LFC vice-captain Jamie Carragher walked comfortably into the realm of hyperbole when praising the new Kop hero Carroll.
That Carroll scored the winning goal came as no surprise to his teammates. Goalkeeper Brad Jones told ESPN that most media depictions of Carroll's professional habits are far off the mark.
The second relates to those intangibles discussed earlier. Dalglish knows better than anyone else how hard Carroll works. He showed enough commitment and dedication (behind the scenes) to merit selection and his work during the game justified his staying on the field for the full 90 minutes.
Review all the action from Saturday's game in our Liverpool Live Blog.
England's most historic club is a "work in progress," as it aims to re-take its place at the top of the game both at home and abroad. And there may no better embodiment of that tag than Andy Carroll.
"He [Carroll] will be remembered forever -- a goal against Everton in a semi-final," Carragher told LiverpoolFC.tv. "That goal's worth £35 million on its own, for me!"
It would have been no surprise if Dalglish had substituted Carroll during the second half, but the manager understood two things. First is that the game was largely devoid of flowing and eye-catching soccer. That puts a premium on set-piece execution, which Carroll's presence certainly improves.
"Like you say, I've had some criticism but I kept on going and to get the winner here is a great feeling. I believed in myself every day and I got my chance here. I've started two games and scored two goals, so it's great."
But Dalglish has been Carroll's staunchest defender for the last 15 months. The manager believes the 23-year-old will be both a difference-maker and game-winner if he dedicates himself to improving as a player.
The man who sits on the throne at LFC promises players, staff and supporters that the Reds will be rewarded with good results as long as they dedicate themselves to hard work and take the right mental approach.
Win or lose, Kenny Dalglish gives a public assessment of his players' levels of "commitment" and "application" after each game.
"I had to wait until the end," Carroll told LiverpoolFC.tv. "I had a few chances and I probably should have scored earlier. I kept at it and it was a great ball in by Craig [Bellamy].
His continual invocation of this mantra lets everyone connected with the club know that these intangibles are Liverpool's keys to success.
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"He has been battered. I have been battered. We have all been battered," Daglish told the Mirror. "Maybe that is what we need to get us going so, please, keep on battering us. Regardless of what some people say, this club will always stand together."
The LFC record signing has endured taunts and barbs from all corners as he aims to fulfill his vast potential and meet the expectations that were set when the club paid Newcastle £35 million ($55.5 million) for his services. Strikers are judged on their goal return, and Carroll's scoring rate makes him an easy target for critics everywhere.
On Saturday, things went right in the end for Carroll and Liverpool FC. His game-winning goal capped off a performance that reflected that of his team. It was nervy and awkward at the beginning, but gradually improved as the game reached its climax. Despite squandering a number of scoring chances, Carroll remained determined to influence the outcome of the game.
What separates players and teams at the top level is not ability, but intangibles like commitment and self-belief. Dalglish knows better than most that monitoring and increasing these intangibles is the way forward for Liverpool FC and Carroll. The player, manager and football club will only reach their collective destination by walking together along the long, dark, windy road to the future. . Which is what Dalglish has been saying all along.
Dalglish even backs up his public support of the oft-criticized striker by playing him in big games, leaving both LFC figures open to ridicule when things go wrong -- as they did during March's Premier League slump.
"He's fantastic," Jones said. "The media knock him, but as a guy he's top man at the club. He works hard despite what the media want to put out and say. He works hard, he stays back and does extra training, so he deserves this goal at Wembley."
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