Lots of silliness abounding over Carroll. Yes, 35m is really high, but come on people, bear in mind at least these things:
1) Age. Yes, David Villa cost less. He's also 6 years older and thus at or just past the peak of his ability; Barca will see diminishing returns from him for the next few years. Carroll is 22 and has basically his entire career in front of him.
2) Inflation. If you're going to compare his value to Rooney, etc., as I've seen some elsewhere do, at least have the sense to use constant dollars.
3) Need. Liverpool needed a center forward and line leader at a time when none were being openly shopped. Worse, they needed one on the last day of the January transfer window. That means paying a hell of a premium, making an offer too big to be turned down.
4) Debt. Liverpool don't have much at all now. That means that all the money we just paid for Carroll was, under the previous regime, going to service 4 months of the club's debt. Isn't it great having a striker instead?
Clearly there are some major risks here. Carroll likes a night out--something that has derailed young players on Merseyside before; he's so far a half-season wonder; he needs good service from the wings.
But, in order: if Kenny and Carra between them can't keep him in line, no one can; as a "classic" center forward he's less of a risk than someone whose game is mostly reliant on technique (those types get sussed out quicker); and as Nate pointed out we do still have some good crossers of the ball. Kelly in particular has put in some very juicy crosses in his run of games, and Johnson is obviously capable as well. Suarez likewise can put in a cross from either side of the pitch. I'm absolutely thrilled to have an actual aerial threat again after so many years when defenders (Hyypia and the Greek) or little 'uns (Luis Garcia) were our best headers of the ball.
I really wish we could've gotten Adam, one of the best crossers and set-piece takers in the league, but he's not the type you build a team around. Now we have six months to scout and nab a world-class wing talent. And in the meantime we have these months to let Suarez and Carroll get comfortable with each other, and prepare for an assault on the league next term. Given the weaknesses of the other sides, I don't think we're actually that far off now. (Need one top center back or left back, and a world-class winger, plus a set-piece wizard).
Briefly, on the Torres front: there is a definite undercurrent on RAWK that Torres had some very serious (so far unspecified) stuff come up in his personal/family life that led to this change. Honestly that makes a lot more sense to me than anything else; he'd been nothing but media savvy up to this point and for him to throw that completely out the window indicates to me there's something going on behind the scenes.
Anyway, thanks for the memories Nando. If you score the goals that keeps United from winning number 19, petty or not, I'll still be singing your name.
