Football - Carroll call doesn't mean long ball - Allardyce

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce insists England would not have to employ ugly long-ball tactics if national team boss Roy Hodgson opted to recall Andy Carroll.

PA Sport

Carroll made a successful return from a nine-week injury lay-off on Saturday, scoring the only goal in West Ham's crucial 1-0 victory over Swansea at Upton Park.

The 24-year-old was key to every attack, picking up long balls from the back and feeding them to Kevin Nolan, who would have taken home the match ball had he not squandered his chances.

Although punting the ball up to Carroll may not have been easy on the eye, it was certainly effective.

But Allardyce insists there is more to Carroll's game and such tactics would not be necessary if Hodgson called the former Newcastle strike up for next month's World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Montenegro.

"All this talk about someone as tall as him suggests that England would play a different way...well you play to win, don't you?" Allardyce said.

"If you have a player of his capabilities, play to him. Everyone is saying that playing up to his head is the best way, but it's not. It's playing it in to his feet or chest.

"He is good at holding the ball up from the opposition and then you can break from there."

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