Today is Transfer Deadline day in England, and although there will doubtless be plenty of last-minute deals, I think possibly the best transaction was done yesterday by West Ham United, who finally sealed a loan move for Andy Carroll of Liverpool.
Carroll of course moved to Anfield for £35million from Newcastle in January 2011, and while he went for a transfer fee which was, and still is, barely believable, his subsequent performances in a red shirt to justify that price, while not groundbreaking, have certainly not meant that he should be labelled a flop. With little service at times he still managed to show his ability, and his return to form at the end of last season for his club and at the European Championship for England shows just how dangerous he can be if given a chance.
Which makes it all the more remarkable in my opinion that new manager Brendan Rodgers can come to Anfield so quickly and dismiss him without so much as a fleeting glimpse at his capabilities. Ok, he might not fit into his style of football, which is a lot more about short, quick passing play through the middle of the pitch with a lot more balls to feet, but I feel he could play in any system if given an opportunity. It wasn't his fault after all, that he had such poor service last season, not least from Stewart Downing, whose own Liverpool future is reportedly under threat.
I think Carroll will thrive at Upton Park with a Sam Allardyce-style of play. West Ham are a lot happier to play long balls through the middle, and in Matt Taylor and Matt Jarvis they have two of the better crossers of the ball in the Barclays Premier League. If he stays fit, I geniunely think he could score at least 15 goals this season and really show Liverpool - who are still a striker short - what they are missing.
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