Steve Bruce says he’s never seen Andy Carroll looking so good as he negotiates new contract
It is six months since Andy Carroll last started a game, the 2-1 defeat to Everton in December.
Whilst the last time he managed to get on the pitch was over five months ago as a sub in January, Newcastle beating Rochdale in an FA Cup replay.
Steve Bruce though says that has now all changed: ‘He is fit and he is healthy and touch wood, it is the best I’ve seen him look. The break has done him the world of good.’
Newcastle fans will feel they have heard this all before, as Bruce has repeatedly talked up positively the physical condition of the striker, only for the reality to prove far different.
Back in August, bringing in Andy Carroll looked a cynical PR move by Mike Ashley to divert attention away from what looked a 2019 summer transfer window that left the team / squad well short. Ashley having allowed the only two goalscorers at the club to leave, as well as Rafa Benitez, in order to force through the bizarre £40m+ purchase of (one PL goal so far Joelinton) and then permacrock Andy Carroll as the other replacement goalscorer.
When Andy Carroll arrived in August 2019, Steve Bruce insisted it would only take a few weeks to get him to full fitness and able to play. The reality of course was far different, it took four months for Andy Carroll to eventually start a game in December 2019 and so far he has only started five of 35 NUFC games this season.
If Andy Carroll is in such great shape you would also then question why he has managed only 45 minutes in the warm up friendlies ahead of competitive matches.
Andy Carroll is still to score a goal after returning to St James Park and to hear Steve Bruce talking about the striker in talks with the club to stay on next season, is keeping on a forward who finds it impossible to stay fit and hasn’t scored a Premier League goal for 26 months, really a credible decision?
It is bad enough that £40m has been wasted on Joelinton who even Steve Bruce now admits isn’t a natural centre-forward or regular goalscorer and we are now stuck with the Brazilian, but to then keep Andy Carroll as well, where are the goal going to come from next season?
Hopefully Andy Carroll will prove us all wrong, especially me, in these remaining games.
Newcastle have scored once in the last five PL games and scored only five PL goals in total in 2020, the now injured Florian Lejeune getting two of those five!
Let us hope Andy Carroll has really benefited from a break this time because he has had plenty of breaks in the past and all that usually happens when he returns from one, is that he quickly gets injured again!
Steve Bruce talking about Andy Carroll to Sky Sports:
“He is fit and he is healthy and touch wood, it is the best I’ve seen him look.
“The break has done him the world of good.
“Over the break we’ve certainly benefited with Andy and the condition he is in.
“He [Andy Carroll) is talking to the club and that goes for all of them [who are out of contract at the end of this season].
“We’ve opened up negotiations with all of the players that [contracts] are coming to an end and the loan players.
“Andy is in that category.
“But he’s fit and raring to go which is the most important part.”
The post Steve Bruce says he’s never seen Andy Carroll looking so good as he negotiates new contract appeared first on NUFC The Mag.
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It is six months since Andy Carroll last started a game, the 2-1 defeat to Everton in December.
Whilst the last time he managed to get on the pitch was over five months ago as a sub in January, Newcastle beating Rochdale in an FA Cup replay.
Steve Bruce though says that has now all changed: ‘He is fit and he is healthy and touch wood, it is the best I’ve seen him look. The break has done him the world of good.’
Newcastle fans will feel they have heard this all before, as Bruce has repeatedly talked up positively the physical condition of the striker, only for the reality to prove far different.
Back in August, bringing in Andy Carroll looked a cynical PR move by Mike Ashley to divert attention away from what looked a 2019 summer transfer window that left the team / squad well short. Ashley having allowed the only two goalscorers at the club to leave, as well as Rafa Benitez, in order to force through the bizarre £40m+ purchase of (one PL goal so far Joelinton) and then permacrock Andy Carroll as the other replacement goalscorer.
When Andy Carroll arrived in August 2019, Steve Bruce insisted it would only take a few weeks to get him to full fitness and able to play. The reality of course was far different, it took four months for Andy Carroll to eventually start a game in December 2019 and so far he has only started five of 35 NUFC games this season.
If Andy Carroll is in such great shape you would also then question why he has managed only 45 minutes in the warm up friendlies ahead of competitive matches.
Andy Carroll is still to score a goal after returning to St James Park and to hear Steve Bruce talking about the striker in talks with the club to stay on next season, is keeping on a forward who finds it impossible to stay fit and hasn’t scored a Premier League goal for 26 months, really a credible decision?
It is bad enough that £40m has been wasted on Joelinton who even Steve Bruce now admits isn’t a natural centre-forward or regular goalscorer and we are now stuck with the Brazilian, but to then keep Andy Carroll as well, where are the goal going to come from next season?
Hopefully Andy Carroll will prove us all wrong, especially me, in these remaining games.
Newcastle have scored once in the last five PL games and scored only five PL goals in total in 2020, the now injured Florian Lejeune getting two of those five!
Let us hope Andy Carroll has really benefited from a break this time because he has had plenty of breaks in the past and all that usually happens when he returns from one, is that he quickly gets injured again!
Steve Bruce talking about Andy Carroll to Sky Sports:
“He is fit and he is healthy and touch wood, it is the best I’ve seen him look.
“The break has done him the world of good.
“Over the break we’ve certainly benefited with Andy and the condition he is in.
“He [Andy Carroll) is talking to the club and that goes for all of them [who are out of contract at the end of this season].
“We’ve opened up negotiations with all of the players that [contracts] are coming to an end and the loan players.
“Andy is in that category.
“But he’s fit and raring to go which is the most important part.”
The post Steve Bruce says he’s never seen Andy Carroll looking so good as he negotiates new contract appeared first on NUFC The Mag.
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