Source: Daily_Mail
Andy Carroll will oversahdow Danny Welbeck at Sunderland
Steve Bruce has a few more days to decide whether Danny Welbeck is ready to be unleashed on Liverpool on Sunday.[LNB]For every Sunderland and Newcastle fan, thanks to embarrassing FA Cup exits, March has been the longest month of the season. Everyone is straining to get back into Barclays Premier League action.[LNB]So imagine how Welbeck feels. He has been out for more than six weeks out with a serious cruciate injury and the striker, who took time to settle into his role at Sunderland and in Bruce's team, has been sorely missed.[LNB] Centre of attention: Former Newcastle striker Andy Carroll is set to make his first appearance at the Stadium of Light[LNB]Bruce is almost back to his full quota, including Fraizer Campbell, and now in a position to be judged on whether the club were right not to pursue a direct replacement for Darren Bent in January. [LNB] More from Colin Young... Northern Exposure: Kris Boyd sums up the disaster of Gordon Strachan's Middlesbrough reign08/03/11 Northern Exposure: Sunderland boss Bruce confident of bouncing back04/03/11 Northern Exposure: How being Given's understudy made Harper stronger23/02/11 Northern Exposure: Ignore Quinn's last orders at your peril16/02/11 Northern Exposure: Newcastle's Plan D... ?35m Carroll to journeyman Finn11/02/11 Northern Exposure: Broken promises, sackfuls of cash and a star departure01/02/11 Northern Exposure: Barton's form has earned him a second England chance26/01/11 Colin Young: Bent's fantasy deal brings Sunderland crashing back to earth18/01/11 VIEW FULL ARCHIVELong-awaited and significant that Welbeck's return is, his name may not be the main one Sunderland fans will listen out for when the teams are announced on Sunday lunchtime.[LNB]Andy Carroll has never played at the Stadium of Light, but could make his full Premier League debut in a Liverpool shirt, depending on his reaction to his inevitable appearance against Braga in the Europa Cup on Thursday night.[LNB]The former Newcastle striker is guaranteed a warm welcome on Wearside, no doubt making him an even more lethal weapon for Kenny Dalglish to unleash on Titus Bramble and John Mensah - who both capitulated when Carroll and Newcastle ran riot in October.[LNB]Carroll may be the new threat for Liverpool but Bruce has no doubt why Liverpool are a different proposition to the side Sunderland so nearly defeated early in the season.[LNB]And he put his admiration for Dalglish as only he could.[LNB]'He was out 20 years!' Bruce said. 'Ouch![LNB]'He IS Liverpool. He has galvanised Liverpool again and got them talked about for the right reasons.[LNB]'He is probably the only one that could do that in the horrible situation they found themselves in. He has got the club moving forward again.[LNB]'They will be a different proposition this time around. There was an air of gloom and doom about them before.[LNB]'I had a conversation with Kenny in the summer and he was distraught with the turmoil the club was in. You never associated Liverpool with controversy. Or turmoil. That disappointed Kenny.[LNB] Wel-come return: Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is reading to unleash fit-again Danny Welbeck on Liverpool[LNB]'He immediately got the hugest respect from players and supporters. It is a different Liverpool now. So you can only say well done Kenny. He has picked them up by the boot laces.'[LNB]Sunderland have won just one in six since Bent's departure, admittedly against tough opponents, and they travel to Manchester City before embarking on a run-in which would be the envy of any Premier League team.[LNB]Sunday is a sell-out but Bruce's side don't have a great history on these occasions. Niall Quinn and the marketing department will be praying for a good, spirited performance at least to help in the bid to keep those seats full for the final four home games against West Brom, Wigan, Fulham and Wolves.[LNB] There is not a Middlesbrough supporter, chairman, manager, or former manager, who would disagree with Kris Boyd's claim that joining the club from Rangers was a mistake. [LNB]However, he is no doubt in a minority of one when he complains that it is everybody's fault but his own that it didn't work out.[LNB]We don't even have to draw our own conclusions from his response to his failure. He actually said it. 'It's not my fault.'[LNB]Instead, he blames Gordon Strachan's sacking - even though he had only scored three of his six goals by then - and Tony Mowbray's arrival and Boyd's subsequent axe from the team - even though the frustrated Strachan also left him out for long spells. [LNB]Big mistake: Kris Boyd[LNB]At ?30,000-a-week, Middlesbrough, both managers and their supporters may have expected much more from the Scottish Premier League's record goalscorer. In words and actions.[LNB]This, after all, is a region which is hardly awash with cash at the moment, and is struggling to keep the faith in Steve Gibson, their team and their players, especially the high-earners.[LNB]Maybe Boyd felt guilty when the reality of the club's finances, and the half-full Riverside Stadium was laid out to him. But it's doubtful.[LNB]He said: 'Everybody knows the financial problems there and, having spoken to Tony Mowbray, I think that was probably the biggest factor. But it's not my fault. I don't know the politics of it, I know I just wanted to play football and wasn't given the chance.'[LNB]He was though. Strachan gave him the chance, and he just wasn't very good. With his reputation, there are inevitably questions over the standard of Scottish defences, but he never really looked a threat in the Championship for a man known as a deadly penalty box predator. [LNB]That reputation just seemed to give him licence to roam about a bit with an air of indifference, rather than with the sheer blood and guts and selfless determination which is required for this division, and this club.[LNB]And Mowbray gave him a chance, whatever Boyd may claim, but he didn't take it. Leroy Lita did and now he's injured. And he will be missed. Boyd wasn't missed even when he was at Middlesbrough.[LNB]After he failed to land a club in January, he has been sent on loan to Nottingham Forest last week, where he feels comfortable assessing his Middlesbrough career with the press and helping judge whether he was worth all that money Middlesbrough couldn't afford.[LNB]Now only Kris Boyd can prove whether we're all wrong about him, and he's right.[LNB] Finally, hopefully plenty of neutral North East fans will give up another free Saturday afternoon to go watch the second leg of the FA Trophy semi-final between Gateshead and Darlington.[LNB]Darlo lead 3-2, after going two goals behind at home to their Blue Square Conference rivals last weekend. Part two in Gateshead, in front of a good crowd, promises to be a real belter. [LNB]It would be fantastic for either side to earn the right to play at Wembley, and I hope I don't upset too many people, particularly Darlington, when I say after all they've endured for the last 18 months (and beyond). But Gateshead have had their moments too and are equally deserving of a day to remember and to forget any woes.[LNB] Up for the cup: Darlington take a 3-2 lead into the FA Trophy semi-final second-leg over rivals Gateshead [LNB]The great thing is a North East club will be returning to Wembley and who knows, we might actually see them lift a trophy there (with apologies to Whitley Bay, of course, who are within touching distance of a third successive FA Vase triumph).[LNB]And as we like to lay claim to Carlisle in these parts, Greg Abbott and his young team are also counting the days to a Wembley return as they look forward to a second successive Johnstone Paints final in a fortnight.[LNB]So it's looking very healthy for some of the far North's smaller clubs, and good luck to them all.Now if only the big boys could get their acts together in the cup competitions. Then we might have something to look forward to again during a season.[LNB]And then at least we could get back to watching some top flight football regularly at the start of the year too![LNB] Steve Bruce: I tried to sign Andy Carroll - but Wigan couldn't afford Newcastle's ?4.5m asking priceSunderland complete permanent ?2.5m deal for Elmohamady from ENPPIWelbeck set to extend Sunderland stay as Bruce secures loan starsAll the latest Sunderland news, features and opinion [LNB] Explore more:People: Gordon Strachan, Darren Bent, Tony Mowbray, Steve Bruce, Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll, Kenny Dalglish, Leroy Lita, Niall Quinn Places: Newcastle, Liverpool Organisations: Scottish Premier League
