I will begin with where I stand in the Andy Carroll situation. First, I don’t think he’s a problem. He’s done exceptional, given the circumstances. Our wingers and full-backs aren’t good enough for the Premier League. Ricardo Vaz Te, not a winger! He needs an extra touch instead of getting the early crosses Andy Carroll is hungry for. Matt Jarvis, so much potential! But the full-backs always choose Winston Reid, and he never gets asked to take corners or free-kicks. Second, he is an influential player. Centre-Backs are intimidated by the size, the weight, the strength of him (and the hair). He flings himself all over the place. He wins free-kicks, he scores them, he runs and runs and runs! If only the midfield were this hungry. Despite this, he is not worth the $17million tag.
Well, the stand-out option in my eyes is Aston Villa’s top scorer, Christian Benteke. He is far too good for the mediocre version of West Ham’s claret and blue and is on many a radar for a couple of reasons. One, if Villa go down, he’d be available on a cheap. Also, he has the potential to be a 20 goals a season striker. And I believe we have a great platform to offer that to him. Unlike the ‘Manchesters’ and the other ‘Londoners’, we can offer him a start week in, week out, and will put him in the spotlight where he has thrived in all season. But, if Villa survive, he will hold the same issue as the Carroll situation. Do we want spend $20million on him?
Another problem with the Carroll situation is that we’re trying to fill his mould because of Big Sam’s stubbornness, there is no room for another mould. I think we need to look for a player that, if there are only two chances on goal, two goals will be score. The only 3 people I’ve seen do this is Robin Van Persie (out of our budget), Luiz Suarez (it’s a question of Paris or Barking) and the cheaper option, Adam Le Fondre. Never have I seen so much hype and excitement when a player enters the field. His stats alone convince me to pull out my chequebook! He has the highest strike rate in the Premier League this season (one every 102 minutes) and he has breached the 10 goal mark in his first Premier League season (6 goals also from the bench). So, he’d be ideal if, like vs. Sunderland, we needed momentum and a player with that potential on the pitch, I wouldn’t be panicking like I did on Saturday.
Another target to look at for our goalscoring problems is Glenn Murray. He is the definition of “working through the ranks”. He wasn’t lucky enough to be scouted by Arsenal or Manchester United and spent much of his early career at Workington Reds and has progressed all the way up to Crystal Palace where he has the season of his life. Only Lionel Messi, 37 goals, has scored more the Murray this season, 29. That is unbelievable, even if it’s in the Championship. That accolade deserves a test in the top flight and I think we could push his career even higher. I’d take the chance, the kid’s deserved it (plus, I can’t see Crystal Palace get promoted anytime soon).
So these are my “get out of jail free” cards and I think they will benefit West Ham just as much as West Ham will benefit them. These are only the cheaper targets and once the Boleyn Ground has been sold, there’ll be cash in the kitty to boost us into heaven. Europe, here we come!
By Rhys Lloyd (Now @RTLL_WHU1964 on Twitter).
Andy Carroll is far too over priced both signing on fee & weekly salary, fans thinking we are playing games with Liverpool I am sure they know that, but what a loss they would make if they let him go for £10 Million! but his current salary is worrying! yes he is Sam’s type of player and a member of the elite group with Nolan who are clear favorites of Sam. There are other good players around! anyway there are quite a few more games of this season and AC with 5 goals is not so powerful a scoring machine.
So he is good enough to loan and keep you in the Premier league but not good enough to spend your money on? you deserve what you get mate! West Ham don’t deserve fans like you, there are a lot of Liverpool fans who want him back, but don’t have a say in the matter! what price relegation?
Take it up with Rodgers!
He is so much more than a striker though
He is so much more than a striker though
Glenn Murray aka “the kid” is 29 years old.
I think Andy Carroll will prove his worth to West Ham with another 5 or 6 goals and us gaining another 9 or 10 points if Andy plays the last 6 games i have confidence in both outcomes. Then we should stop messing about and sign him in the summer
agree with comment above>> AC will get 3 or 4 more goals and leaving us 47 -8 points and he needs to be signed up!
Go for it Hammers get carroll , bony and other quick skilful defenders and midfielders/wingers
Totally agree he is worth the money
Totally agree with the majority of comments, AC has proved himself worthy of bending the budget, why waste money on players that we know we will have to mould? AC has come to us on loan, and worked hard to prove not only to west ham but to all the liverpool doubters that he is worth his weight in gold. Let’s stop hesitating and sign him this summer.
Loic Remy. He’s great, and he’ll be cheap. We might aswell take Samba and Cesar at the same time. 18m for the lot !
Does he do all over the pitch that Carroll does
Glenn Murray? Seriously? Please tell me this is a joke. And also Adam Le Fondre? The guy is what classed by his fans as a ‘super sub’ and was doing the same thing in the Championship.
I like what Tom said and Loic Remy is our best option. Ideally Benteke would be a great suit at West Ham but that depends on Villa getting relegated.
No one has mentioned Arouna Koné, doing well in a poor Wigan side. A great target man who has finally found form and if Wigan go down then we could get him on the cheap. Only problem is hes 29 now but we got a good deal out of Wigan by getting Diame.
There are much better targets out there than you have offered to be honest but next season we really need to push on.
me and my boy go and watch our local team swindon and i reckon charlie austin would cut it in the prem go and sighn him sam
a fit andy carroll would be a gr8 signing, but what allardyce said regarding the new financial rules doesnt sound encouraging at all, will we sign him or wont we ? its very confusing, we definitely need quality strikers, carlton cole should and will be let go, his goal tally for us since he signed is very underwhelming.
overall its been a satisfying season but we must push on and sign some quality especially in the striker dept.
Some good comments above lads. AC is a conundrum and splits opinion he is not worth 17 mil but he is somone who gives WHU another dimension and could become a legend at Up or the OS. For me I love an old fashione centre forward who terorises defenders like the WBA game. I think 20 a season is well within Andys grasp and hope we get him with the hoped for investment from the new stadium we should be able to afford him………
I would get a.carrol, and roades, and also jussi, from Chelsea, and remy, if we don’t get carrol, we need strikers that get 20 to 30 goals a season, to compete with the top 4 clubs, carrol and roades up front, and remy, would be good, I still think they need to play paulista, a run in first team, to see what he can do, as I think Sam is wasting his talents, and not giving him a chance, carrol for 12million, roades for 6 million, and remy for 7 million, and jussi from Chelsea, on a free, Macca westham.
Carroll has done pretty well when fit. If he stays fit and stays a Hammer under SA he’ll no doubt get back to his very best.Ironically,I bet that in the Liverpool game after Suarez had spent his time not getting past James Collins that a certain manager wished he had a big center forward (the club paid £35mil for one he can’t find a place for) to take on our back four.