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The pair have combined well in recent matches and leave Kenny Dalglish with a big decision to make when Luis Suárez returns

The beauty of being a defender is that you are in control of the space. In an otherwise reactive role – you respond to the opposition’s moves and try to break up them – the offside rule means you can keep the striker as far away from goal as you like, providing the ball isn’t behind you, of course.

Last week’s column discussed the merits of Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling as a partnership following their largely impressive display against Robin van Persie at the Emirates Stadium. Sir Alex Ferguson was evidently convinced by their performance as he retained the combination despite the availability of Rio Ferdinand for last Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Liverpool at Anfield. This was a completely different test for the duo; Van Persie drops deep and becomes involved in build-up play while Andy Carroll wants to challenge for crosses in the air.

Kenny Dalglish might have used Carroll to exploit United’s potential aerial weakness. He had other options – in the absence of Luis Suárez, the Liverpool manager has used both Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy as a lone striker. Granted, Bellamy’s fitness precludes him from playing frequently and Kuyt has been having a poor season in front of goal, so stylistic concerns were far from the only reason for Carroll’s selection, but his physicality made the decision easier.

However, playing Carroll with no partner played into the hands of Evans and Smalling. To oversimplify things, if a defence is up against a quick striker they defend deep to prevent him using pace in behind, if they’re up against an aerial threat they defend high up to prevent him getting the end of crosses. By playing Carroll up front alone – and hardly a great amount of forward thrust from the flanks in Stewart Downing and Maxi Rodríguez – it made Evans and Smalling’s decision easy. They pushed up, stuck tight to Carroll, and he was ineffective; winning headers 40 yards from goal with no runners is not particularly useful.

Incidentally, it’s worth mentioning that Carroll does have the potential to be more of an all-rounder, offering pace as well as height. Last season for Newcastle, when defenders worked out Carroll was predominantly an aerial force, he often surprised them with his quickness across the ground – he was more akin to the quick, mobile Alan Shearer in his Blackburn days than the penalty-box specialist Shearer became in his thirties. There is no obvious solution to defending against a player who offers both qualities, which makes a player like Didier Drogba positionally as well as physically difficult. Carroll’s fitness problems have meant his threat on the ground has been minimal, but already he looks fitter and leaner than a couple of months ago.

Presently he’s purely an aerial threat, and while quiet for long periods, he noticeably improved after Dalglish turned to the bench at the weekend. Then, Liverpool had two wingers on their natural sides, rather than the right-footed Rodríguez on the left and the left-footed Downing on the right. Downing moved to the left and Kuyt to the right and Liverpool quickly looked more suited to Carroll. Both wide men sent a couple of crosses in, with varying success.

But it was Bellamy’s introduction that provided the mobility to complement Carroll’s aerial threat. The Welshman often played behind Carroll, but also made runs past him, scaring the United defence with the pace he, perhaps surprisingly, retains at the age of 32. Immediately, Evans and Smalling looked more nervous, their positioning was less assured. Liverpool’s dominance of possession clearly contributed to the pressure, but the United centre-backs seemed to drop deeper after Bellamy’s introduction and Carroll could inch closer to his natural habitat, the penalty box.

The winner was interesting. United started off defending high up the pitch for José Reina’s goal-kick (so no offside, despite Carroll and Kuyt being in an offside position) but then immediately dropped deep. Smalling needed to get into a covering position when Evans went for the header but retreated a whole 15 yards from his starting position, possibly to give himself a couple of yards head-start on Bellamy. As it happened, it was Kuyt who found himself on the end of the flick-on – primarily because of Patrice Evra’s poor positioning, but helped by the fact Smalling was so deep, and therefore playing Kuyt onside. Subtly, it was the combination of height and pace that put Liverpool through.

The previous weekend, a Carroll flick-on had also resulted in a goal. Bolton were defending high and the classic big man-little man combination saw Bellamy springing onto Carroll’s header to score. These two seem an ideal combination and have a more natural understanding than either has with Suárez.

Suárez’s imminent returns means the Bellamy-Carroll partnership is unlikely to enjoy much more time together. Suárez is the main man at Liverpool and there’s every chance that his mid-season break

• Liverpool’s £35m striker has not been allowed to flourish
• Carroll plays key role in FA Cup win over Manchester United

Andy Carroll for Carlos Tevez? It would make sense for Liverpool to go for a striker that better suits their style, albeit with a probable desire to want to leave after two years, and for Manchester City to reject what even now amounts to an unfavourable exchange. As was made plain on Saturday, however, a £35m problem is not solely of Carroll’s making.

There were just seconds remaining in the first half at Anfield when José Reina collected the ball and looked to release a quick attack against Manchester United. Unfortunately nine red shirts were gathered in proximity. Up on the halfway line stood Carroll, trying on his lonesome to escape United’s central defenders and an unforgiving spotlight. He ultimately made the right step on both counts.

Judgment comes quickly for the most expensive British footballer in history and a ridiculous price tag is the barometer by which the 22-year-old’s every touch will be judged, fairly or not. Carroll never set the fee, nor can he avoid it, and there have been plenty of times when Kenny Dalglish’s decision-making has been called into question since he moved for the Newcastle United centre-forward while Fernando Torres was heading for the exit last January. A week before Liverpool’s victory over United in the FA

• Fourth-round FA Cup tie heightens tensions
• Clubs to receive written reminders about conduct

The Football Association will contact Liverpool and Manchester United to remind both clubs of their responsibilities ahead of a potentially explosive FA