Source: Northern_Echo
Ameobi praises Carroll
SHOLA AMEOBI has paid a huge compliment to his striker partner by claiming that Premier League defenders are running scared of Andy Carroll. Carroll has been a revelation in his first four months as a top-flight regular, scoring nine goals that have propelled him on to the international scene with England. After a promising first cap for his country in last month's defeat to France at Wembley, he is being tipped to become a permanent fixture in the national team's plans, even after Fabio Capello has stepped down following Euro 2012. Ameobi, a former Under-21 international who had to cope with predictions he would step up to senior England duty, can understand why his sidekick has caused such a stir this season. He can't stop scoring and it is no wonder everyone is talking about him, said Ameobi. He is so hard to play against. You can see the fear in the faces of defenders when they are playing against him. Even against a team as good as Chelsea last Sunday, you could see their two centrebacks holding back. He is playing with a lot of confidence and he is frightening defenders every time he steps on to the pitch. I wouldn't want to have to try to mark him for 90 minutes. It's great for the team because it gives us a chance to link up with him and when the two of us have managed to do that we've caused problems regardless of who we are playing. Carroll turns 22 in January and there is a belief he could become one of the stars of the future, provided he can curb his bad-boy image off the field. The Academy graduate was recently handed a long-term deal at St James' Park and Ameobi thinks there is plenty more to come from the young man from Gateshead. There isn't anyone else like him at the moment. You could say Peter Crouch but he's not as powerful, said Ameobi. Andy is young and enthusiastic and he brings that to every single game he plays in. He gets all over the pitch. The truly frightening thing for the rest of the Premier League is, he is only going to get better as well. Newcastle's willingness to hand the 21-year-old an improved contract at a time when he was facing problems off the pitch highlights how highly they value him. They would prefer to reach an agreement over another of their Academy graduates, Steven Taylor, but so far that has not materialised. The Taylor camp have claimed Liverpool and Wolves are interested in taking him away from Tyneside, along with Tottenham and West Ham. The 24-year-old can leave for nothing next summer, when his current terms expire. Newcastle are understood to have put a further offer on the table, but there is unlikely to be much further movement on the terms of that deal before the transfer window opens in January.