KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Andy Carroll is worth every penny!

Ok, everyone is forgetting an important factor regarding the purchase that made his price tage reach that point, namely the fact that he was a panic buy on deadline day to replace our star forward. In the panic that was going on in all aspects of the club, the club needed to make a big move to replace Torres to save face and instill some impression of control and hope, even if that move was a huge gambe. We didn't have time to scout out a deal, and Newcastle knew that we were up against a wall and would pay whatever they asked. Under normal circumstances we might not even have bought him at all, and if we would have, it would have been at something like 10-15 million. We would have overpaid no matter who we would have bought that window.

I agree with most of that stanley. Torres and Suarez at those prices were understandable. I believe that they had already showed a high level of technical ability at their previous clubs.

I don't know what calculations the club made but to the likes of me and you I'd say that Carroll was 15-20million over priced. To pay £35 million does seem crazy. But that's not his fault and just because the club paid £35 million it doesn't mean Carroll can turn himself into what we would expect from a £35million pound player.

Hence why I say that purely from the footballing perspective we should forget the price tag and accept him for the strengths and potential that he has, and do everything we can to allow him to flourish. From a business perspective - yes, someone should be answering questions internally.

And it's not just a simple question of him reading these forums. The away fans are already gonna taunt him with the 'what a waste of money chants'. What we don't want is LFC fans in bloggs, forums, on the KOP etc giving him negative vibes such that he gives up too soon and then our investment will definitely go down the drain.

We need to build him up and either reap the benefits on the pitch or at least recover as much of the £35 million as possible.

Well we can do nothing about the away chants and given the circmstances he will be an easy target. My solution is we need to keep Carroll as a squad player and or impact player for certain situations the last 15 minutes of the city game was one of those situation. There is no other solution to that because his resale value would be almost worthless. But I am afraid Kenny will now have to go to John Henry can explain they have mucked up and we need another £30m for a replacement. Kenny will need a good explanation why this time the new man will be a good investment.

Agree that his current value would not be very much. Hence, all the more reason not to reach the easy conclusion (that he's rubbish), but to persevere and encourage the best out of him.

In the short term, whilst Suarez is on hot form - yes the impact player approach is good.

However, i'd also like to try and find time for him to get more than 15 minutes gametime. There are going to be times when we need to play a different way, maybe when Suarez is banned/injured/off form, or when other teams find a way to neutralise Suarez, or when a team parks the bus. Or like tonight - i hope he starts with Downing one of those responsible for supplying him with chances.

Once we get back in Europe we'll need him a lot more too. So I wouldn't say we need a replacement just yet - though we could do with a fox in the box striker as an addition.

Think someone mentioned it here but what is his salary? that comes into account - say he was to stay 10 years at anfield.. and he earned half what suarez or dzeko or whatever his name is

I might be wrong mightly LFC but I actually feel we are in agreement and both in the same place. That is we both agree the signing of Carroll was a massive mistake but we are where we are. And what we need to do now is path of least worst option. Which probably means keep hold of Carroll and hope (with encouragement) he will make some worthwhile contribution and move forward with bringing another striker in to partner Suarez. Carroll, Bellamy, Kuyt will form the back up.

I reckon if they intended a panic buy that would mean the player that would start on the pitch immediately. But they knew they were buying a player on injury who was not going to play too soon anyway. He ended up not playing for the remainder of the season. If he was not a panic buy, then his purchase was a long term investment, then we should have waited anyway. I mean a wait and see attitude would have been more prudent if you were going to spend that kind of money. For that kind of money, he would have been our player anyway. Nobody was looking to pay that much.

Almost in agreement Stanley, but one or two differences perhaps:

- I don't think the signing was a massive mistake. The fee paid was the mistake. (But the owner did say that they needed to make a statement in that window, so there may have been other strategic reasons at the time too)

- i still think it's more than just hope. There's belief as well. And yes, he'll need plenty of encouragement.

- Kuyt is the one I see being eased out at the end of the season. So a strike force of Suarez, Bellamy, Carroll and one other for next season would be good.

So I'd say that we're generally in agreement. Perhaps the difference re: Carroll is just that I see the glass as half full whereas you see it as half empty.

The Carroll tankard has to be half full rather than half empty for several reasons, two of which include his fit with the squad and the point that target men generally only peak later in their careers.

We paid over the odds for him on the transfer fee, but I'm confident that the savings made on his salary offset that to a large degree. I see him as an expensive forward who should come good rather than an outright mistake/waste of money at this stage because I believe that the potential he showed at Newcastle cannot simply have disappeared just because he fell off a bar stool almost a year ago.

We just haven't got a Plan A that works to his strengths. Whether we should be moving towards such a Plan A (with future purchases etc) is largely for debate, given how good Suarez works with players faster of foot and mind, but if you look at the ages of the players Suarez links well with perhaps it's better to tinker with Carroll than prepare to overhaul our front line again in 6-18 months.

I don't think he will come good because not sure his attitude is right or he has enough talent. But lets assume I am wrong and he will come good to whatever extent. Its hard though to remove the £35m from your thoughts. Now I don't blame Carroll for that but I do blame whoever it was that took the decision if it was a decision not a blind reaction to Torres announcing he wants to go. Liverpool are not flush with money to waste and that £35m could have been put to much better use. In fact it may cost us three times the £35m if that stops the clubs progress into the chamions league because the team is not up to quality. You have to maxmise your resources and investment thats the first rule of business including football clubs.