ContinueBrendan Rodgers admitted that he would not rule out allowing Andy Carroll to leave the club on a loan deal but would Liverpool fans be happy to see the £35million striker go?
It is quite clear that Rodgers wants to implement his philosophy of football onto the Liverpool players and that style requires players to be comfortable with the ball at their feet.
The Swansea players had to be safe in the knowledge that when under pressure they could rely on their fellow players to find space and that man would be willing to receive the ball, even if he was being tightly marked.
It is a style of football akin to the Tika Taka employed by both Spain and Barcelona. Possession is the key. It wears teams down and allows the opposition less time on the ball for which to cause damage. So can Carroll fit into this system?
Carroll thrived at Newcastle thanks largely to the superb delivery from both Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan. Both men knew the sort of delivers that would cause panic and give the striker the best chance of finding the back of the net. It was the type of cross that Steven Gerrard delivered against Sweden at Euro 2012.
It is sometimes direct and that is not something that fits into the style of Rodgers. Yet, even Spain felt the need for a more physical presence as they found a place in the squad for the powerful Fernando Llorente.
Carroll may not be first choice, and with such a price tag it makes it hard to justify, but what is the point in strengthening an opposition by loaning him out. He is not going to play in the style of a Sergio Aguero or David Villa, but that does not mean he should be sent away from Anfield.
Luis Suarez seems to fit the mould, while potential new signing Fabio Borini is also a player that knows what Rodgers demands. However, a team always needs options and Carroll has proven both for Newcastle and England that he can be a handful for any defender.
Liverpool would be better off allowing the striker to continue to develop at the club. His performance against Manchester City the season before last, when he scored two goals, showed just how difficult he can be to defend. His ability make him well worth keeping at the club.
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