Former Arsenal and Celtic player Charlie Nicholas believes that striker Andy Carroll still has a lot of work to do before he's in a position to start making a difference for Liverpool. Nicholas' comments are in stark contrast to the glowing praised heaped on Carroll by Kenny Dalglish after the match. Whose assessment is more accurate?
After the game, Nicholas observed:
"[Andy Carroll's] movement's not good enough at the moment. As the crosses or low passes are coming in, he's already in the position that he wants to end up in.
"You've got to move defenders to get that couple of yards and he's too static. Roger Johnson's got a good leap and Christophe Berra did quite well against him.
"There were a couple of occasions near the end when chances opened up for him. He's on the edge of the game, but looking at him he's got plenty to offer.
"He needs to work on his sharpness. That's the key. If he works on that you'll have him back."
Carroll's performance was admittedly more effective than previous games, but I tend to agree that he seems to lack sharpness and mobility. Dalglish was much more effusive in his assessment"
"He did everything except score a goal. We couldn't have got much more out of the big fella today and we were delighted with him and for him".
Dalglish is clearly overcompensating here, but if such public praise motivates Carroll to do better, then all's well that ends well.
Jaimie Kanwar
After the game, Nicholas observed:
"[Andy Carroll's] movement's not good enough at the moment. As the crosses or low passes are coming in, he's already in the position that he wants to end up in.
"You've got to move defenders to get that couple of yards and he's too static. Roger Johnson's got a good leap and Christophe Berra did quite well against him.
"There were a couple of occasions near the end when chances opened up for him. He's on the edge of the game, but looking at him he's got plenty to offer.
"He needs to work on his sharpness. That's the key. If he works on that you'll have him back."
Carroll's performance was admittedly more effective than previous games, but I tend to agree that he seems to lack sharpness and mobility. Dalglish was much more effusive in his assessment"
"He did everything except score a goal. We couldn't have got much more out of the big fella today and we were delighted with him and for him".
Dalglish is clearly overcompensating here, but if such public praise motivates Carroll to do better, then all's well that ends well.
Jaimie Kanwar
I think it was caroll best game yesterday. He was pushing forward. Actually he showed some effort. I am sure in the next few games he will gain back his sharpness. but personallly one player that should be on the bench is Henderson. This kid is not doing much. seriously. What do you think Jamie?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely sharper in this game. At least he was in the position to miss. I think he needs to get used to playing up front without many options in front of him since Liverpool don't crowd the box with bodies like Newcastle do. Players like downing, Adam, Lucas, henderson don't fight for second balls goddegly like most lesser teams. So the crosses has to be inch perfect and quality and carrol need to attack in those places.
ReplyDeleteHenderson = potential long term successor for Gerrard and his default position should be on the bench. I'm not saying Henderson WILL be SG's successor (no real sign of that level of potential yet) but surely he has to be benched for Gerrard now? Then rotate Bellamy/Kuyt/Carroll to support Suarez and we'll be in rude health in the middle and up front. Need Agger back though and hope Coates develops. Skrytl is a liability.
ReplyDeleteWhy not blame Benitez,you rubbish him for everything else ?
ReplyDeleteThe day I realized Kenny doenst like and trust Gerrard anymore, after playing 15mins in midweek he was supposed to play more against wolves as we all expected so but he played even less than that just 10 mins. on the field that was shocking and he replaced suarez while all the fans cannot wait to see gerrard-suarez again, why not carroll who wasnt doing anything there, I see gerrard leaving the club soon, kenny did the same with meireles and look where he is now that was really shameful even suarez looked p.issed off after that decision, Gerrard wont be e regular here anymore kenny trusts more adam and hendo, shocking attitude.
ReplyDeleteCarroll was bought to bring the best out of carragher. carragher with his 50yard accurate quick thinking passing that bypass's the midfielders and that allows the creative midfielders like Henderson to run in unseen into the box.....so by the time Carroll with his 35million talent takes the ball down on his head with his movement ....Liverpool are on the attack again ....just like the old Liverpool way .just what we have been craving for ....long live the king.....the good days are back
ReplyDeleteAre you for real? Kenny doesn't trust Gerrard anymore? How many times has Dalglish said he won't rush Gerrard back. The game was finely balanced yesterday and subs had to be timed right. Gerrard has been out for 6 months - you don't suddenly play 90 mins on the back of a 15 min run out in mid-week. Shocking attitude? More like shocking knowledge. As for Carroll - that was his best game yesterday - he needs a goal - strikers thrive on confidence and he needs a boost.
ReplyDeletenever said he should have played 90mins. at least he should ve been playing for 30 mins or more after playing 15min vs brighton, you cant understand kenny, what was he saying about meireles when asked why donest he play him he was saying all the time " raul had a difficult pre season we have to be careful with him" how he had a difficult pre season when he was in liverpool most of the time never been to a tournament, like suarez or lucas, started the training in time with the others, but kenny didnt know what to say so he was saying that , while raul realized he lost his place to a player like adam or hendo and thats why he left. I dont know how old are you but u must know kenny plays some mind games u cant understand those , time will tell better and you will see what will happen with gerrard, didnt gerrard say he eyes to play more in wolves game and he went to play less than vs brighton isnt that shocking ? yes it is, anyway time will tell it better than me, all the fans will see whats going on.
ReplyDeleteCharlie Nicholas was merely being polite in respect of his remark concerning Andy Carroll. The truth remains that Carroll, at best, is only an average player.
ReplyDeleteI'm old enough to remember standing on the Kop for less than a half a pint of lager - so I've seen the good and bad times. I'll agree it would have been better if Gerrard had got a longer run out but as I said in my first reply - the game was finely balalnced (did you go to the game?) and the result was the most important thing yesterday. Re Raul - if you believe the rumours - then he left disgruntled due to cash and not being a guaranteed a starting spot. He handed in a transfer request btw - so if he wasn't up for the fight then imo they were right to sell him. And I wouldn't try to attempt to understand Dalglish's mind games - he is doing a job that I never will and has a proven track record. If you listen to all the ex-pros (and current) who played for him then apparently his greatest strength is his man management skills - so he must do something right. All the players (and some of the staff)need a little more time - they have come from clubs were there wasn't the expectancy and they need to adjust to that mentality
ReplyDeleteAfter the pathetic surrender at Spurs last week Liverpool needed a far better performance than we got yesterday. At times it was like watching the team 12 months ago under Roy Hodgson! Nervous, erratic and with little or no shape. What happened to the exciting football that Dalglish offered in the second part of last season, and which promised so much? When Kenny plays back his recording of the match I hope he notices how quiet the crowd were. There was absolutely nothing in the last 45 minutes to raise the passion of the fans. Does anybody actually believe that Downing and Henderson have more to offer than Kuypt and Bellamy? Right now , No, but in a season or two - maybe! And why does Kenny seemingly go out of his way to alienate Suarez, who was by far our best player ? At the time of his substitution we were clinging on grimly to a very slender lead, yet players who were not having a great game and were losing themselves in the action stayed on, whilst Suarez, who posed our biggest threat, was taken off. Dalglish has laboured the point that Gerrard will not be rushed back into action, but surely had he been brought on 15 to 20 minutes from the end, and with Saurez still on the pitch, the boost to morale would have been sufficient to have got the crowd behind the team instead of having to endure a worrying period until the final whistle
ReplyDeleteMuch better... yeah definitely...BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH for a 35 mn striker...
ReplyDeleteIt took about 6 minutes for Gerrard to get on the pitch-so should have had 16 minutes! In any case he was knackered when the game ended, he needs a few games under his belt then he should be OK !
ReplyDeleteYoure ridiculous!!
ReplyDeleteBrain load of rubbish. There were LOADS of positives to be taken from the last 45. Steven looked hungry, we were still attacking at the whistle......some of you dont seem to realize that you cannot replace half your team and instantly gel, well take a while but we will get better and better.
ReplyDeleteExactly Jevon but with with the smell of Benitez still after six years lurking in the air nobody but the spaniard is good enough to take the club forward and nobody else should be given a chance by those who are living in Rafa's delusional dream world.
ReplyDeleteIt is pathetic.
LONG LIVE THE KING!!!
Benitez is to blame by default, so it goes without saying ;-)
ReplyDeleteobviously u and fans like u have 2 problems : first ur trying to be the perfect fan with all positive talk and secondly ur afraid to speak ur mind just because kennys in charge hes the king the legend etc... thats pathetic to be fair, remember we won just 2-1 thats a narrow win, wolves could of equalized easily and the game would of finished in draw, we had a lot of luck yesterday and yet again kenny made mistakes by playing hendo and carroll but all credit to suarez thank god we have him if it wasnt by him i couldnt see us winning a game, and im talking generally about the season if u realize all our attacks start from the left with enrique downing and suarez the right wing is dead all the time why? HENDERSON. we cant carry on like this hendo is very slow and poor passing poor everything why just kenny cant see that , same with carroll man these problems must be fixed now we wont play wolves every week, up next is everton and man utd. and with these tactics what do u think we gonna do, win? c mon stop being stupid for a moment things arnt that positive as u think or u would wanna be, bellamy a terrific player sits on bench with no reason why hendo keeps playing and doing nothing on pitch thats sad also kuyt or maxi far better than carroll but no, still carroll plays, 2 defeats already and its just the 6th week, how many we will have in may? about 13 i guess .
ReplyDeletecharlie was a good player but he's clueless. KD ob knows more about the game than some two bit player who played for a two bit club called the gunners! YEsterday carroll was good. Nicholas is making newb, amatuer observations, because anybody who could read the game will know andy knocked the wolves defence and set them up for luis to do his thing. anyone who says different is full of crap.
ReplyDeletedude stop moaning and get a life. 35m is just a number and an obsession for the paranoid media. nothin more. you dont hink 35m was just forked over do you? grow up and learn the business side of the game before talking BS man. As I said the actual amount paid out up front was prob close to 15m. thats what smart folks know and the media chooses to ignore. theres more sensationalism in saying 35m man a flop than 15m man a flop. And of course dumb fans (this means you dude) beleive the hype because you dont know any better. Anyway, prob the rest of the 35m will be payed over time and acoording to how andy performs. if clubs just shelled out cash, they would all be bankrupt by now....
ReplyDeleteyou really dont see anything other than 90 minutes do you? Not the long season ahead, not the bigger picture, ZERO.
ReplyDeleteJK..........YOU, are TOTALLY OBSESSED, with BENITEZ!. Move on JK!!!.
ReplyDelete@rajiv dude... agreed ... 15mn....from what he has shown us... he's not even worth that.. what i said was ..his performance TILL NOW isnt good enough to justify any fee paid for him + the wages he earns..Just like any other fan i was just voicing my concern...and if this makes me DUMB .. yeah... Mr know it all... accept it..
ReplyDeleteThought Carroll was a consistent threat , work his but off , won everything in the air and his link up play at time was 1st class.
ReplyDeleteHis not going to turn into Shearer over night but he did look alot sharper , Alot Sharper!!
And the bottom line all the Carroll haters have to admit, is when this kid starts firing there is no CF in the EPL that can dominate a defense like Carroll. He puts fear into the best CBs in the league.
Carroll will easily score 15+ goals this season & Assist 10 , easily.
Great to see a LFC player getting back on the road to some good form and fitness.
well go voice it on the man united fan page coz you sure sound like a united douchebag to me. LFC has no need of fans like you. have a nice day
ReplyDelete@d4ecf998ea54800d3b27c0efb64feb4f So any one who critices their own player is a rival teams fan...What a MORON!!! and people like u think that whatever B.S u say it should be accepted without question ... oh my what an ego maniac..and who the hell are you to advise me on where i should put my comments and where not...Mind your own business ... have a rotten day scumbag..
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised to see such harsh criticism of all of our recent signings barring Enrique and Downing. Enrique has obviously barely put a foot wrong, but for all the talk of Downing's arrival to provide a steady supply to Carroll, I can barely remember him completing a cross from the byline for either striker!
ReplyDeleteI've nothing against Downing, and think that he has been decent since his arrival, but seeing as it's apparently open game on everybody if they don't perform to Suarez's standards, then Downing should be getting a little stick too. For £20m a winger should be capable of getting his cross into the box on a regular basis, and Downing gets his crosses consistently blocked out as if he's an average full back