West Ham agree fee in region of £15m with Liverpool for Andy Carroll

[Guest black n white]

Why?

 

I said in the match thread at one nil when someone wanted to haul him off instead of loven, shola's trademark these days is playing gash but scoring goals. I would be more confident in him grabbing a goal more than all but 2 or 3 of the rest of the squad.

 

i understand what your saying, but imo he's lazy and will do as little as possible when he doesn't have the ball, he takes at least 40mins to get into a game, id prefer to have ranger or loverboy on. that said he does get us goals when we need them.

[Cajun]

Loverboy is a Homer though, shame he didn't get a run out tonight though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HawK]

Ameobi>Nolan.

[Yorkie]

Shola's the best finisher at the club but Carroll's got more to his general play. We're not fucked without Carroll, but we'll lose a lot. We'd have to change our whole set up if we went with Ameobi upfront instead.

[Optimistic Nut]

Shola's the best finisher at the club but Carroll's got more to his general play. We're not f***ed without Carroll, but we'll lose a lot. We'd have to change our whole set up if we went with Ameobi upfront instead.

 

I know what you mean but this still made me chuckle.

[Yorkie]

(in terms of on the pitch, rather than actual matches... just to clarify)

[merlin]

Much as I was pleased by Shola's performance last night, there is no denying that he is 28 and Carroll is 21.

 

Shola has had 10 years to establish himself as a worthy replacement for the likes of Shearer and there is no denying that, for whatever reason, he's failed. Yes, he DOES get goals that Carroll wouldn't, but over 90 minutes over 38 games, Carroll will cause more trouble for opposition defences than Shola.

 

Carroll needs a quick mobile partner to get the best out of him, whereas I don't think that it would make any difference to Shola's contribution to the side whether he had Pele or Messi alongside him ; he would still get the goals he was going to get because he is that sort of player - more an individual than a team player.

To be fair, he has had more than his share of injuries but that is the way it has gone and his languid style will often result in his being dispossessed by quick PL defenders.

 

He WOULD be a good CCC striker if he stayed fit and he WILL be an asset when he is brought into the side in the PL from time to time, which is why Hughton made the point that he still had a role to play.

 

I like players who give you 100% effort as well as having talent, even if their skill level is not quite up to the top level because only the top sides can afford players with both and we need to stay in the PL so we need physical power and effort as well as skill. Players like HBA are the icing on the cake whereas players like Tiote will do the donkey work that enables the HBAs to play.

 

Shola did a great job last night and maybe cup-fighting is his thing....

[gray]

Carroll needs a goal on Sunday

[Stu]

Carroll needs a goal on Sunday

 

any particular reason? or just that he's a striker and that's his target every game?

[Guest firetotheworks]

Shola's the best finisher at the club but Carroll's got more to his general play. We're not f***ed without Carroll, but we'll lose a lot. We'd have to change our whole set up if we went with Ameobi upfront instead.

 

 

I wish you'd let that line die like.

[Liam Liam Liam O]

Shola's the best finisher at the club but Carroll's got more to his general play. We're not f***ed without Carroll, but we'll lose a lot. We'd have to change our whole set up if we went with Ameobi upfront instead.

 

 

I wish you'd let that line die like.

 

It's a forum cliché, isn't it Matt?

[Yorkie]

Dunno, don't think so - i'm the only who seems to think it.

 

It's either him or Nolan.

[Guest BooBoo]

Carroll needs a goal on Sunday

 

Yeah this two game goal drought is simply not on.

[Nobody]

Carroll needs a goal on Sunday

 

Yeah this two game goal drought is simply not on.

[gray]

All I mean is it will do his confidence good

[TaylorJ_01]

Aye, hat-tricks are pretty gash. He'll be feeling down.

[JH]

Was at fault for their equaliser - shouldn't have taken his eyes off Jones, nevermind turn around and attempt to get a ball that two of our players were already jumping for.

[alpal78]

I don't wanna be harsh on him because on his day he is quite decent and he is really the only hope we have upfront. Bu Carroll need sto improve the basics like running off the ball...he was as static as Nolan today.

[Dokko]

I don't wanna be harsh on him because on his day he is quite decent and he is really the only hope we have upfront. Bu Carroll need sto improve the basics like running off the ball...he was as static as Nolan today.

 

He's a player learning, there was nothing for him to do in that match because he was isolated. Fair enough his defensive duties didn't make the grade but really not many would have faired much better the way we played Carroll yesterday. He had no service, Routledge managed only a couple of decent crosses in to the box, but were too far away from Carroll, wrong angles or pace and his only really chance for me came from Jonas and he at least hit the target,  one or two more of them and he might have got a goal.

 

The team 2nd half was atrocious, uninspired crap, we can't expect the young lads to pick us up, it has to come from our captain and senior players but those have shown to be the real problems, ones which show no signs of going away until their contracts run out.

 

You mentioned his movement, but really his movement was typical of the whole front line. Carroll needs a partner to help with the burden, preferably a fast tricky player he can flick and head on too and be set up by. HBA is the only player we've got that matches that description even though he's not a striker but that means dropping Nolan, and that isn't happening apart from injury or hell freezing over.

 

 

 

 

[afar]

I thought he easily had had worst game of the season on Saturday, his general play was poor, he didn't seem to show the desire to get the ball he has for the majority of these opening games.

 

He was well handled by the Stoke defence but didn't really test them too much either.

 

Is the performance he gave on Sunday going to be his standard fare or is he going to play to the high standards he set in the previous games ? I hope it's the latter.

[alpal78]

I don't wanna be harsh on him because on his day he is quite decent and he is really the only hope we have upfront. Bu Carroll need sto improve the basics like running off the ball...he was as static as Nolan today.

 

He's a player learning, there was nothing for him to do in that match because he was isolated. Fair enough his defensive duties didn't make the grade but really not many would have faired much better the way we played Carroll yesterday. He had no service, Routledge managed only a couple of decent crosses in to the box, but were too far away from Carroll, wrong angles or pace and his only really chance for me came from Jonas and he at least hit the target,  one or two more of them and he might have got a goal.

 

The team 2nd half was atrocious, uninspired crap, we can't expect the young lads to pick us up, it has to come from our captain and senior players but those have shown to be the real problems, ones which show no signs of going away until their contracts run out.

 

You mentioned his movement, but really his movement was typical of the whole front line. Carroll needs a partner to help with the burden, preferably a fast tricky player he can flick and head on too and be set up by. HBA is the only player we've got that matches that description even though he's not a striker but that means dropping Nolan, and that isn't happening apart from injury or hell freezing over.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with you mostly. Obviously playing up front alone and Hughton's stupid insistence for Nolan to 'support' him contributed to him not beng able to do anything of substance.

 

But putting these factors aside, he too had a poor game (perhaps measured by his earlier performances). What struck me the most was that he wasn't making any runs at all. Surely he realized at some point that it was gonna be difficult for him to outmuscle both Huth and Shawcross, but even when HBA ran to the middle and looked up for a killer pass, Carroll jus remained static. There were just no options for HBA. Compare this to his run against Villa for the last goal. My assessment of him does not depend on him scoring, like against Everton eventhough he didnt score, I thought he had a decent game. Remember that run he made when HBA perhaps passed a split second too late? Carrol had a shot anyway but the keeper saved. Didn't see any of that against Stoke.

[merlin]

I don't wanna be harsh on him because on his day he is quite decent and he is really the only hope we have upfront. Bu Carroll need sto improve the basics like running off the ball...he was as static as Nolan today.

 

He's a player learning, there was nothing for him to do in that match because he was isolated. Fair enough his defensive duties didn't make the grade but really not many would have faired much better the way we played Carroll yesterday. He had no service, Routledge managed only a couple of decent crosses in to the box, but were too far away from Carroll, wrong angles or pace and his only really chance for me came from Jonas and he at least hit the target,  one or two more of them and he might have got a goal.

 

The team 2nd half was atrocious, uninspired crap, we can't expect the young lads to pick us up, it has to come from our captain and senior players but those have shown to be the real problems, ones which show no signs of going away until their contracts run out.

 

You mentioned his movement, but really his movement was typical of the whole front line. Carroll needs a partner to help with the burden, preferably a fast tricky player he can flick and head on too and be set up by. HBA is the only player we've got that matches that description even though he's not a striker but that means dropping Nolan, and that isn't happening apart from injury or hell freezing over.

 

 

 

 

 

This - Good post.

[Beren]

I don't wanna be harsh on him because on his day he is quite decent and he is really the only hope we have upfront. Bu Carroll need sto improve the basics like running off the ball...he was as static as Nolan today.

 

He's a player learning, there was nothing for him to do in that match because he was isolated. Fair enough his defensive duties didn't make the grade but really not many would have faired much better the way we played Carroll yesterday. He had no service, Routledge managed only a couple of decent crosses in to the box, but were too far away from Carroll, wrong angles or pace and his only really chance for me came from Jonas and he at least hit the target,  one or two more of them and he might have got a goal.

 

The team 2nd half was atrocious, uninspired crap, we can't expect the young lads to pick us up, it has to come from our captain and senior players but those have shown to be the real problems, ones which show no signs of going away until their contracts run out.

 

You mentioned his movement, but really his movement was typical of the whole front line. Carroll needs a partner to help with the burden, preferably a fast tricky player he can flick and head on too and be set up by. HBA is the only player we've got that matches that description even though he's not a striker but that means dropping Nolan, and that isn't happening apart from injury or hell freezing over.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with you mostly. Obviously playing up front alone and Hughton's stupid insistence for Nolan to 'support' him contributed to him not beng able to do anything of substance.

 

But putting these factors aside, he too had a poor game (perhaps measured by his earlier performances). What struck me the most was that he wasn't making any runs at all. Surely he realized at some point that it was gonna be difficult for him to outmuscle both Huth and Shawcross, but even when HBA ran to the middle and looked up for a killer pass, Carroll jus remained static. There were just no options for HBA. Compare this to his run against Villa for the last goal. My assessment of him does not depend on him scoring, like against Everton eventhough he didnt score, I thought he had a decent game. Remember that run he made when HBA perhaps passed a split second too late? Carrol had a shot anyway but the keeper saved. Didn't see any of that against Stoke.

 

Agree with Alpal, though he wasn't atrocious by any means IMO.

 

Don't like the idea of having a nippy second forward just so Carroll can flick stuff on to him - it would seriously under-utilise his capabilities and make our team play unnecessarily ugly and one-dimensional stuff.

 

If Carroll had dropped back a bit and collected the ball at his feet, he could have held the ball up and encouraged our relaxed midfield forward a bit more - that was my main gripe. No shame in winning only 50% of your headers when you're facing fucking Stoke - even if you are as good in the air as Carroll is.

 

Relatively speaking a two-game "drought" is nothing, but sure a goal would pick up his confidence which is generally a good thing for a striker

[Ronaldo]

Three-game.

[Wallace]

I thought Carroll was excellent against Everton - but only outside the box as he is a marked man in that area now with so many defenders around him.  Unfortunately for him, the opposition know they don't need to worry about any other strikers so they focus all of their attention on him.