The Andy Carroll experiment: Flop or success in the making?

Many eyebrows were raised when Andy Carroll completed a 35 million pound deal to move to Liverpool from Newcastle last January to become the most expensive British player ever.

Despite some good performances from the Englishman this season, the media, along with some vocal fans, are still skeptical as to whether he will manage to hit the heights that he did at Newcastle, with a return of 3 goals out of 16 appearances not sitting well with Liverpool fans.

The thing that Carroll lacks most in his game is speed. Carroll isn’t up there in the “fast, skillful striker” category. His huge body build doesn’t allow him to play that type of game, which is perhaps why Luis Suarez has been having an easier time adapting to Liverpool, because his game is very much like that of an in-form Fernando Torres.

Manchester City bought Argentinian striker Kun Aguero (23 years old) for a near identical fee this very summer, and he has already notched 8 goals in a mere 6 games. But Aguero has already had a lot of experience working at a side of a similar level to Manchester City, that being Atletico Madrid in the La liga.

Andy Carroll, on the other hand, hasn’t played top level football (i.e. the Champions League) and will feel the pressure to perform and score goals. I am sure that given some time, he will learn to adapt to Liverpool FC’s attacking philosophies.

Bad Tactics

There are two moves that are commonly linked to the way teams play with Carroll in their team. It’s either “cross and get it into the box”, or “just hoof it and he’ll get it”. A lot of Liverpool FC fans are normally very vocal over the latter tactic, for making it less entertaining and generally it is the same tactic which sees Liverpool lose the ball more often, than when not employing it altogether.

It seems like Kenny Dalglish is intent on continually trying to perfect this formula, and this could result in lost points for Liverpool in the near future. Against Tottenham, Liverpool weren’t too effective with the ball being hoofed up constantly for Carroll to chase onto, therefore, this experiment could be more costly than expected.

Andy Carroll’s attitude might just prove to be a huge factor as to whether he will turn out to be a top class striker or just a mediocre one. Fabio Capello has already spoken out publicly about Carroll requiring to mend his ways, and limit his alcohol consumption.

Whether or not Carroll decides to continue his party lifestyle is up to him, but it will be a pity to see a player with such a high potential to be wasted like that. Although, he does seem to be faster in the recent games, and he does in fact seem to have lost a couple of pounds, so only time will tell whether Carroll can keep it up with the life in the Premier League.

“Behind every cloud is a silver lining”

Carroll has in fact had a really unlucky start to his career at Merseyside since his move in January. Since the move, he was sidelined for a large period in the latter stages of the season due to injury. His debut came when he wasn’t really match ready, which could have just affected his confidence. But I personally think that Carroll still has the ability, along with the mental strength to pull through his lean patch.

Games against Exeter City, and more recently Wolves have suggested that Carroll has improved his game and also gave enough proof that Liverpool can play as good on the ground, as playing the ball high up with Carroll in the starting lineup. Carroll created space with passes out wide to Stewart Downing and Henderson, whilst holding up play well. The only thing missing from that performance was a goal from the Englishman.

Another reason why he should be a star in the future is because the fact remains that he is still only 22 years of age. He’s really young and has the potential to be a huge hit amongst Liverpool FC fans. Liverpool’s team hasn’t fully adapted to his style of play either, so in my opinion, his performances for Liverpool can only get better as the season goes by.