Andy Carroll has spoken of his delight at being back in the north-east and hopes to make his latest stint another successful one.
What did he say?
Whilst he hasn’t yet started a league game, the striker is in high spirits and in the main he has started to put his injury issues behind him.
After eight years away from the club in a period which saw him score only 45 goals, he is relieved to be settled down once again in familiar settings, and it seems that anything positive that happens on the pitch is just a bonus.
Speaking at the NewcastleFoundation Dinner, as reported by ChronicleLive, Carroll said:
“It’s been hard. I’ve had my ups and downs with injuries, but hopefully I’m past them all now.
“It’s been good, and I’m back in the squad.
“I’ve missed being home, missed being with my family and friends, just driving around, memories. It’s great to be back at the club.”
Carroll has only achieved one shot on target so far but is remaining optimistic, perhaps because he believes he will begin to deliver once he finally works his way back up to full fitness and puts his injury woes in the past.
Worth the gamble?
When Carroll was brought back to the club it may have pleased the fans, but onlookers may have felt the club was acting on sentiment rather than rationale.
After all, he made just 28 league starts over the last two years, contributing only three goals in that time and appearing to lose his effectiveness with each passing injury.
Now, it seems that Steve Bruce has granted him the role of being an impact sub, but with Newcastle a defensive outfit this year and players such as Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin not suited to crossing, his success is likely to be limited.
The pair have averaged zero and 0.4 successful crosses per game respectively this season, and since he has only made five appearances so far, Carroll will have to contribute a lot more to repay his weekly wage, which could be as high as £70,000 a week when he starts a match.
Given his injury history, it was a big risk to bring him in. Some have questioned whether it was at best a PR stunt by Mike Ashley to win over fans disappointed with Bruce’s appointment, and until he delivers on the pitch those doubts will remain.
