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Barnstorming Andy Carroll finds the form to end his England exile | Barney Ronay

Four years after he last played for his country, the West Ham forward’s swashbuckling presence makes him an irresistible choice for Gareth SouthgateThere was a genuine tremor of excitement this week at the news Gareth Southgate is planning to go to the London Stadium on Saturday to take a first-hand look at the irresistible, intoxicating Andy Carroll. England have a double-header against Germany and Slovakia coming up in March. Carroll last played for England four years ago. He is – cautiously, baby‑steps – in a rich goalscoring seam. And for all the injuries, the lost years, the sense of talent unexpressed, he remains a strangely compelling and persuasive presence.On Thursday Slaven Bilic slipped his own neutral gear briefly, lowering his...

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West Ham’s striking failure: 32 signed in seven years and still no solution | Jacob Steinberg

In the seven years since David Sullivan and David Gold took charge, the club have signed 32 strikers who have managed 128 goals in 643 gamesHaggling with Brentford over the asking price for Scott Hogan, testing Sunderland’s sense of humour with a £4m offer for Jermain Defoe, steeling themselves for bids for the mutinous Dimitri Payet, waving goodbye to Simone Zaza and preparing to point Jonathan Calleri to the exit, how West Ham United savoured the majesty of Andy Carroll’s scissor-kick strike in Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace. For a team who had to wait until 27 November for a striker to score this season, Carroll’s wonderfully acrobatic goal lifted the mood at the London Stadium and provided a...

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