by ycsatbjywtbiastkamb » Sat Jun 30, 2012 1:49 pm
some of our signings from last year will step up to the plate this year imo, carroll in particular looks a different player to the one that started last season.
he`s starting to chip in with goals in big games on the quiet as well, at the tail end of the season he scored in that barnstormer against blackburn, then scored against everton in the f.a cup semi, scores against chelsea in the f.a cup final and then scores for england in another high pressure encounter in his only start at the euro`s.
i`m not saying he`s going to rip up the scoring record books or anything like that next season but i do think he`ll weigh in with 12-15 goals and probably a similar number of assists.
the thing about him is that when he`s on his game there`s not much the opposition can do, as centre halves go terry and ivanovic are two real bruisers but they got their @rses handed to them by carroll at anfield last season a bit like the way carroll ripped skrtel and soto to shreds up at st james park.
luis ended the season with just under 20 goals which is a fantastic return considering he missed 9 games and probably had the weight of the world on his shoulders for half the season, i think he`ll score about 25 this year if not a few more, i dont think we can be as unlucky in front of goal 2 seasons running.
we`ve got a very good `back 5` and with lucas coming back, gerrard finding a bit of form, sterling starting to break through and of course luis and carroll up front i think we may surprise a few people next year. we werent that bad last season, the results were awful but the performances generally werent, we beat the european champions home and away so we are not that bad a side, we just had one of those seasons where everything seemed to go wrong (the suarez thing, hitting the woodwork 30 odd times, missing pens, reina having his worst season since he`s been here etc)