Drop Carroll

[Delboy]

We were top half until Carroll arrived , drop him use as impact sub after 60 minutes

[SouthDownsRoyal]

Cool

[Royal_jimmy]

Yes, at home we should be starting Joao

[nailseabiscuitman]

Absolutely, the only plan seemed to be a long aimless ball in his direction, easily dealt with. He spent a fair time on the deck too, as did Long. Perhaps younger players would stay on their feet better and press better. We must be one of the easiest teams to work out a game plan against.

[Snowflake Royal]

I genuinely have no idea what our play is for trying to get shots within the box. It seems to be just take pot shots from long range and hope or waft balls vaguely near the box and hope.

[Hound]

It’s a bit harsh on AC because he has played fairly well himself

But undoubtedly any attempt to play football seems to go out the window when he starts. Do agree it’s worth giving Joao and running, he must be due a burst of form soon

[YorkshireRoyal99]

The problem with Carroll is that (no shock) we are too predictable. The most effective way of playing with him is swinging balls into the box or runners from flick ons. Tuesday aside, we haven't done nearly enough of that recently.

Might be time to give Joao a start or two, can certainly find the net when we need him to and had a good game in the reverse fixture against Blackburn at home, so maybe he can do something in the next couple of games.

[Orion1871]

Yes, at home we should be starting Joao

So he can stand around and watch defenders win the ball with ease?

He may be our best player but if he isn't going to at least try to give the opposition defenders a headache then he is no use to us.

[Snowflake Royal]

Yes, at home we should be starting Joao

So he can stand around and watch defenders win the ball with ease?

This is different to Carroll how?

[Millsy]

I think we like Carroll, it's not him that's the problem it's the system we play when we use him.

Either drop him or play in a way that enourages wide play and putting crosses in as Parj did when he joined.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

The way he is used pretty much sets the tone for the game. Clear tactic by Ince is lump up to the big man and feed off 2nd balls, flick ons absolutely fine its been in football for decades.
However for us, that translates on the pitch to lump it up to Carroll. Its irrelevant if he wins it as he is 20 yards away from anyone and as everyone is still in our own half.

We either build a team around Carroll or we dont use him as the main tactic, cant have T Ince dropping in deep and isolating him and then also play several defence minded players across the midfield.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

What I don't really understand is, when someone plays a 5-3-2, you either have a more expansive midfield (at least 2 out of those 3) that can get up and support the attacking players, or you have your wing backs playing in an advanced position knowing that you've got 3 CB's behind them to cover and at least another midfielder to help cover those lateral areas that they leave.

We don't really have either of those, we just have Ince who plays just in behind Carroll and another CF. We only really have 2 players in any sort of advanced position, who are likely to get outnumbered by 4-6 opposition players. It's easy to defend against purely because we don't have the numbers high enough up the field to cause the opposition enough problems.

You'd have thought with Hoilett (I know he's now injured) and NGW, with their strengths predominately going forward, we'd want our wing backs to be high and then the likes of Hendrick and Loum/Fornah/McIntyre can cover the spaces they leave. But it seems, when we have the ball, we lump to Carroll, keep all 5 defenders back along with 2 midfielders, which just seems pointless.

[Snowflake Royal]

It's like bad management isn't it.

[Fezza]

Hoofing the ball to his head is such a waste, his footballing skills were as much a reason for his move to Liverpool as his heading! Mix it up!

[Vision]

Hoofing the ball to his head is such a waste, his footballing skills were as much a reason for his move to Liverpool as his heading! Mix it up!

Said this on another thread.

He's got a great first touch, there's no reason we can't find a way to utilise this if we don't just boot the ball in his general direction every single time. He's a much better player than to be used solely as a lump to flick the ball onto imaginary runners.

We used him far more effectively in his first spell here and he was barely match fit then.

[Sutekh]

Hoofing the ball to his head is such a waste, his footballing skills were as much a reason for his move to Liverpool as his heading! Mix it up!

Said this on another thread.

He's got a great first touch, there's no reason we can't find a way to utilise this if we don't just boot the ball in his general direction every single time. He's a much better player than to be used solely as a lump to flick the ball onto imaginary runners.

We used him far more effectively in his first spell here and he was barely match fit then.

Y’see this is the prime argument for getting shot of Ince in the summer. If he hasn’t got the nous to develop tactics to better use what an intelligent player like Carroll can offer what chance is there of him developing much that’s worthwhile when the club isn’t constrained by the FL.

[One8Seven1*]

We were top half until Carroll arrived , drop him use as impact sub after 60 minutes

For? Meite? LOL