It’s fair to say that Tottenham were well worth their victory over Liverpool in Sunday’s big game. They were the better team on the day, out-performed Liverpool in the key areas and got the result they deserved. Thanks to the warm feeling that is felt towards Kenny Dalglish and his squad who have engineered a remarkable turn-around since the halfway point of the season, criticism amongst Liverpool fans regarding their team’s performance hasn’t been too harsh.
Yet, I have seen a surprising amount of criticism directed at one player in particular – criticism that I believe to be somewhat premature and unjustified. The man in question is ex-Newcastle striker Andy Carroll. After today’s performance some fans are beginning to question how well Carroll fits into this Liverpool side and whether it was such a good idea to dish out £35m for his services.
I grant that Carroll was mostly ineffective today; but I’d put this mostly down to one thing – an incredible, headline making performance from Tottenham’s Ledley King, who led from the back and ensured that Liverpool’s front men weren’t provided with too many chances. King’s performance doesn’t completely excuse Carroll’s inability to influence the game, but it does go some of the way to accounting for it.
All-in-all, Andy Carroll has had a barnstorming first season in the Premier League. He’s risen quickly through the ranks and thanks to his price-tag there’s already a huge responsibility on his shoulders. It’s my belief however, that Liverpool fans should refrain from judgement on the big centre-forward until next season.
The trouble for Andy Carroll is that he’s always going to be compared by Liverpool fans to Luis Suarez as they were both brought into the club in the same time period and play in the same area of the pitch. To that extent, it’s likely that he’s always going to come off second best: Suarez has a dynamism, movement and technical ability that Carroll lacks.
It’s my feeling, however, that given time Carroll will develop into a better out and out striker than Suarez. Next season, there’s every chance that Carroll will be the 20-goals-per-term striker that Liverpool need – if, and it’s a big if, he can get the kind of service that he thrived off at Newcastle.
Andy Carroll will benefit from a full pre-season with the club and the natural bond that will develop between him and Liverpool’s key midfield players over time. Nobody can doubt that he’s a natural born goal-scorer, who’s strong in the air and along the ground. He may not appear to ‘fit’ within Liverpool’s system at the moment, but given time he will leave his mark.
Those who are criticising Carroll would do well to cast their minds back a month to his performance against Manchester City, where he showed Liverpool exactly what he could offer them. I expect that we’ll be seeing performances of this nature on a regular basis from next season.
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hmmmmm!!!!!
Agree. Too soon to judge a player who is way off fit. Impatient fans wanting immediate success need to
back off and look at long term prospects for this developing
squad. Live with the probability that
mancs will go more ahead b4 we are ready. Support all in our red
and expect rewards in 2 years
Referees H. Webb and M. Atkinson are both god refs. And also 100 % anti-Liverpool!
They have been hurting LFC tremendously for a very long time by interpreting the rules harshly against LFC, which is unlawful according to the rules of fairness!
Yesterday (15 May 2011) Webb did this in the 0-2 defeat to Spurs:
9 minute: goal – possible freekick to LFC?
26 min. : P. Crouch acting, gets a freekick – destroyng a LFC pressure
28min. : LFC contra L Suarez kicked from behind but no freekick no yellow card
29 min. : Rose clearly commits penalty against Kuyt – not given
45 min. : P. Crouch commits freekick against L. Leiva – results in a chance for Spurs
SECOND HALF
46 min. : S. Pienaar should have been booked for a freekick against D. Kuyt
47 min. : P. Crouch commits freekick but not given – results in a chance to Spurs
54 min. : SCANDAL: Flanagans lawful shoulder tackle gives Spurs a penalty – outside of box!
77 min. : Danish commentator: ” Webb has had many fifty-fifty decisions against Liverpool”
83 min. : D. Kuyt`s acting gets LFC wrong freekick, danish commentator:”you could say LFC
has had such a freekick in coming”
I reckon we have dropped a clanger by signing him and paying all that dosh-Newcastle have coped well without him and must be laughing their socks off by now at an inexperienced player who cost 35 million pounds and has scored twice in 5 months! bad signing! Oh yes- he will eventually chip in with a few more goals (who doesn’t) but for that price you want 20/25 a season year in year out……..in the model of darren bent-nic anelka-drogba etc etc-ship him off to man city and they will bench him-with all the rest of the injury prone flops….
didnt i just read the same reponse from pete on another article about yesterdays game? lazy critic.im not worried at all by AC’s performance. he arrived injured and is only feeling his way in also a big part of having him is having the wingers to get him the ball in dangerous areas and they wont be signed until the summer. when we have so many injuries and have to play back ups like we have done recently there is bound to be the odd bad display.we have done great recently and should keep behind the team not slag them as soon as 1 result doesnt go our way. suarez & carroll 25+ goals next season.
im askn u WHY SHOUD WE GET BEAT AT HOME!!!!!????? AND WHY ONLY SUAREZ WITH THE BALL!!!!!!??????????
Shut the hell up pete..you have no idea wat AC is capable of..Yes, i agree he had a less than average game vs spurs tat day, but he wasn’t totally anonymous unlike Maxi..he did get a few kock downs and rmb tat dribble he did to get past spurs players b4 being clobbered down? tats two footed-ness and wonderful footwork form a big man!! he’ll get btr when he’s fit and i do believe he’ll fit into Liv’s pass & move philosophy eventually..next season we’ll see the reds slick silky passing with a giant always around to bomb-head the ball into the net!! eat tat pete…