Will Andy Carroll come good?
Newcastle’s fantastic promotion season was powered by Andy Carroll’s goals which saw them rack up over 100 points on their way back into the Premier League. Prior to their return the top flight, Carroll’s name was on everybody’s lips as critics became excited that this was the man who could be England’s next top marksman.
Then it all went a bit haywire for the big man. His time in the top flight started off very well indeed. Carroll scored a hat-trick and signed a five year contract extension with Newcastle which would have kept him there until 2015. Things were looking rosy. And then came the 2011 January transfer window.
Chelsea forked out £50 million for Fernando Torres and in what was the ultimate panic buy, Liverpool used the funds from that transfer to buy Carroll for £35 million from Newcastle. Of course Newcastle couldn’t turn down that kind of offer and off Caroll went to Merseyside.
Carroll’s numbers at Liverpool speak volumes (just six goals in 44 appearances), though, and many have mocked Liverpool for paying well over the odds for someone who produced so little. Some say it was the system that Liverpool used that negated Carroll’s effectiveness, playing him as a lone striker and lumping long balls up to him did not make full use of his talents. Others claim that the cold hard truth is that Carroll simply isn’t good enough to excel at Premier League level.
I think all the controversy and drama that has taken place in his career has severly affected the player’s confidence. There is an argument that he hasn’t been deployed in the right system but I am not sure it is quite as clear cut as that. He did start well with Newcastle but the lack of production at Liverpool points to a more fundamental problem with the striker, namely that he can’t quite cut it at this very high level.
Supporters of Carroll will claim that his large physical presence allows him to hold up play and win aerial challenges but the numbers don’t lie and he has simply been unable to find the back of the net on too many occasions. His performance at Euro 2012 reinforces this point as too often he was unable to provide a viable threat.
On the plus side he is still only 23 and much has happened in his career already. His loan spell at West Ham could prove to be a rejuvenating experience for the striker and time is on his side. There is much time for him to develop his skills and find his shooting boots. Only time will tell and fans will be hopeful that the best is yet to come as he overcomes what has been a traumatic start to his life in the Premier League.
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