Andy Carroll on his day is one of the most exciting players in the Premier League. He heads the ball like few others. He chests the ball down like no one else. His on the floor skills are underrated and his first touch can be sublime. He scores some outstanding goals. And yet… and yet… apart from at Newcastle, he’s never really delivered the goods. One day he looks world class. The next day he’s injured. Usually for some time.
Andy Carroll was 29 this week. In his entire career, he’s only played 265 games, scoring 70 goals at a ratio of 1:38. He probably has one big move left him. It is now heavily rumoured that Chelsea would like to buy him as cover for Morato. Given Andy Carroll complains he doesn’t get enough game time at West Ham, it would certainly be an odd move for him to make. But on the other hand, he’d be (maybe) playing in the Champions League, and which player wouldn’t be enticed by that?
He is undoubtedly irritated at not being a first choice starter for David Moyes, as is Javier Hernandez. But can we really afford to lose a player who is a potential matchwinner, as he showed against West Bromwich Albion last week? With Sakho likely to leave this month, and the club said to be willing to entertain offers for Hernandez it’s difficult to see a logic for allowing Carroll to leave. I think there are two circumstances where that could happen. The first is for a huge offer of in excess of £25 million to come in, and the second would be if Chelsea would be willing to do some sort of swap deal for Michy Batshuayi. Chelsea are rumoured to want to send him out on loan for the rest of the season if they can find a replacement. He’s a player David Sullivan tried to sign a couple of summers ago, and I think he’d be a great acquisition for West Ham – but surely not as a loan player.
If Andy Carroll’s head is in the right place he can still be a worldbeater, but can he be relied upon? That’s the big question.
So, stick or twist?