpool striker Andy Carroll to play against
his old club tonight, but suggests that if he doesn't make the first XI, it could mean his days are
numbered at Anfield. Writing in his column for the BBC, Lawro - who admitted it was like 'Groundhog
Day' watching Liverpool - argued: "Luis Suarez's suspension for his gesture to fans at Fulham means
Hot on the heels of Liverpool legend Jan Molby claiming Andy Carrol would never make it Anfield,
former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has argued that the former Newcastle man is a 'waste of
money'. In his weekly column for The People, Collymore - who formed a lethal partnership with
Robbie Fowler between 1995 and 1997 - expressed some sympathy for the struggling striker, but
ultimately
Luis Suarez's ban is huge negative for Liverpool FC but it presents a golden opportunity for Andy
Carroll to step in and really show his worth. Is he capable of doing this? According to former
Leicester and Blackburn striker Robbie Savage, Carroll is definitely capable of filling the void,
but only if Liverpool change their entire approach.
THFC1882 present a guest preview by Rob:
Shamrock Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur, Thursday 15th December 6pm KO ITV4
So here we are, at the last match in the laborious group stage of the Europa League. A
competition that is supposed to be the second best European competition to win but in my opinion is
just plain second rate as shown by the fact that not that many teams are interested in playing in
it.
England and Spurs legend Jimmy Greaves has questioned Liverpool's decision to spend such a vast
amount of money on misfiring striker Andy Carroll.In his weekly column for The Sunday People,
Greaves - who scored a fantastic 220 goals in 321 games for Spurs - argued:"If Fernando Torres was
vastly over-priced, then what about the fella Liverpool drafted in on the same day, Andy Carroll?
It's an understatement to suggest that Andy Carroll has strugged at Liverpool. In his last sixteen
appearances, the former Newcastle striker has scored only two goals, and he's clearly having
problems adapting to Liverpool's style of play. However, Anfield legend Steve Nicol believes that
there is another reason for Carroll's underwhelming performances.
Liverpool's 1-0 defeat against Fulham leaves the club five points adrift of fourth place, and it's
now looking like an uphill battle for Champions League football next season. Kenny Dalglish's team
has put together a great unbeaten run over the last two months, but as we saw again last night,
some of Kenny's decisions are mystifying to say the least, and they continue to cost the club
valuable points.
Since his summer transfer from Newcastle, Jose Enrique has put in some exceptional performances for
Liverpool, but his former Manager Alan Pardew has suggested that the Spaniard may be partly to
blame for Andy Carroll's struggled at Anfield.
Pardew, whose Newcastle team is three points head of Liverpool in the table, observed:
"I had an issue with Enrique putting the ball into the box for him [Carroll].
When Liverpool signed Andy Carroll for £35m, I'm sure the expectation amongst many fans was that
he would be starting most games for the club. It hasn't worked out that way, and the former
Newcastle man is spending more and more time on the bench.
Most managers would receive major flack for keeping the most expensive British player of all time
on the bench, and many would (probably) be fearful of invoking the ire of the board, which would
obviously want to see some return on investment.
THFC1882 welcomes back guest writer Mike Hooley with a preview of Wednesday's
Europa League game:
So, Tottenham Hotspur play a European tie on a Wednesday once again, in what all Spurs fans hope
will be a prelude of things to come next season.
However, the fantastic current league run – nine wins and a draw since the Manchester City
defeat – is put to one side this week with the return fixture against the Greek outfit PAOK
Salonika, current Group A leaders.
Former Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers midfielder Robbie Savage has been sticking the knife
into Liverpool again, this time claiming that Kenny Dalglish overspent on Andy Carroll, Stewart
Downing, and Jordan Henderson, players he feels are not good enough for a title-challenging
team
Savage, who recently suggested that Liverpool were '200m off the pace' argued:
"If Liverpool don't finish in the Champions League places this season - and after draws to Norwich
and Swansea, there's no guarantee they will - they won't even be in the market for the very best
players.
World Cup winning defender Frank Laboeuf has admitted that he still can't see the logic behind Andy
Carroll's move to Liverpool.
The former Chelsea and France player, who famously man-marked Brazil's Ronaldo out of the game in
the 1998 World Cup final, argued:
"I always wondered why Carroll wanted to come to Liverpool, and why they asked him to come.
World Cup winning defender Frank Laboeuf has admitted that he still can't see the logic behind Andy
Carroll's move to Liverpool.
The former Chelsea and France player, who famously man-marked Brazil's Ronaldo out of the game in
the 1998 World Cup final, argued:
"I always wondered why Carroll wanted to come to Liverpool, and why they asked him to come.
Legendary Liverpool manager Bob Paisley once said of Ian Rush: "He couldn't score a goal to save
his life and what little self confidence he had started to seep away". It seems hard to imagine
now, but Rushie had trouble settling in at Anfield, and it took him 8 games to score his first goal
for he club.
Last Weekend, 'The People' ran a story claiming that Liverpool had put Andy Carroll on a 12 month
fitness schedule in a bid to improve his performances for the club. It was obvious from first-read
that the story was ludicrous, and The People has now publicly apologised to Carroll for running the
story.
Last Weekend, 'The People' ran a story claiming that Liverpool had put Andy Carroll on a 12 month
fitness schedule in a bid to improve his performances for the club. It was obvious from first-read
that the story was ludicrous, and The People has now publicly apologised to Carroll for running the
story.
Pepe Reina can always be relied upon for a bit of honesty (sometimes too much!) and earlier today,
he gave his opinion on who he feels are the best and worst performers during Liverpool's training
sessions.
Reina's choices may surprise some fans:
"The best trainer for me is Jay Spearing.
Former Liverpool defender Dominic Matteo has revealed his concern about Andy Carroll's continued
inability to stamp his physical authority on games, and he argues that the former Newcastle Striker
needs to stop worrying so much and just play his natural game.
Matteo, who made 155 appearances for Liverpool, observed:
"He [Carroll] is too worried about scoring goals.
I think it's fair to say that Andy Carroll has struggled at Liverpool since his 35m move from
Newcastle. Things just haven't gone according to plan, and lately, he's found it increasingly hard
to break into the first team. At Chelsea on Sunday, Carroll was given only three measly minutes of
pitch time, but in that short period, he delivered a mini-masterclass of footballing technique,
skill, movement, and composure on the ball, and offered a compelling reminder of why Kenny Dalglish
handed over 35m for his services.
Liverpool Captain Steven Gerrard has suggested that the club's handling of Andy Carroll in his
first 6 months at Anfield may have had a negative impact on the player, and may partly explain why
the former Newcastle man has struggled for consistency this season.
Gerrard, who is recovering from injury himself at the moment, observed:
"For me, Andy arrived with an injury and probably wanted to play very early on because he'd signed
in such a fashion.
Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson believes it's a 'good time' for Liverpool to be playing Chelsea,
and he thinks Kenny Dalglish's team can win the game, but only if certain changes are made to the
starting XI.
Lawro feels that Liverpool need a bit more bite in attack, and he's urged Daglish to be
ruthless:
"Chelsea play a high line; the defenders push on, but John Terry has lost even more pace, so I
think it's a game where you leave Andy Carroll out and you play Suarez and Bellamy up front.
Kenny Dalglish has spent over £100m on new players since returning to Anfield, and he has
repeatedly stated that the club's current squad is much stronger than it was last season. There may
be some truth to that contention, but former Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers midfielder Robbie
Savage believes Liverpool still need to spend a huge amount of money to be in with a chance of
winning the title.
It's nil-nil at Anfield in a must-win league game; the visitors are dominating the second half, and
Liverpool desperately need a goal; so what do you do? Obviously, you take of your £35m striker, a
player who just happens to be the most expensive British player in the history of the game (!
Ray Houghton has thrown his support behind Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll, exhorting fans to
give the two players time to settle in properly.
Henderson and Carroll have come in for regular criticism this summer for their underwhelming
performances, but Houghton argues that making the big step up from comparatively smaller teams can
be 'daunting':
"When you're at Sunderland or Newcastle, and you go to a Man United or a Liverpool, with the
history those clubs have got, some players can make it and some can't, because they can't take the
pressure of what's happened before at these clubs.
After today's hugely disappointing draw at home to Swansea, especially Andy Carroll's miss(at least
he hit the crossbar), console yourselves a bit by seeing ex-red Torres sky a similar chance way
into the stand.
Fernando Torres miss v Blackburn
