On Sunday the two men that made last January’s transfer deadline in the English Premier League as compelling as it was mind-boggling, see their respective clubs meet up at Stamford Bridge. Yet, neither man is guaranteed to even start the match.
I remember arriving at work last Monday, January 31st and began hearing rumours of some serious activity regarding Newcastle’s Andy Carroll and Liverpool’s Fernando Torres. As the speculation began to grow, what at first seemed like tabloid nonsense began to feel as if it actually might make sense.
After all, Torres was clearly unhappy at Liverpool, was mired in a scoring funk, and had even handed in a transfer request. Carroll meanwhile was the current golden boy of English football, was already being crowned the next Shearer, and played for a club that by all reports needed money badly. However the numbers being bandied around from media hack to media hack were preposterous.
Fifty million quid for nine goal man Torres? Insane, although everyone agreed that at his best there were few better goal scorers, and don’t forget that Real Madrid had paid thirty million more for Cristiano Ronaldo two summers before. Still, that number can’t be right.
What’s that? Thirty five million for Carroll? I am certain that mouthfuls of coffee were spit across many a newsroom when that little doozy began to get leaked.
Suffice to say, by the end of the day, both men had moved to their new clubs, for the exact fees that had been rumoured earlier.
I suspect there is not an honest person living who was not surprised by these deals. I just wonder what the responses would have been that same evening, if we were told that by the time the two met each other on the field the following season, they had combined for seven Premier League goals.
Seven goals!
Eighty five million pounds!
Is it too soon to argue that these two transfers were the worst pieces of business the Premier League has ever witnessed? Bear in mind this is a league that remembers Andrei Shevchenko’s outing as an over the hill, in it for the money has-been, not to mention Juan Veron’s dramatic fall from world class maestro to fat conductor.
I will say it is too early. Both men have time on their side, Carroll is still only twenty two, and Torres is barely into his prime at twenty seven. I have hope both men still have plenty to show, but as it stands they are being defined by their price tags, not their quality of play.
Of course, dig deeper and these figures don’t really tell the true story. Even Liverpool would likely admit that Andy Carroll is not a thirty five million pound man, how could he be, after all Carroll cost more than the likes of David Villa, Didier Drogba, and of course Luis Suarez, however when you get a cool fifty for El Nino, and the deadline is approaching, well, you can understand why Newcastle’s Mike Ashley is a shrewd business man can’t you.
It will be fascinating to see whether owners and managers tread a little more carefully this January. As it stands today, Carroll and Torres have been enormous disappointments for their clubs, not to mention their fans. This weekend at Stamford Bridge the travelling support could be forgiven if they seem a little half-hearted in their abuse of Nando, as Carroll launches another effort seventeen feet wide.
Sunday morning you will turn on the match and be shocked to see that the game is actually at Stamford Bridge.
I wish it was at Anfield, can’t wait for El NINO’s return.
On the other hand, let’s not forget the successes of that window, such as Luis Suarez. In my opinion, he’s been worth the money paid for both him and Carroll.
Speaking of which, I wonder how Torres feels about leaving now. Perhaps he would have lined up better with Suarez, an extra world-class player in the lineup to help him out of his funk. He wanted to go somewhere with a better overall lineup, but perhaps just adding Suarez would have produced the goals. It’s interesting, for me at least, to imagine Torres from 2 or 3 years ago alongside Suarez right now.
I also wonder if Torres’s poor form for Chelsea has anything to do with the reaction to his departure in Liverpool. He was absolutely loved there, even when playing poorly. By handing in a transfer request, he was faced with quite the backlash – perhaps beyond what he’d been expecting to such an extent that it shook him…
I checked his Wiki page and you’re right, James: Andy Carroll is only 22 years old. The problem is he looks 32. He looks haggard. I love that word, and I rarely get to use it.
Carroll needs to stop drinking immediately (good luck); he has to be in tip top shape to make up for his low football IQ. I’m gonna go out on a limb and call him a flop right now. I’ve been calling Torres a flop for months. I hope they both fail miserably along with their teams (no bias)
Torres has proved himself at Liverpool but his lack of confidence means he’s flopping back at Chelsea. If he does not improve his goal record there, then totally agree he’s one of the biggest flops ever, given his transter tag.
Carroll is totally unproven and certainly won’t justify his 35 million transfer tag anytime soon. He’s got the benefit of time in front of him, but then I wouldn’t bet on him being a serial goalscorer. Clearly, 35m pounds was an astronomical sum to spend on an unproven striker from day 1. The judicious minds of Sir Alex Ferguson or Mourinho would never have done such a folly.
Ferguson bought Veron and Mourinho bought Shevchenko, didn’t they? Every big time manager has a transfer howler in their past. The difference is that both Ferguson and Mourinho are winners so you forgot their mistakes. Current Dalglish and Chelsea on the other hand…
Sure Ferguson bought Veron and paid 28 million, but he was a proven world-class midfielder already. In fact, he was one of the best creative midfielders at the time. Mourinho didn’t buy Scheva, it was a deal fashioned by Ambramovich and the sporting director at the time.
Both managers did bad transfer dealings but none would have committed on a 21-year old unproven striker for 35million. That is a folly Dalglish and the LIverpool owners look set to regret (unless Carroll proves everyone wrong).
Owners will definitely tread more carefully this January; have you not read a newspaper in the last year?!?
Bajeezus! That’s a massive mess up! Gonna change that immediately.
I think that the biggest benefit of Carroll’s signing for Liverpool was that it took the pressure and spotlight of Luis Suarez who was able to flourish at Anfield.
Torres and Carroll + 7 goals – 85 million pounds= Michael Owen + 85 million pounds
Solid article James,
I feel like Torres will find his form soon, but will never be the player he once was. His shooting was excellent, his vision has, and still is, top class if he has players to play with, and his game has been improving over recent weeks. He just needs some luck to go his way. He won’t however, be the same player who caused Vidic to be sent off 3 times in a row because of what he’s lost – pace! Torres’ pace and lungbusting runs at defenders caused all sorts of havoc, and he played with one of the best midfields in the PL in Masch, Alonso and Gerrard.
As for Carroll, he has also been finding his groove as of late. In the games Liverpool has had recently, he has looked the most likely to score at times when the team has played poorly, and he scored a nice goal. Suarez will make him space and get him chances, and if he finds his touch, he’s on to something. Surely having Gerrard as your captain, Carragher screaming at you, and Dalglish nurturing you will help. If his lifestyle is his problem, I don’t buy it, because he was surrounded by the goons at Newcastle and was scoring (Joey Barton anyone?). He will clean up his act, but just wait. He’ll start to play very well, and being a 22 year old striker with the natural size and ability he has, I’d take him for 15 million less than Torres at 27.
If you look at the deal that way, Liverpool weren’t quite as dumb. 60 million for Suarez and Carroll vs 50 million for Torres? Who would take the Torres side?
Also, keep in mind, while its all good to claim Carroll is worth less than he was signed for, 1) as you rightly pointed out Ashley twisted Liverpool’s arm 2) they needed a replacement that wasn’t Ngog 3) He was a proven striker in England, English, young, and with a promising enough future 4) Yes, David Villa or other great players are better than Carroll and cost less, but you still have to persuade them to move to Liverpool!
That was a bit longer than I thought it would be haha
Instantly becomes my desktop wallpaper, that photo.
you must be a manc