I am narked. I am the type of Liverpool Fan that will try and read each and every single news article, website or blog that features my team. And I have come across many from a ‘so-called’ Liverpool fan calling for King Kenny to get rid of Big Andy Carroll. One in particular made my Red blood boil with the heading, “When will Kenny dispose of the 35 million pound flop.”
I responded by informing the writer about some good colleges in his area that offer courses in Accounting and Business. He should leave sports and Liverpool commentary to Liverpool fans who know what they are talking about. Perhaps I was harsh, but I am annoyed by these ‘fans’ who have not learnt from the past.
Five years ago, Rafa Benitez signed a little known Brazilian midfielder. He was a blonde, long haired scrawny player who looked like a 14 year old boy in need of a good meal. He was useless. He could not run, he could not tackle, he could not pass. The only thing he could do was get my blood pressure up screaming at my television set. And I was not the only one. I am not exaggerating when I say every Liverpool fan I am in contact with wanted to see the back of Lucas Leiva.
Two years later, every one of us is left with a taste of foot in our mouths. Lucas has morphed into being one of our best players and an important part of our team. He was and deservedly so our player of the season last year and made more tackles than any player in the top four European Leagues. A player so important to Liverpool fans that when he went down injured against Chelsea on Tuesday night, I swear I heard a universal gasp from Liverpool supporters. If Lucas can turn his fortunes around, then why can’t Andy Carroll?
I am peeved at all the references to the price Liverpool paid for the big number 9. I was one of the loudest voices who believed we paid too much for him, but that is not his fault. He did not choose his price, and the transfer is now history. We need to move on. Now he is a Red player and needs all the support he can get. He is still a young player and you do not go from being the hottest English property one year to useless the next. Yes, he has not found his feet yet but we must be patient.
Have we not learnt from our error in judging to soon with Lucas? Yes Carroll missed a penalty, but all players do and will. Yes he has not scored as many goals as we would like, but how many games has he played? When I have seen Andy Carroll playing, I have seen him putting in a mountain of effort and overall I have been happy with his endeavour. He has proven to be a handful with most defences. Liverpool and King Kenny just need to figure the best way to play to his strengths. Remember he is still 23 years old, and someone who can be developed as a footballer in the Liverpool way.
The Liverpool way is not to turn on our players and to put unnecessary pressure on them. The Liverpool way is not criticise our own players in the media. The Liverpool way is to pat a player on the back after he misses a penalty and telling him he will never walk alone. That is the Liverpool way, and if we, the fans stay true to the values of this great club, I foresee a future of Liverpool success with Andy Carroll leading the charge.
This article was written by Kurt and is courtesy of our partner website ourkop.com. Read the latest news and blogs about Liverpool FC at Our Kop. – ed
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.
Touche. Very well phrased. YNWA!
Or not and we will still never walk alone!
It’s not that the fans arn’t behind AC – its just what he has shown in his short playing career is not up to LFC standards. His first touch, awareness, postional sense and pace are all poor at best. Can he be moulded into one of the best centre forwards on the planet? IMO and a lot of other reds, he hasn;t shown any potential and that is the more worrying thing. You use Lucas as an example of a boy come good but its taken 4-5 years! In that time we have won nothing. No correct me if I’m wrong but if we keep buying players that will come good in 4-5 years then we’ll constantly be behind the pack. Look at other young strickers like Sturrage, Ballotelli, Aguero. You can see the potential/class in all of them already and they are same age or younger. All the Anti- AC brigade are trying to say is that it is worrying that he isn’t even showing a glipse of potential wheneve he plays…and its costing the team our style of play and ultimately points. Remember he was brought to score goals. End of story….YNWA
you are having a laugh….Carroll is not a LFC player and as for him playing the LFC way, this is pass and move, which he cannot do either, lacks pace and gets in peoples way..Luis and Co didnt want to pass to him most of the time yesterday, they went for more awkward passes than the simple pass to him..reason being, he’s A waste of space..I would happily play with dirk kuyt up front for remainder of the season and to be honest, David Ngog was far better than Carroll and quicker…
Carroll isn’t even playing like a £5million player right now. He didn’t win a header all night against Fulham, admittedly up against a very good PL defender in Hangeland. He failed to make the most of good chances created for him on the ground too.
Lucas was 20 when he signed for Liverpool, cost £5million and came from Brazil. He needed time to settle and develop, and it’s easier to do that with a player at that age and price.
Carroll is a long way away from justifying Liverpool’s purchase of him, regardless of the price.
carrol is different from lucas… he is a striker..he need just 6month to gel with the team after that if he doesn’t perform … pressure comes in… the rules for a striker is u either make assit for the team to score or u score goal and he has done none compare to Suarez who though for sometime he has not score but his performance has really helped the team in general
Now back to Lucas and Carrol … Lucas came from another continent … another football nation and culture and as a midfielder when u not even playing so good but ur team is winning and u have other supportive midfielder it is easy for u to hide ur performance but for a striker every eyes is always on u … u have to perform if u dont score create the chance for others to score… but Carrol has not done that and mind you he has been in england all his life so if he doesnt perform then he should be benched for those players who are performing … Period
Unfortunately Kurt, many of these “so called” Liverpool Supporters have got no idea what you are talking about when you mention the “Liverpool-Way”.
Even in the ground the mutterings, murmurings moans and groans can be heard far more frequently than the shouts of encouragement.
It is testament to Lucas Leivas dedication that he has proved (most of) his doubters wrong. Sadly these same doubters of Lucas, have turned their attentions (and their moans) on Henderson and Carroll.
Some may say they pay their money and are entitled to have their say, I’d rather see a half-empty ground of Supporters, supporting their team.
L22Red – You have to accept that when we go from destroying Chavs one week to succumming to lower opposition the next some reds are gonna get a bit upset. Me included. We all support the same team, want/will them to succeed every week and get down when we don’t get the 3 points. Im not sure you’d find anyone on these boards actually wanting a player to fail out of spite. Collectively the team has been playing very well of late, but certain individuals need to start producing more consistentlt. Its what they’re paid for and what we pay to see at Anfield and round the country. Plus we’re British…if we didn’t have a moan about something what else would be doing!! YNWA
Hendo played well last night and almost scored a stunner. Carroll put in a decent performance first half and was a bit unlucky not to score. He looked much more disciplined positionally, patrolling the centre of the pitch from the half way spot to the opposition penalty spot, which is where he should be instead of charging around looking for the ball. Its up to his team mates now to play to his strengths, which appears likely to take some time as we’re not used to playing with a target man (only three spring to mind over the past 40yrs, Crouch, Heskey, Toshack). He linked up well with Suarez in the 1st half but faded in the second.
We lost control of the game at points late in the 1st half and during the course of the 2nd, which really underlined Lucas’ absence. Spearing is a decent player but he’s not in the Lucas class – I’d like to see Hendo get a start there, at least until Stevie is back. Either way, Adam will probably have to sit back a bit more without his Brazilian mate mopping up for him. I don’t think we’re far off and maybe FSG will take a bit of a punt in January (centre mid, a striker and a right winger would be nice)
If you refer to Lucas for 5 years ago, u did mean that we have to wait for another 5 years for Andy Carroll to show his real ability?
For me this is unaccaptable. Andy Carroll was pkaying very bad. The laziest footballer that i have ever seen in the pitch. He did not even try to get the ball. Very2 slow and really make me angry when i watch my team playing that bad.
We have already 21 years without title, we dont need to wait another years to get it. We need the fastest way to win the title to compete a team like chelsea or man city.
If we can see that he(carroll) can not play, why do we have to wait for another years? Untill u become a grandfther, u will not see liverpool win the title. Now obviously carroll is not fit ay all. Lazzzzyyyyyyyy!!!!
lucas has always given 100% even when he was at his headless chicken stage almost every tackle was a foul and he got booked almost every game, but he NEVER lacked effort,thats why he succeeded because he was single minded and determined carroll isnt showing enough commitment for me, if i was him i would want to show that i mean business and put myself about more and show some desire he does not look like he is bothered at all to me,