I won’t be sorry to see Andy Carroll back on the bench at the weekend should Manuel Pellegrini choose to bring him back into the fold.
Should he do so I won’t be expecting much more than a ten or 15 minute cameo against City but assuming- and it’s a big one – he can stay fit I believe he could make a massive difference to our season.
The manager describes him as always being an option (assuming fitness of course) and he’s right because in reality the Geordie Boy is the most natural striker in the club.
Arnie has rightly become a hero but he is a converted striker and doesn’t have the same instincts as Carroll whose aerial abilities remain something to behold.
And that raises a big question which I haven’t heard asked thus far: “Could the pair of them play in the same side?” at some point this season.
Most see Carroll’s involvement as an impact sub but I think it’s quite possible things could work out differently.
Arnie has great movement and is forever busy whereas AC – at his best – is a great line leader with tremendous aerial ability.
With the creative skills of Felipe Anderson up front the Hammers would have a trio of serious menace and the return of Manu Lanzini would turn that menace into something quite fearsome.
I understand that it’s not going to happen just yet but all the stuff we are hearing is that Carroll looked very good in the behind-closed-doors game against Brentford and should be up to speed within three or four games.
He and Arnie in the same starting X1 sounds an exciting possibility to me. AC has much to prove between now and the end of the season with the priority being that he stays fit.
If he does so, and is at some stage teamed up with Arnie, the outcome could be quite incredible for the Hammers.
