Kevin Phillips reacts to Andy Carroll impact at West Brom since January signing
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips has praised Andy Carroll who has already proved to be a “handful” for West Brom since his arrival.
The ex-Baggies talisman has insisted that the Albion can’t just lump it forward to the target-man, but must instead come up with other plans to get balls into the box.
Carroll is yet to score since arriving as a free agent in January to cover the enforced absence of Daryl Dike through injury.
“You don’t buy someone if you’re not going to play to their strengths,” he exclusively told West Brom News.
“The biggest issue that anyone is going to have is keeping him fit, he’s not been used to playing loads and loads of football, if you can keep him and play to his strengths, we’ve already seen it, he’s a handful, a threat.
“You’ve got to be able to mix it up, you can’t be too one dimensional in terms of style of play and lumping it forward, you need to get into those areas to put crosses into the box.
“If you do that, he’ll get on the end of them. West Brom have got that plan B, as well as other options.”
Plans.
Carroll hasn’t found the back of the net yet, and we haven’t seen many different plans from the Baggies.
Steve Bruce has only just walked through the door, but the Championship is unforgiving and you have to come up with answers quickly.
Luton will be his third game in charge, and with Carroll all but guaranteed to start, the Baggies need to find a way to get more dangerous deliveries into the box.
If that happens, Carroll will mop them up – let’s just hope he can stay fit for now while Dike steps up his recovery.
In other West Brom news, Chris Lepkowski has hit back at one ’embarrassing’ Baggies moment v Blackburn