http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/feb/01/kenny-dalglish-andy-carroll-liverpool?CMP=twt_gu• 'He'll give us a bit of presence up front,' Dalglish said
• Dalglish reveals Carroll is still 'a few weeks' from full fitness
Kenny Dalglish is adamant that the signing of Andy Carroll will not signal a change in Liverpool's playing philosophy. Carroll joined from Newcastle for £35m yesterday, and was immediately handed the departed Fernando Torres's No9 shirt but Dalglish is convinced that Liverpool will continue to play the kind of passing game he has introduced at the club since he took over as caretaker manager following the departure of Roy Hodgson.
"[Andy's] just a young boy with a great talent," Dalglish said. "He's a big lad but is very good on the deck as well, he has good feet, he's very strong in the air and he'll give us a bit of presence up front. He's a little bit different to what we've been used to but it won't change our principles and philosophies of how we want to play."
Carroll is currently out of action with a thigh injury, and visited a specialist in Sweden last week for assessment, but Dalglish was keen to stress that the 22-year-old's current unavailability was not an issue.
"At the moment he's got a bit of a knock and is probably a few weeks away from playing, but the signing wasn't made to cover a few weeks. He signed for five and a half years and there's a lot of weeks in that time when he'll be fit and playing for us."
Dalglish also cited Carroll's display in Newcastle's 3-1 win over Liverpool in December as example of just how influential the striker could be. "If you look at the game against us he scored one and was involved in the other two," he said. "If we can get the same return off him in every game as he did against us then we'll be delighted."
The Newcastle manager, Alan Pardew, has refuted claims made by Carroll that Newcastle forced his hand in leaving the club. Tottenham were also said to be interested in signing the England international but Dalglish has revealed that Liverpool were the only club Carroll were interested in joining.
"He was leaving Newcastle which was a wrench for him as a local boy, but if he was going to go anywhere there was only one club he'd want to come to."
Dalglish also paid tribute to the owners who funded the £22.8m signing of Luis Suárez as well as the £35m Carroll signing, and saw a bid for Blackpool's Charlie Adam fall short.
"The owners have been fantastically supportive during this window," Dalglish said. "In fact they may be slightly disappointed they didn't get someone else. Anyone who had any doubts about hunger or anybody taking this club forward, they're gone now. In the summer we'll be looking forward to trying to enhance what we've got.
"They're as ambitious as anybody else and they understand we have to move forward for everyone's sake. They are prepared to support us and will do the best they can possibly do.
"It was an old adage that was here before, and without wanting to sound prehistoric, the old formula of the Liverpool way from years gone by wasn't a bad formula to follow and they are certainly following that. They want the greatest assets for Liverpool Football Club on that pitch."
