18 Mar 2012

Steve Nicol admits: It's 'difficult' to keep defending goal-shy LFC flop...

Andy Carroll's effort and application on the pitch may have improved slightly over the last month but that doesn't disguise the fact that he's scored only two goals in the last nineteen Premier League matches. Liverpool legend Steve Nicol admits that it's becoming harder to defend the striker, but he still retains a little hope that the big man will improve and start scoring goals.

Carroll's lack of league goals is one of the principal reasons Liverpool are out of contention for the Champions League places this year, and speaking to ESPN earlier in the week, Nicol tried to put a positive spin on Carroll's goal drought. He argued:

"It's difficult to stand up and keep defending him [Carroll]. Apart from one flick-on for Suarez [Against Everton], he really didn't show me why he should be starting for Liverpool.

"However, the more time on the field and the more games he plays the better he'll get, especially playing alongside Suarez, but his form needs to definitely get better, and I think it will".


Well, time is running out for Carroll to show he can get better, and if he's not careful, he could end the season with less than 5 league goals (He's on three at the moment).

Nicol also conceded that 4th place was probably out of the question for Liverpool now:

"I'd have to be honest and say it's going to be very difficult [to get 4th place] from 10 points behind. You never know, they might go on on a fantastic run, but it's unlikely".

Jaimie Kanwar


22 comments:

  1. Suarez,Enrique andBellamy aside there is not defense for any other KK signings at all. Unfortunately they r there to stay cos Dalglish won't sell them. One he's hoping that they'll become good and second nobody will want them. You'll b lucky to get £8000pounds for them let alone 80million for all four of them. Ynwa

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ynwa? Do you not see the irony of vilifying your players (who are part of your club) and then signing off with Ynwa? Do you actually understand what they mean?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Seriously? What was wrong with that comment?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Carroll should be let go in the summer Horrible football player..couldn't trap a bag of cement...never going to be conducive to free flowing football...sell him

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think criticism of Carroll is little unjustified specially considering his performance against Everton or last few games has been good. Against Everton Carroll had a good game and won most of his aerial duels, he didn't score a goal but apart from that his performance was good. Pragmatically Carroll is never going to be 35m player so we need to keep our expectations little lower. If forget his price tag then he has done good job in last few games.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I was not villifYing anyone mate. I'm just stating what we've seen the whole season. You explain to us how good they have been than.whats wrong with my comment. If we put them up sale in the summer how much of 80 million you think we'll get back. I sang YNWA at Istanbul mate. I was there if you don't mind. That doesn't mean that I'm going to watch crap from this players and at the end of the game sing for them. You can do it cos I won't.

    ReplyDelete
  7.  liverpool have played some great football this year, however the whole season has been down to one thing a free scoring striker. Liverpool are crying out for a rush, fowler or owen type of striker. someone who gets in the box and finishes of the attack. There has been games where we have lost and drawn and the reason why was down to finishing, we have created so many chances and due to awful finishing we find ourselves where we are in the league. Its not about bad tactics or poor play, its about having a striker who can do his job. liverpool do not have and out and out striker and its because of this we are struggling to finish off teams. in all of liverpools histroy we always have had a goal poacher when we where successful.

    ReplyDelete
  8. we need a poacher someone to get in the box and score from inside the 6 yard box, klaas jan huntelaar, and Mario Gomez both spring to mind natural poachers and both players we've been linked with before, even if carroll wasn't sold the addition of one of these players would be something carroll could learn from and gain greater experience from

    ReplyDelete
  9. Carrol, Downing and Adam are average.

    The fans must stop accepting these mid table players. We need to regain our world class status.

    There are plenty of foreign players out there @ half the price who are miles ahead.

    Wake up LFC!

    ReplyDelete
  10. The King is a very clever man,its a work in progress,now doesnt matter,we are improving on Hodgsone spell even though I spent £130m,give it time,we just need to stick the ball in the net,a bit of luck and we will be in a better position.Carroll cost £36m not £35m i heard his agent say on radio 5,also 5.5 years at £90k a week= £28m =£63m+ hes cost us £20m by havibg no chammpions league football next year=£83m,it would have been a lot easier and cheaper to buy Messi,but the King keeps brainwashing everyon.Believe me John Henry is no mug,hes a ruthless businessman and he wants a return on his massive investmeny,Dalglish should be sacked.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Same principle really to 3 nil down in Istanbul you support the players, you can criticize their performances but they are still playing for the club and no fan should wants to see the manager or players fail.YNWA

    ReplyDelete
  12. do any of you actually watch the games lol  andy has been great in his last 5 games he has started winning balls in the air all the time and basically won us the brighton game and the man united game in the fa cup. u all say we should start suarez , bellamy and kuyt i never wanna see that lineup again the never play well together carroll will come good and he is not going anywhere

    ReplyDelete
  13. God. Why would I want them to fail. They're not good enough mate it's that simple really. They've been there for over a year just what exactly did we get in return. You tell me next time u reply to my comments. How long r we going to give them and how long r we going to support them just cos they wearing the red shirt even though they r shite. Ynwa

    ReplyDelete
  14. Agree with u 100% mate. Well said.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Kentmanlfc so he's wining balls in the air. GREAT. Did KK spend 35million on him to score goals or to win the balls in the air. Cos at the end of the season they don't count how many balls did Caroll win in the air. Points count and at the mo we have three more than Swansea.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Stevie Nicol worship continues

    His opinions mean nothing to me, he needs to keep yapping to earn a living, like many football "pundits" / bloggers

    Carroll hasn't exactly had much service

    We need to show patience in players that have cost a lot of money, even if it is for purely economic / resale value

    Main disappointment for has been Downing, yet he's got us into the FA semis today

    An FA cup final, in addition to the Carling Cup win, irrespective of top four status isn't a bad return

    The owners will decide if the financial damage from lack of CL warrants a change of direction

    I believe that the good cup runs, combined with the fact that some of the unlucky draws at home really killed top four chances, will leave the owners satisfied

    We could do with one more striker, or maybe promote a reserve, and a couple of FAST wingers, or promote Sterling or Silva

    ReplyDelete
  17. Who has been there for 1 year? Suarez hasn't banned ?Carroll injured? I could give them 45 mins like you did in Istanbul it could be 90 mins it could be 1 month it could be half a season a full season 2 seasons. All players and managers deserve a chance the only thing that is shite is your ...... YNWA

    ReplyDelete
  18. I you r happy with CC and finishing 7th or 8th that's fine mate. If you r also happy with Caroll,Hendreson, Adam and Downing that's fine again. I respect yr wishes and you can support them when they play shite. I
    Won't support them when they play shite just cos they wear the red shirt.

    ReplyDelete
  19. If he decided to pay £35 million for Carroll then YES!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Nicol doesn't have to defend Carroll, but he could stop attacking him so often.

    The team have the best cup draw that they could have got, really, so another final at Wembley should be a strong possibility. If the club can win two trophies and miss Champions League, then continue into next season. A good run in and a final appearance and a result that is not a heavy defeat, will probably be good enough to justify another season as well. But when you spend as much as our club did, long term progress is important but so are quick results. 35 million was a panic buy and suggested we wanted results within 18 months, otherwise why spend that much when we could get players who were as good or better for 15 million less?

    ReplyDelete