Rodgers’ Philosophy v Carroll Pragmatism?

LIKE many Liverpudlians, I am highly optimistic about the appointment of Brendan Rodgers.

Not in an unrealistic sense, he must be given time to implement his ideas. We do not want to see our great club, who prior to Roy Hodgson had only 17 permanent managers in 108 years, lose its identity by hiring and firing at the drop of a hat.

Rodgers is an exciting appointment because of his fairly unique approach to football.

The way in which his Swansea side entertained last season had heads turning across the footballing world. The impressive footage online of a passage of play during a Reserve match between the Swans and Liverpool from last season, gives us a glimpse of how the Northern Irishman will aim to influence the Club from the top down.

The mantra of ‘If we’ve got the ball then the other team can’t score’ has been taken to another level by the Spanish in recent years. While we wouldn’t be foolish enough to expect such remarkable success right away, at least we can see that there is a plan which should come to fruition gradually.

In order for this to work, Rodgers of course needs particular players. How Liverpool will line up for the opening League game at West Brom is a fascinating thought. There is sure to be at least two new signings at the club after Fabio Borini. There is even the possibility that Rodgers will pluck somebody untried from the reserves or youth team who he feels can fit well into his specific style of play. He may even swoop for somebody further down the league ladder. Leon Britton was playing in a struggling Sheffield United side before Rodgers brought him back to the Liberty Stadium and helped him become one of the most effective midfielders in the Premiership.

The signing of Borini is refreshing. Although I have to admit that I have never really seen him play, barring the customary Youtube compilations, the very fact that the transfer fee was relatively modest means that the lad should be able to settle in without a massive burden of expectation.

From what I have seen, Borini is not too dissimilar to Luis Suarez. A tenacious terrier with bundles of energy and passion, epitomised by his ‘knife in mouth’ goal celebration. He is none too dissimilar in size and stature either. How Rodgers will look to integrate both into the side remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure though, and that is the speculation surrounding Andy Carroll’s future is likely to rumble on. Borini’s arrival is probably not a direct threat to Carroll’s place in the squad at least, as Liverpool haven’t been abundant in the striking department for many a year now. However, as we all may have suspected, there is a high chance that Carroll will not fit into Rodgers specific style of play.

I am a fan of Carroll, for reasons outlined below, and also a fan of Rodgers. This leaves me in a mild quandary as the early signs suggest that Rodgers would not be too devastated if he no longer had the big number 9 at his disposal. Of course, the new manager will get my support and I would love to see him at the club for the next twenty years, but it would be a great shame to lose Carroll, just as he was showing signs of consistency.
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Carroll probably has a great deal left in his tank. The young man has not found the net anywhere near as often as we would have liked but along with his recent improvement he has shown some genuine moments of his class during his spell with the club, but if Rodgers feels that he can only implement his plans through the use of smaller, nippier forwards then so be it. Carroll would have little future at the club.

Regardless of whether he can fit into the new regime or not, Liverpool would be letting a player of real potential escape from their grip. In my opinion, Carroll has the physical attributes of an elite sportsman, but not the mental ones. In an era when we bemoan the enormous gap between the Premiership player and the man in the stand, I find Carroll to be a throwback to the old days. Not just in playing style, but in attitude and personality.

He seems to be a down to earth individual, who we are led to believe likes a couple of drinks every now and again. There were many suggestions that he did not want to leave Newcastle in the first place and was quite happy playing for his boyhood heroes and living near his mates. We see him hanging about with fellow North Easterner Jordan Henderson during Liverpool and England training. He is just a normal bloke who is maybe still coming to terms with the fact that his talent has catapulted him into a pretty unique world.

I believe that the sports psychologist was invented for players like him. He has shown the class that he has in his locker. His brace against Manchester City was quite brilliant. As was his technique for both of his England goals, as well as fine finishes at Exeter, Goodison Park, Brighton at Anfield and Chelsea at Wembley. Late headed winners that crept into his game at the end of last season are something that we could all get used to.

It could be argued quite rightly that these moments have been few and far between. However, he has shown that he is very capable. If sports psychologists can have an impact on the performance of sportsmen and women then surely they would all fancy a go on Andy Carroll. Often since his move, his confidence has looked rock bottom. Anyone who could help him to keep his self belief high would be worth a large chunk of the transfer fee!

The talk of a loan move to West Ham may be fanciful but it is easy to see why Sam Allardyce would be interested in having him at Upton Park. The much maligned ex-Newcastle boss would have his team set up around Carroll and with his love of Pro Zone and various other statistically based programmes, could well find a way to get the best out of him on a regular basis.

I am fully in support of Brendan Rodgers and am very excited to see his exciting brand of football unleashed at Anfield. If he believes that the best way forward is to sell Andy Carroll then it’s a decision that has to be backed. Many will be happily back this decision and view our current number 9 as nothing but a big lump. However, with a little more time and work, there’s every chance that he could start showing his moments of class on a regular basis.

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