Topic: Craig Bellamy

[Wingman]

2M is pocket change. I see no benefit in selling him.

Agreed, and we ceratinly won't pick up a better option with the proceeds either.

He'll have a role to play this year then he can go there on a free next summer

[And CouldHe Play!]

Squad player, 33 years old and his knees are shot which means he cant play a full season. If we can get 2mill and it allows Rodgers to bring in younger talent who can play the way he wants then no problem.

your description does him a disservice. i think he was our best wide player last season

[conman]

if we keep him, we should offer a 1year contract extension. so atleast he is not off in a free next year

[Niru Red4ever]

Bellamy will be probably be available for half the games; maybe even less. Even then, he is a genuine matchwinner; and we would be stupid to let him go.

I doubt he is on massive wages. I say keep him on the bench and wheel him out when we are not doing well. In anycase his setpiece delivery alone is worth keeping him.

I think this link has more to do with the Cardiff owners trying to calm down the supporters after the rebranding mess.

[Discipline]

Can see him leaving only if the family reasons speculation is actually real.

He was set to go to Cardiff but only came because of Kenny Dalglish. Could also play a part on it as Kenny has left.

[Fordy]

Can see him leaving only if the family reasons speculation is actually real.

He was set to go to Cardiff but only came because of Kenny Dalglish. Could also play a part on it as Kenny has left.

What family reasons?

Cardiff isn't a million miles away from Liverpool.

Think he will be here for next season then join Cardiff. Bellamy is still a PL player.

[J-Mc-]

The fella is class but if he wants to go back to Cardiff then I wouldn't stand in his way.

He's got possibly 1-2 years tops in him, can barely play two games in a week unless absoloutely necessary and has given his all everytime he's been on the pitch for us.

If we get £2m for him then great, I'll be keeping an eye on Cardiff next season.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

What injury did Bellamy have from the CC semi against city where he scored the winner? I take it he picked up an injury either then or just after?

[Jeffe]

Some people are being really stupid about the situation. Yes, Bellamy going would mean wages being freed up to buy other players, but where are we going to get the money to buy a replacement for Bellamy? We would need to use a chunk of our existing budget and even with Bellamy staying we need to buy at least one winger, so it would make a lot more sense to keep him. Even if he left for free a year later.

[J-Mc-]

What injury did Bellamy have from the CC semi against city where he scored the winner? I take it he picked up an injury either then or just after?

Why do you assume that? If it's because of his inability to barely play two games in a row then it's not because of an injury as such, just that his knee's are goinf and can't hadle it. He's admitted as much himself.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

Why do you assume that? If it's because of his inability to barely play two games in a row then it's not because of an injury as such, just that his knee's are goinf and can't hadle it. He's admitted as much himself.

I'm only assuming that due to his massive "fall off a cliff" esque drop in form once he'd scored against city. If there wasn't an injury i'm curious as to what happened? Maybe the back end of last season was so bad i don't remember it properly now, but i don't recall him doing much from the semi onwards?

[Upinsmoke]

Probably the work of Ian Ayre.

[swordfishtrombone]

He played a lot of football at the end of January. 6 hours of football in just over a fortnight, then 6 hours of football over the next 10 weeks.

[J-Mc-]

I'm only assuming that due to his massive "fall off a cliff" esque drop in form once he'd scored against city. If there wasn't an injury i'm curious as to what happened? Maybe the back end of last season was so bad i don't remember it properly now, but i don't recall him doing much from the semi onwards?

All players dip in form, half the lads heads had dropped due to the piss poor league form.

Plus tiredness had set in, hence the lackluster performance against Chelsea in the Fa Cup Final.

[Red_Isle_Chap]

All players dip in form, half the lads heads had dropped due to the piss poor league form.

Plus tiredness had set in, hence the lackluster performance against Chelsea in the Fa Cup Final.

I know mate, but it was quite a quick dip from the amazing semi to doing literally nothing for the rest of the season.

Before anyone has a go, i'm not having a pop at Bellamy for it, I was just wondering if there was a reason other than "dip in form"

I think we'll snap cardiff hands off for 2m for him to be honest. People want us to be getting back into the CL places, yet want to keep a player on the books who can't play 2 games in a row. Seems like madness to me from an owners point of view. He's not that good that he justifies it.

(again, i'm not having a pop, i'm just being realistic. I'm welsh and I really like Craig as a player)

[mccred]

Not read the whole thread but from what I've read, like most people I'd be really sorry to see him go! A great option from the bench to change a game and when he starts always gives his all, feel he's at least one more season at the top level but if wanted to finish his career back in Wales then I suppose we should take the money? No idea what he's earning but I would guess he's one of our better payed players, hope there is a good back up lined up cause he'd have to be replaced. We find goals hard enough to come by without selling someone who knows were the goal is, same goes for Maxi.

[No666]

The South Wales Echo is implying this story came from Liverpool media:

With a year of that left, reports on Merseyside suggest Liverpool would be looking for a maximum of £2m for a player they picked up on a free transfer.

Is this true?

[mabbympb]

your description does him a disservice. i think he was our best wide player last season

The carling cup final was a disgrace, he never wanted to be on the pitch, and for the rest of the season after that, his performances never came close to match those performances of December/Janaury.

As i am sure has already been said, £2m for a 33year old who can only play a game every 2 weeks, deal.

[Brentie]

His form badly tailed off after the City game in January where he was amazing. Think he only scored a single goal after that and that was 10 days later at Wolves.

It's all about who we replace him with. If it's an upgrade then fine, Im ok with it. If it's what we always do then fuck off no chance.

[Ycuzz]

Hmpf.

I like Bellamy and hope he's here next/this? season.

(haven't read the entire thread yet, but) I understand there might be family reasons in the mix?

[KK77]

With the boss liking to give youth a chance, maybe the thinking is to sell Craig,get a couple of million,free up some wages and use Raheem in Craigs place in the squad? Craig would probably be used sparingly in the forthcoming season,what with his dodgy knees and all, so using Raheem in his stead would work.If Craig stays brilliant love the mad loon,but if he fancy's Cardiff good luck to the lad.

[Matt8Pie]

Oh for fuck sake.

[Fordy]

With the boss liking to give youth a chance, maybe the thinking is to sell Craig,get a couple of million,free up some wages and use Raheem in Craigs place in the squad? Craig would probably be used sparingly in the forthcoming season,what with his dodgy knees and all, so using Raheem in his stead would work.If Craig stays brilliant love the mad loon,but if he fancy's Cardiff good luck to the lad.

Again. I must of missed the 1st-10 PL games under Rodgers. How do you know he is going to give youth a chance?

I rate Sterling very highly however Bellamy brings something that you can buy in a player..Something that is rare in our squad - he is a born winner..

We need players like Bellamy in and our squad if Liverpool really want to improve. It really doesn't matter if he is playing only for half a season.

It's not a simple as just replacing experience players with youth.

[liverpool8348]

oh here we go again......   We just dont have the squad depth of players who are able to perform in big games right here right now.  if bellamy brings his 'A' game to just 10 matches next season he ll be worth the 2m, next season is beyond crucial to us and as much as its prudent to invest in youth, selling one of our 'very' few match winners for 2million is fucking stupid.  As for arguements about balancing books please give me a break its 2 million for fucks sake.   If we were comfortable in the top 4 and very confident of making top 4 again then yeah its wise to sell but we are not, we need every last match winner we have next year its going to be massive.  People who are touting its wise to sell obviously have no real idea of how deep of shit were actually in ability wise and how close we are to becoming a mediocre mid table team.  depressing but true.

[redk84]

they can fuck off.

Keep Bellamy. He's already gone back there for the novelty once. He's ours now til he quits playing football and we should make sure of it.

[Barefoot Doctor]

they can fuck off.

Keep Bellamy. He's already gone back there for the novelty once. He's ours now til he quits playing football and we should make sure of it.

Don't think he was there for the novelty of it. He's ours for one more season, which may or may not be the end of his career.

[Acaustiq]

2M is pocket change. I see no benefit in selling him.

I don't think we should sell him but bear in mind he wanted £80k a week from celtic last year.

That's £4.5m-ish a year once you factor in the fee.

[KK77]

Again. I must of missed the 1st-10 PL games under Rodgers. How do you know he is going to give youth a chance?

I rate Sterling very highly however Bellamy brings something that you can buy in a player..Something that is rare in our squad - he is a born winner..

We need players like Bellamy in and our squad if Liverpool really want to improve. It really doesn't matter if he is playing only for half a season.

It's not a simple as just replacing experience players with youth.

Mate just my judgment looking at his past history e.g. siggurdson and borini both were young when Rodgers first used them.
As for everything else i agree fella..would rather have Bellamy stay, as you say experience is very important as is his mentality (rafa mode lol) however as i said if he fancies the move, why not take a chance on youth.Anyway just read the general transfer thread and this has been well covered in there so lets leave it here.

[Cpt_Reina]

Bellamy plays in an area of the pitch in which we're notoriously short of talent.

It'll be strange if we allow him to leave.

Saying that, if we do let him go I'll wait and see who comes in before getting up in arms about it.

I like Bellamy, as a player and a person he adds to the club. But he's old, he's got bad knees and he's got 12 months on his contract. If we get a good replacement I wont shed too many tears for him.

He was always a short term 'solution'.

[Rattleduser]

he's not the future, let him go if he wants

[Art Vandelay]

It's up to him.  If he wants to stay, great....if he wants to go then ok.

[BigMarcs]

He'll be useful if he stays, you can always expect a shift from him, besides 2 million is petty cash. Keep him for one more year I say.

[Baz Smythe]

Absolute stupid move if we let him go. He was amazing at the beginning half of last season before we burnt him out. We had to as Downing was useless.

Hopefully he stays and gives us another year. Very useful squad player

[fowlermagic]

if he wants to stay then 1 game a week with him in it is worth 10 or 20 games in a row of some of the lads with no heart. He rarely failed to impress and he never did not give it 110% so I def would like to see him around for another year

[Sheik_Yerbouti]

I'd like him to stay. But he might want to go, and i would hardly want us to stand in his way if that was the case. Rodgers could also look to free up wages, for someone he see as a first choice player, who knows...

[alfonso]

Liverpool FC striker Craig Bellamy waits to see where he fits into Brendan Rodgers plans at Liverpool FC before contemplating any return to Cardiff City

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2012/06/26/liverpool-fc-striker-craig-bellamy-waits-to-see-where-he-fits-into-brendan-rodgers-plans-at-liverpool-fc-before-contemplating-any-return-to-cardiff-city-100252-31261279/2/

[aoaaron]

Funny situation here because hes been quality this season.

However, given the stage we're at in terms of a side in transition and the stage Bellamy is at in his career... I'm not too arsed what we do about this situation.

[Cochise]

Be gutted if this happened.

[exiledintheusa]

i dont think his move will be affected by his charity work already does a fair amount in africa anyway and warrior are hardly going to stop backing him cos hes left us

I know he does tons of work in Africa and you're right this will hav eno effect but it appeared that Warrior chose Bellamy as one if its brand reps moving forward, to help grow their football brand which has one professional customer.  I think they will push for other Liverpool players soon to represent the brand aswell.

[redintweed]

Until Cardiff make an official offer, I'm not too worried about it. It could just be the Cardiff owners trying to appease their fan base by making statements about a fans favourite. When Craig comes out and says he wants to leave, then we worry about a replacement etc. Craig (according to KD) is very professional, so if BR wants him to stay and run out his contract, I think he'll put in 100% effort and then maybe go to Cardiff to finish of his career in 2013.