In the annals of Liverpool's transfer history, there are a number of catastrophic transfer failures, but none come close to matching the financial atrocity of the £35m Andy Carroll fiasco. To this day, I still find it incredible (and a little ironic) that Kenny Dalglish - one of the biggest proponents of the 'Liverpool Way' of playing - signed Carroll, who represents the absolute antithesis of that footballing style. After countless injuries, Carroll is now plying his trade at West Ham, and despite his countless injuries, and sub-par goal record, Hammer's boss Sam Allardyce insists that the striker's transfer value has now doubled (!)
Try as I might, I still can't understand how Dalglish could've legitimately believed that a lolloping, technically bereft lummox of a player like Carroll could take Liverpool forward. His bludgeoning style of play is an anachronism in modern football; it belongs in the 1980s, and is more suited to the rough and tumble of a Sunday League ground.
Be that as it may, Allardyce - in his infinite delusion - believes there are few strikers in the modern game with Carroll's 'capabilities', and claimed that the £35m fee paid by Liverpool was a 'drop in the ocean'. He also made the following ludicrous claim:
"What did Barca play for Suarez? £80m? £35million for Andy Carroll [is] a bargain, and we would pay £60m or £70m for him now"
Allardyce is entitled to his opinion, but seriously, £70m? Big Sam is clearly an arch-fantasist, and I haven't encountered this level of football-related delusion since Steven Gerrard claimed the Joe Cole is on a par with Lionel Messi (!)
To be fair, maybe I've got it wrong; perhaps 'unplayable' Carroll is a superstar striker, and I just can't see it. Let's take a look at his career since joining West Ham in 2012:
* 14 goals in 55 apps (a 3-goal increase from his 11 in 58 for LFC)
* This season: 5 goals in 15 apps this season.
* 408 days out injured since he signed for West Ham.
* 52 games missed in 2 years as a result of 5 separate injuries.
Clearly, Liverpool's decision to sell Carroll for £15m is negligence of the highest order. If only the Reds had kept Carroll for the last two years, the club could've benefited from this stunning record of achievement, and then sold him to West Ham now for £70m!
What a fiasco.
Author: Jaimie K
Try as I might, I still can't understand how Dalglish could've legitimately believed that a lolloping, technically bereft lummox of a player like Carroll could take Liverpool forward. His bludgeoning style of play is an anachronism in modern football; it belongs in the 1980s, and is more suited to the rough and tumble of a Sunday League ground.
Be that as it may, Allardyce - in his infinite delusion - believes there are few strikers in the modern game with Carroll's 'capabilities', and claimed that the £35m fee paid by Liverpool was a 'drop in the ocean'. He also made the following ludicrous claim:
"What did Barca play for Suarez? £80m? £35million for Andy Carroll [is] a bargain, and we would pay £60m or £70m for him now"
Allardyce is entitled to his opinion, but seriously, £70m? Big Sam is clearly an arch-fantasist, and I haven't encountered this level of football-related delusion since Steven Gerrard claimed the Joe Cole is on a par with Lionel Messi (!)
To be fair, maybe I've got it wrong; perhaps 'unplayable' Carroll is a superstar striker, and I just can't see it. Let's take a look at his career since joining West Ham in 2012:
* 14 goals in 55 apps (a 3-goal increase from his 11 in 58 for LFC)
* This season: 5 goals in 15 apps this season.
* 408 days out injured since he signed for West Ham.
* 52 games missed in 2 years as a result of 5 separate injuries.
Clearly, Liverpool's decision to sell Carroll for £15m is negligence of the highest order. If only the Reds had kept Carroll for the last two years, the club could've benefited from this stunning record of achievement, and then sold him to West Ham now for £70m!
What a fiasco.
Author: Jaimie K
Carrolls price has doubled i would totally agree he was worth two million when we sold him he may well be worth 4 million now.
ReplyDeleteI may well say if football is ever played using a golf ball Steve Gerrard may well have been onto something with Joe Cole.
I think Sam is pulling the leg of the football world. Did he have a big grin on his face when he said it?
ReplyDeleteHe has looked good this season. If he remains injury free now, 15-20mn is just about right price for him.
ReplyDeletered33Daglish also paid ridiculously for hendo and downing and what did hendo brings to liverpool?, other then self-improvement there's nothing i see on him that would take liverpool up to another level and as liverpool captain you gotta be kidding me, there's no character, skill, fighting spirit and leaderships to look up to, gimme a break BR.
ReplyDeleteGenius if he's worth that much how much would sturridge worth?
ReplyDeleteHendos justified his price tag he is a great asset to the team.
ReplyDeleteHis work rate alone is worth what we paid for him Joe Allen on the other hand 15 million and we get blow all.
If injury-free, 45-50mn
ReplyDeleteWell everything was deluded and sour grapes in ALL his comments after the Liverpool game, so I guess he is just continuing the delusion with this statement.
ReplyDeleteI imagine big fat Sam said this before we played them. Gee Carroll up, try and make us look stupid. I still wonder what could have been in Kenny's full season if we had worked hard to get Sturridge as part of the Torres deal. Thirty mil plus Sturridge? Twenty five mil plus Torres? Either way infinitely better deal than what we did.
ReplyDeleteIf Allardyce had done his research, as I just have, he would know that a donkey usually costs from about £1,000 to £2,500 depending on breeding, training etc.
ReplyDeleteYou insult Sunday league players ;)
ReplyDeleteI guess there some club try sign him. So indirectly Sam try to push up value by himself. If their accountant think AC worth 70m then i wonder C7 or Messi $$$? The owner might give half of club share to them ???
ReplyDeleteWho cares he doesn't play for us- how long is a piece of string
ReplyDeleteCaroll made this statement before the LFC clash with the Telegraph claiming that BR lied to him and that he was two faced. He stated that BR said this to him: ' I think you should go.' (...To Fulham on the phone) To my face it was: 'You'll start every week'." Caroll doesn't get it BR was saying 'go to Fulham you'll start every week!' 70m in what Galaxy?...
ReplyDeleteWhat was he smoking at the time ? No doubt Sam's son Craig is Carroll 's agent .... No what I mean son ;-)
ReplyDeleteHee hawt .. he hawt ... to know better ...
ReplyDeleteJaimie I often think your articles are 'like that of a technically bereft lummox'.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought he might be referring to double what they paid, albeit still not accurate, it's a little more believable. But to actually say £60-£70 million. WOW.
ReplyDeleteWhy does he need to say that? It's clearly not true in anyone's eyes, and if he thinks he could get £70 million for him, why isn't he trying to flog him?
'Often' suggests that you are a frequent reader of his articles.
ReplyDeleteI think Ings shouldnt come to us. There are better finishers outthere
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wish I was a football manager just so I could spout off nonsense all the time. I think it would be pretty funny to see what people would actually print. Maybe that's what he was thinking?
ReplyDeleteLooks like we are losing out on Ings to David Moyes of all people..
ReplyDeleteThen Sturridge is worth 500Million
ReplyDeleteDon't know how you can say Hendo has no character or fighting spirit
ReplyDeleteAnd you obviously can't read cos you can only attack the person and not the argument
ReplyDeleteSo that's what 'often' means!!thanks so much for clearing that up..
ReplyDeleteBut are you not just after attacking the person??
ReplyDeleteI said at the time that we had to pray someone like Allardyce would be crazy enough to pay for him because he would be one of the few who would. Low and behold, a year and a half later, he is still proving my point. I say sell him Balotelli too! 30 million Sam. Just cuz you's a mate
ReplyDeleteWithout him they have very slim chances of staying up which worth 10s of millions- can't see it happening...
ReplyDeleteOh sorry.. Well getting a young prospect for a resonable fee doesn't seem so bad? Haven't ssen much of him, but he scored a good number of goals coming from the Champinship, no?
ReplyDeleteI want to see Chelsea or City chasing after Ings.
ReplyDeleteMediocrity is the only word.
Tony Barrett @TonyBarretTimes · 2 hours ago
ReplyDeleteLiverpool looking to agree a deal with Burnley for Danny Ings that would avoid the need for a tribunal when his contract ends in June.
What a bloody joke we have become if this is true.
And that is why we will never go on to greater success because of players like this.
ReplyDeleteDanny Ings is and will never be good enough for this club. Yet more money wasted if this story becomes a reality.
And you know this how?
ReplyDeleteHad you told fergie or moaninho Sterling will take them to the next level(or keep them there), they'd probably laghed. Say the same to someone about Ibe and you'll get the same reaction. Yet I think that both of them will do the trick for us..
Tony Barrett @TonyBarretTimes · 2 hours ago
ReplyDeleteAny deal for Ings would be for the summer transfer window, not this one.
Yes it can happen.
To be honest, in my opinion Carroll is one of the worlds best strikers. I mean he just oozes class. From his world class 1st touch to his flash like speed he is trully one of the legends of the game. His record speaks for itself.
ReplyDeleteThink about this, he never gets injured, has Messi like agility, a goal scoring recorf the Esebio would be proud of...of course he is worth £70M and I am personally very angry that BR sold him on, he should sacked for this act.
Big Sam is the luckiest manager alive with such a threat up front and I personally hope one day he will manage Liverpool with his ticki taka style of play.
Long live Carroll and Big Sam.
Chelsea chased Salah, I don't think he had bigger chances of making it in the Prem than Ings. Markovic too.. It's just that they have the option of going for Costa or Bony if those mid range acquisitions don't work out..
ReplyDeleteMany clubs were chasing Salah. Oh and hold on, Balotelli was our only option, no other strikers and now Ings is possibly the best we can do?
ReplyDeleteThe road to mediocrity is upon us once again.
I don't know what's worse.The boring lump ball footy/rugby he's served up down the years or this ridiculous comment!
ReplyDeleteMourinho chased Salah only because he hate Liverpool from the days we denied him 2 CL finals. Now he prooved, he did not need him, But Liverpool maybe missed him in the second half of season when Sturridge was injured.
ReplyDeleteYou've never watched Ings play have you? Admit it. You are just blowing hot air here matey.
ReplyDeleteSturbridge was offered with 35mil. Kenny could have had the SAS a year earlier and probably be still in a job now.
ReplyDeleteComolli was in charge of the deals and cash. It was a panic buy influenced by Torres leaving. Big sam is deluded, always has been.
ReplyDeleteAs per...
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with your assessment Jamie. But did I detect a hint of sarcasm at the end of your article.[ I was so pleased that big bone-headed Sam decided to take big boneheaded Carroll from us ].
ReplyDeleteFergie chased Zaha. And Powell. Your point is redundant.
ReplyDeleteTorres slapped a last day transfer request, leaving Kenny with hours to find a replacement, unfortunately Carroll was the only one available,
ReplyDeleteso I forgive Kenny, £35m for Carroll and £50m for Torres.
Also, £15m for Carroll, is incorrect, it is £19.5M after the add ons, goals scored/games played/ International appearances etc, I think we done well getting what we did from West Ham, otherwise we would be still looking at the Melwood Pony.
No never, I have never even watched a single EPL match either...
ReplyDeleteHenderson is worth every penny of the 20 Million spent on him. Certainly much more value for money than the 27 M spent on Fellaini, 28 M spent on Herrera by Manu and the 15M spent on Allen. I don't see how you can whine about him when he is performing so well and playing every single game
ReplyDeleteI knew it! ; )
ReplyDeleteOK, so you've watched him -- then what specifically is it you don't like about him? What qualities is he lacking in that we need in the squad?
does your blind dog get to go into the footy with you
ReplyDeleteabsolutely !
ReplyDeletewe are a young team starting to understand it each other and over the next 2 years no doubt more players will come in and others will go out as BR learns more about his job and what he has at his disposal.
I see a better future down the road now than the last 3 years. Just give it time the glass is half full not half empty.