With all the comparisons to Alan Shearer and the predictions about a lengthy England career, it is easy to forget that Newcastle’s Andy Carroll is still a 22-year-old learning the game.
In some quarters, Carroll is being mentioned as a Player of the Year candidate – and there is logic to that argument. This is the Newcastle striker’s first full season of top flight football yet he has looked startlingly assured and already has 11 goals and six assists with more than a third of the season to go. Nobody could have predicted that back in August.
Carroll has been a key factor – among many others – in Newcastle’s fearless form since earning promotion last year. Tipped to be fighting relegation all season, the Magpies are perched comfortably in mid-table and nobody has personified their spirit and ambition more than Carroll. Unfazed by the prospect of tussling with established centre-backs, he has given the Newcastle fans a new hero to idolise – hence the frequent references to the club’s last beloved number 9. He even earned an England debut against France in November and made a solid first impression on the international stage.
Compliments have come thick and fast – and from seasoned sources no less. Arsene Wenger, Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand have all chimed in with praise for Carroll’s breakthrough season, with Drogba even drawing comparisons between himself and the Newcastle frontman. Wenger, meanwhile, tipped the striker for an England debut earlier in the season after Carroll scored the winner for Newcastle at the Emirates.
But, despite all the hype, it is worth remembering that Carroll is far from the finished product. While no one can question his potential, there is room for improvement before he can legitimately be considered alongside the likes of Carlos Tevez, Nemanja Vidic and Samir Nasri for end of season accolades; Carroll’s game remains raw, with a need to continue working on both his technique and his composure.
One season is never a true test, with so many strikers fading away after promising campaigns. For instance, Marcus Stewart and James Beattie both shot to prominence by firing lesser teams into the upper reaches of the Premier League table, praise was heaped on them and England call-ups were dished out. A year or so later, they were old news as they struggled to reproduce that same form. This season – as a relatively unknown quantity – Carroll has had a surprise factor, but that will not be the case next year or the year after.
There is a need for improvement off the pitch, too. For every football-related headline Carroll has earned over the past few seasons, there seems to have been an alleged off-pitch controversy. Reports have ranged from an arrest to drinking binges and training ground bust-ups. Embraced by the city’s fans and enticed by the limelight, the temptations are obvious – but if he is to fulfil his potential, he has lessons to learn in dedicating himself to the game as the likes of Shearer and Ryan Giggs have.
It is a fair bet to assume Carroll will iron out these kinks over time. He is already a hot property and seems to have a genuine love for the game, suggesting that his supposed “wild side” will not hold him back. Predictably, his performances have alerted the top clubs in England – and beyond within Europe – with Tottenham Hotspur thought to be among the suitors. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has attempted to shoot down talk about a possible Carroll transfer, but might face a tough decision if a large offer lands on his desk. And so it remains to be seen whether Carroll will stay at St. James’ Park long enough to develop his all-round game and lead Newcastle back towards title race relevance.
Either way, the young hitman has work ahead of him before he becomes the type of explosive, consistent striker that Shearer was for so many years on Tyneside, and the hype and expectations must be carefully managed. At the moment, Carroll is a good player capable of becoming great. For his sake, it is worth remembering that.
