Italy and Juventus great Roberto Baggio used to be known as ‘Il Divin’ Codino’ (The Divine Ponytail). But when Liverpool fans think of Andy Carroll they would be more likely to suggest a pony’s genetic cousin such as the one that carried the Virgin Mary on the road to Bethlehem.
In the months since his loan move to West Ham, the England striker’s form had been somewhat obscured due to injury.
But last weekend the clouds parted and a lone ray of light appeared above Upton Park as Carroll marked his first start since November with a goal.
Unfortunately for him that will not save his Liverpool career as his overall stats during his time at West Ham have been as far from divine as one can get.
The target man who has scored twice in 14 matches has an incredibly poor shooting accuracy rate for a striker, with just a third of his efforts on goal this season hitting their intended target.
His passing accuracy is unsurprisingly shoddy at just over 60 per cent (which drops to 55 per cent) in the opposition half which on its own should spell the end of his Liverpool career, considering the fact that Brendan Rodgers is building a team that relies on possession and crisp passing.
Of course there is one area that he always excels in and that is aerially, winning over 60 per cent of his aerial duels in 2012-13.
Long ball
But those attributes are only suited to a dwindling group of Premier League sides.
Before the Reds ludicrously parted with €40 million (£35 million) for his services in January 2011, Carroll had been linked with a host of clubs including Tottenham, home-town Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester City.
He will have far less options to choose from when the summer transfer window opens. Tottenham may be looking for a target man based on their links to Brazil international Leandro Damiao but it is unlikely that Andre Villas Boas is casting furtive glances in Carroll’s directions. Chelsea and Manchester City will also be looking the other way at more world class options.
Carroll is the prototype forward that Hammers’ boss Sam Allardyce favours so he may look to secure the ex-Newcastle man’s future permanently.
Stoke City also like to treat the ball like a celestial orb, directing their passes towards the heavens and with their generous owner, the Potters will also be in the hunt, while a return home to Newcastle cannot be ruled out considering his past and the fact that the Magpies have played more long balls per game than any other team in the Premier League this season.
