Two goals in two games for Andy Carroll has the big number 9 on top of the injury-ridden West Ham United striking order, and on top of the competition.
Carroll’s winning header in the 79th minute against Southampton on Monday and his 55th minute header against Liverpool show the talent the Englishman has that led him to becoming the most expensive English player in 2011 after his move from Newcastle United to Liverpool.
Prolific with headers, injuries, and off the field concerns, Carroll was warned by Slaven Bilic to improve rather than regress after the fast start to the New Year.
He looks really good and fit and it’s all about him now,
Bilic said.
Is he going to maintain and progress and look after himself, or is he going to go the other way?
He has history in that and I’m not his dad, I can’t demand things from him. But I’m expecting that to be fair.
However, with only 3 goals in 13 appearances, talk of an England national team spot for Euro 2016 should be dampened, according to Bilic. The 26-year-old has 9 International appearances and 2 goals.
To talk about the Euros is wrong for him. If England is a serious national team and you’re trying to win the Euros then you can’t talk about the national team when the player has scored three goals.
He’s got all the quality. To ask me does he have quality then, yes. But he has to show it on a longer scale and now it’s there. He’s got a chance.
Carroll played in the last Euros in Poland and Ukraine four years ago, and Bilic believes this summer’s Euro Cup in France could be used as motivation for Carroll.
It would push me definitely,
And I hope that he’s going to do everything because when he’s like this he’s hard to play against.
As for Carroll, all talk from him was of his fitness after the match.
I got another 90 minutes under my belt and it’s much better than training. You can only get match fitness through games and I’m feeling good.
