Liverpool FC Forum

by **Kenny Kan** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 7:30 am

I'm not going to get into this debate - hell I'm not even sure what is we're supposed to be understanding. At first I thought it was a question of Suarez and Carroll "coexisting", then the ''hoof''ball tactics deployed with Carroll in the side - OR is it both?

Carra is the main culprit of hoofball nobody else and I can see Charlie Adam getting cute with this play too - personally I detest it. But it was always inevitable after we'd signed Carroll. It was one of the reasons I wasn't over the moon about the signing, I said it was like signing Niall Quinn with a few bells and whistles added. But FWIW Carroll really did impress me today especially in the first half, and let's be fair it's not his fault players like Carra and possibly Adam seek to knock it long.

I digress, 1 game into the new season and we're already asking if Suarez and Carroll can coexist. People don't have patients anymore and I reckon had we'd of won against Sunderland this thread wouldn't have existed.

by **stmichael** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:04 pm

Kenny Kan wrote:1 game into the new season and we're already asking if Suarez and Carroll can coexist. People don't have patients anymore and I reckon had we'd of won against Sunderland this thread wouldn't have existed.

nail on head. i don't understand the point of the thread so early in their liverpool careers. they didn't look too bad when they both destroyed man city at home last season did they?

at the end of the day they need a run of games together before we can form any judgements. neither is at peak fitness at the moment anyway. suarez looks knackered understandably after playing in the copa america and carroll has just recently come back from a pretty long term injury.

by **Ola Mr Benitez** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 4:23 pm

Even if you include last season thay have not played too many games together, so it is still too early to judge.

What I would say is in the firt half on Saturday I thought they both played brilliantly, they where pulling the defence all over the place making lots of room for the midfielders to attack. Imagine if we had a fit Gerrard on the pitch with the space that was available.

I like Carroll and I like Suarez and YES, they can play together.

One of Carroll's strenghts are the little knock downs and clever passes inside the box. This is the reason Kevin Nolan scored so many goals in the first half of last season. There is no reason why Suarez will not benefit from these as well.

As most have said, too early to comment.. Just out of interest how many games have they started together so far, I'd guess at about 8 or 9

by **The Good Yank** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 4:38 pm

Ola Mr Benitez wrote:As most have said, too early to comment.. Just out of interest how many games have they started together so far, I'd guess at about 8 or 9

Saturday was the 5th time they started together. Way to early to judge this one.

by **aCe'** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 5:03 pm

If anyone thinks we wont be hoofing the ball to Carroll more often than not when he's on the pitch then this obviously shouldnt be an issue for you...

For me, it is an issue especially with Carragher & Charlie Adam in the side, and with Lucas being the type of holding midfielder he is..

Imo, we'll struggle to get the ball out from the back and the next logical option is to play the long ball for Carroll to go after...

... Obviously I dont expect Kenny to make any sort of quick decision on this and we could expect them both to start when fit.. But the thread isnt about that.. Its about what people think should be done.. and how they see our style of play affected by the inclusion of Carroll/Suarez

The thread isnt about how they've done together so far, although I understand the need to sit on the fence given how early it is...

The way I see it, the side needs both Gerrard and Meireles to make it tick.. Suarez rather than Carroll should be our main outlet and given the style of play I expect us to be playing in the near future I dont think its going to happen..

I still believe that the 3 best outfield players in the side are Gerrard, Suarez and Meireles in that order... Johnson and Downing behind them.. If we are to build the side around our main strengths then our style of play (and subsequently our starting 11) would be adjusted accordingly..

by **Greavesie** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 5:08 pm

I discussed the idea of something similar in another thread...

My initial concern came from their styles, Suarez likes to drift in from the left while Carroll likes out and out wingers to cross the ball. I have growing concerns about Carroll's ability to play with the ball on the ground. I agree that this thread probably won't have existed should the result have been different and we created enough chances to win the game so at this particlar moment it's not really an issue, though I do have my own reservations, I can't draw any conclusions just one game into the season

by **Boocity** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:29 pm

Give the partnership a b;loody chance, we have always been successful with strikers of contrasting styles, look at Hunt/St John, Toshak/Keegan, Daglish/Rush, Aldridge/Beardsley.

Give them time and they will compliment each other

by **Scottbot** » Tue Aug 16, 2011 12:58 am

I don't think they're necessarily ideal for eachother when you think of them as a strike partnership. Suarez was originally earmarked to come in and play behind Torres and unfrotunately for us that would have beena dynamite partnership becuase Torres plays high up the pitch and Suarez's natural game is to play in between the lines and therefore, if you play him with a striker who stretches defences, he will have more space to work in. However, little Luis has already shown what a versatile player he is, he can also play on the shoulder and he can lead the line as a lone striker, he's that good.

I actually think our best set-up is to play Carroll up top with Downing and Suarez either side of him so to answer the question in the thread starter, are they an ideal partnership? I don't actually think they should be played as an out an out 2-Up partnership. Start Luis inside right or left and let him drift wherever the game takes him.

by **stmichael** » Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:09 am

Scottbot wrote:I actually think our best set-up is to play Carroll up top with Downing and Suarez either side of him so to answer the question in the thread starter, are they an ideal partnership? I don't actually think they should be played as an out an out 2-Up partnership. Start Luis inside right or left and let him drift wherever the game takes him.

I was saying this yeaterday. With the players we have I don't get why we play 4-4-2. We don't have an out and out defensive midfielder and we still don't have a right winger. With the personnel we have 4-3-3 is a given for me with Suarez and Downing drifting in from a wide areas to join the front man.

And as for Greavsie's reservations about Carroll's ability on the floor I don't get where this myth comes from. Everytime the ball was played into his feet against Sunderland we rertained possession. Also check out the first touch for his disallowed goal. It was sublime. The biggest problem lies with certain defenders in the side who want to hoof it long all the time instead of playing through midfield.

I'll have a bet that Carroll/Suarez will score 30 goals between them this season.

by **jacdaniel** » Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:18 am

Its baffling playing 4-4-2 with our personnel as mentioned above. I always feel that 4-4-2 will struggle against a 5 man midfield.

by **red till i die!!** » Tue Aug 16, 2011 12:30 pm

i didnt see too much wrong with the pairing against sunderland tbh.both got on the score sheet although carrolls was ruled out unfairly but still both of our strikers netted and i can't find much wrong with that.
sure they are a work in progress but what do we really expect after 1 game?.
our problem on saturday was down to the lack of a preseason for the team and we paid the price for that.
suarez creates chances himself and constantly runs at defenders where as carroll is dependant on service from the team so as we gain more playing time the partnership between these two will strenghten and pay off.
imo these two are our best shot of goals this season and shouldnt be dismissed after 1 bleedin game.

by **Octsky** » Tue Aug 16, 2011 2:57 pm

well we just spend 40m on Downing and Hendo as a complement for Carroll,
so i dont see Kenny benching Carroll.

what Kenny is thinking i can see, if we want to play a passing game Suarez will be point of attack,
and if opposition wants to play defensive we can play a more direct game with Carroll as point of attack.
ya both Suarez and Carroll will be playing together.

by **jacdaniel** » Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:18 pm

Based on the end of last season, Id prefer to see Carroll as more of an impact sub. Throw him on if Plan A isnt working. Doubt we'll do that though after paying so much for him.

I just think we play better + more attractive football when he isnt on the field.

by **The_Rock** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:55 am

The problem with the team against sunderland (IMO) was that our midfield eventually lost out to the more mobile and agressive midfield.

We don't really have a strong central midfield to shield the defence and help our attack to play 4-4-2.

The best to get out of our team is to go back to 3 man central midfield.

The strongest team we can put out against arsenal.

Reina
Johnson Carra/Skertel Agger Enrique
Lucas
Aqua Raul M
Downing Suarez
Carroll

by **Raoul** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 10:22 am

I'm with the majority of posters here it seems. I've no doubt that Suarez can play up front, but I've always found him more dangerous coming in from the flank, so I think we'd get the best out of our players with a 433 or 4231. In fact, if Carroll was injured or rested I'd hope to see Kuyt come in as a direct replacement for him and Suarez remaining out a bit wider.

Suarez would have a roaming role with which ever fullback he is playing in front of providing the width. On the other flank, Downing and Enrique or Johnson would give most defenses kittens. It would make the best use of Suarez, and it would get the best out of our ridiculous number of midfielders too (including Henderson).

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