If I was as s cynical as I’ve sometimes liked to pretend I would have a very big Andy Carroll conspiracy theory.
As it is I will settle for wondering why the manager wasn’t a lot more definite in his reply when asked if the big centre forward was for sale four days ago.
On December 23rd when asked if AC was on the market next month, Bilic said: “I don’t think so, I don’t think so. We need players, we need him fit, we need him back. He fits into my plans. I said this from the start and that didn’t change.”
“Think so…need him fit – he’s in my plans” Hmmm. It’s the manager’s decision on whether players will be allowed to go. Ok he can be over-ruled but “I don’t think so” isn’t the most emphatic declaration of intent.
In the meantime the lad’s been missing from action again and if we are entirely honest about it there’s no question the board may well feel that they were had right over when the former manager decided to stake his entire reputation on bringing him to the club.
All of this came to mind yesterday when in conversation with some senior people I was told that to all intents and purposes Carroll was fit but may not be risked at Villa “just in case.”
The ‘just in case’ was left hanging in the air but it begged a question for me and it was this: ‘Just in case he breaks down again and we can’t sell him in January?!”
Of course I may have this 100 per cent wrong and he could easily be back in action tomorrow but ya know what? I really do believe that if an offer of around £7m – £8m were to come in it may well be accepted.
I share the view that when all are fit Andy Carroll is towards the back of the queue for a starting place regardless of the “he fits my plans” statement from the boss.
Ok, it’s only a conspiracy theory but I invite your views!
unless miracles really do happen he is never going to be injury free for any extended period so we will never get any value from him . Cut our losses and let him be someone elses problem.if he dont fit the system dont change it change him.
We need a player similar to Sakho to play in the new system,try a swap with Newcastle £7 million plus Carroll for Cissie,and use the left over money to buy Lanzini,
Gomis wants out at Swansea again take him and sell Carroll to Sunderland,
If Chelsea buy big in January sell Carroll and buy Remy
Antonio won’t make our new system get £7 million back from Derby,
We don’t need to spend money just look to the future,
Drop to the championship buy Gray off Burnley,
Buy the right back off Leeds and loan them back till the end of the season
Other than the Chelsea goal we have not won a game with Carroll on the pitch I actually think his presence in the team unsettle the other players he gets so much media time without doing anything that to the others who work hard every week must be very frustrating get rid of him and I think the team will jel well together . I am not a Carroll hater but you have to be realistic time to go so we lose money but we will be stronger.!!!!
I have written over and over on this subject since before he even came back from his long lay-off. I just cannot see him as anything g but an impact sub ( which I think he would be a tremendous asset as) enabling the manager to change his whole style of play late in a game, when the oppositio’s defence is tiring.
As for whether he is being saved for a sale, I wrote on this, that Slav’s persistence in giving him a starter’s role could be more DS’s determination to get some value back from a deal he never reckoned, than any real belief Slav has of Carroll ever living up to his reputation.
I can’t imagine any club chairman agreeing to pay £7-8m for a player who spends more time injured than they do on the pitch but if there is ever a time a club would be desperate enough to take a chance, it is during the January window. With QPR looking to sell Charlie Austin for £6m before the Summer, I’m sure, given a choice, most would choose Austin over Carroll. Whilst I really like Carroll, I would jump at the chance of recouping £7m for him not to mention getting such a high earner off our books. Put that together with the money we received for Jarvis and we could probably afford one of the many strikers we were linked with in the Summer.
I too have been a Hammers fan in excess of forty years, I’m in agreement that we have (by our standards a higher calibre squad), but a squad needs reliable players and big Andy isn’t reliable, especially with the wage he draws.
If someone came in for him and a more reliable replacement was brought in I wouldn’t feel too distraught about seeing him move on. Perhaps our former manager can persuade his current club to take him?
I suspect as hugh has suggested that we are trying to keep carroll fit so we can sell him for a decent price during the january window . The way slav sets up the team leaves him isolated and unfortunately he is a one trick pony and doesnt have the attributes to adapt to the system we are playing. We all know with the right service he can be unplayable and im sure theres a team out there that would want him…fingers crossed …hopefully with a decent fee and his astronomical wages off the books we could get the kind of player we need to have a real go 2nd half of the season
I disagree with you. Being a Hammer supporter for over 40yrs I can tell you that this squad is one of the best we have had. We need all the players that we have now except for some fringe players that we can sell. Carroll is one we need whether he is starting or an impact player we need him. When I’ve seen him play this season he has not had the service from the team to get him to score goals. How can you expect him to score when he has no service up front. Our front strikers need to gel Zarate needs to play and pass the ball and not try and take on the defence and score on his own. Our full backs need to start crossing the ball again when near the dead ball line as well as what we have been doing by playing through the midfield. In my opinion for what’s it’s worth Slav needs to start thinking of different attacking formations of play and not use the squad in a defensive way with the hope of a quick counter attack to score a goal. It’s no wonder our strikers including Carroll are suffering a lack of confidence in front of goal.
The big problem, from Bilic’s point of view, is that he can’t rely on Carroll!
His fitness problems are just ridiculous – over and above that the Club are paying out a fortune for a player who spends the vast majority of his time on the treatment table – I enjoyed his winner against Chelsea but those days a rarity!
This is one headache that Bilic can do without – he’s got more than enough on his plate without this constant Carroll soap opera!
Its a possibility but so is nobles departure with his testimonial ?
Of the two I would keep a fit carol but it may be time for a clear out as of late there’s a few who can’t cut it along with the two I’ve mentioned as the injury have proved !
We definitely need new blood to move forward in the coming move to the os!
The young one,s coming through are not fully up to the task of stepping into the fray ,
They are for the future ,
I think it is perfectly acceptable to think this is a valid reason they are keeping him out of the squad. He does not work in the new “system” and if we really want to progress as a club who plays the “West Ham Way” and leave the memory of BFS behind then we need to sell him. He is not a Bilic player and this will be a big statement with Slav continuing to build his team as we usher in the new stadium and a new era.
Well i like the guy but the number of games he has played the last couple of years? Would he be missed i don’t think so… When was the last time we had a striker who played the whole season without injury????
hand, off, your and bite spring to mind! whichever order you decide to choose