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

[Dokko]

He'd be an expensive plan B if his wages demands are high and Liverpool aren't willing to drop their pricetag on him.

 

If he doesn't drop his wages to somewhere around what he was on before and Liverpool don't drop their asking price to £10m or below then don't worry, we won't be signing him.

[The College Dropout]

We only have one good player in the air.

 

Cisse is pretty poor at defending the near post.

 

Agree that Cisse has a poor season so far but why bring him into this particular argument.

 

The front post is a vital position when defending a corner. We should know, we always hit the oppositions. Didier Drogba was excellent at it, a real wall. Heck, even Robin Van Persie is very good at it. It can make a big difference to the number of goals conceded from corners imo.

 

You normally want an attacker there because they are used to attacking the ball and not good at marking.

 

Cisse is rather crap at it. Carroll is superb at it.

 

[The College Dropout]

Crying out for him or a player like him in the first half especially. There's just no one to aim for who can make possession out of scrap using presence or force. I'd wager that we scored more headers from set pieces in his 5 months in the PL than we have in the 2 years and 3 months since.

 

I'm not a huge fan of Carroll but this is so true and accurate.

 

Sometimes you just need that "out" ball. Someone to relieve pressure, soak it up,hold it up, link it up, someone for the others to play off.

 

Carroll is an Alan Pardew player all day. Someone to give it to and hope for the best. I'd rather have neither but if we have Pardew, might as well have  Andy too.

[LRD]

We only have one good player in the air.

 

Cisse is pretty poor at defending the near post.

 

Agree that Cisse has a poor season so far but why bring him into this particular argument.

 

The front post is a vital position when defending a corner. We should know, we always hit the oppositions. Didier Drogba was excellent at it, a real wall. Heck, even Robin Van Persie is very good at it. It can make a big difference to the number of goals conceded from corners imo.

 

You normally want an attacker there because they are used to attacking the ball and not good at marking.

 

Cisse is rather crap at it. Carroll is superb at it.

 

 

Why should he defend the near post in the first place? That is usually a job for one of the fullbacks. Cisse should be up front providing an outlet in the event of a counter-attack. If we have everyone staying back for corners, every ball we ping out will just come back in again inviting more pressure.

[Hanshithispantz]

Cisse is pretty poor at defending the near post

 

You're so bent, Dropout.

[Smal]

Much rather have Carroll come off the bench each week as plan B than Shola. Sign him up

 

Again, anyone who thinks he wouldn't be starting in an archaic 4-4-2 alongside Cissé is kidding themselves. It'd be another step backwards.

[LRD]

Cisse is pretty poor at defending the near post

 

You're so bent, Dropout.

 

Agree Cisse has his shortcomings but to blame him for our defensive corners. He'll probably be blamed for being a poor tackler next.

[The College Dropout]

We only have one good player in the air.

 

Cisse is pretty poor at defending the near post.

 

Agree that Cisse has a poor season so far but why bring him into this particular argument.

 

The front post is a vital position when defending a corner. We should know, we always hit the oppositions. Didier Drogba was excellent at it, a real wall. Heck, even Robin Van Persie is very good at it. It can make a big difference to the number of goals conceded from corners imo.

 

You normally want an attacker there because they are used to attacking the ball and not good at marking.

 

Cisse is rather crap at it. Carroll is superb at it.

 

 

Why should he defend the near post in the first place? That is usually a job for one of the fullbacks. Cisse should be up front providing an outlet in the event of a counter-attack. If we have everyone staying back for corners, every ball we ping out will just come back in again inviting more pressure.

 

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

 

I don't mean the man standing on the front post e.g. Kieron Dyer. I mean the man defending the front of the 6 yard box, normally the place attackers try to win flick-ons. You don't have fullbacks there because they are too short/weak in the air. It's normally an attacking player who is good in the air but poor at marking. Drogba was the best at it that i've seen.

 

I think AC often does man-marking jobs from corners but i've seen him beast that role before. It's the #1 position in this graphic.

 

 

http://www.grassrootscoaching.com/members/page.phtml?id=242&mid=240&lng=EN

[Deuce]

Cisse is pretty poor at defending the near post

 

You're so bent, Dropout.

 

Gotta be the most unusual argument I've heard for getting Carroll.

 

"Cisse is crap at defending the near post on corners, need Carroll for sure."

[The College Dropout]

It's a valid point that Carroll would boost our prowess at attacking and defending set-pieces.

 

I know it's cool to pretend i'm talking nonsense then later repeat my point but c'mon lads.

[Spudil]

[Mr. Snrub]

Cisse is pretty poor at defending the near post

 

You're so bent, Dropout.

 

Gotta be the most unusual argument I've heard for getting Carroll.

 

"Cisse is crap at defending the near post on corners, need Carroll for sure."

 

He's the biggest WUM on here man.  The fact people even chose to acknowledge that comment is baffling.

[Deuce]

It's a valid point that Carroll would boost our prowess at attacking and defending set-pieces.

 

I know it's cool to pretend i'm talking nonsense then later repeat my point but c'mon lads.

 

Okay I'll bite. Our problem with set pieces is not that Cisse flops about in the box, it's that we consistently aim our shots at a single player. Adding Carroll wouldn't help that, they'd just put 3 guys on him knowing we're aiming for his massive forehead.

 

And Cisse is hardly the problem on our set-piece defending as well. The problem is that our players get a touch on the ball and immediately boot it back to the opposition, where they can continue to press on offense.

[Ronaldo]

To be fair there were 3 players on Carroll when we lost to City at home shortly before he left. He still scored and bossed them all game.

[Deuce]

To be fair there were 3 players on Carroll when we lost to City at home shortly before he left. He still scored and bossed them all game.

 

 

Though one instance a pattern does not make tbh.

[Mattoon]

I just can't see anything in Pardews locker but a flat 4-4-2 with Carroll in the team, there's no way he'd be on the bench as a plan b. it'll be the first half if the season all over again only worse as I rate Ba over Carroll IMO.

[Deuce]

I just can't see anything in Pardews locker but a flat 4-4-2 with Carroll in the team, there's no way he'd be on the bench as a plan b. it'll be the first half if the season all over again only worse as I rate Ba over Carroll IMO.

 

Completely different players. In his best form, Carroll is one of the most physically-demanding forwards in the league. And quite possibly the best through the air. Ba is much better with his feet and a more natural goalscorer. He's been the unquestionably better player over the past two seasons. But he can't provide the kind of hold-up play and physicality that Carroll can.

 

I'm growing more and more intrigued by the prospect of re-signing Carroll, especially if there's no hope that Pardew will be sacked. If he insists on running his crap system, we might as well get him some players that can play it. Unfortunately, that negates the ability of players like Cabaye, Anita, Sissoko, Marveaux, Gouffran, who are all better fits in a fluid 4-3-3/4-5-1 hybrid. I'd imagine the front 6 would look something like this if we got Carroll (assuming full health):

 

                  Carroll

                            Cisse

Gouffran                          Ben Arfa

            Cabaye    Sissoko

 

 

Though Gouffran is not a true winger and Ben Arfa would continue to collapse-in from the right, leaving a ton of room down the flank. And Cabaye isn't best as a box-to-box central midfielder that he'd need to be in a 4-4-2.

[Pilko]

Here's the poll results:

 

£0 - 33 (11.3%)

No more than £10m - 81 (27.7%)

£10m to £12m - 104 (35.6%)

£12m to £15m - 71 (24.3%)

Anything - 3 (1%)

 

New poll time.

[Dave]

Helps if you unlock it.

[Pilko]

I didn't see an option to do that but I did wonder why it didn't look quite right. Cheers.

[Stifler]

There is others I would rather have however if Carroll played with Cisse then Carroll could bring the ball down, hold it up for Cisse which could work out well.

 

The price has to be right, his wages has to be right, and he can't have the number 9 shirt back.

[The College Dropout]

It's a valid point that Carroll would boost our prowess at attacking and defending set-pieces.

 

I know it's cool to pretend i'm talking nonsense then later repeat my point but c'mon lads.

 

Okay I'll bite. Our problem with set pieces is not that Cisse flops about in the box, it's that we consistently aim our shots at a single player. Adding Carroll wouldn't help that, they'd just put 3 guys on him knowing we're aiming for his massive forehead.

 

And Cisse is hardly the problem on our set-piece defending as well. The problem is that our players get a touch on the ball and immediately boot it back to the opposition, where they can continue to press on offense.

 

If you don't think AC would improve our set-pieces at all I don't know what to say to you.

 

Cisse is not THE problem but he is part of the problem. This much is clear surely?

[Guest teapot]

Cisse isn't good enough. Carroll is the best and shouldn't have been sold

[TBG]

Would you say he's simply the best, better than all the rest?

[Guest teapot]

that was Tina Turner mate