Former England goalkeeper and pundit Paul Robinson has spoken to the press about the importance of forward Andy Carroll.
The attacker came on yesterday for Newcastle and was able to have an instant impact by assisting one of his side’s two goals.
In fact, Carroll found himself coming on from the bench at 1-0 down to the struggling Southampton, who went onto concede twice in Tyneside as they couldn’t rescue a point for their long journey.
Speaking before the game, the goalkeeper went onto say how important he can be for the club based on the match he had against Sheffield United.
“The thing with Andy is getting him fit and getting him on the pitch,” Robinson told Football Insider.
“I think he was a surprise selection for the Sheffield United game, don’t think we expected him to start, but he gives the team a lift, the supporters a lift and if you can manage his off-the-field fitness well and do whatever you need do to get him on the pitch, he’s a huge asset.
“Joelinton has struggled at times as he has been isolated, but Andy Carroll just seems to bring things together.
“He’s a different threat in the air, he occupies the central defenders which clearly allows the two midfielders to get the goals.”
Who deserves to start for Newcastle?
Joelinton
Andy Carroll
These words came before the Magpies managed to overcome Southampton and, in fairness to the former ‘keeper, his words have been reflected through Carroll’s performance in that match.
Coming on in the 58th minute, his impact was there for everyone to see as he was an instrumental factor in the club overcoming that deficit and to thrust themselves into the top half of the table.
Obviously just how much the game changes due to the atmosphere is hard to quantify, however, the fans seemed to go up a level in noise after seeing the number 7 come on.
His additional height meant that they were instantly getting more luck when going long to the 30-year-old and the screw began to turn the Toon’s way. Despite only having 32 minutes on the pitch, he managed to win a huge eight aerials.
The club’s equaliser came from an unlikely supply from Carroll. The forward took the ball out to the touchline and put in an exquisite ball for Jonjo Shelvey who nodded home a great finish.
With Joelinton only making two goal contributions this entire season, there may be a decent shout for Carroll to have the nod over him over the basis of the past two games, considering that both of the latter’s assists have helped the side win crucial games.