20 Feb 2012

Macca: During games, Liverpool star needs to stop doing these two things...

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll put in a good second-half performance in the FA Cup yesterday, and was rewarded with a goal and assist as Kenny Dalglish's team swept Brighton aside. In the first half, however, Carroll spent most of his time on the ground, or moaning at the referee, and former Liverpool defender Jason McAteer believes that Carroll needs to improve that side of his game.

Having watched Carroll for over a year now, the amount of time he spends on the floor during games is concerning. Whether he's going in for a tackle, a header, or just coming into contact with opposition defenders, Carroll seems to get knocked to the ground very easily.

This was especially evident in the first half at Anfield yesterday, and McAteer - Co-Commentating on the game yesterday for LFC TV - voiced his frustrated with Carroll at half time. He said:

"Andy Carroll needs to stop falling over and he needs to stop arguing with the referee. He needs to just get on with his game rather than moaning to the referee that he's getting a hard time.

"He's 6'4 - he's going to get pulled about in the box, but he's got to give as good as he gets. He's getting bundled about but he's got to push people back. He can't be on the floor all the time and moaning to the referee; he needs to impose himself, and make his physical presence felt, and he's not doing that at the moment".


Things changed in the second half though; Carroll stayed on his feet more; argued with the referee less, and stopped being bullied off the ball so much, all of which led to greater focus and an improved performance, something McAteer acknowledged after the game:

"In the second half...he stopped moaning at the referee, got on with his own game, and he got his reward. The best thing that he did, apart from his goal, was the chasing back on the halfway line to win the ball back. The crowd cheered him, and that's what they want to see. He didn't have his greatest game overall, but he worked hard".

It's really frustrating to see Carroll falling over so much, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. He needs to man-up and stop being bullied so easily, and when he does that, he seems to play much better.

Hopefully, Carroll can start consistently scoring in the league now.

Jaimie Kanwar


23 comments:

  1. To my opinion,A.Carroll was the man of the match yesterday.He was really goods.So did S.Downing.But I'm a little bit worried about S.Gerrard performance.

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  2. He was being pulled to the ground,the Brighton center half was hugging him throughout the match.Sorry macca but your 100% wrong on this one.

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  3. For a guy of his height and build, he should be busy bullying the defenders, instead of trying to bully the ref and the grass. Got a right pair of whiners up front.

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  4. Carroll did moan a bit too much perhaps but how else can he let the ref know about such indiscretions?
    More concerning was the defensive error that led to Brighton's only goal.
    That aside, Liverpool overall put in a very satisfying performance.

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  5. Carroll was doing all the right things at Newcastle that why he was being raved about. Hopefully it's just a faze he his going through and will just go back to being a bully and stop moaning and most important of all stays on his feet and starts attacking the ball again, which he was doing yesterday and the signs are looking brighter then in the first half of the season.

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  6. Agree! Even commentator had to say that Brighton centre half was playing rugby there. 

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  7. the problem is when carroll pushes it's a foul but when he gets pushed it's not, this is a special rule referees use just for him. on one of the goals not picked up in commentery the guy had both arms around his waist pulled him down still hoding him and kept him down still blatantly holding him in full view of all, had it not been a goal there would have been no penalty given and this is at home !.

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  8. @Danieltannam
    little worried about Gerrard performance? LOL
    Don't worry about stevie G!!!
    I agree Carroll needs to bully defenders rather than be bullied!
    Also we need to push for 4th now...looking at the remaining fixtures 4th should be ours!!! Let's beat every team we meet until end of season!!!
    YNWA

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  9. Istanbulwin..I totally agree with you. He always gets the short end of the stick. If he just keeps queit and get on with his game i think he will get more decisions going his way. Referee's dont like getting told at and it makes them stubborn, so they will make decisions against him.....It is like dont tell me how to do my job.....

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  10. the nickname macca is for steve mcmanaman.. not mcateer lol mcateer has never been named by macca. so can you named him macca? lol mcallister has sometimes been referred as macca by the press, but not mcateer.. c;mon man! lol

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  11. A 6ft 4in man mountain with enough facial hair to scare a mountain goat should be able to intimidate more than exasperate about being man handled. The sad thing is football has turned into a ballet with guys in tights aiming for near impossible dives with a grace. He should be running in from the blind side and not stay static with the defender? It's just common sense. Needs to look at more Tosh/Keegan videos or look at Duncan Ferguson or Zlatan. Big and useful. You're a 50m striker. The defender's job is to out muscle you. So fight back and get over it dude. The complaining and whining should be left to the useless shitheads in manure land. We're Liverpool. We don't complain like a bunch of sissies. But he did put in a good days work yesterday and to the dude who was worried about Stevie G? Were you watching the same game. He was everywhere. Everything went through him. The midfield has a certain calm with Stevie in it. Downing had a go but the comment about him putting in the most crosses without the the desired outcome is quite true judging by the ball he was thumping in without looking. But who's to complain if just 3 of the 300 crosses he puts out ends up in goals. Yesterday was the day when everything the Reds hit goal wards went in unlike other times when the opposing keepers were always MOTM. This could easily have happened against both the mancs but their arses had more luck. Good win to put us in the mood for The Carling Final. Lets win it like yesterday. YNWA.

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  12. Downing was really good?? He had plenty of opportunity to shine yesterday, but his delivery was typically disappointing as far as I was concerned. Compare his performance to that of even Lua Lua on the other side of the pitch, and the obvious difference in class was immense

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  13. He's very big but at the end of the day he's still just a kid. A man in his late 20's is typically going to be more powerful than a man in his late teens/early 20's, even if the younger man has an inch or two on him.

    Carroll is big, but he doesn't appear to be that strong from what I've seen...

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  14. Indeed, Carroll still need to grow a bit. I think he've said "f*ck" atleast 4 times per match lately instead of doin' something absolut it. And thats Sad.
    For example, how in h*ll did Rafael in Man Utd reach the ball and Andy did not? Is it that hard to just push him away and make a little jump?

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  15. Macca is far from wrong, ive got all the matches recorded and that is all Carroll ever does (fall over for no reason at all). If he showed a bit more strength fans would stay off his back a bit more.  Getting man of the match only makes him think he has done great and you can see better perfomances from championship sides.  I think our fans are excepting too little these days.  Mark my words he will never be a Liverpool great or even player for long. I.M.O.

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  16. Doesn,t take much to please you then !!

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  17. I don't fall for that age excuse. He was bullying defenders last season for us, Newcastle. Crouchie has hardly improved on being more aggressive and useful with his physique over age. Christian Vieri had the strength and imposing nature from very early on. 

    He is 23 now, he isn't baby and doesn't need excuses made for him. He is strong, as I said, he was showing and doing it for us.
    Him moaning and complaining is to do with his character, not his physique.

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  18. Agree about the Rafael bit. Ferguson drops Rafael against the likes of Stoke last season, and used Smalling or O'Shea, because he doesn't trust Rafael against big players in the air. Yet our Carroll was like a pussy cat against him.

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  19. The ONLY chance we have of making the top 4 is to make sure we beat Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea in the remaining matches. Failing to convert on any of these 3 games makes the top 4 a more distant dream at this stage. 

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  20. Chandler joey and ross1:52 pm, February 20, 2012

    Dude ?

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  21. one out of three is bad.  Carroll does need to man up.

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  22. There was one point in the second half when Downing was released down the left to take on the full back.  Downing instead waved his arms in desperation as if to say "Why are none of you offering for the ball" he then proceeded to toss an aimless ball into the box.  NOW...Stuart... the reason no one was offering for a short pass when you had a clear run at the opposing fullback was because everyone worth passing to had made a run into or around the box and were hoping that you may for once, do what you were signed to do.

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  23. tell that to rooney.  He was unfortunately for the red half of Merseyside born a physical man.  When we signed Carroll we released a statement in which we said 'we were surprised by his lack of physical strength'. 

    We probably stuck him on the bench press and realised he he couldn't rep a bar with two 20kg plates on for ten reps.   When he gets off the baby weights maybe we'll see a difference....or...maybe carroll could improve his movement and ability to attack the space instead of trying to 'mark' the opposing center back.  His movement should be at a level where he doesn't have to fight center backs. Owen, Fowler and Lineker have proved this.

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