EAGLES LEADER SWOOPS TO SLAM BAD BOYS
ANDY CARROLL has his heart and his head set on staying at West Ham.
Now the injury-jinxed forward needs his ankle, groin, hamstring and knee to show solidarity and allow him to win a new deal.
The former England striker showed the depth at the disposal of Manuel Pellegrini as he came off the bench at halftime to help secure the club’s first hat-trick of successive three-goal wins since
1982. And Carroll, who is entering the final months of the contract he signed in 2013, wants to play a bigger part in the Chilean’s East End revolution.
“My heart is here, my head is here,” said the £15million man, who is married to TOWIE star Billi Mucklow. “It is easy for me because my family is from here, it is an easy place for me to stay.
“I have been through a lot but I am enjoying it. I am not sharp as I want to be yet but I don’t think that will take long.
“It is important to get back playing and fully fit and ensure I deserve another deal.”
Carroll, whose £90,000-aweek salary means he will have cost £45m over his six-year contract, has started only 59 league games for the Irons – and not since January 2.
But after Palace took the early lead through James Mcarthur, he showed his value after the break. Robert Snodgrass equalised (below) and then SKIPPER Luka Milivojevic slammed Palace after Wilfried Zaha and James Tomkins picked up bookings to miss Saturday’s clash with Leicester.
Roy Hodgson (left) and his Carroll won the free-kick which led to Javier Hernandez’s strike.
Felipe Anderson’s super curling shot meant Jeffrey Schlupp’s header was not enough for Palace.
“The manager is very attacking and there are goals in the team,” said Carroll, 29.
“Even if I don’t get on the scoresheet, I cause problems.”
After losing the first four matches, the feelgood factor at the happy Hammers is not only shown by Carroll speaking after a game. Winning with stylish football has also changed the London Stadium atmosphere.
Carroll, who criticised fans last season, said: “The players have been talking about it – they were well and truly behind us. We could hear it and it makes a difference.”
Pellegrini said Declan Rice has a “great future” at West Ham even if his international fate is less clear. But the Hammers boss added: “He must try to have better technique.
“He will do it better in every game he plays.” side have now lost seven of their last 10 Premier League games to slip two points from the drop zone.
Zaha was cautioned for the second consecutive game – and the Eagles have not won the in top-flight without him
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since September 2016, while Tomkins was booked after the match for arguing.
Milivojevic said the lack of concentration and focus as Palace conceded three goals in 17 second-half minutes was “unacceptable.” He was also furious about his team’s late lack of discipline.
“To pick up two yellow cards in the last minutes was something we didn’t have to do,” said Milivojevic. “We were chasing a result and maybe lost a bit of control.”