Can Carroll show his worth against Southampton?

West Ham’s Andy Carroll has not had the best time in Claret and Blue recently. With injuries and lack of chances, the former Liverpool man needs to prove his worth soon.

With West Ham scoring 2 or more goals in each of their 4 recent wins and Arnautovic being injured, Carroll would have hoped to have made the scoresheet at least once. However the towering centre forward has been described as a poor fit by many fans. With the other strikers showing mobility and a threat, is Carroll on his way out?

The big man is still a favourite of many fans, and is certainly effective on his day. With a high cross and defenders standing under it, there’s no-one I’d want more than big AC. But do we play in that style any more? Can we really afford to keep the striker past the end of the season.

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With his contract up at the end of the season, you have to feel that AC is aware of his predicament. Even if the Hammers don’t renew his contract, there aren’t many Premier League clubs that will pay him the money he wants if he’s not scoring. There are a lot of good strikers out there in the world, and there’s a lot willing to pay for less money than AC.

However he can still be effective, and with players on the wing like Robert Snodgrass you’d have to think that there’s a cross with his name on it at some point. Maybe we should consider playing Cresswell just for that? Snodgrass cutting back onto his left foot on one side and Cresswell hitting crosses from deep on the other would certainly suit Carroll. But it would likely change the side that has been so effective in recent weeks.

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All in all I don’t think the Hammers are currently set up in the best way for Carroll. That doesn’t make him ineffective, but I just don’t think he works in the current squad. His injuries aren’t largely his fault, and they have hampered his effectiveness during his time at the club. Unless he makes major changes in the near future, I don’t think that we’re going to have him at the club next season. Which, if we want progress in our footballing style, is a good sign for the club.