Levein wants Andy Carroll tarton’d up.

Posted on May 25th, 2010 | 114 Comments |

Will he switch to the auld enemy?
Will he switch to the auld enemy?
It’s not exactly new news, but as we enter international season and sit around awaiting the start of the World Cup, Scotland boss Craig Levein has again decided to make public his desire to get Andy Carroll to declare his alliegance to Scottish national team.

Carroll could qualify to play for Scotland through his grandparents despite having represented England at under-21 and under-19 levels. Whether Carroll would make the switch is a question only he will know the true answer to, although he may well want to wait and see if England boss Fabio Capello continues with the admiration he has shown the Gateshead lad after last season. The feeling amongst the England setup is that Andy Carroll could well have a bright future in front of him, and could be a part of the national side in years to come. However a switch to representing Scotland will mean near guaranteed international football for him pretty much straight away.

“I’m dead keen to get Andy involved with Scotland,” Levein said. “His grandparents have got Scottish blood. He’s a smashing player and somebody that I feel would be a great asset to the Scottish national team.”

“He’s had a great season for Newcastle,” Levein added. “There aren’t many guys around like him these days. He’s somebody who’s tall, athletic, really good in the air and he’s got a fantastic touch. If he keeps improving the way he has in the last year or so then I think he’s going to be a fabulous player.”

Sounds like Levein is trying to get Carrol into bed with this much sweet talk! We all know Carroll is far from being the finished article, and as Craig Levein said, he has improved at remarkable rate this season, particularly since Christmas. It was only in The Championship though, and doubts have been raised as to whether or not Carroll will be able to make the step up to Premier League level and mix with the big boys week in week out, something Levein himself has no doubts that Carroll can do.

“He’ll do well in the Premier League; he’s got a good attitude,” Levein said. “He’s a young boy and that season will have done Andy Carroll the world of good, stepping down a level just so he could play every week and learn the trade. He improved as the season wore on and I think there’s a hell of a lot more improvement to come from him.”

I’m not too sure where this good attitude bit comes from? Off the pitch, Carroll is a bit of a rogue by all accounts, either that or he is very unlucky to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time on so many occasions.

However, as fans, it’s on the pitch where it really matters, and what convinced me that Carroll has the determination to succeed was the game at Doncaster immediately after the alleged Taylor/Carroll bust-up. Despite the bad press and the craving for information, Carroll got on with the football and scored the winner in that game. He could have easily folded under the pressure, instead he stood up and answered the critics in the best possible way.

Whatever nation he decides to represent is up to him, although he would probably find it easier to get into the Scottish team out of the two in fairness. As was said earlier though, there has been interest from the England team aswell. Now Carroll will be facing up against the best next season, he may well want to see if he can make the England team before rushing to any decision.

NUFCBlog Author: toonsy toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.

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114 Responses

  1. Good morning everyone, hope you all slept well, if Carroll plays for Scotland he’ll become crap, just don’t do it andy.

  4. tricky dicky wickywoowoowooowoooo will be tossing his caber at the thought – the hapless w@nker.

  5. Can’t see him going all sporran on us; wouldn’t feel right and his heart wouldn’t be in it.

    Mind you, watching England beat Mexico last night, even though it wasn’t a great performance by the strikers, it’s hard to see him getting in there in the next few years. If he continues to improve, yes – he’s got all the physical attributes and just needs the nouse now.

    Hell, it would just be good to see a Toon player wearing three lions again outside of the sprog teams!

  6. Don’t think it will be that hard like, Whumpie.

    Rooney is nailed on and Crouch has a decent record but after that… Defoe – never really produces, Heskey – never scores, Bent – would have made it by now at International level if he was ever gonna, Cole – hmmmm, not sure, probably Carrol’s closest rival at the mo.

  7. Forgot about Agbonlahor too – he’s decent enough.

    If Carrol keeps improving though he’s gotta be in with a chance of a squad place at the next big tournament.

  8. Would put Zamora above Carroll easily far more experience in the prem and Bent is a country mile ahead of Carrol as well.

  9. Carroll has yet to prove himself in the premiership and has no chance getting in the English national side anytime soon…he had a half decent season in what was one awful division.

    Get your kilt on Andy.

  10. Zamora will be 31 at the next tournament tho SJT.

    As for Bent – I just think if he was gonna make an impact at international level he would have done so by now. Yeah he’s scoring goals for fun in the Prem right now, but so did Andy Cole and it didn’t seem to help his international career. The fact that Heskey is above Bent in the pecking order speaks volumes.

    I don’t see why, with a couple more years progression, AC can’t leapfrog Bent too. Only time will tell though.

  11. 31 is fine for a striker if he looks after himself….could possibly be in his prime at that age with a load of consistent seasons under his belt.

    Bent will get his time I am sure if he keeps doing what he is doing and is head and shoulders above AC as much as I hate to admit it.

    I think you should make your decisions on Carroll after next season then we will see if he has progressed and improved his all round game at a higher level.

  12. Yeah, of course, SJT.

    What I’m saying is based purely on Carrol’s continued improvement – he is far from the finished article but is already showing a lot of promise.

    Bent, on the other hand, is enjoying the form of his life and yet Capello, like most England managers before him, still seems reluctant to give him a go.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if he was dropped from the 23 man squad now. He’s the new Andy Cole I tell you – only not as good.

  13. Toon Chicken-Yeah, of course, SJT.
    What I’m saying is based purely on Carrol’s continued improvement – he is far from the finished article but is already showing a lot of promise.

    Promise in the championship and cutting it in the premiership is a whole different kettle of fish…the majority of teams we played last season where awful if we be truthful.
    I hope he does step up and do it on a bigger stage but that remains to be seen as yet.

  14. Anyone would think scoring goals doesn’t matter.

    Bent has scored for every club he’s played for unfortunately.

    To score 23 goals for a struggling club is some going.

    I’ll be happy if Carroll gets close to that. He will need to improve his movement next season though. He doesn’t have any movement, but that can be taught I suppose.

  15. Bent to score 23 goals in a poor side is excellent totally agree Stu..that is more than Carroll scored in the championship in a team way above the opposition in terms of talent,craft,skill and depth..that in itself shows the gulf between these 2 players…Carroll couldn’t lace Bent’s boots right now.

    If Carroll scores more than 5 next season I will be surprised..look at the defenders he played against last season.

  16. Anyone excited about a possible deal for Mulumbu?
    Can’t say any of the players have been linked with have made me raise a smile or made me even slightly excited….maybe it’s a signal of what’s to come….not alot I expect.

    Rags and Old Iron.

  18. “I’m dead keen to get Andy involved with Scotland,” Levein said. “His grandparents have got Scottish blood’

    When you cut them do they bleed tartan too :)

  19. Our main target is Cleverley according to the Journal.

    He’s on loan and he’s our main target – What does that say for our other signings/signing?

  20. Carroll will be a real handful next season SJT – I don’t think anyone could deny that.

    There won’t be many centre halves rubbing there hands at the prospect of facing him – just look at what he did to Chris Morgan.

  21. Stu

    Our main target is Cleverley ACCORDING TO THE JOURNAL!!!!

    It’s like banging your head against a freshly starched bedsheet on here sometimes.

  22. Top target :lol:
    A kid on loan is a top target..haha makes me laugh and cry all in 1 go :neutral:

  23. Howay man Stuart,
    i credit you with a bit more intelligence than believing what the rags say about transfers with 3 months to go ’til kick off.
    Especially since we all know that our board likes (& has proved) to make deals under the radar.
    It’s not rocket surgery.

    Way too early to tell.

  24. Carroll will be a real handful next season SJT – I don’t think anyone could deny that.

    Takes more than being a handful to make it in the premiership…guile,skill,craft,reading the game,positional sense etc etc

  26. Kevin Davies is a real handful but he doesn’t score many goals. Think his record is 1 in 5!

  27. The Toon Army on the Collar is a disaster if its real…NUFC fair enough but come on !
    :lol:

  28. Does it not annoy anyone else that third kits, and sometimes even away kits, are no longer proper football kits? They always seem to be some sort of fashionable summerwear. Disgraceful.

  29. I can’t see us creating enough in the prem…so many games last season we scraped with only creating a couple of opportunities.

  30. Can’t see the point of a 3rd kit unless you are in Europe..2 is enough in my opinion…that one with Toon Army collar is sick as in really sick.

  31. It’s all just ‘merch’, buy it, don’t buy it.
    Band t-shirts, football tops, movie spin offs, that’s what you get.

  32. “I can’t see us creating enough in the prem…so many games last season we scraped with only creating a couple of opportunities.”

    I agree. However, we will always be a threat from set pieces. We need an injection of pace and a midfielder that can dictate play.

  33. But SJT,
    isn’t that what all good teams do?
    Defend well, create a chance or 2 & end up winning.

  34. In certain games yes they do Clint totally agree…but we did it in loads where we sat back most of the match because the teams we played had nothing in the final third.

    I expect us to be run ragged next season without some decent spending.

  35. Good god! Now were being compared to the Man Utd’s and Chelsea’s of the world!

    Convinced you’re either on drugs, CLiNT or you just come on here to disagree with everything that doesn’t fit your agenda.

  36. the problem with that clint we will be on the back foot for most of the game and could find our selfs a few goals down,it happend a lot last season it was just the teams were shite and couldnt put away there chances,diffrent story in the prem tho

  37. Stuart,
    please stop with the personal stuff.

    How does a team learn to win 1-0, it practices winning 1-0.
    Could it be construed that that was CH was trying to achieve last season?
    That’s all i’m suggesting.

  38. I was reading Simon Barnes in The Times yesterday and he said something that made me think of a few people on this blog:

    “the 21st-century heresy: that we are all entitled to exactly what we want, and right now, and if we don’t get it, it is someone else’s fault.”

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/simon_barnes/article7134409.ece

    We’ve been living beyond our means for far too long – as a club, as a country, as individuals.

    Things cannot and will not continue – it is wholly unsustainable and the sooner some of you realise that the better.

  39. Totally agree Hitman that is what I meant.
    Most teams last season where shocking in front of our goal and although they brought pressure in attack and plenty possession it mostly fizzled out and was dealt with easily.

    Next season will be a different story if we play the same way…if you give teams all the possession and invite them onto you it’s more than likely they will punish you.

  40. I have no agenda.
    I couldn’t care less if anyone agrees with me.
    It turns out that most on here were proved wrong in their ‘predictions’ on how we’d come through last season.
    Surely even you can take that on board?

  42. We’ve been living beyond our means for far too long – as a club, as a country, as individuals.

    Wrong.
    You are being totally mis-lead this is the new global agenda to bring you into total dictatorship and servitude under a green banner of austerity.

    The governments staged a banking collapse globally with the banks so they could engineer a take over and loot the taxpayer in the process an consolidate all the wealth.

    Don’t fall for it Mate.

  44. Says on Ed’s Blog Chris Houghton is off on his holidays.
    Wonder if he has left Nolan with the cheque book to conduct transfers :lol:

  45. SJT,
    i think there’s something in what you say too, but most people are living on ‘credit’ & therefore working for the cash that they’ve already spent.
    Yes, it can be made to look both ways, depending on whose setting the agenda.

    Plough your own furrow.

  47. Toon Chicken says:
    May 25, 2010 at 11:25 am

    What’s the point of a single wealthy owner then?

    If were to run like a business and only spend what we earn, we don’t need him. So why doesn’t he just fck off!

  49. but clint, it’s so much easier to be negative. just lose all perspective on things and accept that EVERYTHING is bad.

    and don’t spare anyone your thoughts…if anyone disagrees with you just keep on relentlessly ramming it down their throat over and over and over again until they eventually start believing you.

  50. It is total Fraud Toon Chicken….the politicians on TV are just a front for banks and global corporations that fund there campaigns.
    Let’s not get political as I know Toonsy don’t like it here’s a couple of films you can watch for free wake up your friends and family to the bigger picture.

    Aaron Russo Freedom to Fascism http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173#
    Jason Bermas Invisible Empire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTrJQpgf6sE
    Alex Jones End Game http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1070329053600562261#

    Enjoy.

  51. malchick,
    it’s true mate.

    So i guess that’s why some of us feel a need to balance that view, hey?

    It wears one’s ass paper thin sometimes.
    :)

  52. Yup Clint…the banks purposely sold mortgages to people who could not afford them (on purpose)..then sold the mortgages on as AA rated depts i.e good payers and good assets….knowing that these people would fall behind and the depts go tits up..all staged and the banks are winners as usual.

  56. I don’t even know why MA is here….he can’t run a football club and this 5 year plan will amount to nothing but misery and total frustration for all involved.

    When does the new media lady start…I expect to see a load of spin on a daily basis once her feet are under the desk….when once there was whimpers of communication once every 6 months we will be seeing a barrage of crap regularly as she beavers away for her corn.

  57. Thing is we are going to be led into a new war that’s what these globalists do cos they own the missile/military companies which rake in mega money when a good war kicks off…most likely it will be staged with a nuke in the usa (false flag) this will give them a licence to invade Iran and it will be nasty….similar to 911 being staged,this will take peoples attention off the economy and all the bad things going on-they need this war to seal a one world government and global governance.

    It’s the final push and it’s right around the corner.

  58. Back to Football…can we have some new players please Mr Ashley?
    Preferably premiership quality if possible.
    Cheers Mate.

  59. Like Orwell predicted:
    We will be & are in a state of perpetual war, somewhere in the world.
    There hasn’t been one single day of peace since wwII.
    That is set to continue. Preferably, in ‘their’ view, in someone else’s country.
    It is a good way to sell & develop new weapons.
    Nice.

  61. Bent is injured or he would have been in last nights team. You can’t argue with carrolls goals in the championship, but top strikers are about more than just goals these days. The last great old school striker was Alan Shearer. Look at all the strikers, if you can still call them that, they have much more to their game than poaching in the box. Carroll is probably more like Gary lineker than shearer in the way he plays. He’s a poacher.

  62. hitman,
    it’s not about us, but the funniest bit of transfer craic i’ve heard so far, was just on ssn.
    When talking about Fabregas’s proposed move to barca, his fatha said:
    “I don’t think Arsenal want to sell Cesc”. LOL!
    No shit Sherlock.
    :)

  63. Micky Toon says:
    May 25, 2010 at 12:37 pm

    Only a poacher with his head. He needs to improve with the ball at his feet.

    hitman says:
    May 25, 2010 at 12:32 pm

    Best I heard was that we were going to actually ‘buy’ someone and not just get freesbees and loans.

  67. Stuart, I’ll admit you don’t post stuff I agree with, most of the time, especially the suff about the banks and everything, above, but I do agree with you on Carroll, always have. I really don’t rate him as a striker. His goals in the Championship are an easy and very strong counter to the Carroll is rubbish debate, but I can’t see what everyone else sees in him.

  68. Stuart – apologies, that was SJT talking about the banks. I get you two mixed up all the time.

  70. Micky everything I have said above about the banks is proven.
    If you can prove to me otherwise I am all ears.
    You may also research the federal reserve and it’s history it aint pretty my friend.

  72. SJT – The part about selling loans and mortges to people who couldn’t afford to repay them and then sell them on as AA and even AAA bonds is true and has been proven.
    If you are interested in that read a book called The Crunch.
    It’s the other stuff that I believe is just made up bollox by conspriacy nuts. Nuke weapon detonated on US soil? Have you been watching too much 24? Do you also believe that George Bush ordered the planes into the WTC just do he could have an excuse to go into Iraq and Afghanistan?

  73. Maybe wor Andy will end up playing for the jocks, if he fancies time off every time a major tournament rolls round.

  74. Ok, one more before I get told off. The Banks have suffered a lot because of the current “global economic crisis”, so they can hardly be called winners.
    Do you think they enjoy being scrutinised on every move they make? Do you think they enjoy now being state owned? I don’t know for certain, but I take a guess at the answer being no. The people who came out on top were the brokers who took the commission off the sales of the loans.

  75. Of course 911 was staged and so was stockewell.
    That is why we have wars without ends against boogeyman in caves and all our civil liberties have been taken away and we are wire tapped,constantly monitored on the net and that is only the beginning of the global police state.

  76. Yeah like the £7 Trillion the Obama Administration has given them ?
    If you look at Obama’s people at the top they are all from wall street.

  77. goldman sachs are all on obamas team,they made a fortune from the world going tits up. micky

  78. If you think these globalist tyrants wouldn’t set off a device/dirt bomb as an excuse to start war you are living in la la land.

    Get it into your head globalists and governments hate you,hate freedom,hate humanity.
    The CFR,IMF,EU,UNITED NATIONS All hate you.

  79. Goldman Sachs,Bank of America loads of them have made record profits.
    Obama’s campaign was assembled and was financed by these people…he is a black face on an illuminati puppet and was brought in to further plunder the usa and it’s people.

    Have you seen Obama’s popularity rating?
    It is the lowest ever for a US president after such a short time in office-The USA is awakening and it will get nasty.

  80. The big money boys want us dull and stupid, but also able to buy their latest piece of junk. That is not sustainable. Here in the States, where we are not too bright to begin with, some still not-in-a-coma locals are calling for tax increases to keep schools and libraries open. The pols are pushing back saying we can’t afford it- we have a war to pay for and corporations to lure from another state with local tax revenue giveaways. They want us committed to economic war against each other in our own country! The game will run on until all the jobs are gone and then a new scam will be devised.

  82. Politics = You help me with millions of pounds on a campaign trail, I’ll help you with zillions of pounds when I get in to office. Thats always been the casr since year dot. I can’t believe people are shocked still by it.

  83. DJG – Of course it’s how it works. The world of business and politic thrives on bribrey.
    However, that is a world away from saying that a countries government sanctioned attacks on it’s own people and then passed it off as terrorists from the middle east, therefore ensuring that they have carte blanche to walk into Iraq and Afghanistan. I think SJT needs to stop watching those internet conspiracy movies. Time and time again they have been proven to be nothing more than conjecture and opinion with very little factual content. Think of them like The News of The World. A lot of bluster and outrage with a couple of facts thrown in to make them look kosha.
    How far does this go? I suppose our government is involved too? Well if they are then they messed up because our troops aren’t seeing any of the new weapons that are supposedly being bought because of this war.

    Seriosuly SJT – you are the one living in la la land. Your rants could be straight out of Fight Club. I am jacks complete lack of surprise.

  84. Agree DJG…I can’t believe people still believe in the left and right :)
    Both sides are puppets for the same puppet masters always following the same agenda..I love the words these puppets use…change,hope they are so vague anyone can promise that crap.

  85. I think SJT needs to stop watching those internet conspiracy movies.

    Non of it is conspiracy it is fact.
    USA Staged 911.

  86. Anyway change the record Toonsy will not be happy when he sees these political comments.

    Sorry Toonsy :lol:

  87. Christ on a bike!

    Stu – what was it you were saying about you, SJT and hitman being the only ones to talk any sense on here? ;)

  88. what TC,so what ive says about goldman sachs is full of shite…is that why there executives are up for fraud…gone check before you start clucking

  89. SJT – I bet you believe the USA didn’t land on the moon either. I tell it how I see it, you always seem to post to suit your viewpoint and don’t seem to tolorate anyone thinking different. You seem to apply this to other areas of interest and not just NUFC.
    You should try and see both sides of the story and then make your mind up. All of the conspiracy nut movies about 911 have been deconstructed and shown to be bunkum. Same goes for the loonies who think the USA didn’t land on the moon.

    However, I agree with you on one thing – this is a NUFC blog and people must be getting p*ssed at all this politcal/conspiracy bollox that we are talking about.

  90. steady on hitman – I was referring to comment 85 and that 3 may become 2 after blarting oot something like that.

    it was only in jest tho – I can’t be arsed getting into a political debate – especially with opinions as extreme as those.

  91. Toon Chicken says:
    May 25, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    I’m going to have to revisit that comment.

  93. my opinions arnt extreme TC ive says nothing about conspiracys,just about goldman sachs which is true..

  96. flipping heck man – i know – i wasn’t talking about you!

    alreet!! :)

  97. hitman – I think you are getting mixed up. TC wasn’t saying that you were a nut. He was probably referring to SJT. His comment to me was saying that stu’s original comment of only you stu and SJT talking sense needed revising to 2, ie you and stu.

  98. 87 Toon Chicken says:
    May 25, 2010 at 2:14 pm
    Christ on a bike!

    Stu – what was it you were saying about you, SJT and hitman being the only ones to talk any sense on here?

  102. Glad that’s sorted – thanks MT! :)

    And SJT – nee offence intended – if that’s what you truly believe I’m not gonna argue with ya!

  103. Agreed on Carroll hitman. For me we need to sign someone else up front. I think the defence will be ok. Not excellent, just ok. But we need someone who is a proven goalscorer at PL level. Problem is they cost loads. Kenwyne Jones from the mackems for me.

  104. coz where skint id try and get keane on loan for a season,then hopfully next seaon (if were in the prem)we will have the money to go out and buy a decent forward

  105. I think Carroll and Lovenkrands deserve their chance to forge a partnership in the Prem.

    Saying that – I’d also love us to discover a proper 20+ goal a season striker – cos I don’t think either of those 2 are. Trouble is they’re as rare as rocking horse sh!t!

  107. I totally respect other bloggers views-Just to let y’all know…good listener as well sometimes :lol:

  108. Isn’t Keane going to Villa for £15 mill? I heard £10 mill earlier but now it looks like it’s gone up? Who knows eh?

    Anyway, just got back from the shops. Needed more tinfoil to make some more hats for you lot you bunch of fecking weirdo’s :)

  110. sirjasontoon says:
    May 25, 2010 at 3:11 pm
    Would love Keane at the Toon.

    well m8 have worrys about him,a good goal-scores yes,but why are clubs moveing him on when they can,is his heed right,is he bad in dressing room,something not quite right with him imo

  111. He claimed this week that he has got his head together and is ready to fight for a place in the spurs side. Kick in the teeth for Celtic fans and shows him up. Didn’t he say playing for Celtic was a dream come true and he wanted to stay?
    We know footballers are all as loyal as a tom cat, but they should stop rubbing the fans noses in it.

  112. Micky – Is this boyhood Liverpool fan who had his dream move to Liverpool which was also a dream come true.

    Fecking dreamer :lol:

  113. wow, people on this blog sound really pesimistic lately. And I can’t believe that some even start to write of Carroll without giving him a chance to prove himself in PRM, from the same opera as “get a new manager in, CH ain’t good enough”.

  114. Pessimism is the new Black Cadbury.
    Don’t worry Morale Officer is due on soon to give us a lift :)