[Archived] Craig Bellamy - Good Signing Or Not?

[colin]

I'm not going to pretend that I'm any kind of expert on sports psychology or *ahem* "man management," but I think that a lot of Craig Bellamy's re-birth (if you c call it that) lies with the difference between Souness and Hughes.

We all know about he formers attitude to players being "if you don't agree with me then go away."

When Hughes signed Bellamy I know there were a lot on here who were quite concerned that the latter was a sulky, bad-tempered and indiscipined player who could turn out to be more of a liability than an asset. I was one of them.

Perhaps Craig has matured a bit over the past year or so, but I'd like to think that MH has guided and helped him toward his new personality, both on and on the pitch.

Just a couple of examples:

(i) When Pederson scored that free kick against Boro it was Bellamy who ran long and hard for a seemingly lost ball which we all thought was going out. It wasn't a strikers ball to chase, it was going out near the corner flag, but he got it, brought it back into play and won the free kick. MGP did the rest.

(ii) His interview on MOTD after he's scored the winner against Boro was the epitome of modesty and seasoned with a good dash of humour. I may be paraphrasing here

"Craig, after you scored that goal, you collapsed near the corner flag."

"Yeah, I was knackered." Followed by a big smile.

Let's hope he carries on in the same vein for a long time and we keep him at Ewood

[Ozz]

A bargain for £5M. God bless Souness, best bit of business he ever did for Rovers.

[Ricky]

March Player of the month ????

[gazsimm]

he has single handed turn Rovers from a relagation outfit to a top 6 outfit

[Presty On Tour]

he has single handed turn Rovers from a relagation outfit to a top 6 outfit

395029[/snapback]

i wouldn't go that far buddy, he's done a good job yeah but the rest of the squad have certainly contributed to rovers sucess this season.

[joey_big_nose]

he has single handed turn Rovers from a relagation outfit to a top 6 outfit

395029[/snapback]

Thats wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy over the top. We have won a more than respectable amount of games witout him even being on the pitch (including two wins over Man Utd!)!!!!!

Undoubtably our most talented player, but the work of the likes of Niell, Nelsen, Savage and Pedersen should not be underated!

Todd, Gray and Tugay have had good seasons too.

Without Bellamy we would have finished around mid table, Craig allows us to consistently win games to put us in the top six.

[RevidgeBlue]

Undoubtably our most talented player, but the work of the likes of Niell, Nelsen, Savage and Pedersen should not be underated!

Todd, Gray and Tugay have had good seasons too.

395035[/snapback]

Reid.

[Yorick]

Lets not all get carried away. He's a professional footballer who like 90 odd % of his profession will have all the morals and loyalty of a gunslinger.

When he does go we'll all be contributing to a thread criticising him for all we are worth, and we'll be booing him for the full 90 minutes when he comes to Ewood.

[gazsimm]

Thats wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy over the top. We have won a more than respectable amount of games witout him even being on the pitch (including two wins over Man Utd!)!!!!!

Undoubtably our most talented player, but the work of the likes of Niell, Nelsen, Savage and Pedersen should not be underated!

Todd, Gray and Tugay have had good seasons too.

Without Bellamy we would have finished around mid table, Craig allows us to consistently win games to put us in the top six.

395035[/snapback]

i am not doubting the rest of the players but without Bellamy up front we will not be in the positon were we are now

[FourLaneBlue]

Lets not all get carried away.  He's a professional footballer who like 90 odd % of his profession will have all the morals and loyalty of a gunslinger.

When he does go we'll all be contributing to a thread criticising him for all we are worth, and we'll be booing him for the full 90 minutes when he comes to Ewood.

395038[/snapback]

Can't argue with that. Didn't most people think he was a bit of a prat before he joined? Likewise Savage?

Still...as long as they are at Rovers they're OUR prats!

PS - Add in Brad Friedel to those who have had good seasons, while not up to his Superman form some of his performances this season have been match-winners. Last Saturday's stop at Sunderland from Chris Brown being a case in point, as was some of his saves against Villa a few weeks ago. There have been times when people have suggested he was past it in Premiership terms but I think he's still one of the best around.

Edited March 31, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[Jan]

Can't argue with that. Didn't most people think he was a bit of a prat before he joined? Likewise Savage?

395070[/snapback]

Not since 1) he argued with Sourpuss; and

2) He played for Celtic and was NO trouble!

[American]

My big issue with him was that he never showed the goal scoring form he has shown this year, yet acted like he was the cat's meow.

Glad he seems to have found his form and hope he keeps it up. And hope he never refuses to play for us.

[Jan]

My big issue with him was that he never showed the goal scoring form he has shown this year, yet acted like he was the cat's meow.

Glad he seems to have found his form and hope he keeps it up. And hope he never refuses to play for us.

395193[/snapback]

So even with all the evidence you'll STILL believe Sourpuss!!!

That's brainwashing

[American]

And his teammates, but hey, you've never let the facts get in the way of your love, I mean hate, for Souness.

[joey_big_nose]

Reid.

395036[/snapback]

Of course, Reid has been outstanding!

Still I don't think we should go into next season with a Reid/Savage midfield. Both excellent players at what they do but too similar. It wouldn't be bad, but it would not be as good as it could be.

[Bobby G]

Even if his goalscoring had never been at the current rate, he brought so much more to the Newcastle side. The perfect foil for Shearer and check out the number of direct assists, and possibly indirect assists his play has caused.

He has turned the assists into goals this season because he is the main man.

[LeChuck]

I'm absolutely amazed that we've got Bellamy, that's an unbelievable coup for the club. This is the biggest signing we've made since...well...possibly Chris Sutton.

I said when he was at Newcastle that, if he was on form, there's only Thierry Henry better in this league. I still believe that, and what's better is we have the best possible manager to get the best out of him.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Beautiful.

[Bobby G]

Bellamy has even proven me wrong. I didnt think he was an out and out goalscorer but maybe the environment was never right for him for score 15 goals before with Shearer around as number 1 man.

He has easily tripled his value this season in my book.

[roversWASmylife]

Interesting.

I read somewhere that there are only two players who have a better goals to games ration than Bellamy and that's Henry and Owen this season.

Bellamy might have over-taken Owen now.

The difference in Bellamy staying or not this summer, is possibly another top quality striker to play alongside him and to keep our current players.

[RoyRover]

Of course, Reid has been outstanding!

Still I don't think we should go into next season with a Reid/Savage midfield. Both excellent players at what they do but too similar. It wouldn't be bad, but it would not be as good as it could be.

395280[/snapback]

A bit more creativity in there would be nice, but I see this being the prefered pairing and I doubt that we will buy any one for that position in the summer, now that Tugay has signed on. Reid has been arguably our best player this season and if he added more goals to his game, he'd be a top player.

As for Bellamy, they guy showed again yesterday what a great player he is. The two goals were as good as you'd see from Henry, Shevchenko, Eto'o and Ronaldinho. Up until now, he has never really been a consistent goal scorer. His pace used to get him into good positions but he couldn't always finish the chances, he is now. He got his 17th goal of the season yesterday, which is unreal, when you consider how much of the season he has missed. I can see a number of clubs wanting to buy him, but I think he will stay. We'll have to show some ambition in the summer, by buying a top striker to play with him. The fact that we are on the verge of European football will be a plus for him also.

[Darth Paul]

How on earth did Rooney get the March player of the month ahead of Bellers?

Craig's goal to game ratio etc was superior and no one seems to be playing better than him anywhere at the moment.

It seems sometimes they like to give these prizes out as doubles ie manager and player award at same club and seeing Ferguson was the option for the managers award they thought they would spare themselves a thirty minute drive North to Ewood and hand the other prize to Rooney.

What a joke!

[philipl]

Rooney can have March player of the month for his one man demolition of Arsenal yesterday....

The Guardian match report gives an interesting insight into Bellamy...

Blackburn, pushing hard for Europe, were equally frustrated, having twice surrendered the lead. Craig Bellamy, whose lack of charm off the field is as pointed as his qualities on it, as Newcastle would confirm, scored two fine goals with the first of exceptional quality.

Bellamy walked out of the tunnel to warm down afterwards and said: "With defending like that we deserve [nothing]. We want to be up there where the elite are and to do that we've got to see out matches like this. But this is a tough place to come.

"I didn't lose my way at Newcastle," he added, touchily, after another question. "I proved my ability but it's not nice when you're being branded a destructive influence. At Blackburn everyone has supported me."

Bellamy is probably the difference between an average side and one challenging for a Champions League place "Craig has his critics but he's playing some great stuff," said his manager Mark Hughes. "He's always been demanding of his team-mates. I don't have a problem with that. He just wants to be the best he can be."

[philipl]

http://www.thesoccerforum.net/2006/04/10/s...-blame-bellamy/

More Bellamy gems as the Press finally get him to talk to them.

[philipl]

http://www.thesoccerforum.net/2006/04/10/s...-blame-bellamy/

More Bellamy gems as the Press finally get him to talk to them.

[Presty On Tour]

bellamy and souness again, the press love digging this sh!t up!!