Andy Carroll’s relentless injury problems are set to become a major issue for Slaven Bilic as he plans West Ham’s way towards the Olympic Stadium.
Any new boss faced with a player who, at £17 million, has made 27 first team appearances and scored seven goals at £2,5 million each would be forgiven for wondering whether there is an answer anywhere to such a problem.
Frankly, it doesn’t look like it as all the talk about getting rid as quickly as possible doesn’t really stack up given the stark financial realities of the situation.
I spent considerable time on the phone this afternoon to an agent very familiar with the problem that is AC and despite his years of experience in buying and selling players he sees only one flicker of hope – but more of that in a minute.
He explained: “How do you sell a player who is injured for such long periods. Even if a buyer came in the fee would be considerably lower than the £17 million West Ham paid and the wages on offer would be a fraction of the deal he has with the club. Why would he leave?
“Make no mistake West Ham – and therefore Slaven Bilic – has a problem which is seemingly insoluble and the added issue is that even were he fit, the new manager would prefer a front two of Sakho and Valencia with Payet playing behind them.
“Nobody should try diminishing the problem because at this moment few inside the club have a clue on how this one is going to pan out.
“And that’s why the club and manager may decide to delay a decision on a long term replacement and instead bring in a player on loan for a season as cover for a Carroll who may or may not stay fit once he has returned.”
AC will have three years left on his deal at the start of next season but my agent pal declared that the one hope comes in the fulsome shape of Sam Allardyce and his even more fulsome pal, Mr Carroll’s agent, Mark Curtis.
There’s already a conspiracy theory doing the rounds that Sam may well be Leicester City’s manager-in-waiting following the departure of his other big mate Nigel Pearson. He’s an ideal candidate to keep a team that struggled last season in the Premier League.
The theory was inspired by the move for Charlie Austin, an unlikely target for the club unless perhaps Sam – who does love a big man up front – is getting the gig.
If he does walk into the club at a time – hopefully when AC is fit – there’s every chance the Foxes could put in a knockdown bd for him.
It’s a long shot shot but in the meantime the Irons and Slaven Bilic have a problem on their hands which may not be about to go away any time soon!
How ironic if the man so many Hammers fans love to hate turned out to be their salvation!
We are shagged!! We have a walking injury list on our hands that aint going to go away anytime soon.Hippos biggest present to us all,unfortunately not a present you cant take back to the shop & change if you dont want it.Thanks Hippo you asshole!
Can we just shoot him & claim of the insurance?? Or sue him for not being fit for purpose??
Spoonie calm down, we have never been able to rely on him so nothing new.
I guess so,but it gets me hot under the collar when i think hippo went all in to get Carroll,the wages the transfer fee.Complete waste of money.Its signings like this that can cripple a club.Instead all we got was the cripple!
I know the board gave the cash for him but it was that fat useless piece of turd that wanted him so much.With wages included,20m plus flushed down the toilet because of that incompetant walking breathing lump of pond scum!
Relax Spoon,lol,i thought you were a calm guy.It is what it is,where stuck with him it appears.Will have to make the best of a bad situation i suppose 😉
I know,i know Sting.This hippo & Carroll situation just really gets my back up.We aint a club with 20 odd million to throw around on a guy who is seemingly permanently injured.It just feels like that ******* Allardyce even though he has gone has still left us with a situation for him to laugh at to himself.That he has shafted us by leaving us with a pain in the ass situation! ****er,fat ******* ****er!!!
Our owners need to just sell, if we can get just under half what we paid for him it will be a miracle! One more injury and he is worthless, never mind the disgusting salary we agreed to pay him, Allardyce conned the owners into agreeing the fee & salary.
Look at the goals Austin delivered, and an all round better player than Carroll, the type Slav can work with. Carroll is deluded, when did he really last deliver? Perhaps for a while at Newcastle, but he is media crazy, constantly showing every one his rich life style for doing what? Very Little!
Exactly Jaybs,we got mugged off all because of that turd Allardyce,*******!!
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Blame Fat Sam for some things but it was 3/4 of the ground singing ‘Andy Carroll, we want you to say’ at the end of his loan season that made the chairmen, manager & player complete that transfer. We fans think we know it all then conveniently forgot the history when it goes pear shaped.
I think when making that statement to spoonie you should be sure he wasnt one of the 1/4 who wasnt singing it 😉
I must have been in the same quarter as Spoonie then Rads because I was shouting for Bony… But I’m glad we didn’t get him he didn’t do much did he??? Oh hold on my mistake scored at hatful and sold for a profit
My reservation at the time was that he was never a prolific goal scorer & if he was there to set up goals who was he going to set up.Nolan was diminishing.Just seemed so much money for one player when our budget was not vast.Putting all your eggs in one basket was always risky.Anyway it has turned into one almighty fuxk up as it stands,no question about that.
It’s a dilemma but the Allardyce solution sounds like a devious possibility – a long shot but it could pull us out of the cack!
What am I saying BFS would go out of his way to screw us – it’s a no hoper!
Youre on a roll tonight Spoonie.I get p*ssed off about this AC saga as well.It is getting so stupid now.We are stuck with someone who is viewed as one of our top strikers but we never see him.Aint a situation that can run for too much longer,it is a joke.All the time we have him the board are probably not keen to shell out large on another striker in the hope AC will come good.But most the time we end up with neither AC or a top striker to take his place.But you are right Spoons,i find it difficult not to curse hippo for this crap 😉
Btw,i saw on the Ladbrokes site the other day that in a poll they had Carroll was voted the most expensive transfer flop,he held off competition from Torres but won in the end,lol 😉
I don’t think he is going anywhere,because he wants to stay in London with the missus and sprig,
The only problem for me is his injury problems,
You can’t fault him on his effort or ability, it’s not his fault Hippo played his style of football
If we get an offer of £10 million then sell but I would give him one more go other wise
Blimey Spoonie I love your passion you’re a revelation and I hope it helps to get it out of your system. On the downside Sky have said you can’t fill in for Cottee when he goes on his hols lol
Btw I feel sorry for AC but it’s us who carry the burden and as for BFS see above I agree with Spoonie
The money is spent. Some investments don’t pay off. Forget the price they paid two seasons ago, if he stays fit
and manages to contribute then great. If not, then make him move on.. for whatever price they’re willing to pay.
Whatever financial troubles the Icelandic ownership got us in was far worse.
just try not to sign big heavy strikers that are prone to injury again. At least not for that kind of money.
Oh this Carroll situation just makes me mad.Over 20m this move will cost in transfer & wages.What will we get out of it.**** all,i will state now that Carroll will comeback & be injured within a max of 10 games.I dont give a **** how he was made to play under hippo,screw that,he is injury prone anyway.Not just that but his goal to game ratio is ****ing **** anyway.Only once at Newcastle did he ever have a decent goal to game rate.If we get 20 games out of him this coming season it will be a miracle.Hippo turned us over massive with this signing.He should be sued for being an incompetent ****head!
The money is spent,some investments dont pay off!!!!Well thats ****ing fine if it is a 550k investment,not ****ing 20m.That was our whole budget for a couple of summer transfer windows.Its probably about 2/3rds of this one & you say forget it.**** that,******** Allardyce got us a made in china plastic toy that snaps everytime you play with it.Him & Curtis probably took a nice slice in an envelope anyway,pair of ****ers!!
Well.. AC is here. He IS injury prone. We will NEVER get that money back whatever we do. But the man who bought him is gone, that’s what you can call the root cause for most of our troubles the last four years.
we knew he was a crook two years ago, didn’t we.
Do whatever you want spoonie, I won’t even spend a calorie more on ****ing because of BFS because Elvis has ****ing left the building!
Hahaha,wow,i have just read this with tears of laughter in my eyes.Who has rattled Spoonie Spoons cage,lol,is this really the same guy who only ever wrote one line for a couple of months,haha,really funny 😀 😀 😀
Now the fat one has left (can’t bring myself to use his name anymore) maybe AC will get away from being used as a battering ram. It is no wonder that he has been injured along with having a glass ankle. If & I mean a big IF he can keep fit for the bulk of the season, he will be like a new signing. At his best he can be a top striker. His mate Nolan will be gone soon as a zimmer frame might become a handicap when trying to run after the ball. He will have to find another to use his telephatic powers with.
Spoonie you are a superstar,so many swear words you should rename yourself Asterisk the Gaul you ******* ******* **** ****** lol
Spoonie you are totally right but you forgot to mention that the actual wage is around £130,000 a week as his third leg captain no legs on £50k a week can’t play without him.
But Spoonie you have breached rule 1 of the WHTID code of conduct which states; thou shalt not tarnish the messiah’s name or that of his prodigal sons for we must always hold them on high as without them we would be nowhere.
For this indiscretion you will now have to go through a 3 month statistical rehabilition course on the virtues of all thing Hippo.
WHTID post – What will be our formation against arsenal? Comments
1.Black Cabs
2. More black cabs
3. Trucker strikes
4. Women’s football
5. American sport stars
Bellend you have created a forum of intellectuals I salute you, 297 comments with 20 about football and you wonder why I take the **** lol
Your’e obsessed. Strange behavior.
Stop being an oldgit,just having a laugh.Go talk american football,you might enjoy it 😀
Old git your one of the posters I actually don’t mind reading as you generally have the ability of talking about the thread, it’s not obsession it’s just banter and pointing out the fact that a so called expert football forum is more like reading the independent.
Lmao GW,i saw that earlier,lol,how americans are the greatest sportsmen on the planet.They would win the world cup everytime if they took it seriously,bahaha.No surprise it was americans or guys who have moved there & been brainwashed said it.Pretty good for a country where probably about a 1/3 of them are waddling lumps of lard 😉
BUT IF WE PUT COMMENTS IN CAPITALS WE MUST BE LISTENED TO LOL
Ahhh,ok,thats because the guys son & him use the same account i think,so capitals is one of them,small letters is the other,lol 😉
ahahha… I called you “a man of few words” Spoonie… I take back everything I said … I’m afraid you were bitten by a wetpant zombie … you got the virus, you turned into a rabid dog. This needs treating before you lose your head: persons entering the quarantine facility must wear protective clothing including footwear. lol 😀
ahah..sorry, one thing I forgot to mention: Calamity Andy is by far the best investment West Ham ever made… he’s priceless… he looks very fit, I am pleased to note that he can stand on his feet, he’s making great progress… loooool 😀
Anyone know what his injury record was like before he joined us? Was it a bad buy based on track record or has he been unlucky since joining us?
Dont know Pab,never took much notice of him at the scousers.Just know the ****er has scored 20 goals in just under 100 games for both liverpool & us.One goal every five games,whoopie ****ing doo,light the fireworks.****ing joke of a signing & no Oldgit i wasnt one of the ones signing for him because i have never rated the geordie ****er.
Get rid of!! Throw his crutches in F.O.C.
I forgot to say, he,s got the hippo hippo shake.