Had it not been for Andy Carroll, we probably wouldn’t have won against Southampton.
The striker changed the complexion of the game, and provided a wicked cross for Jonjo Shelvey’s equaliser.
Most of his work was done going forward, battling with the Southampton defence. But he also did some defending himself, winning headers in his own box to clear it away from danger just like Alan Shearer used to do.
He’s like a magnet to the ball, acting as an extra defender when we’re clinging on to a lead. But he also did some defending with his feet. As seen in the clip below, tweeted by the club’s official account, Carroll put in an amazing sliding tackle to disrupt another attack.
Had Carroll not made the challenge, Cedric would’ve had space to put a cross into the box, which could have led to an equaliser for the Saints. Thankfully, our big lanky striker was on hand to win the ball in the left-back position and put it out for a throw in.
Carroll’s effort and commitment is something we all love to see. There’s no substitute for hard work, and fans will always get on their feet for a big challenge like that.
Fans absolutely love re-watching Carroll clip
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