Andy: praise after England display

Andy Carroll drew plaudits from both the England manager and his skipper after an industrious and determined display against Norway on Saturday. On the night Roy Hodgson made his managerial debut for England it was Carroll's work rate, both on and off the ball, and the Liverpool forward's constant efforts to forge an understanding with strike partner Ashley Young that impressed Hodgson the most. The link-up play between the two players was at its most effective when Carroll towered above his marker and played a pass to Young, who dragged the ball away from a defender and smashed home England's opener on nine minutes. "I thought Carroll was good,'' said Hodgson. "He performed very well. He was not only good for us when we had the ball but also very important for us defensively. Prior to the evening's fixture in Oslo, Steven Gerrard had claimed that Carroll's end of season form for Liverpool had been nothing short of 'scintillating' and warned European Championship defenders that Carroll can be 'unplayable' when at his best. After the match Gerrard was keen to echo the sentiments of his manager Hodgson in praising a selfless Carroll display. "I think Ashley Young and Andy Carroll looked good together," said Gerrard. "Andy put in a really good shift in for the team. We got a win - that's important thing. We got a win for the team." Meanwhile former England manager Graham Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live that Carroll played his best game for England last night. "His touch was excellent," said Taylor. "He was bringing people into play and he was winning a number of balls in the air when they came. "He played his best game for England on Saturday. And on that performance, especially without Rooney, I would include him in my starting XI for the first game."