Craig Bellamy

[loki679]

How was it found out defensively?  We lost one game and never used it again.

 

If that's the criteria then every formation we've used in the last two seasons has been 'found out'.

[Guest]

I don't see why Carroll up front with Cisse, Cabaye & Sissoko in the centre, HBA on the right and a new left-winger can't work.

 

One of our best performances in the half season we had Hughton in the Premier League was with HBA on the left, Routledge right, Tiote & Barton in the middle, with Nolan pretty much alongside Carroll (Everton away). Hell, even the Villa 6-0 worked with Smith & Jonas where Tiote & HBA were. Why can't something similar work?

[James]

I don't see why Carroll up front with Cisse, Cabaye & Sissoko in the centre, HBA on the right and a new left-winger can't work.

 

One of our best performances in the half season we had Hughton in the Premier League was with HBA on the left, Routledge right, Tiote & Barton in the middle, with Nolan pretty much alongside Carroll (Everton away). Hell, even the Villa 6-0 worked with Smith & Jonas where Tiote & HBA were. Why can't something similar work?

 

Last season we were unbeaten until November with a 442 with Obertan on the right wing and Ryan Taylor at left back,  Leon Best up front.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

Why can't that sort of system work anymore? What's wrong with two tricky wingers with good delivery, a good aerial threat who can hold the ball up, and someone who can feed off him and cause havoc with his pace? It's only 10 years ago, it's the same sport, why can't it work now? The 4-4-2 from the Keegan & Robson days was far more entertaining than any 4-3-3/4-5-1/4-2-3-1 or whatever bollocks.

 

We played our best football under Pardew with a 442 and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

 

Things worked well with 433 in an attacking sense but this was eventually found out defensively. That does still work well in some games though.

 

4231 and 451 have never worked well at this club and never will unless we have the right personnel, which we don't.  Playing such systems just indicates us as a bottom half club.

I'd say our best football last season came in March to April, when we won six consecutive matches while conceding one goal. We played a formation with one player upfront during this time. You say we were found out defensively, by which you mean we were soundly beaten by Wigan, but the next match was a brilliant victory against Chelsea. We have the personnel to make a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 make right now, much more so than a 4-4-2, anyway. With Carroll/Best sold and Gutierrez turned to rubbish, I think it's quite limiting because we don't have the strikers for it, nor the wide players. 4-3-3 suits our current wide players and midfielders much more.

 

 

[HawK]

I don't see why Carroll up front with Cisse, Cabaye & Sissoko in the centre, HBA on the right and a new left-winger can't work.

 

One of our best performances in the half season we had Hughton in the Premier League was with HBA on the left, Routledge right, Tiote & Barton in the middle, with Nolan pretty much alongside Carroll (Everton away). Hell, even the Villa 6-0 worked with Smith & Jonas where Tiote & HBA were. Why can't something similar work?

 

Last season we were unbeaten until November with a 442 with Obertan on the right wing and Ryan Taylor at left back,  Leon Best up front.

 

We still heavily miss Leon Best. No-one could have forseen the injury after he was sold but we should never have sold him. He would have been the foil for Cisse that he was for Ba. Great workhorse with good feet in the box and can make space for others.

[Gallowgate Toon]

I don't see why Carroll up front with Cisse, Cabaye & Sissoko in the centre, HBA on the right and a new left-winger can't work.

 

One of our best performances in the half season we had Hughton in the Premier League was with HBA on the left, Routledge right, Tiote & Barton in the middle, with Nolan pretty much alongside Carroll (Everton away). Hell, even the Villa 6-0 worked with Smith & Jonas where Tiote & HBA were. Why can't something similar work?

 

Yeah, I thought Lineker's insistence that England had returned to the dark ages because we'd switched to 4-4-2 was daft, there's no reason why it can't work in today's game. We can't even consider it until we get a decent left midfielder in though, someone in the Robert mould, who can primarily make a yard for himself and then whip it in with some variety and genuine quality.

[Ronaldo]

Why can't that sort of system work anymore? What's wrong with two tricky wingers with good delivery, a good aerial threat who can hold the ball up, and someone who can feed off him and cause havoc with his pace? It's only 10 years ago, it's the same sport, why can't it work now? The 4-4-2 from the Keegan & Robson days was far more entertaining than any 4-3-3/4-5-1/4-2-3-1 or whatever bollocks.

 

Completely agree. You know the score though; 4-4-2 equals the anti-Barca/Spain/Swansea and thus, 'hoofball'. Our players don't have the quality off the ball to play such a fluid system anyway. At least to go 2 up front we just need a good striker and a good winger.

[Guest]

Why can't that sort of system work anymore? What's wrong with two tricky wingers with good delivery, a good aerial threat who can hold the ball up, and someone who can feed off him and cause havoc with his pace? It's only 10 years ago, it's the same sport, why can't it work now? The 4-4-2 from the Keegan & Robson days was far more entertaining than any 4-3-3/4-5-1/4-2-3-1 or whatever bollocks.

 

Completely agree. You know the score though; 4-4-2 equals the anti-Barca/Spain/Swansea and thus, 'hoofball'. Our players don't have the quality off the ball to play such a fluid system anyway. At least to go 2 up front we just need a good striker and a good winger.

 

That's why I'm leaning more towards getting in a Carroll or Remy to play up front with Cisse, sign a winger, use HBA as a winger and Cabaye & Sissoko as a central pair.

[Disco]

60% of the time we won't be playing 'good' teams meaning individual talent may well be enough regardless of the system. No reason why it can't be played like in a similar way Man United did it this season using Rooney in the floating role off van Persie and nearly always two out and out widemen.

 

I'm not too arsed what the style/formation is providing we stop playing with the handbrake on.

[Ronaldo]

if we go 4-4-2 we will play in straight lines, much like England. the best we played was the 3-1 west brom away. that was 4-3-3. we easily have the personel to play it.

 

Anyone else see the irony here?

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

60% of the time we won't be playing 'good' teams meaning individual talent may well be enough regardless of the system. No reason why it can't be played like in a similar way Man United did it this season using Rooney in the floating role off van Persie and nearly always two out and out widemen.

 

I'm not too arsed what the style/formation is providing we stop playing with the handbrake on.

 

[Jack Flash]

He turned down Birmingham to go to Celtic then he went to Blackburn after he left us. Make of that what you will.

 

Are you trying to say he wasn't a great player when he left us? Preposterous if so.

 

Blackburn had just finished 15th when he joined them. His best ever season was with them which then attracted better teams.

[Mole_Toonfan]

I don't see why Carroll up front with Cisse, Cabaye & Sissoko in the centre, HBA on the right and a new left-winger can't work.

 

One of our best performances in the half season we had Hughton in the Premier League was with HBA on the left, Routledge right, Tiote & Barton in the middle, with Nolan pretty much alongside Carroll (Everton away). Hell, even the Villa 6-0 worked with Smith & Jonas where Tiote & HBA were. Why can't something similar work?

 

Under Hughton we finished mid table, for where you want us to be that would never take us to top 6.

 

Also i'm telling you right now Carroll and Cisse won't work.

[Guest]

I don't see why Carroll up front with Cisse, Cabaye & Sissoko in the centre, HBA on the right and a new left-winger can't work.

 

One of our best performances in the half season we had Hughton in the Premier League was with HBA on the left, Routledge right, Tiote & Barton in the middle, with Nolan pretty much alongside Carroll (Everton away). Hell, even the Villa 6-0 worked with Smith & Jonas where Tiote & HBA were. Why can't something similar work?

 

Under Hughton we finished mid table, for where you want us to be that would never take us to top 6.

 

Also i'm telling you right now Carroll and Cisse won't work.

 

The players are so much better now compared to then.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Bellamy was a very good player for us as he fitted us perfectly but he wasn't a great player for us nor a great player full-stop. He is an arrogant, disrespectful odious person. Reading some of the snippets from his book its like he's desperate to create a hard-man persona which is typical in small blokes like him with no neck. I bet it doesn't even sell 5,000 copies as he's literally a nobody in football. Unlike Shearer whose name he is using to try and shift some of his books.

[biggs]

I don't see why Carroll up front with Cisse, Cabaye & Sissoko in the centre, HBA on the right and a new left-winger can't work.

 

One of our best performances in the half season we had Hughton in the Premier League was with HBA on the left, Routledge right, Tiote & Barton in the middle, with Nolan pretty much alongside Carroll (Everton away). Hell, even the Villa 6-0 worked with Smith & Jonas where Tiote & HBA were. Why can't something similar work?

 

Under Hughton we finished mid table, for where you want us to be that would never take us to top 6.

 

Also i'm telling you right now Carroll and Cisse won't work.

 

The players are so much better now compared to then.

Tbh i tend to agree that Carroll and Cisse would be a disaster for the simple reason Cisse has no football brain for Carroll  knock downs and be honest did Ba and Cisse work as a unit

[Guest Howaythetoon]

As for Shearer's own tough man persona... I'll take the word of real men like Gary Speed, David Batty, Niel Ruddick, Tony Adams, Duncan Ferguson etc. over someone with a clear agenda. Didn't Shearer himself reveal at a talk-in that he didn't even reply to the "lots of texts" Bellamy kept sending him? Also, another thing, haven't the two encountered each other since at a few golf events?

 

[biggs]

Bellamy was a very good player for us as he fitted us perfectly but he wasn't a great player for us nor a great player full-stop. He is an arrogant, disrespectful odious person. Reading some of the snippets from his book its like he's desperate to create a hard-man persona which is typical in small blokes like him with no neck. I bet it doesn't even sell 5,000 copies as he's literally a nobody in football. Unlike Shearer whose name he is using to try and shift some of his books.

Agree on the character of the man but a player like him would be great feeding of Carroll or someone similar ,he would cause so much chaos with opposing defences with the running at players he does and we sadly miss that now with our play.

[Dinho lad]

Bellamy's finishing did improve by quite a bit during his last 1 or 2 seasons.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Cisse and Ba didn't work as a front two because the service was appalling and neither would do a role reversal type job to make the partnership work. Ba did what he always did and Cisse likewise. With Shearer, he would drop very deep to draw the centre-backs out so Bellamy had space and time. Likewise Bellamy would use the flanks so Shearer could work either central area without having a striker partner in his way or confusing things. But above all else, they had fantastic fucking service from every area of midfield and at full-back.

 

Cisse and Ba didn't get any real service. Ba scored so many goals because he scrapped for them and he was often in the right place at the right time. Cisse struggled because he relies on service more. Cisse and Carroll could work (as Ba and Cisse could have) but not under this cretin of a manager nor our midfield the way it is set up.

 

Same applies to 4-4-2. Under Pardew with our players it would stink. 4-4-2 needs wingers and a more robust centre-forward type and a manager who empowers his wingers to hug the line, whip crosses in etc. and for his full-backs to push on too. 4-4-2 also requires the central midfielders to be empowered to get forward and to take risks. Pardew doesn't have the balls to be so daring and so attacking, regardless of formation or players.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Bellamy was a very good player for us as he fitted us perfectly but he wasn't a great player for us nor a great player full-stop. He is an arrogant, disrespectful odious person. Reading some of the snippets from his book its like he's desperate to create a hard-man persona which is typical in small blokes like him with no neck. I bet it doesn't even sell 5,000 copies as he's literally a nobody in football. Unlike Shearer whose name he is using to try and shift some of his books.

Agree on the character of the man but a player like him would be great feeding of Carroll or someone similar ,he would cause so much chaos with opposing defences with the running at players he does and we sadly miss that now with our play.

 

He would be very good, not great because he's not a great player and never was. Now someone like Augero off a Shearer or a Carroll...

 

A player with pace, movement, work-rate and finishing abilities.

 

Bellamy did improve though, he become a decent all-round player with good passing and vision. He could link play up and be more involved rather than the original speed merchant who went around chasing down everything that he first was when he first joined.

 

Actually, he is someone despite extremely limited ability, did a lot with his own game.

[Mole_Toonfan]

I don't see why Carroll up front with Cisse, Cabaye & Sissoko in the centre, HBA on the right and a new left-winger can't work.

 

One of our best performances in the half season we had Hughton in the Premier League was with HBA on the left, Routledge right, Tiote & Barton in the middle, with Nolan pretty much alongside Carroll (Everton away). Hell, even the Villa 6-0 worked with Smith & Jonas where Tiote & HBA were. Why can't something similar work?

 

Under Hughton we finished mid table, for where you want us to be that would never take us to top 6.

 

Also i'm telling you right now Carroll and Cisse won't work.

 

The players are so much better now compared to then.

 

I don't deny 4-4-2 could/should work with the right players. I just don't think Carroll and Cisse is the right partnership personally.

 

Carroll or Cisse with a different type like say Remy or Siem De Jong would fit better.

 

Someone tell me the last time a target man and poacher worked in tandem effectively? i can't think of one.

 

Carroll would fit much better with a Bellamy type IMO, which is why i keep saying if this guff about Pardew wanting Carroll and Remy or players of that type are true i'd like to see both types of striker bought in.

 

I don't really want to see Carroll and Cisse together i don't think it works but i would like to see Carroll ( or someone of his type) or Cisse alongside someone like Remy or someone of a similar type.

 

For a 4-4-2 to work and it can still can in this day and age ( especially with a Cabaye-Sissoko midfield) i think you need someone to stretch defences.

 

Cisse and Carroll neither do so very effectively, but either one alongside a player of a the type i suggested could work.

 

 

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Goufran could be our Bellamy type btw, hard working, quick, good movement etc.

[ponsaelius]

Goufran could be our Bellamy type btw, hard working, quick, good movement etc.

 

He's nowhere near as good, though.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Goufran could be our Bellamy type btw, hard working, quick, good movement etc.

 

He's nowhere near as good, though.

 

I think he can adapt. He is technically a better footballer and more physical too, but he lacks Bellamy's intelligence which was underrated in the Welshman. He knew the fucking game that kid. Where to run, when to run etc.