That's the question facing Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish regarding the role of Andy Carroll in both his short and long-term plans. It may not run off the tongue as easily and eloquently as Shakespeare’s infamous ‘to be or not to be’ adage, but it is certainly far more interesting and the implications of its answer more profound, with the direction of the Reds’ attack and style of play, as well as a considerable sum of money, at stake.
Since the dramatic return of the man the Kop has christened ‘King Kenny’ to the managerial dugout in January, not only have results improved markedly but also the style of play has been transformed, from the dull defensive garbage served up by Hodgson’s side to the entertaining and expansive brand of football preferred by the legendary Scot.
Following the departure of moody Spanish striker Fernando Torres for a whopping £50 million, Dalglish purchased £57 million worth of striking talent in the shape of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, bolstering the Scot's options up front and adding impetus to the revival inspired by his return. With the former, towering above defenders at six foot three inches tall, possessing a considerable aerial threat and the latter, a relative dwarf at five foot eleven, ordinarily buzzing around intent on latching onto knockdowns, many Reds supporters hoped they could terrorise defences in a similar manner to that of John Toshack and Kevin Keegan during the glory years of the 1970s, when the Reds won four European competitions, the FA Cup and three League titles with the dynamic duo as their strike force.
Toshack and Keegan peal off in celebration of yet another goal
If they could match their predecessors combined tally of 196 goals from 568 games then the pair would earn legendary status on Merseyside and the net spend of £7 million to bring them to Anfield considered bargain business.
Unfortunately, Carroll was immediately sidelined with a thigh injury picked up while at Newcastle and therefore only made seven appearances, making minimal impact on the team and leaving the role of partnering the seemingly undroppable Luis Suarez up for grabs. With £16 million summer signing Jordan Henderson occupying the position on the right wing previously reserved for Dirk Kuyt, the industrious and versatile Dutchman switched back to his original role as a striker, starting alongside Suarez in the Reds' most recent League fixtures.
Meanwhile, Carroll has been left on the bench which, although possibly understandable at home to Bolton Wanderers, is hard to countenance when travelling to face Stoke City, a team notorious for their preference to play physical and aerial football, a style of play suited to the Geordie's qualities.
With the 22-year old only netting once so far this season (in the Carling Cup against Exeter City) and his national boss Fabio Capello unwisely expressing doubts about his fitness levels and lifestyle, Carroll is facing mounting pressure to justify his massively inflated price tag and prove himself both on and off the field. Moreover, after the return of controversial figure Craig Bellamy, Carroll faces increased competition for a starting berth.
For once Carroll isn't criticised for drinking alcohol!
In the short term, Carroll appears to be facing fierce competition for a place in the first team and he seems unlikely to make the sort of instant impact that Luis Suarez did upon arrival on Merseyside. However, more importantly, the question remains whether Carroll's capabilities are compatible with the style of play adopted throughout the Reds' history and reinstalled under Kenny Dalglish's second managerial reign.
The oft-cited Liverpool Way is an all-encompassing philosophy that provides the guiding principles for the conduct of everyone at the club, establishing a collective ethos of hard work and encouraging the sort of pass and move football demonstrated by the Anfield outfit towards the end of last season and during the opening weeks of the current campaign. Hard work and defensive stability provide the cornerstone to a successful, attacking side intent on keeping the ball on the ground and passing their way through usually tight-knit defences. A long ball game is discouraged and, while claiming all three points remains the focus, an emphasis is placed on entertaining the paying public.
This approach rarely lends itself to a tall target man. Yes, there is certainly a time and a place for a long ball. Of course, the issue isn't over whether it is a long or a short pass, but whether it is the right or wrong pass. However, it is simply not the Liverpool Way to continuously lump long balls forward and hope for the best, and that temptation exists when you have a player the height of Andy Carroll starting up front.
Ultimately, a compromise will have to be reached. New American owners FSG have spent far too much money on Carroll and wingers to supply him with aerial ammunition for Dalglish not to involve the Reds' new number nine as an integral part of the team. Equally, far too much has been invested in observing the traditions of our great club for Kenny to all of a sudden throw our pass and move style out of the window in an attempt to fully utilise Carroll's aerial prowess.
All of Dalglish's footballing genius and extensive knowledge of Liverpool FC will be required for him to come up with a sensible solution, where we can get the best out of Carroll without losing the distinctive brand of football associated with Anfield.
Should he succeed, Carroll and co. could add an epic of Shakespearean standards to Liverpool's long and storied history.
YNWA
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