The enigma that is Andy Carroll.
There is a divide – there has been one for a while now – where certain supporters of the club think we can’t do without him, while others just don’t know what to make of the 27-year-old.
Certainly he was Allardyce’s favourite and with his mate Kevin Nolan, they were always the first names on the team sheet – or Carroll would have been if he hadn’t spent so long on the treatment table. That’s not his fault and the lad has been unlucky with injury after injury, but I suspect that there are more fans willing to see Carroll sold on than would keep him now.
Although it was thought his style didn’t really suit Bilic’s ways and tactics, Carroll has proved to be a player that grew in stature with the West Ham boss and at times, Bilic has needed the old style centre forward approach.
Andy Carroll causes chaos in the penalty box, holds up the ball, provides assists and for a big man, he’s good with his feet as well as his head. But once again, just as everyone was talking about the player actually starting the season and gaining a place back amongst the England squad – he gets yet another frustrating injury.
Now Slaven Bilic has a mega-sized headache. No Carroll, no club record signing Andre Ayew, no Sakho and only a wayward Valencia and two new strikers who are devoid of experience in Fletcher and Calleri, fit enough to play.
Suggestions have been made that West Ham are talking to Manchester City about Wilfried Bony and, once again, Simone Zaza of Juventus. The fact is that West Ham need someone.
West Ham haven’t finished in the transfer market, but one player going nowhere is Andy Carroll. No one will want a crocked player who is continually laying on the treatment table. West Ham are as good as stuck with him. At least for now.
And that adds to Slaven Bilic’s frustration. If he was fit and he wanted Carroll out, that’s different, a team like West Brom would be sniffing around instantly, but whilst he’s getting over his never ending injury misery Bilic has a player for roughly half a season each year.
For the player to tweet that he is a 15-20 goal man has brought derision from Hammers fans. We all know the truth and Carroll has been unlucky enough not to be able to show it. If only he was that man.
You can admire his tenacity to get back from injury and the work and effort he puts in to getting back in the first team and I think even Slaven wants him to succeed, but Andy Carroll is nothing more than a sub who might score the odd goal and cover for a team-mate.
He has made only a limited number of appearances in a claret and blue shirt and during his initial year-long loan spell, the striker missed 11 matches due to a knee complaint and was also unavailable at the beginning of last season following a 24-match absence with another knee injury.
Five goals and 11 assists in 14 Premier League games last season shows that he can score, but that he’s never on the pitch for long before something else happens to him.
For now it looks as though Bilic is stuck with the most unfortunate man in English football, but the feeling is that he will offload him as soon as he can, either in the winter or next summer.
Andy Carroll. Enigma? It could have been so good for us all.
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