Kop Mobility

Andy Carroll needs to up his game if he is going to live up to his price tag and be a hit at Liverpool.

That was the frank view of The Observer's chief sports writer, Paul Hayward, after he watched Kenny Dalglish's new-look side being held to an opening-day draw by Sunderland.

With new boys Charlie Adam, Luis Enrique, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson all on show, it was a disappointing result for a packed Anfield anticipating a summer of spending to shoot the Reds straight back into Champions League contention.

While all eyes were on the debutants, as well as goalscorer Luis Suarez, £35million man Carroll was starting only his 10th competitive game since joining from Newcastle.

He had a goal disallowed by was kept largely quiet by Wes Brown and Hayward feels that proves he needs to add a new dimension to his game already.

"I'm a bit concerned for Andy Carroll. I think he needs to be sharper to contribute more round the pitch, he told the Sunday Supplement.

"The reason I mention Carroll is when Downing arrived everybody said that would be the making of Andy Carroll because he would just knock all these pin-point balls onto his head in the box, but it's not going to be as simple as that.

"A Liverpool striker cannot be a static player in the box waiting just to finish; he's got to do more off the ball.

"What worried me more is that he doesn't look particularly quick across the ground. He may still be carrying an injury and he's not perhaps razor-sharp yet, but I just wonder how he's going to develop as a player.

"He can't be a static number nine because that player's gone out of fashion now, so his general work in the forward areas has got to be good.

"Mind you Suarez is so good at that, maybe he'll do his work for him. It's an interesting stage in Carroll's development."