Monday 11 April 2016 17:26, UK
Should Andy Carroll be part of England's squad for Euro 2016?
The striker's inclusion for Saturday's vital London derby between West Ham and Arsenal at Upton Park certainly raised a few eyebrows, but Carroll produced the goods with a stunning hat-trick in the 3-3 draw.
His showing sparked debate over whether Carroll could be an asset for England boss Roy Hodgson at Euro 2016 this summer.
Should Carroll stay home or start planning for a Gallic adventure? We look at both sides of the argument and invite you to cast your vote...
Argument for Carroll inclusion: Adds a unique option to the squad
A proportion of England fans will reluctantly admit they retain a fondness for an aerially adept, antagonistic striker, who gets in the face of defenders and gives referees a real tough time.
Emile Heskey made a career out of being that target man, while Peter Crouch, selected primarily for his aerial prowess, had an impressive goalscoring record for England.
It is that aerial threat that means Carroll could be considered by Roy Hodgson. Just ask Laurent Koscielny if he likes coming up against the likes of Carroll in the air.
Carroll has won 3.4 aerial duels per game this season. Of England's forward hopefuls, only Jamie Vardy comes close to matching such a tally (2.6). With 72 aerial duels won in 967 Premier League minutes, Carroll has won double the amount of headers to that of Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge combined.
He has a track record of scoring crucial goals on the competitive international stage, having notched on his only start at Euro 2012 - with a header.
Goals are not a problem. Despite his injury woes this campaign, Carroll has notched as many goals as Rooney this season, more than Welbeck and Sturridge. Only Harry Kane possesses a better goals per game ratio.
Vardy is there for his tenacity, Rooney for his leadership and all-round ability, Kane for his talismanic qualities, and Carroll can cover that physical target man spot.
That alternative firepower means Carroll has to be at least considered, according to The Daily Telegraph's chief football writer Sam Wallace.
"He does give that change off the bench," Wallace told the Sunday Supplement. "Injuries will happen between now and the end of the season, and Hodgson really likes him. He acts a classic Plan B."
Argument against his inclusion: Keeps better players out and fouls too often
Football has changed. On the international stage Carroll's relentless physicality means he is unlikely to get away with incidents like the forearm to the face of Gabriel at Upton Park.
His card is somewhat marked. In 158 minutes at Euro 2012, Carroll was penalised for a foul eight times. The rest of the Three Lions' strikeforce only committed nine fouls between them all tournament.
Even in the Premier League, Carroll is a prolific offender. Of all the England hopefuls, the 27-year-old has by far the highest fouls-per-game ratio, averaging 1.4 offences, which would slow down a new, vibrant England.
There is no doubt that the former Liverpool striker has ability - Kenny Dalglish did shell out £35m to secure his services in January 2011 - but countless injuries and problems with inconsistency have plagued his career to date.
"He is 27-years-old and we are still waiting to see if he will make that step up," Times football writer Martin Hardy told the Sunday Supplement.
England are actually blessed with their best arsenal of strike options for some time, and to take Carroll, Hodgson may have to sacrifice a tried-and-trusted England regular.
The win in Germany got fans hot under the collar and Carroll wouldn't fit into the young, hungry side that excelled in Berlin, according to Scotland boss Gordon Strachan.
"The game has changed," Strachan told Goals on Sunday. "Players need to be able to beat other players these days, it is not that simple in international football.
"It is a wonderful dilemma to have, but Carroll doesn't have that same pace."
Vardy, Kane and Rooney are almost certainly on the plane, leaving one or two places left. Carroll has to hope for injuries in reality, unless he can stay fit and fire the Hammers into the Champions League.
If fit, Sturridge has been a Hodgson favourite, and would surely take that fourth spot, leaving one of Carroll, Theo Walcott and Welbeck fighting for the final place in the squad. Both Arsenal players would be unlucky to miss out if fit, considering their past endeavours in an England shirt.
Stay fit for the rest of the season, and Carroll gives Hodgson plenty to ponder, but with so many in-form frontmen to choose from, Carroll may well have left it too late to change Hodgson's plans.
