Craig Bellamy

[Marky]

I'm sorry but i think it's wrong that Bellers will be sold this summer. I don't think he's been a flop at all. Don't forget he had that court case hanging over his head for a while, he's had to adapt to Rafa's rotation policy and play a different role for the team, if you believe what's previously been said Rafa asked him to stop buzzing around all over the pitch and play on the shoulder of the last defender, not really his game, is it?
I'm a big fan of him, he's different, bubbly, aggressive, passionate, skillful and a flippin class act when given confidence and freedom to play his own game.
I think Rafa's been a bit harsh selling him just after one season with us.
YNWA Craig lad.

[Diego]

yes lets sell garcia and keep Bells

[Zapater]

I don't agree, he is a good player but I don't think he is the right player for us. He has good pace and is well useful but I don't think he is ever going to demand a first team spot, his pace is dangerous but in general I think we need to look for a striker with different qualities to Bellamy.

On selling Garcia, never. He is one of our only players who can pull a pass/score a goal out of nowhere to win matches. Just for Garcia's ability to do so it's imperative that we hang onto him. We have missed him tons this season, I think that with him in our team he could change a lot of draws into wins and loses into draws. Even if we sign more players with the ability to win ie. Tevez, Simao etc games I'd still hope to keep hold of Luis as our super sub.

I didn't used to like Bellamy but since his been here I've developed somewhat of a soft spot for him. I hope he does well elsewhere.

[Diego]

I don't agree, he is a good player but I don't think he is the right player for us. He has good pace and is well useful but I don't think he is ever going to demand a first team spot, his pace is dangerous but in general I think we need to look for a striker with different qualities to Bellamy.

On selling Garcia, never. He is one of our only players who can pull a pass/score a goal out of nowhere to win matches. Just for Garcia's ability to do so it's imperative that we hang onto him. We have missed him tons this season, I think that with him in our team he could change a lot of draws into wins and loses into draws. Even if we sign more players with the ability to win ie. Tevez, Simao etc games I'd still hope to keep hold of Luis as our super sub.

I didn't used to like Bellamy but since his been here I've developed somewhat of a soft spot for him. I hope he does well elsewhere.

finally some realism. garcia has proven time after time how much he means to us and what he brings differently to the team. only thing is we need to start playing him up front and not on the wings. just the thought of garcia up front with the likes of eto'o or tevez is mouth watering. a real difference to watching crouch trying to link up with him as he simply doesn't understand garcia and never makes the correct run

at the same time Bells has hardly offered us ****. he's never looked the class we hoped he would, he's not good enough for us simple as...

[lfc4ever]

hahahahahaha, nice profit!

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2088549,00.html

Liverpool set Bellamy's asking price at £12m

Striker set to leave Anfield after just one year

Aston Villa and West Ham possible destinations

Dominic Fifield
Saturday May 26, 2007
The Guardian

Liverpool have warned rival clubs hoping to take advantage of Rafael Benítez's desire to reshape his squad that Craig Bellamy, one of the players for whom the manager would listen to offers, will only be sold for around £12m.

The Wales international moved to Anfield from Blackburn Rovers last summer for half that amount but, despite Bellamy struggling to adapt to Benítez's squad rotation system, Liverpool hope for a significant profit on his sale. Blackburn are keen to re-sign the forward but could now be priced out. West Ham and Aston Villa have expressed interest and could make formal bids.

Bellamy has scored nine goals in 42 appearances this season but was involved in an ugly fracas with his team-mate, John Arne Riise, on a mid-season training camp in Portugal and was an unused substitute at the European Cup final in Athens.

Benítez said in the wake of the 2-1 defeat to Milan that he would listen to bids for his players - "The number we bring in depends if we get big offers for the players or not," he said - with the Spaniard intent upon spending substantial sums.

It remains to be seen whether the manager will be given the money he desires, having issued a warning to the club's American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, that they must act quickly and lavishly in the market if Liverpool are to displace Chelsea and Manchester United at the top of the Premiership.

He would like to sign the likes of Valencia's David Silva and, possibly, Sevilla's Daniel Alves having made improvement of the supply-line to his existing forwards his priority. However, should Bellamy join Robbie Fowler in leaving the club then he would also need to add to his strikers.

Benítez's demand for transfer funds prior to the team's departure from Athens was aimed at kick-starting a summer of spending at Anfield, and Hicks and Gillett remain intent upon liaising extensively with their manager in the next few weeks to discuss and secure his targets.

Asked last week whether he would be spending significant sums in the summer, Hicks told the Guardian: "It depends upon the player. What we have said to Rafa is that if there is really somebody he thinks can change the team, then let's go get 'em.

"But let's don't just spend money to say we spent money. We have really got to use his judgments. He will say we have got this talent, we have got these areas covered, we need this to help compete better in the Premiership. We need this young guy to help us continue our progress. It's that kind of conversation we will have."

[lfc4ever]

http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/premiership/article2584210.ece

Liverpool put £12m price tag on Bellamy to lead Anfield exodus
By Andy Hunter
Published: 26 May 2007

Liverpool's efforts to meet the transfer demands of their manager Rafael Benitez have produced an ambitious £12m price tag on the head of Craig Bellamy, the Wales international striker expected to lead an exodus of players from Anfield this summer.

Aston Villa, West Ham and Blackburn are all in the market for the 27-year-old forward, who is surplus to requirements at Liverpool after struggling to adapt to Benitez's rotation policy, but have been stunned to discover his value has doubled after one disappointing season on Merseyside.

Liverpool capitalised on a release clause in Bellamy's contract with Blackburn last summer that stipulated he could join any Champions League qualifying club prepared to pay £6m, yet, while that fee was below the market value for the player at the time, his subsequent performances have done little to justify their opening negotiating position. In 23 Premiership starts Bellamy scored seven goals for Liverpool last season, compared to 13 goals in 22 League starts at Ewood Park the previous campaign.

A £12m asking price reflects an understanding of the wealth available at Villa Park and Upton Park this summer, where respective owners Randy Lerner and Eggert Magnusson are expected to spend heavily, although it puts Bellamy beyond the budget of his former club Blackburn. It also signals Liverpool's intent to maximise the revenue available to Benitez this close season, one the Spaniard heralded as pivotal to the club and his own future at Anfield in a challenge to co-chairmen George Gillet and Tom Hicks following the European Cup final defeat to Milan this week.

Gillet promised unequivocal support for Benitez in his transfer dealings yesterday, claiming he and Hicks would purchase "Snoogy Doogy" if the Liverpool manager wanted the rap star (or his tribute act?) at Anfield, but the Spaniard made clear in Thursday's criticism of the club that he is " tired of talking... we talk and talk but never finish" and it is hard figures beyond the approximate £25m he currently has earmarked for two major signings that he wants to hear from the Americans.

"[Michael] Owen is a great player but it is down to Rafa's recommendation, not us," added Gillet in response to the emergence of the former Liverpool striker's £9m release-clause at Newcastle. " Rafa's feeling is we need more depth because of the rigours of the schedule to be competitive. That's where the genius of the manager is so essential and that's where Tom and I have to defer to his background and genius."

Bellamy would yield a higher profit than many of the players Benitez is prepared to offload this summer. Bolo Zenden, Robbie Fowler and Jerzy Dudek are all free agents, while Mark Gonzalez is close to completing a cut-price move to Real Betis 12 months after his £4.5m arrival from Albacete, although the Liverpool manager is open to offers for several more.

[Marky]

hahahahahaha, nice profit!

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2088549,00.html

Liverpool set Bellamy's asking price at £12m

Striker set to leave Anfield after just one year

Aston Villa and West Ham possible destinations

Dominic Fifield
Saturday May 26, 2007
The Guardian

Liverpool have warned rival clubs hoping to take advantage of Rafael Benítez's desire to reshape his squad that Craig Bellamy, one of the players for whom the manager would listen to offers, will only be sold for around £12m.

The Wales international moved to Anfield from Blackburn Rovers last summer for half that amount but, despite Bellamy struggling to adapt to Benítez's squad rotation system, Liverpool hope for a significant profit on his sale. Blackburn are keen to re-sign the forward but could now be priced out. West Ham and Aston Villa have expressed interest and could make formal bids.

Bellamy has scored nine goals in 42 appearances this season but was involved in an ugly fracas with his team-mate, John Arne Riise, on a mid-season training camp in Portugal and was an unused substitute at the European Cup final in Athens.

Benítez said in the wake of the 2-1 defeat to Milan that he would listen to bids for his players - "The number we bring in depends if we get big offers for the players or not," he said - with the Spaniard intent upon spending substantial sums.

It remains to be seen whether the manager will be given the money he desires, having issued a warning to the club's American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, that they must act quickly and lavishly in the market if Liverpool are to displace Chelsea and Manchester United at the top of the Premiership.

He would like to sign the likes of Valencia's David Silva and, possibly, Sevilla's Daniel Alves having made improvement of the supply-line to his existing forwards his priority. However, should Bellamy join Robbie Fowler in leaving the club then he would also need to add to his strikers.

Benítez's demand for transfer funds prior to the team's departure from Athens was aimed at kick-starting a summer of spending at Anfield, and Hicks and Gillett remain intent upon liaising extensively with their manager in the next few weeks to discuss and secure his targets.

Asked last week whether he would be spending significant sums in the summer, Hicks told the Guardian: "It depends upon the player. What we have said to Rafa is that if there is really somebody he thinks can change the team, then let's go get 'em.

"But let's don't just spend money to say we spent money. We have really got to use his judgments. He will say we have got this talent, we have got these areas covered, we need this to help compete better in the Premiership. We need this young guy to help us continue our progress. It's that kind of conversation we will have."

Well that is very worrying, we need players for the here and now, not players with potential who might turn out to be good in 5 years time.
The likes of Gerrard, Carragher, Agger, Masherano, Alonso, Riise and Finnan, we've got a great backbone of a team there, we just need 2-3 top, top class players to add to that and i think we can genuinely challange for that Premiership title.

[tommyg]

his badboy persona doesnt fit with Rafa

[Marky]

his badboy persona doesnt fit with Rafa

Then why did he buy him in the first place?

[Diego]

Then why did he buy him in the first place?

cause he rand out of options and had to buy someone. and he was affordable, settled in england and has a decent scoring record. he just didn't live up to it.

[Guest]

£ 12M would mean we quite don't have the money therefore trying to rake in more £££ or would it mean greater business sense ???

I ain't too sure. Player's price is more to do about what clubs interested in a particular player CAN pay, not what a club feels he's valued at. We'll scare off some of potential suitors like that and the transfer will drag on and on.

We've got Bellers for £ 6M, therefore £ 8M or £ 9M would have been a more appropriate price which in turn would have been concluded swiftly and allowed us to turn our attentions on bringing players in.

[FowlerLeftFoot]

Bellamy wasnt given the proper chance at Liverpool. He is better than Kuyt and pose more threats to our oppositions in every game.

[Guest]

Bellamy wasnt given the proper chance at Liverpool. He is better than Kuyt and pose more threats to our oppositions in every game.

His movement is very good but he lacks the finishing touch that is needed at the top level. We need a player with his qualities but one who can finish and set up others. Samuel Eto'o or David Villa over him would be great.

[bigfooty]

Win percentages as a starter this season:

Crouch - 73% (22 of 30 starts)
Kuyt - 58% (21 of 36 starts)
Bellamy - 47% (15 of 32 starts)
Fowler - 30% (3 of 10 starts)

To say Bellamy wasn't given a proper chance at Liverpool is perhaps unfair, though interestingly he only started 6 games all season as a partner for Crouch.

[wavydavy]

cause he rand out of options and had to buy someone. and he was affordable, settled in england and has a decent scoring record. he just didn't live up to it.

Spot on. Bellamy is another example of the financial constraints Rafa has had to work under. We can afford better now hence....................