Why Newcastle have done a smart job by re-signing Andy Carroll

Andy Carroll completed a sensational deadline day move back to Newcastle United after being released by West Ham at the end of last season.

The former England international, 30, has suffered from injury problems in recent seasons and managed just 14 appearances in the 2018/19 campaign for West Ham. Newcastle announced on Thursday that the striker has re-signed for the club.

Overall, the Magpies enjoyed a solid summer transfer window. They were slow movers in the market initially but the transfer dealings gathered pace following the appointment of Steve Bruce as a replacement for Rafael Benitez.

Newcastle broke their club record by signing Joelinton from Hoffenheim. Allan Saint-Maximin, Jetro Willems and Emil Krafth have also arrived at the Tyneside, giving Bruce’s side the push they need to challenge for a top-half finish in the upcoming campaign.

Bruce has a mighty job in hands and his first and foremost priority will be to hit the ground running. He needs to get the squad gel quickly and work towards achieving their season’s goals. Success early on will give Bruce with the platform to build upon and that makes the first few games very important for the Magpies.

Scoring goals proved tough under Benitez last season. Apart from Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez, none of the Newcastle attackers contributed significantly.

With both Rondon and Ayoze gone, Bruce has a new attack that’ll feature the likes of Joelinton, Saint-Maximin and January addition Miguel Almiron. With the trio in the team, the Toon will have a dynamic attack filled with pace, power and guile.

If Bruce intends to play a quick, fluid brand of football, he has the easiest recipes of starting with Almiron, Joelinton and Saint-Maximin as his front three.

Andy Carroll, meanwhile, could well prove to be a useful player as an impact substitute with his aerial prowess and hold up play throughout the season. There are still some question marks over his fitness, though, as he continues his recovery from ankle surgery earlier this year.

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When fit, Carroll is a difficult player to come up against and a real handful in the box for the defenders. The 30-year-old can bully the opposition with his towering frame and is the best at what he does from set-pieces. He would be an excellent plan B option for Bruce in the 2019/20 campaign.

Verdict

Carroll’s return to St James’ Park is something of a gamble because of his injuries in the last few seasons. However, if he can return to anywhere near the form he showed as he burst on to the first-team scene as a raw teenager, it could prove to be a masterstroke for Bruce and the Magpies.