Carroll To Be In The Shop Window Against Southampton

Almost as if in the Movie Groundhog day, history seems to be repeating itself as Hammers great white hope Andy Carroll prepares for his thousandth return from injury. We have all been there before, not least the player who has had to make more come backs than Status Quo! It is easy to suggest that on around £80,000 per week Carroll can be content just picking up his wages, but that would be doing the Big Geordie a great disservice, and while he didn't do himself any favours with the lifestyle he adopted back in the past he cannot be accused of not trying to lead a healthy lifestyle in the last few years since he has settled down with his partner.

The problem is, unfortunately there have been so many false dawns with regards to Carroll's return from injury that it is almost impossible to think of him having a clear run of games before picking up yet another injury, usually serious! It can be argued that his role is to be an old style centre forward who bullies the opposition, in the same mould as Duncan Ferguson and the likes, and that his injuries have been sustained as a result of trying too hard. There is another argument that throughout his career Carroll, due to his initial massive price tag when he moved from Newcastle to Liverpool, has always been seen as the 'main man', and as such has always been rushed back from injury, invariably too soon.

Fate has dictated, because of Hammers' insane injury list, that Carroll will be given the first chance to start a top flight match for an ice age. The fact that this rare event coincides with the opening of the transfer window will have many assuming that the club have pulled out all the stops in an attempt to 'market' the towering striker. Even while writing this article the naive part of one's soul really hopes that somehow Andy retains his fitness, therefore it is perhaps firiing to have these thoughts around Christmas.

The story of Andy Carroll's transfer to West Ham is one of what might have been, it would be rather nice but all nigh impossible if fate could be dealt a bitter blow by allowing Big Andy to bow out on a high, whether it is at West Ham or Celtic or one of several Turkish clubs. - Ed