KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Carroll - I feel sorry for him

After watching todays game against City I really feel sorry for Carroll.
He was bought in as a big man, I dont think there is any doubt about that. So I would expect us to play to his strengths, I am wrong?
Now I dont mean to thump the ball up to him all the time, you do need to vary your game, but you need to give the big lad a chance, and during the game give him a chance by playing to his strength.

His strengths are in the air, so I would expect
1) crosses from wide positions where cross styles should vary
2) support around the player when the ball is put in the air for him (this applies to crosses and long balls) and ONE player near him doesnt count!

Watching todays game (and other games Carroll has briefly played), I didnt see any liverpool player giving Carroll a chance.
Downing cuts inside, and rarely crossed, Kyute cuts inside and rarely crossed, johnson's crossing was awful, Jose's crossing was awful.

all this stick he is getting, i would expect his liverpool team mates to help him by playing to his strengths.

Is it Kenny who is making the mistake? or is it the players unable to execute Kenny's strategy?
I am tempting to say that Kenny doesnt want to play that way, and if thats the case, I would sell Carroll, not because Carroll is [oops] because Liverpool do not want to play that type of football.

I am on the fence RE your comments
I dont think he always gets out jumped.
I think his positioning is bad because he's the only man in the area and hence looks crap if the ball is not near him. I think taking a position behind a player gives you the advantage of running at the ball and having a leap advantage...but need better service and more support

To a point, me to.

However.

Cast your mind back to that game under Hodgson at St James against Newcastle. We were poor that day, but Carroll was the shining light and had been all season for Newcastle. He troubled defenders, scored goals, won headers, laid the ball of, held the ball, made runs.

I don't see him doing this for us and I don't see that intensity either.

I mean at Newcastle, he'd play an easy ball out to the wing and he would bust a gut AND be the first one in the box, to get on the end of the cross.

and this is where confidence is low, I honestly thinks, he thinks, "F*ck it I ain't running to get in the box, because it's not coming to me anyway"....and to be fair, he is absolutely right.

we should have bought nolan with carroll....

The Caroll we saw at Newcastle is different to one we are seeing at Liverpool.

Last time i checked Carroll wasn't Messi, so he isn't gunna score goals from mazey runs from the halfway line. He needs the ball in the air from the wings and no-one other than Gerrard vs Newcastle has done this. His 2nd goal vs Man city last season is exactly what we need week in week out. We cannot play pass and move with Carroll. We cannot expect Carroll to play a type of game that is too quick for his body to physically move, speed is the price you pay for being tall and strong.

Exactly! But I think this is a coaching and management issue and ultimately Kenny!

Either when you play Carroll use play to his strengths or sell him.

Downing has let Carroll down massively, when Carroll does bring the ball down and give it wide to Downing, Downing busts a gut down the wing far to quickly for Carroll to get in the box then once he does get in the box Downing takes way to long to get the cross in, if he decides to cross that is which he never does. By this time Carroll has lost all momentum to win the header and its too much to ask from someone who is low on confidence. KD needs to get a style of play that either suits everyone which is unlikely or just sell Carroll. MAKE A DECISION.

The crossing is horrendous when we stop fannying about 20 yards out