Craig Bellamy

[Sima]

I remember Bellamy and Kluivert playing at Crystal Palace and being immense.

 

We really should have stuck with that strike force for the majority of the season.

[The College Dropout]

I'm not. We backed the wrong side.

 

I agree that Shearer should have been played less - no reason why we couldn't have rotated Bellamy, Kluivert and Shearer and retained a still very good strikeforce and got the most out of all of them.  But.. nothing Bellamy has done since has shown that we could have built a very good side around him alone.  He wasn't and isn't good enough to have a side built around him.

 

1 in 2 for Blackburn. Earned himself some big transfers and played well in those teams. Lasted longer at City than Shay for one.

 

He's also the type of player that can do well for most sides. By build a team around him - you just play him tbh.

 

Not denying he is a good player, but I don't he has ever been the type of player you build a team around.  You build a team around a player like Ronaldo or Bale or Suarez etc.  Not a guy who has never scored more than 13 league goals in a season and averages a goal every 3.25 games.

 

Yeah my point is - all you have to do is play him. I don't think you have to build a team around him. Souness put the money on Shearer over Bellamy and that was a bad move is all i'm saying. Apart from his spell in Celtic and Blackburn, he's played in wideish roles since.

 

17 in 32 or 13 in 27 isn't bad at all imo.

[Ronaldo]

I remember Bellamy and Kluivert playing at Crystal Palace and being immense.

 

We really should have stuck with that strike force for the majority of the season.

 

Yes.

[Jack Flash]

Well, Shep did.

 

http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsH/8080-18554.gif

[Rocker]

I remember Bellamy and Kluivert playing at Crystal Palace and being immense.

 

We really should have stuck with that strike force for the majority of the season.

 

Yes.

 

Kluivert back heel thing? 

[Mr. Snrub]

I remember Bellamy and Kluivert playing at Crystal Palace and being immense.

 

We really should have stuck with that strike force for the majority of the season.

 

I remember Boumsong having a a blinder at Highbury, we should never have sold him.

 

You can't base things on one match.  Shearer was still scoring 20 a season at the age of 35.

[BrettNUFC]

Anyone agree with Bellamy's lines of Shearer only cared for himself and Newcastle never concerned him?

[Zero]

That sounds contradictory considering he turned Man Utd down to join us.

 

I did think he has too much ego during the last 2 seasons that has done lots of harm to the team though.

[Guest chicken little]

Anyone agree with Bellamy's lines of Shearer only cared for himself and Newcastle never concerned him?

nope, but i think shearer had an overinflated sense of his importance within the club (c.f. the last two years of his playing career, all the endless chat about how he'd fancy having a go as manager but wouldn't stoop to being a coach/assistant etc.)

 

 

[Crumpy Gunt]

I'm not. We backed the wrong side.

 

I agree that Shearer should have been played less - no reason why we couldn't have rotated Bellamy, Kluivert and Shearer and retained a still very good strikeforce and got the most out of all of them.  But.. nothing Bellamy has done since has shown that we could have built a very good side around him alone.  He wasn't and isn't good enough to have a side built around him.

 

1 in 2 for Blackburn. Earned himself some big transfers and played well in those teams. Lasted longer at City than Shay for one.

 

He's also the type of player that can do well for most sides. By build a team around him - you just play him tbh.

 

Not denying he is a good player, but I don't he has ever been the type of player you build a team around.  You build a team around a player like Ronaldo or Bale or Suarez etc.  Not a guy who has never scored more than 13 league goals in a season and averages a goal every 3.25 games.

 

Yeah my point is - all you have to do is play him. I don't think you have to build a team around him. Souness put the money on Shearer over Bellamy and that was a bad move is all i'm saying. Apart from his spell in Celtic and Blackburn, he's played in wideish roles since.

 

17 in 32 or 13 in 27 isn't bad at all imo.

Souness very survival at NUFC was dependant upon getting Shearer onside. He'd have been gone earlier if he hadn't.

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

I see the "we should have binned Shearer and gone with Kluivert instead" has been said again. Kluivert did nothing when he left NUFC so why do people think he would have been good if we'd kept him? In fact, he spent the season after leaving us injured most of the time for Valencia. Barcelona were pleased to get rid of him.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Kluivert

[Crumpy Gunt]

I remember Bellamy and Kluivert playing at Crystal Palace and being immense.

 

We really should have stuck with that strike force for the majority of the season.

 

I remember Boumsong having a a blinder at Highbury, we should never have sold him.

 

You can't base things on one match.  Shearer was still scoring 20 a season at the age of 35.

 

He scored 17 league goals in his final two seasons. 60 Games. You can pretty much draw a line in Shearers decline when he lost Bellamy's legs to do the graft for him.

[Hughesy]

I remember Bellamy and Kluivert playing at Crystal Palace and being immense.

 

We really should have stuck with that strike force for the majority of the season.

 

I remember Boumsong having a a blinder at Highbury, we should never have sold him.

 

You can't base things on one match.  Shearer was still scoring 20 a season at the age of 35.

 

He scored 17 league goals in his final two seasons. 60 Games. You can pretty much draw a line in Shearers decline when he lost Bellamy's legs to do the graft for him.

 

So he still managed about Bellamy's career goal per game ratio in his last two seasons?

[huss9]

I remember Bellamy and Kluivert playing at Crystal Palace and being immense.

 

We really should have stuck with that strike force for the majority of the season.

 

I remember Boumsong having a a blinder at Highbury, we should never have sold him.

 

You can't base things on one match.  Shearer was still scoring 20 a season at the age of 35.

 

He scored 17 league goals in his final two seasons. 60 Games. You can pretty much draw a line in Shearers decline when he lost Bellamy's legs to do the graft for him.

 

So he still managed about Bellamy's career goal per game ratio in his last two seasons?

 

Bellamy brought a lot more than just goals to the team

[Guest Howaythetoon]

There was room for all three IMO. Bellamy wide left of Shearer and Kluivert as a number 10, dropping deep. I would have personally sacrificed Robert as Bellamy could have operated at left wing too. That trio could have scored a few goals. Bellamy creating space and opening up defences, Kluivert with the service, Shearer with the goals. Even though he was past it in an all-round sense, he was still a quite brilliant finisher. I remember Kluivert saying he had never saw anyone as clinical as Shearer in training. Bellamy and Kluivert should have been the way though, with Shearer coming on from the bench.

 

None were long-term solutions though. Bellamy had always been plauged with injuries and attitude problems while Kluivert wasn't getting any younger and his own attitude was questionable too. Shearer was simply heading towards the end of his career.

 

Kluivert was a classic FS deal, big name, big news. I'm sure Sir Bobby would have wanted someone younger, someone for the now and the future. A long-term replacement for Shearer.

 

 

[Guest neesy111]

Bellamy wide left.

 

[Hughesy]

I remember Bellamy and Kluivert playing at Crystal Palace and being immense.

 

We really should have stuck with that strike force for the majority of the season.

 

I remember Boumsong having a a blinder at Highbury, we should never have sold him.

 

You can't base things on one match.  Shearer was still scoring 20 a season at the age of 35.

 

He scored 17 league goals in his final two seasons. 60 Games. You can pretty much draw a line in Shearers decline when he lost Bellamy's legs to do the graft for him.

 

So he still managed about Bellamy's career goal per game ratio in his last two seasons?

 

Bellamy brought a lot more than just goals to the team

 

So did Shearer.  Throughout his career.  I think people underestimate how much Shearer did that made Bellamy look good and how brilliant he was at holding the ball up and bringing other players into the game.

[Crumpy Gunt]

I remember Bellamy and Kluivert playing at Crystal Palace and being immense.

 

We really should have stuck with that strike force for the majority of the season.

 

I remember Boumsong having a a blinder at Highbury, we should never have sold him.

 

You can't base things on one match.  Shearer was still scoring 20 a season at the age of 35.

 

He scored 17 league goals in his final two seasons. 60 Games. You can pretty much draw a line in Shearers decline when he lost Bellamy's legs to do the graft for him.

 

So he still managed about Bellamy's career goal per game ratio in his last two seasons?

Shot to bits those final two seasons though. Said it before and will say it again  - NUFC would have been better off getting rid of Shearer (and Souness) than getting shot of Bellamy.

[littlelunchbox]

There was room for all three IMO. Bellamy wide left of Shearer and Kluivert as a number 10, dropping deep. I would have personally sacrificed Robert as Bellamy could have operated at left wing too. That trio could have scored a few goals. Bellamy creating space and opening up defences, Kluivert with the service, Shearer with the goals. Even though he was past it in an all-round sense, he was still a quite brilliant finisher. I remember Kluivert saying he had never saw anyone as clinical as Shearer in training. Bellamy and Kluivert should have been the way though, with Shearer coming on from the bench.

 

None were long-term solutions though. Bellamy had always been plauged with injuries and attitude problems while Kluivert wasn't getting any younger and his own attitude was questionable too. Shearer was simply heading towards the end of his career.

 

Kluivert was a classic FS deal, big name, big news. I'm sure Sir Bobby would have wanted someone younger, someone for the now and the future. A long-term replacement for Shearer.

 

Yep another fat Fred's marquee name trophy signing, just like Owen.  It's like fat Fred and the halls had to constantly convince the fans we were still major players like mufc that's why we payed extortionate wages for these so called big names.  It was embarrassing.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Shearer was just as perfect and as good for Bellamy's game as the Welshman was for him and his game. Bellamy joined Newcastle as a failed Premier League player, a Championship standard player in fact. In his first season his work-rate, pace and movement made him stand out but his finishing and passing left a lot to be desired. His second season saw him much improved and by the 3rd and 4th season, he was an all-round accomplished player whose finishing had improved even, despite the average strike rate. Lets face it, Bellamy was never ever going to be a 20 + a season man, regardless, though. Shearer would have continued to score goals with or without Bellamy, we as a side however, may not have been as potent and that's why we were so good, because up front we had the perfect partnership which was backed up in midfield. My point? No one player makes the team...

[Guest bimpy474]

Anyone agree with Bellamy's lines of Shearer only cared for himself and Newcastle never concerned him?

 

Absolutely not, or Shearer would have gone elsewhere and won trophies.

[Ronaldo]

By that point Shearer only cared about himself.

 

No coincidence that Bobby was sacked 2 days after dropping Shearer in favour of Kluivert and a few weeks after Shearer confronted him after being subbed at Celtic. Bobby suggested to FS that he needed replacing and I don't believe for one second it wouldn't have got back to Shearer in some form.

 

Nor is it a coincidence that Shearer recommended Bobby's replacement to be someone who'd lived next to Shearer during his Blackburn days and tried to sign Shearer that very summer (2004). Shearer was self preserving to the club's detriment.

[Guest neesy111]

There was room for all three IMO. Bellamy wide left of Shearer and Kluivert as a number 10, dropping deep. I would have personally sacrificed Robert as Bellamy could have operated at left wing too. That trio could have scored a few goals. Bellamy creating space and opening up defences, Kluivert with the service, Shearer with the goals. Even though he was past it in an all-round sense, he was still a quite brilliant finisher. I remember Kluivert saying he had never saw anyone as clinical as Shearer in training. Bellamy and Kluivert should have been the way though, with Shearer coming on from the bench.

 

None were long-term solutions though. Bellamy had always been plauged with injuries and attitude problems while Kluivert wasn't getting any younger and his own attitude was questionable too. Shearer was simply heading towards the end of his career.

 

Kluivert was a classic FS deal, big name, big news. I'm sure Sir Bobby would have wanted someone younger, someone for the now and the future. A long-term replacement for Shearer.

 

Yep another fat Fred's marquee name trophy signing, just like Owen.  It's like fat Fred and the halls had to constantly convince the fans we were still major players like mufc that's why we payed extortionate wages for these so called big names.  It was embarrassing.

 

Kluivert actually did OK for us.  Was poorly managed, funnily enough.

[littlelunchbox]

Fat c*** Micky Quinn is now getting in on the act,  really can stand that bloke.

 

I grabbed Craig by the neck and pinned him against the wall

 

This was a few years ago now and I had been at a game at St James’ Park as guest of honour at the club. Craig was a Newcastle player, but hadn’t scored for about 10 games and that had made a few unwelcome headlines.

 

That day he missed half a dozen good chances. It was one of those games – we played Birmingham – when he could have played for a week and not scored. It happens to the best of us.

 

So fast forward a few hours post- match and I’m with some pals having a drink in one of Newcastle’s classier establishments.

 

Craig’s minder – a minder! – came over and asked me if I want to join his company.

 

So I went over to say hello.

 

I told Craig to keep his head up, he would score goals again, that he was a terrific player and not to let this run get him down.

 

And then I said; “Now if you have a couple of free hours, let me tell you about all my Newcastle goals.”

 

The wee man didn’t like that. It was just a joke!

 

He seemed to feel indignant because, in his words: “I asked you to come over and talk to me.”

 

As if he was doing me a favour.

 

So I grabbed him by the neck and had him up against the wall. I was livid with the cheeky wee sod.

 

I told him what I thought of his kind invitation to grant me some time in his exalted company.

 

It all calmed down, as these things tend to do, and within an hour Craig walked over to us and was the nicest fella you could ever hope to meet.

 

He was polite, funny, courteous and even a little shy. We had a nice time and not once did I feel the urge to strangle him.

 

But there was something inside him, a switch if you like, that turned him into a nasty piece of work at times.

[Guest neesy111]

Shearer's power in the dressing room was an utter disgrace the last few years while he has here.