Premier League

Connolly heaps praise on Arnautvoic, questions Carroll

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Former West Ham striker David Connolly gushed over the ability of Marko Arnautovic but suggested Andy Carroll may struggle to fill in for the attacker while the 29-year-old is out injured.

Connolly, who made 39 appearances for the Hammers, shared that he thought Arnautovic had the ability to play for a side in the Premier League’s top-four while also comparing him to Manchester United legend Eric Cantona.

However the now retired footballer then proceeded to suggest that he didn’t know whether Carroll could cover the loss of Arnautovic to injury due to not being a similar type of player.

“Losing Arnautovic massive blow, massive blow, I’ve said before he is the player for the top four for me, he could play in any one of those top four sides like a Cantona, so he’s massive,” said Connolly on Love Sport Radio, in a clip uploaded to their Twitter account.

“Now whether Andy Carroll is the man to step up, it’ll be a different way of playing, he’s not a technician, he’s not going to get down the sides, he’s not going to break into box then wiggle free and get shots off, he’s not a goalscorer.

“I don’t know, I have a feeling at some point that West Ham may go y’know what, you’re not quite for us.”

OPINION

Connolly is definitely a member of Arnautovic’s fan club but it’s seems he won’t be sending Carroll fan mail anytime soon. The 41-year-old’s praise for Arnautovic is understandable as he has looked fantastic for the Hammers in recent times and you would think that he could excel if playing for a team battling at the top of the division. However his critique of Carroll is harsh to say the least. The 29-year-old is a different type of player but he is more than capable of filling for Arnautovic as he is very talented in his own right. The only issue there has ever been regarding Carroll is his injury record, as before you know he is ruled out for one reason or another and can’t be relied upon for that reason. Hopefully the 29-year-old is able to stay fit now that he is back in the fold as Manuel Pellegrini needs him more than ever. Arnautovic is set to be unavailable for 2019 due to a hamstring injury (Source:BBC Sport) and the Hammers need to keep the positive results coming even without their top scorer to call upon.

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