Video: Andy Carroll v. Tottenham

By: Noel | February 8th, 2012

It may not have been a man of the match-calibre performance, as those honours would have to have gone to one of the defenders—and probably either Glen Johnson or Martin Skrtel. And he likely didn’t even have as good a game as his previous two against Wolverhampton and Manchester United. Regardless of that, however, after nearly a full calendar year filled almost entirely by futility as he struggled first with fitness and then with fitting in, it’s understandable that on the back of three strong showings on the bounce people would be eager to look for any upside they can find in the 2012 edition of Andy Carroll.

Those of a more skeptical bent might think back to the fall, when any number of ineffective performances were excused because Carroll appeared to be trying hard. Or to times when his most loyal supporters would fall back on the same lack of service argument that had been in constant rotation for Fernando Torres’ rather painful final season and a half at the club, even while Torres was off at Chelsea doing his best to suggest it wasn’t a lack of service that had been at the root of his troubles. But be that as it may, the Carroll who’s shown up for the past three games has done more than simply try hard, and no matter the level of service he’s as least looked useful leading the line.

Whether he’s the sort of striker who will ever be entirely at home and effective as Plan A in a pass and move side is still a very open question, and as when people looked to his work rate in the fall to justify his worth it’s hard to escape a faint air of desperation when everybody takes the fact his last two touches haven’t ballooned into Row Z as cause for celebration. Still, just as it would be wrong to get too carried away after three positive showings, it would be wrong too to ignore that Carroll’s past three games have arguably been his strongest in a Liverpool shirt. Which is why the many talented Liverpool fans who compile every-touch videos have seemingly all focused on him this week and not one of the two men who put in the strongest performances against Tottenham, a Steven Gerrard returning for ninety minutes of action after injury, or a Luis Suarez playing for the first time in a month.

Clearly it’s a performance that many Liverpool fans would like to take a closer look at, and after covering a number of more difficult topics earlier in the week, who are we to argue with that?

Video created by LumixGoals and sourced from LFC in HD

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Category: Match Recaps, Miscellaneous, Premier League

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Diedrexler

Peter Crouch or Andy Carroll? Who would we go with knowing we need to win a crunch game. Crouchy didn't even need a full year to hit the ground and yet the bloodhounds were baying for blood when he had been bought for less than a quarter of Andy's price! A year on and this is what we call improvement!??? He's the second most expensive player in the premiership! Gosh, why cant we cut our losses like we did with Keane when we realized it? Persisting with him means that we keep dropping points and say that next season we'll strengthen is laughable. From City to Arsenal everyone is going to strengthen as well..and to make matters worse, the calibre of players that will be available will definitely think twice about us. City/Manc: higher pay packet and champs league' or Liverpool: project and less money?
tony

Crouch, easy. He seemed to have the knack scoring crucial goals. Dont be too hard on Carroll though. It hurts of course having to develop a 35m player. Hey it aint so bad. Some one paid 50m also. So we sucked Roman 50 and we got sucked 35 by Newcastle.

I still have hope in Carroll. His deficiency is typical old fashion British striker who just doesn't fit in a move-and-pass style of football when ball control is an absolute must. Every player is studied by every opponent and it is easy to explain why Dawson had all the time to defense Carroll who prefers a first touch with his left foot.

Having said that, Carroll can be a beast and cause serious aerial terror in opponents' box, only if we find a couple of wingers who are willing to get deep and make some quality crosses. I agree, someone said in this site, "Try loan Carroll to Tottenham".

Unacceptable proposition of course, but point taken. We are not using Carroll's asset.
nebhamoo

I think you're my favourite Edward....I mean seriously, you just make sense every time.

I am in awe of your knowledgable ambience.

May I point out that I think, just as his hold up play has improved, along with his first touch I am sure that Kenny will be in his ear about the correct way to use his right foot.
purify_the_body

Wow, you can really see Carroll's right foot is an issue for him. He seems to always want to take the ball with his left, to the point it really held him back -- Dawson had room to make that tackle because Andy went for the ball with his left, then later it was obvious a first-time right-footed ball was required, yet Carroll had to make sure he touched it with his left foot first, so the chance was lost.

Interesting view of a limited footballer trying hard to make do with just one leg. I remember kicking the ball over and over against a wall at age 6 or 7, alternating feet to try to improve...I guess Andy never did, but he can probably raise a pint with either hand, lol!
Latortillablanca

*sigh* ... im sure carroll can kick a ball against a wall with his right... ronaldinho, messi, and maradonna all famously favor one foot, doesnt seem to be much of an issue for them...

carroll's ground game sure isn't helped by his one-footedness, but wtf are we doing expecting him to be a pass and move striker in the first place? we paid $35mil for a guy with a duncan ferguson ceiling... I get it. but used in the right way, its a nice option to have in the squad. this obsessive pessimism with the big lug needs to stop! progress is progress is progress!! YNWA!!!! BLAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Tom Foolery

Woah!

The music in the compilation doesn't suck. Much more surprised to hear a phat Nas beat in a Liverpool player compilation, then see a decent striker in a Liverpool compilation.

It's halftime!
ejbauer11

Thanks for the post, Noel. I'm still of the opinion that he'll end up being rather good for us and possibly top class - it'll just take another year or two, which, in today's football culture, apparently is unacceptable (and yes, for 35mm you don't want to wait a couple of years; point conceded; sunk cost).

And I know I keep repeating myself re: Carroll and Hendo, but Carroll turned 23 a couple of weeks ago...

I will concede that his apparent difficulty finishing w/ his right foot is problematic.
Waiting for Sterling

Carroll's slowly becoming the player we'd always thought he'd be.

(Not totally shit.)
Suarez from the car park...

I just wrote a page and a half at the bottom of the blog basically saying that! doh!
Latortillablanca

just progress, baby, progress.
redtrev73

Well shit, Noel, seems your invitation to enjoy our no.9's improvement is slow to be accepted...

C'mon folks, surely this should be a cheery counterpoint to the discussions on Noel's excellent piece in yesterday's (curiously underpopulated, given the topic) comments section...(!!?)

Now, I may occasionally sink into the morass of gloom that seems to permanently circle The Shankly Gates these days but surely we can revel in a qualified celebration of The Lug's discovery of first-touch and positioning?

Smile people, 'cause it ain't getting any prettier over the next few days with the visit to Castle Greyskull looming...
DJ-Chutfield

I must be gloomier than most because a professional footballer finally remembering how to handle a ball with his foot doesn't strike me as distraction from the shitstorm going on around our club all the fucking time lately. Last time I was optimistic was when Kenny came in after Hodge Podge was sacked. I was pleased because Kenny wouldn't get the Johnny Foreigner treatment from the press and we'd finally have some people on our side for a change. Look how well that turned out...

So yeah, sorry. But I'm gonna stay gloomy just a little bit longer... though another 3-1 hammering at OT would suit me just fine.
Noel

Traditional number nine target-men aren't my cup of tea, full stop. I don't think you can entirely write off the fee the club actually paid for him no matter the circumstances. And I'm shocked it's taken him a year to (re)develop even the signs of a borderline competent first touch.

So sure, I'm on board with the skeptics. But the kid's had three genuinely solid games in a row and I don't think it's completely insane to try to recognise that and take five minutes off to focus on something other than the negatives.
PDubz18

The astounding thing is that he all of a sudden discovered his first touch. In games before he would probably have had 20ish touches, of them 8ish were lost on the first touch and 5ish were bad passes. That's pretty terrible for a striker.

He now seems to have a fire under his ass, bossing people around (including the ref). It seems like the gameplan has been clear it out to Carroll's head, have him hold it up for the midfield to come out, and either counter immediately or start passing through the midfield. That is hardly the direct hoofing style that everyone is afraid of.
Momo

We call that type of player a target-man btw lines.So Carroll is no longer a danger-man who can finish off actions and put himself on the score sheet week in week out...

Sad to learn that we just squandered big money on a wrong person.I thought we bought a danger-man in a first place and not that link up player who has an upper body but no legs at all, a mono-dimensional target-man with no first touch and no appetite for goals either.
Guest

He really suits Pool way of playing football - hoof it forward.

Dawson had him in his pocket just like last season at Anfield
Suarez from the car park...

So having got the better of lfc pretty comprehensively recently, what was the excuse Monday night?
£50m Bale, £40m Modric - how many of these superstars do you need to get a result against a misfiring liverpool having its worst scoring season since records began?
Ed

BAZINGA
Ray W Jones

He is going to be MEGA MEGA AWESOME - Lets start Saturday Andy
jpr

A bit off topic - but relates to a recent article. Evidently the FA is free to reopen their JT investigation any time they want.

"But there is no legal principle behind the FA’s stance to drag their feet and this is set to be discussed at board level on February 23 – a week before England’s game against Holland. The issue of prejudicing criminal proceedings is not relevant because the case will not be heard before a jury but by a District Judge. So any prior sporting sanctions – if they are deemed necessary – are unlikely to be deemed prejudicial because lay people will not be involved in hearing the evidence."The above paragraphs come from the below article. It discusses the legal principles involved and recent similar cases. It's worth a read.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts...
Suarez from the car park...

Takes a strong stomach to indulge The Express. I prefer a Vindaloo, bit gentler on the system.

Takes a frickin crystal ball and warp drive to understand the FA though. Did they really shoot the manager over who wears a bit of spandex on their arm???? Did Capello really find this a cliff edge issue.

Capello's thoughts: £20m+ in the bank, is it worth another tournament catastrophe for £3m which I can probably sue for in anycase?

These pricks really get up my nose. How much taxpayer cash can we blow on such imbeciles.
jpr

Wouldn't know the Express from The Mirror. Don't read any British papers with the exception of the links here to the Holt or Maddock articles on the Suarez affair where they try to stake out the moral high ground and preach about racism or the course of action in Liverpool FC's best interest and I end up sick to my stomach for 2 weeks.

The Capello affair was interesting. He was upset that the FA would make a decision to remove JT as captain without even speaking to him. Can't really blame him. The FA is pissed that Capello would publicly criticize their actions. Maybe he could have been a bit more discrete? You can't fight the righteous indignation of the FA bureaucrats. I would guess Capello was attacked in the meetings with the FA and he told them to stick it. I blame the FA. They were wrong to not include Capello in the process from the beginning. This is the issue that I'm sure infuriated him. To just be steamrolled by the FA like his thoughts on the matter meant nothing. Then to be called with a "fait accompli". Capello had the right to air his thoughts in a private meeting with the FA hierarchy before any decision was made and to be part of the process. No doubt he would have acceded to the strongly held opinions of the FA board on the issue.

The info in the Express article seemed to make sense. That the FA would not be prejudicing a criminal trial where the evidence is being heard by a District Judge. The police asked them to put their investigation on hold while the police investigation was underway. Now that charges have been filed and a trial date set, the FA should be able to continue their procedures.
Richardmcgill24

Strikers will always be judged on goals scored and shots per goal ratio. ours are fucking awful apart from bellamy the freebie of course. Suarez and carrol over 50mill for what? Suarez has the worst strike ratio in the prem fact. and carroll must be close brhind him.
fastrail

Big Andy develops his first touch out of nowhere, which is fantastic. He also looks less tired and more energetic this last few games.
Suarez from the car park...

yes, he's moving a lot more freely now, and it's really making a difference if not yet translating into goals. Signs are good if he can keep it up. That shot he skied was great to see.

Spurs kept him on a very tight leash so to get a bit of space like that was exactly the opportunity he has to take, and a few more games and I think he will.
Sure some of them he won't hit square and they'll fly off somewhere near Pluto but I reckon a lot of them won't.
Andrew Mackintosh

He's still a bit shit though isn't he?

Alot of the time, he is on the end of a long ball forward, controls it well with his back to goal and then ends up passing it backwards almost the whole way back to where the long ball was delivered from.

The net gain in those situations is negligible.

Because I'm bored at work, I've listed his touches as follows:

1. Tries
to head through to Kuyt, stuffs it up.

2. Controls
ball deep in own half, wild back pass goes out for Spurs corner.

3. Gets
in behind BAE, lacks pace, stops, checks and passes back.

4. Played
through by Gerrard, insufficient pace and great tackle by Dawson stops him.

5. On
end of Reina goalkick, comes deep into own half, shows good control and then
passes out left.

6. On
end of long ball, shows decent control, passes backwards for net gain of
approximately 5 metres.

7. Receives
ball from Gerrard on edge of area, fakes, then passes back and right with two
players streaming through into the area.

8. On
end of Johnson’s ball, one times it backwards and spins away.

9. Receives
ball from Gerrard near area, spreads play wide right immediately.

10. Long
ball, heads off to left to Bellamy at about halfway.

11. Goes
up for header after long ball, arches back and does well to get the foul from
Dawson.

12. Chases
hard to pressure defender then keeper.

13. Cross
in from right, miscontrols tough ball under pressure.

14. Long
ball forward, heads down for Gerrard who can’t control it.

15. Discussion
with Charlie, takes kick off, passes backwards.

16. Long
ball forward, heads forward, straight to King.

17. Takes
ball forward, passes to Kuyt and runs into area, receives ball back, beaten by
BAE who puts it out for a corner.

18. Back
post header from corner, good power, bad placement, straight at Friedel. Possibly should’ve gone back across goal to Agger
or Suarez but unlikely to have resulted in goal.

19. Hassles
defender and wins possession on edge of area, passes back past halfway.

20. Cross
in from Kelly, gets lucky and has ball 10 yards out in front of goal, blazes
over with right foot.

21. Played
in by Suarez, tries to cross it over Parker who shoulders it away. Perhaps could’ve checked back across the
charging Parker and made room for a shot.

22. Cross
in from Johnson, beats defender to it but heads over, possibly off King.

23. Long
ball forward, controls it, passes backwards.
Negligible net gain.If that is the sum of a good game from Andy, I'm a bit worried. There were alot of occasions when he could, and probably should, have done better.
The V

Lend him to Spurs to build his confidence.
Ed

To be fair, passing it forward to nobody would also probably be shit.
Andrew Mackintosh

Damn you disqus.
Suarez from the car park...

I thought the formatting was deliberate. Just wing it - everyone does.

Sure, he could have made more incisive passes forwards a couple of times, could have controlled it better a couple of times and could do with a lot more pace (not going to happen!).

A lot of our players could make better passing decisions (Utd are good at this) but I think that will all come.

His touch will continue to improve now that his mobility has suddenly returned it seems (the big change), and his snap shot I reckon will get better - he could have won the game had he not skied that attempt, against a very tight defensive performance. Encouraging.

The heading on will get better too as they fine tune their interplay though it won't always work.

The back passing is just part of hold up play as I'm sure you don't need telling. It's a really important part of a forwards play to get players streaming forwards and not get disconnected from the play.
Again, they've just started doing that and it'll get better. With the Spaniard, he had the pace to go towards goal and didn't often use hold up play in his game. Andy's never going to have that but can use others running off him.

All up, he's gone from looking absolutely useless to showing the basis of a player who can get better and can score. His mobility appears to have returned and he's becoming part of the game now.

I reckon he'll be a 10 goal / season man without any problem, it's just a question of how much more he progresses from that.

Last season he got to 13 I think, joint top scorer with Berbaflop before his injury which I think was in December, so there's reason to be hopeful.

Spurs wasn't a fully fledged test due to their fowards being out but against a very competent defence we had a couple of clear chances to take the game via each of the strikers - that's a good sign against a side cruising in 3rd place.

I'm anticipating a good run in through March / April, the team just needed a few things to come together to build on and Carroll's fitness was a big one of them.