Bellamy is world class

[Holden McGroin 6478]

As I've said before I think he's definitely underrated. World class is so subjective a phrase but I think he's probably pissed off too many managers, to the detriment of his own career, to have made it into that category. Debatable whether he would ever have been quite that good anyway. Class player either way though.

 

This.

 

I actually do think he is world class as well. He would give any centre half in the world a tough time.

 

I suspect his personality which has led to him be shifted around so many clubs has been detrimental to his career but he is top quality.

[Howmanheyman 32715]

I think we all realised, SBR included, that we had a good spine of a team the second season we finished eleventh, it just needed a bit extra to move us on. Robert and Bellamy were masterstroke signings and made such a huge difference. Trouble is, much as I'd like to see him up front for us it aint going to happen, he's a bit of a prick and will know he got the bird from the fans who had the anti-Bellamy propaganda fed to them via the Chronicle, (remember Terry Mac coming back to the club and slating him in the Ronny Gill even though he and Bellamy were never at the club at the same time). Alan Oliver was merely doing what his mate Shepherd wanted.

 

Too much water under the bridge, we couldn't afford him under the current regime, too injury prone for the money we'd spend and his age plus you wonder if the likes of Nolan would be able to continue to be the main men of the dressing room.

 

I agree though, purely on football matters, he'd be great alongside Carroll.

[Guest Tuco Ramirez]

I think we all realised, SBR included, that we had a good spine of a team the second season we finished eleventh, it just needed a bit extra to move us on. Robert and Bellamy were masterstroke signings and made such a huge difference. Trouble is, much as I'd like to see him up front for us it aint going to happen, he's a bit of a prick and will know he got the bird from the fans who had the anti-Bellamy propaganda fed to them via the Chronicle, (remember Terry Mac coming back to the club and slating him in the Ronny Gill even though he and Bellamy were never at the club at the same time). Alan Oliver was merely doing what his mate Shepherd wanted.

 

Too much water under the bridge, we couldn't afford him under the current regime, too injury prone for the money we'd spend and his age plus you wonder if the likes of Nolan would be able to continue to be the main men of the dressing room.

 

I agree though, purely on football matters, he'd be great alongside Carroll.

I would love FFS to put a book out. Souness influenced him like no other manager could, and I'm sure FFS regrets that now.

[Howmanheyman 32715]

I think we all realised, SBR included, that we had a good spine of a team the second season we finished eleventh, it just needed a bit extra to move us on. Robert and Bellamy were masterstroke signings and made such a huge difference. Trouble is, much as I'd like to see him up front for us it aint going to happen, he's a bit of a prick and will know he got the bird from the fans who had the anti-Bellamy propaganda fed to them via the Chronicle, (remember Terry Mac coming back to the club and slating him in the Ronny Gill even though he and Bellamy were never at the club at the same time). Alan Oliver was merely doing what his mate Shepherd wanted.

 

Too much water under the bridge, we couldn't afford him under the current regime, too injury prone for the money we'd spend and his age plus you wonder if the likes of Nolan would be able to continue to be the main men of the dressing room.

 

I agree though, purely on football matters, he'd be great alongside Carroll.

I would love FFS to put a book out. Souness influenced him like no other manager could, and I'm sure FFS regrets that now.

They're both culpable, Stevie. Souness started the Bellamy carry on by being a far greater cunt than even Bellamy could, the difference being with Souness it would've been pre-meditated, Alan Oliver wasn't really liked by Souness so Shepherd would've briefed Oliver on Souness's behalf.

 

At least Souness got to look the big man for a few weeks, shame it was at NUFC's expense.

[LeazesMag 0]

I've never put personalities before the job someone does for the club, and have never understood why others do.

 

He might be annoying, but that's because he wants to win so much, which is one of his biggest attributes as a player.

 

Always said he was a great player. My mate is a Cardiff supporter, I phoned him last night after they won, he believes me now when I told him in the summer that Bellamy staying fit would win them automatic promotion this season.

[Papa Lazaru 0]

If he isn't/wasn't world class (wich is a subjective phrase as Alex said anyway) then he was only a fraction off it. And personally, when fully fit and firing with a team using him correctly i think he could be called world class.

 

And as regards us trying to sign him from Citeh (and i'm delighted we at least tried, it shows Hughton knows what he's doing) i read an interview with Bellamy where he said he had loads of offers but he told all of them he'd set his heart on goign home to Cardiff for his family and to play there while he was still a top player and that none of these teams tried to talk him out of it as they could see he was decided.

 

If he hadn't been going home i think he'd have come here, the people who kicked him out (Souness and Fat Fred) are gone and Shearer is out as well so he'd have been up for it IMO.

[OTF 7243]

For the kind of wages we'd have to pay Craig Bellamy I'd prefer someone who isn't going to be injured every other week.

 

I think there's some level of romanticism involved with Stevie's assessment of Bellamy. Without doubt he's a very talented player, but 'World Class' means nothing beacuse everyone has a different assessment of what it means. Can't say he'd be in my side (or even close to it) if I was to pick a squad of 30 players from the Premier League.

Name 30 then and don't even think about saying Tim Cahill.

 

I will, and don't think Cahill will figure either, though you can't really compare hem positionally.

[JawD 99]

He was a little shit, but he was our little shit.

 

I'd have him back in a heartbeat and think he is everything we are missing atm.

 

Plus, I think with him in the side and not Owen we'd have stayed up.

[shackbleep 0]

He was a little shit, but he was our little shit.

 

I'd have him back in a heartbeat and think he is everything we are missing atm.

 

Plus, I think with him in the side and not Owen we'd have stayed up.

 

I think most would, Chris Hughton included. Seems from his point of view though the bridges have burned, sadly.

 

Barney is right, it was Caulkin who said Bellamy turned us down.

[Guest alex]

One thing about him is he plays the game in the right way. Take away his gob, which is nowt really, and he never dives, he never leaves his foot in/goes over the top in tackles and he always gives 100%. I think it's a shame that this is often overlooked compared to his persona. Off the pitch he might be a bit of a nightmare (that's speculation) but the game would be better if more people played it like him imo instead of all these cheats. What they do is far worse but doesn't seem to be villified anywhere near as much.

[Holden McGroin 6478]

One thing about him is he plays the game in the right way. Take away his gob, which is nowt really, and he never dives, he never leaves his foot in/goes over the top in tackles and he always gives 100%. I think it's a shame that this is often overlooked compared to his persona. Off the pitch he might be a bit of a nightmare (that's speculation) but the game would be better if more people played it like him imo instead of all these cheats. What they do is far worse but doesn't seem to be villified anywhere near as much.

 

Another good post. You feeling ok Alex??

[Guest Tuco Ramirez]

He was a little shit, but he was our little shit.

 

I'd have him back in a heartbeat and think he is everything we are missing atm.

 

Plus, I think with him in the side and not Owen we'd have stayed up.

I remember saying to my mate who's a Liverpool fan believe it or not, as plastic as they come, when we signed Owen that I'd much, much, much rather have Bellamy than Owen, it still stands.

[The Fish 10686]

Bellamy has so much more to his game than Owen. To be honest Bellamy is probably my second favourite NUFC striker of my lifetime. Andy Cole lost all his stock with that singing and Ferdinand, while great, just misses out.

 

I also don't think Bellamy is any more of an arsehole than Shearer, Shearer's just more subtle about it imo.

[Dr Gloom 21802]

the only issue is his personality and fitness record, though the latter seems to have improved in recent seasons.

 

the problem with his personality is it has stopped him reaching his potential. he has been at some big clubs but has always been moved on swiftly - mainly because he winds people up. i think we were the club he had his longest spell at. i wonder if he'll look back at his time with us as his best years.

 

if he'd kept his head down and mouth shut, i'm sure he'd have won the trophies a player of his ability deserved but when you look at the lack of medals come the end of his career, you have to ask whether he is world class given his massive potential.

 

i'd still take him back like, no doubt about it. you'd have to wonder how long him and barton would last alongside each other.

[tinofbeans 91]

I kept telling myself he'd come back eventually, can't see it happening now like. He's a great player, gave the team so much, extended Shearer's usefulness and genuinely excited the crowd.

 

He's apparently very active with his charity, rather than just being a figurehead.

 

I know he's got a bit of the arsehole about him, but I'd have 1 of him over a hundred Mike Williamsons and his ilk.

 

nowt wrong with williamson, getting better and better.

 

I don't think Bellamy is world class, but he is the most obvious player to be able to make the difference... here. our other forwards (except lovenkrands) are fairly slow to be honest and lovenkrands has no balls.

 

he's got 2 years in the premiership i think.

[manc-mag 1]

Not World Class like but probably not that far off it at his absolute peak...which still makes him a collosal player.

 

Clearly all the circumstantial evidence points to an absolutely dreadful personality (ie unmanageable). But that was always the biggest irony for me because as far as I was concerned, on the pitch, he never needed managing. He's the sort of player that plays well regardless of how badly the team are playing as a unit. I actually think he has probably never listened to a word any manager has ever said to him because he knows at the end of the day when he crosses that line he'll go out and play for himself (not in a bad way) and that that'll be good enough against pretty much anyone. I base that on the observation that his performances often have utterly zero resemblance to the teams overall performance. As I say I think that's probably his greatest strength and also his biggest weakness (ie why he's such a cunt and on the transfer list all the while).

[Rob W 0]

you know when you look at other countries meeja they don't even mention him... so "world class" is stretching it a bit I think

[PaddockLad 17073]

Bellamy has so much more to his game than Owen. To be honest Bellamy is probably my second favourite NUFC striker of my lifetime. Andy Cole lost all his stock with that singing and Ferdinand, while great, just misses out.

I also don't think Bellamy is any more of an arsehole than Shearer, Shearer's just more subtle about it imo.

 

Shearer was indulged by Shepherd ,Souness and Roeder to keep playing on beyond his time of being truly effective in the team just to break Jackie Milburn's goalscoring record. I've always had a sneaking suspicion that Shearer was involved in Bellamy's exit from NUFC...didn't he sign a new contract around that time to continue playing after he had announced his retirement? Nowt to base it on but my own prejudices, but I wouldn't put it past him.

 

"The club is bigger than one player, whoever it is" was said more than once last week about Rooney, but for the biggest example of that being only partly,if at all, true is towards the end of Shearer's playing career. I think Bellamy would've been an obstacle to him breaking the record before he completely ran out of steam. When I look at the scenes from Shearer's testimonial I think I'm pretty much in a minority among us in thinking that but if Bellamy had been kept at the club post 2005 and the team had been arranged around him we wouldnt have been looking at relegation 4 years later.

[OTF 7243]

"The club is bigger than one player, whoever it is" was said more than once last week about Rooney, but for the biggest example of that being only partly,if at all, true is towards the end of Shearer's playing career. I think Bellamy would've been an obstacle to him breaking the record before he completely ran out of steam. When I look at the scenes from Shearer's testimonial I think I'm pretty much in a minority among us in thinking that but if Bellamy had been kept at the club post 2005 and the team had been arranged around him we wouldnt have been looking at relegation 4 years later.

 

On the contrary I think in a side with Bellamy in it Shearer would have scored more goals as he would have had a lot more space to work in .

[ChezGiven 0]

you know when you look at other countries meeja they don't even mention him... so "world class" is stretching it a bit I think

 

Cos he plays for Wales. Regular reader of L'Equipe are we Rob?

[LeazesMag 0]

you know when you look at other countries meeja they don't even mention him... so "world class" is stretching it a bit I think

 

Cos he plays for Wales. Regular reader of L'Equipe are we Rob?

 

Exactly. Same as Ryan Giggs. And George Best if you want to go back further...

[LeazesMag 0]

"The club is bigger than one player, whoever it is" was said more than once last week about Rooney, but for the biggest example of that being only partly,if at all, true is towards the end of Shearer's playing career. I think Bellamy would've been an obstacle to him breaking the record before he completely ran out of steam. When I look at the scenes from Shearer's testimonial I think I'm pretty much in a minority among us in thinking that but if Bellamy had been kept at the club post 2005 and the team had been arranged around him we wouldnt have been looking at relegation 4 years later.

 

On the contrary I think in a side with Bellamy in it Shearer would have scored more goals as he would have had a lot more space to work in .

 

The day Alan Shearer foolishly waved goodbye to Craig Bellamy as his strike partner, was the same day he kissed goodbye to any hopes he had of captaining Newcastle United to a trophy before he retired.

[OTF 7243]

The day Alan Shearer foolishly waved goodbye to Craig Bellamy as his strike partner, was the same day he kissed goodbye to any hopes he had of captaining Newcastle United to a trophy before he retired.

 

They should have been an almost perfect partnership that lasted through to Shearer's retirement. Would have been in both their favours IMO and of course ours as supporters as well. It's incredibly frustrating when you think of the money wasted on players much much worse than Bellamy after his departure.

[sammynb 3345]

For me that CL game against Feyenoord said everything about Bellamy and his time at Newcastle. His determination set him above all but a few.

As I think Chez said, when he was here his one on one finishing was hit and miss but we haven't had a player make that many chances for themselves since.

[The Fish 10686]

I remember the game against Everton in 02 where he scored one of Li Tie's* arse to win it. Shearer (rightly) got the headlines for his wonder-strike) but Bellamy's tireless performance won us that game. He hadn't been on the best run of goal-scoring form and when it went in, he sunk to his knees by the Corner with a look of vindication and relief on his cheeky face.

 

So many games he carved out the one or two chances Shearer needed to get us the win, just by winning a corner or a foul near the box.

 

Quality player and imo the kind of "football man" the game needs more of.

 

 

 

 

* I think it was him

Edited October 27, 2010 by The Fish