Andy Carroll remains the great hope for Liverpool, which, as irony goes, will be hard to beat.

Sky Sports has reported that Liverpool have the option to recall Andy Carroll in January.

That is something West Ham United will surely not want to happen, especially after Carroll’s opening day display and despite his injury.

Sam Allardyce and Carroll seem made for each other, as against the choice that Brendan Rodgers offers the pony-tailed hitman – 20 minutes from the bench after tiki-taka has failed.

Up the creek without a paddle is where Anfield is after letting the 23-year old striker move to Upton Park on a season-long loan, without ensuring any cover.

While owner John Henry’s open letter does throw some hints – “I am as disappointed as anyone connected with Liverpool Football Club that we were unable to add further to our strike force in this summer transfer window.”

The question is, does Henry back Rodgers to spend his way – wisely – to a top four finish.

"The transfer policy was not about cutting costs. It was - and will be in the future - about getting maximum value for what is spent so that we can build quality and depth,” Henry wrote, and then to the delight of the Kop, added, "We are still in the process of reversing the errors of previous regimes. It will not happen overnight.

"Spending is not merely about buying talent. Our ambitions do not lie in cementing a mid-table place with expensive, short-term quick fixes that will only contribute for a couple of years.

"That ethos is to win. We will invest to succeed. But we will not mortgage the future with risky spending. After almost two years at Anfield, we are close to having the system we need in place.”

In reality, after Liverpool’s worst start to a season in as far back as any living Reds’ fan can remember, Liverpool are not very close.

Can Liverpool survive till January?

Owen is no more an option.

Emile Heskey is no more the striker he used to be.

Which leaves the rumours that Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka could return to the Premier League.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

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