When Andy Carroll left Newcastle United last January for £35m, he became the most expensive England player ever. The new record amount paid for a British player, was done so when Andy Carroll , Newcastle academy product, had only been capped by his country once and had only recorded 14 Premier League goals. Now, a year on from his move from the black and white of the North East to the red side of Merseyside, the 6’3 striker has so far only returned a pitiful 4 PL goals for Liverpool and could be on the verge of having his transfer fee ridiculed even more.
Andy Carroll’s struggle has been well documented: at the time, finding a Liverpool fan willing to justify the fee paid was as hard as finding one that wouldn’t miss Fernando Torres . Bizarrely, the combined £85m strike duo have performed more like a strike force worth a tenth of that; or in playing terms, a strike force of Emile Heskey and Kevin Davies ; they’ve scored just as many since the record-breaking moves. Unless Carroll improves significantly and quickly, it is possible that he is to be sold at a considerable loss, despite Dalglish ’s iron will over the matter, “Andy is young. But he’s an excellent player and will be a valuable asset for us. I don’t understand the obsession. The price tag is irrelevant. We’re delighted with the business we did in January for Andy Carroll.”
However, this possible January signing for Liverpool may well contrast Carroll’s fee and talent like never before. On the surface of it, an £100k signing from a striker plying his trade in the IFA Premiership for a semi-professional club, is nothing like the Dalglish signings so far: £35m for Carroll, £25m for Suarez, £20m for Henderson and Downing. However, as Dalglish has said, “The price tag is irrelevant.
If we get someone in on a Bosman, does that mean he is rubbish? Should he not play because we haven’t paid any money for him?” And he has answered his own question with Bellamy this season, who has contributed with 2 goals, 2 assists and over 400 minutes of PL football this season. So, if Dalglish does move for this £100k hit-man of the IPA Premiership, it might not be too long before he’s redounding to a far greater extent than the man who cost 350 times his potential transfer fee.
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But who is he? Well, the striker, who only made his semi-professional debut last year, has scored 17 goals so far this season and stands an inch shorter than Andy Carroll, is Rory Donnelly of Cliftonville F.C. The prolific youngster started to attract interest, initially from the Football League, when he hammered four goals home in one game, in November. Cliftonville boss Tommy Breslin confirmed that an un-named club had expressed an interest in Donnelly , but confirmed that no bid had been made, ”We won’t stand in his way but it has to be right for him and the club,” said Breslin. Just over a month later and the list of clubs chasing his signature is growing, with Everton, Brentford and Swansea, also looking to sign him in January. As of yet, only Swansea had lodged an official bid, £100,000, which has been accepted.
But, the 19-year old Cliftonville striker was allegedly holding talks with Kenny Dalglish on Tuesday about a possible move to Anfield, having been contacted by the Reds boss on Sunday. Dalglish said of the matter, “We’ve registered our interest, that’s as far as it goes,” but if a deal is to be done, it must be done soon, as the Belfast outfit want Donnelly’s future to be sorted out before Christmas. With Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers already having an £100k bid accepted for him and Everton manager David Moyes already having met the striker, Dalglish will have to move quickly and efficiently if he hopes to sign the youngster.
There is a defence for the continuously toiling Carroll , though: the comparisons to John Toshack could well have hindered the start of the Geordie’s Liverpool career. The aerial prowess is uncanny, the strength and power too; even the similarities, reminiscent to the little and large partnership of Toshack and Keegan, are akin in Suarez and Carroll ; however the players aren’t as alike as they may have been made out. Dalglish has seemingly expected Carroll to replicate the playing style of John Toshack, at least that’s how it seems in the way in which Carroll is being made to play at Liverpool; a style a world away from his trade at Newcastle.
At the Toon, when Carroll was played in with a ball to run onto, he’d approach it with the aim of hitting it first time, left-footed, goal-bound: more often than not, he’d score. The plaudits he gained from Keegan and the like, with many saying his aerial talent exceeds Toshack’s, came from his runs from deep, into the box to head home corners and crossings: his style of play and lack of pace naturally made him the later arrival. However, At Liverpool, the insistence to play the ball up to him at his feet is detrimental to his game.
The striker is 6’3, he prides himself and his game, on power and strength, not pace. Receiving the ball deep, at his feet has entirely changed his game from his strengths. He is unable to turn quick enough and beat his man. For this partnership to work, he must be played as the target-man for Suarez to play off of; knock downs, arriving late for Suarez to cross to and beating his man in the air: that is his game.
No matter what happens, according to comments Dalglish has previously made, the potential signing won’t belittle Carroll, “Everyone will be treated the same way, whether they are the most expensive or the cheapest.” That comment was made in the last week of September when Carroll was again being criticised for his performances in a Liverpool shirt and with Dalglish continuing to stand by his record signing, stating that, “Everybody’s got to be prepared and ready to play [over Christmas], they will all expect to play some part in some of the games, and Andy Carroll is no different,” it seems nothing has changed, yet.
What does need to change though is Liverpool’s scoring record in the Premier League this season. This campaign, Liverpool have scored fewer than Norwich, Blackburn and bottom of the league Bolton, and Rory Donnelly could well be the answer.
Article courtesy of Jordan Florit from This is Futbol
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