da betsson： As English Premier League stars eagerly awaited the news of Fabio Capello’s latest England squad yesterday, there was a first call up for a striker. It was not Newcastle’s Andy Carroll but Bolton’s 33-year old veteran Kevin Davies. The former who sports a shock of long black hair has been in imperious form this season and had been widely tipped for an inaugural call up to England’s senior squad. His club manager Chris Hughton felt compelled to comment on this speculation: “I haven’t spoken to the England manager about Andy.” The former Irish international may be seeking to guard his prized asset ahead of an impending court case. Managing the progression of this prodigious young talent is the priority for his club who may feel that international football is too much too soon for Carroll.
da poker： Carroll’s goals for Newcastle in the Championship last season were vital. He was the Magpies’ top goal scorer, netting 19 times in the division. Far from resting on his laurels the target man has been eager to display that his skills have matured since he last featured in the top flight. Press reports focused on the striker’s decision to adopt the legendary No9 shirt ahead of this season, thereby following in the footsteps of Jackie Milburn, Malcolm Macdonald and Alan Shearer. Yet Carroll handled the pressure with a calm assurance and has scored four league goals thus far. “It’s every young Geordie lad’s dream to be a Newcastle No9,” he said.
Three of that overall tally came in Newcastle’s first home game of the season against Aston Villa. The 21-year old led the line at Old Trafford the previous week and was hastily criticised by some jaded journalists for missing a free header from close range. Those chances are not handed out on silver platters was the argument from the press box. The popular forward redeemed himself in formidable style at St James’ Park, indicating that he could well bring them the goals they require this season. On that day Newcastle’s combative midfield dominated the opposition and were mindful to get the ball to their traditional centre forward. He was strong, linked up well with Kevin Nolan and was clinical when presented with goal scoring opportunities.
His first goal came after calmly knocking in a rebound after Brad Friedel was forced to parry Nolan’s header. Exhibiting his potency against an experienced Villa defence, he scored with a low volley after Mike Williamson’s cross. He completed a memorable hat-trick by converting substitute Xisco’s pass, immediately inviting comparisons with the onlooking Shearer. The 6ft 4in forward was additionally on target in their away draw at Molineaux. Carroll cancelled out Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s classy opener by rising highest to powerfully head in a Joey Barton free-kick.
The call for Carroll to feature in the upcoming European qualifiers developed into something of a clamour after these performances. His role as a conventional centre forward is a familiar one in the English game but crucially he has demonstrated a finishing touch, awareness and intelligent link up play. The outgoing Emile Heskey has rejected Capello’s overtures to lure him back to the international stage. On the eve of Monday’s squad announcement Carroll was dropped to the bench for Newcastle’s trip to Eastlands, after failing to score in his last four appearances. Speaking after the game Hughton said, “Andy had a virus last week and if you look at his performance, he had perhaps lost that edge.”
Shola Ameobi was legitimately handed a starting place ahead of Carroll due to his impressive performance in the League Cup at Stamford Bridge. The same argument could be applied at international level where players such as Darren Bent and Kevin Davies have been stalwarts for their respective clubs. Similarly to Adam Johnson (who did make the England squad) at Manchester City, Carroll is being warned not to feel as if he has arrived already.
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