Source: Daily_Mail
Why Liverpool spent £35m on Andy Carroll
England expects: Liverpool's conditioning work with Andy Carroll will help Fabio Capello's side[LNB]Liverpool believe they can transform Andy Carroll into the ultimate England striker, making him bigger, faster and more powerful while also educating him on the drawbacks of drink. [LNB]Carroll developed a reputation for boozing in Newcastle and he even admitted to enjoying a beer when he was unveiled as Liverpool's ?35million signing. [LNB]But to the astonishment of the Anfield staff, it turns out the 22-year-old has spent little time in the gym to develop the upper-body strength that would make him even more potent in the penalty area. [LNB]Since Carroll arrived at Anfield, he has been stunned by how hard he is being made to work in trying to recover from a thigh injury that is expected to leave him on the sidelines for another two to three weeks. [LNB]However, the striker is scheduled to start jogging with Liverpool's medical staff at the club's Melwood training base, to show that his rehabilitation is going smoothly. [LNB]Liverpool caretaker manager Kenny Dalglish said: 'Andy has been thoroughly checked over, he is progressing well and I think the people who made the assertion (that he is out for the season) have got a good chance of being wrong.' [LNB]But Dalglish's coaches have further programmes in mind they hope will prove the record transfer fee for an Englishman was money well spent.[LNB] It will start with sessions at the sports science department on the adverse affects alcohol can have on an athlete; the fact it makes players more prone to injury and can hamper performance, even when consumed days before a game. [LNB] Come in No 9: Liverpool signed Carroll on deadline day for ?35m - a British transfer record [LNB]They will also put Carroll on an intensive weights programme in the belief that, come the start of next season, he will be an even more formidable forward and even more of an athlete. [LNB]In fairness to the Geordie, he has acknowledged the responsibility that comes with his price tag. While he said he 'wouldn't change' when it came to being a working-class lad who enjoys a beer, he promised he would be careful to choose the right times to have a drink.[LNB] Liverpool recognise it is ultimately up to Carroll to take heed of the warnings, but the sports scientists will do all they can to educate the centre forward so he can realise his considerable potential - for club and country. [LNB]Dalglish's main concern, heading into tomorrow's home game against Wigan, is whether captain Steven Gerrard will recover from the adductor problem that kept him out of England's friendly win over Denmark. [LNB]He has responded to treatment but if Gerrard does miss out, Dalglish is in the comfortable position of having a number of in-form midfielders, notably Raul Meireles. [LNB] Big boots to fill: former Liverpool hero Torres signed for Chelsea in a deal worth ?50m [LNB]The Portugal star notched his fourth goal in five games in last Sunday's 1-0 win at Chelsea and has left behind the erratic performances that were evident after his ?11.4m move from Porto.[LNB] 'Anyone who knows anything about football would have known about Raul Meireles, because he's played for Portugal in the World Cup,' said Dalglish.[LNB] 'Most people take time to settle in, and if you do so straight away you're very fortunate. Everyone's different, you have to be patient. But Raul will feel a lot more comfortable now than when he came in and has shown what he can do on the pitch.[LNB] 'If he's going to get better, we have a lot to look forward to, but we're delighted with the progress he's made.'The return he's getting from his performances is fantastic.' [LNB]There was, however, some bad news for Dalglish yesterday as 18-year-old midfielder Jonjo Shelvey was ruled out for three months because of a knee tendon problem. [LNB]Shelvey, who sustained the problem whi le away wi t h England Under 19s, said: 'I'm a bit down at the moment but hopefully I can come back stronger.'[LNB] ?35m Carroll out, freebie Kuqi in... Newcastle seal deal for veteran strikerBarcelona striker David Villa tips Torres to succeed at Chelsea despite dreadful debut against LiverpoolChelsea 0 Liverpool 1: Total torture for Torres as Meireles ruins his big dayLiverpool FC news from across the web Explore more:People: Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard, Andy Carroll Places: Newcastle, Liverpool, United Kingdom, Portugal, Denmark
