[Archived] Bellamy

[ihateburnley]

Im sure we're fine at the back with Samba and Nelson first choice and Ooijer and Zurab as backup. Right back should be ok aswell with Zurab being able to fill in there.

Midfield also seems sorted with 2 from Mokoena, Dunn, Tugay, Savage and Reid.

No, no, no - if we carry on into next season (which I'm sure Hughes won't) with that frame of mind, we are potentially onto a loser. We need to be able to cover for the types of injuries that we've had this season, and whilst I appreciate that they have been worse than your average season, it would affect any 'push for the Champions League'.

Any talks of Champions League are way off the mark. Europe sure, but can you honestly say even with Bellamy that we would have a better squad that any of Chelsea, United, Liverpool or Arsenal? I think not.

Our midfield:

Tugay

Savage

Bentley

Pedersen

Reid

Mokoena

Dunn

Peter

Gallagher

I honestly think we need to add an attacking midfielder that can play killer balls and link up with the front men. Someone in the same sort of mould as Steed Malbranque would go down a treat in my opinion. I'm not saying we should get him, nor do I think he would be available but we need someone who can make a true positive impact and doesn't need to be taken off after 60 mins. Tugay is going to play a bit part next season and I'm still not convinced that Dunn is the answer to our creativity problem. I think the addition of this player could make a four place difference in the league table too - which is £2m back straight away at the end of the season.

I also wouldn't be happy going through an entire season having the following as our defensive options:

Emerton

Zurab

Nelsen

Samba

Henchoz

Ooijer

Warnock

Berner

I honestly believe Todd will be off, and we need to replace him with someone who can play right-back and possibly be able to fill in at centre-back. If you look deeper at the defensive situation, it is quite feasible for the likes of Nelsen, Henchoz and Ooijer to pick up more injuries because of their age. If god forbid they were all injured at the same time, that would leave us with a back line of Warnock, Samba, Zurab and Emerton - that would leave us with only Berner on the bench and no reserve recognised defenders.

Of course I'm assuming that there aren't any youth/reserve players ready to take on first team responsibilities as of yet.

I also appreciate that it appears as though I'm trying to create a massive squad of reserve players - I'm not I just think that to challenge at the top end of the table in my opinion we will need a defender, an attacking midfielder and a striker (preferably Bellers).

[joey_big_nose]

No, no, no - if we carry on into next season (which I'm sure Hughes won't) with that frame of mind, we are potentially onto a loser. We need to be able to cover for the types of injuries that we've had this season, and whilst I appreciate that they have been worse than your average season, it would affect any 'push for the Champions League'.

Any talks of Champions League are way off the mark. Europe sure, but can you honestly say even with Bellamy that we would have a better squad that any of Chelsea, United, Liverpool or Arsenal? I think not.

Our midfield:

Tugay

Savage

Bentley

Pedersen

Reid

Mokoena

Dunn

Peter

Gallagher

I honestly think we need to add an attacking midfielder that can play killer balls and link up with the front men. Someone in the same sort of mould as Steed Malbranque would go down a treat in my opinion. I'm not saying we should get him, nor do I think he would be available but we need someone who can make a true positive impact and doesn't need to be taken off after 60 mins. Tugay is going to play a bit part next season and I'm still not convinced that Dunn is the answer to our creativity problem. I think the addition of this player could make a four place difference in the league table too - which is £2m back straight away at the end of the season.).

There is a limit to how many players we can have. Currently we look like we are going to have 4 players who have proved they are up to it (Reid, Dunn, Savage, Mokoena) plus a player in his twilight (tugay) competeing for two spots. If we sign a top class midfielder, which seems to be what your suggesting, then those who are here will ask themselves about whether they are going to get a game. You will have six players for two spots!

This breeds problems. For example Spurs have taken on loads of midfielders and thus have struggled to field a settled midfield for the last few seasons. THis has caused them issues imo. THey let Mendes go without giving him a chance and then sign Jenas for twice as much who actually looks a worse player.

If Toogs doesn't stay, which actually looks more and more likely, then I think we can just about justify a CM.

I honestly don't get your concerns about defence. We have Samba, Nelsen, Ooijer, Henchoz, Zurab, Todd at CB. Even if one goes we have more than enough cover. A young cheap player wouldn't hurt but it is hardly a priority. RB is more of an issue but we still have four players who can play there...

[den]

The LET reckons rovers will pursue Bellamy, if he becomes available.

That's a long way from the story in the people.

[dring1]

The LET reckons rovers will pursue Bellamy, if he becomes available.

That's a long way from the story in the people.

its looking more and more likely that bellers will be back at rovers next season as our major summer signing

[bluebruce]

Friedel

Emerton/Ooijer Samba Nelsen Warnock

Bentley Savage Dunn/Reid MGP

McCarthy Bellamy

Subs:

Brown

Tugay

Dunn/Reid

Ooijer

Zurab

Darbs

Roberts

The possabilities are endless!

Er...the possibilities appear to be our current squad plus Bellers if that's anything to go by!

[bluebruce]

This 'why pay more for him than we sold him for' thing keeps coming up, and I just don't buy it.

We only sold bellers for 6 mill because of the clause. Without that clause, we would all have been expecting at least double from any sale. We viewed him as a 12 million player. So if we can get him for 8, why the hell not. Ok, we take a little loss, a bit of a knock on the chin, but only to the tune of 2 mill, if that's an accurate price. I'd prefer to take that 2 mill knock (especially considering we profited a little from the sale in the first place) than spend 2 mill on someone like Easter or Eastwood who are big gambles. Bellamy WILL give us the firepower we need to assure Europe. I like those odds!

[cn_barlow]

This 'why pay more for him than we sold him for' thing keeps coming up, and I just don't buy it.

We only sold bellers for 6 mill because of the clause. Without that clause, we would all have been expecting at least double from any sale. We viewed him as a 12 million player. So if we can get him for 8, why the hell not. Ok, we take a little loss, a bit of a knock on the chin, but only to the tune of 2 mill, if that's an accurate price. I'd prefer to take that 2 mill knock (especially considering we profited a little from the sale in the first place) than spend 2 mill on someone like Easter or Eastwood who are big gambles. Bellamy WILL give us the firepower we need to assure Europe. I like those odds!

i expect Hughes to be thinking precisely that!

If this happens next season could be our most exciting in a very long time!!

[Manc Rover]

someone said bellers is the best striker since shearer i disagree name one forward who has hit over 20 goals a season since shearer other than benni in saying that i would have bellers back in a second.

Sutton

[krislu]

We are after Bellamy while Liverpool look at Gamst

[Ozz]

Krislus link mentions that Liverpool have already signed Voronin from Leverkusen-how average was he against us? Certainly no replacement for Bellers on the evidence of the two games I saw him play. Although please don't let me put you off Rafa...

[orwot]

someone said bellers is the best striker since shearer i disagree name one forward who has hit over 20 goals a season since shearer other than benni in saying that i would have bellers back in a second.

not quite fair when bellamy had a relatively bad season for niggling injuries and so missed about a third of it yet still scoring plenty of goals. his inconsistency this year is a worry but we all know about sparky's abilities to get the best out of him.

exciting attacking prospect if he does return. MGP and bentley have had 2 seasons together and one each with mccarthy and bellamy so as long as we get a decent pre-season with bellamy in tow we can have a fantastic year. all bodes well!

[Presty On Tour]

i wouldn't swap mgp for bellamy.

bellamy was awesome for us but i would only want them both to play for us rather than a swap.

[EwoodGlory]

I wouldn't want to swap in an ideal world, but if I had to choose between the 2, Bellamy would win hands down.

[Manc Rover]

I wouldn't want to swap in an ideal world, but if I had to choose between the 2, Bellamy would win hands down.

You serious?

Bellamy cleared off after one good season and obviously used us a stepping stone to get his career back on track. MGP has been nothing but outstanding for us during the past few seasons and although he has his off days, he's a class act and is a true Rover. Bellamy would be off again if another 'big club' came in for him so what's the point! He isn't gonna come anyway!

[cletus]

MGP....although he has his off days

yeah, usually matchdays

(only joking!!)

[joey_big_nose]

You serious?

Bellamy cleared off after one good season and obviously used us a stepping stone to get his career back on track. MGP has been nothing but outstanding for us during the past few seasons and although he has his off days, he's a class act and is a true Rover. Bellamy would be off again if another 'big club' came in for him so what's the point! He isn't gonna come anyway!

That seems a bit daft to me. I hated the way he lied to the fans about the clause but any which way you look at it Bellamy is a far better player allround than MGP. Pedersen has at times been great but he has also been poor, including an awful run around about christmas.

If MGP was a "rover" as you put it I would see your point but he would be off too (and nothing wrong with that to be honest) if a top four side offered him a starting place. They all have careers to look after.

I can't think of a single player who a top four side has seriously gone after who has turned them down on the basis of loyalty to their club in ages. Shearer in 1995 and Matt Le Tisser are as far back as I had to go.

I suppose you could make a case with Larsson and Man Utd, but seeing as Larsson has won just about everything in the game its not really the same situation.

[Manc Rover]

That seems a bit daft to me. I hated the way he lied to the fans about the clause but any which way you look at it Bellamy is a far better player allround than MGP. Pedersen has at times been great but he has also been poor, including an awful run around about christmas.

If MGP was a "rover" as you put it I would see your point but he would be off too (and nothing wrong with that to be honest) if a top four side offered him a starting place. They all have careers to look after.

I can't think of a single player who a top four side has gone after who has turned them down on the basis of loyalty to their club in ages. Shearer in 1995 and Matt Le Tisser are as far back as I had to go.

That's exactly whay there's no point in signing him for £8M. He will be off again (prob with a new escape clause) as soon as a big club comes back in for him. Pedersen is more likely to stay so why not have some continuity from players who really want to play for us.

[Rob of the Rovers]

You serious?

Bellamy cleared off after one good season and obviously used us a stepping stone to get his career back on track. MGP has been nothing but outstanding for us during the past few seasons and although he has his off days, he's a class act and is a true Rover. Bellamy would be off again if another 'big club' came in for him so what's the point! He isn't gonna come anyway!

And do you seriously think that MGP would turn down a move to a big-club becuase he's a "true Rover"?

[joey_big_nose]

That's exactly whay there's no point in signing him for £8M. He will be off again (prob with a new escape clause) as soon as a big club comes back in for him. Pedersen is more likely to stay so why not have some continuity from players who really want to play for us.

Yes. But you have to take what comes your way. By virtue of our profile and available cash and so forth we don't often get the opportunity to sign world class players. When they do come by you have to grab them.

If we didn't want to buy players on the basis that if they did well with us then we would end up selling them on we wouldn't sign anyone at all!

Anyhow, if Bellers does come back it would indicate that he sees us as suiting him, and that he is not willing to be a non-starting player at a big club. We would have a decent chance of holding onto him. But I am with you in that I don't think he will come back at all!

[Manc Rover]

And do you seriously think that MGP would turn down a move to a big-club becuase he's a "true Rover"?

Well there's more chance of him staying at Rovers than Bellamy. I think that has been proved!

If MGP went, who would fill the void? We would have to splash the cash to get someone decent (and please dont say Sergio Peter).

As for MGP being a true Rover, yes he's not from Blackburn but you cant disagree that he has affection for the club and our fans. You would miss him if he went!

[yellowsubmarine]

No way are we going to exchange Pedersen for Bellamy. Pedersen may have blow hot and cold this season, but he's easily the top 3 left-sided midfielders in England.

[joey_big_nose]

If MGP went, who would fill the void? We would have to splash the cash to get someone decent (and please dont say Sergio Peter).

I don't know. Dunn and Bentley can play both on the left. Warnock could go there if Berner can cut the mustard at left back.

Personally I would say:

--------McCarthy---Bellamy

Dunn---Savage-----Reid----Bentley

Is a much better front line than:

-------McCarthy----Roberts

MGP----Dunn--------Reid-----Bentley

All hypothetical though. And we can sign more players over the summer. Bottom line for me is Bellamy is the best striker who has turned out for Rovers since '96. Indeed the only players who have touched his level of performance were Duff, Tugay and Brad in '03.

[Manc Rover]

I don't know. Dunn and Bentley can play both on the left. Warnock could go there if Berner can cut the mustard at left back.

Personally I would say:

--------McCarthy---Bellamy

Dunn---Savage-----Reid----Bentley

Is a much better front line than:

-------McCarthy----Roberts

MGP----Dunn--------Reid-----Bentley

All hypothetical though. And we can sign more players over the summer. Bottom line for me is Bellamy is the best striker who has turned out for Rovers since '96. Indeed the only players who have touched his level of performance were Duff, Tugay and Brad in '03.

Dunn and Bentley can play on the left? I can play on the left if you like!

[robborover]

pedersen is a good player, but he blows hot and cold. this season has been very quiet for him.

if we could get some money and bellamy i'd snap their hands off.

bellamy is one of the few strikers who can score against anyone. him and benni would be a decent partnership too and then we could look for our much needed playmaker.

during the summer we only need 2 or 3 top quality players and bellamy would be one of them!

[tcj_jones]

Sell MGP and we lose all our balance. Bentley is so right footed that I cannot see him playing well on the left. Dunn could do a job there, but I don't think he could play there regularly - he just isn't a winger.

MGP and Bentley's form this season is one of the main reasons we have harboured hopes of Europe, rather than getting involved in a relegation scrap. Mind you, McCarthy's goals have helped along the way!

Unless we can find an equal replacement for MGP, then I'd rather have him than Bellamy.