Andy Carroll Slams Brendan Rodgers Ahead of Liverpool vs. West Ham Clash

Andy Carroll clearly hasn't forgotten the role Brendan Rodgers played in his Liverpool exit. The towering West Ham United striker has accused the Anfield boss of "messing with my head," per Andrew Dillon of The Sun (h/t Daily Mail reporter Ben Winstanley)

Carroll claims Rodgers wasn't honest about the role he initially promised him when he took over at Anfield back in the summer of 2012:

"

He’d say, 'you’re going to play every week, you’re going to play every game with Suarez up front.' I’d leave and get home and he’d ring me and say, 'Fulham and West Ham want you, I think it’s best you should go' when I’d just had a different conversation with him 10 minutes ago.

"

Jon Super/Associated Press

Carroll's comments are likely to stoke the fire ahead of Liverpool's clash with the Hammers at Anfield. The Merseyside club will be seeking a measure of revenge after losing 3-1 at Upton Park back in September.

Carroll didn't feature that day, but he'll bid to make an impact on his return to Liverpool. In truth, he and Rodgers never seemed like a fit.

Carroll's game is all about aerial power. By contrast, Rodgers preaches a style of play based on keeping the ball on the deck. He wants his players to recycle possession and play between the lines at pace.

Tom Hevezi/Associated Press

If Carroll never felt valued at Liverpool, life has certainly been different in east London. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has always appreciated a striker who can pose problems in the air.

He's clearly enamoured with Carroll, suggesting the target man should command £70 million in today's market, according to Mirror writer Jon West.

If there's a clash of ideology at Anfield, Carroll will want to win it as revenge for his perceived poor treatment. Meanwhile, Rodgers will want his methods to vindicate his original decision to shove Carroll through the exit door.

Lost in this minor feud will be a game with serious implications in the race for fourth place. West Ham are seventh on 36 points, just four short of the top four, while Liverpool remain just a point behind in eighth, per PremierLeague.com.