Welcome back Bellamy

[Daniel 7]

And moustaches. Where are this squad's moustaches?

[Shaggy]

Why Liverpool think it's worth getting Bellamy back in the red

By MICHAEL WALKER
Last updated at 12:52 AM on 2nd September 2011

So, Craig Bellamy is a Red again. Four years after leaving Anfield and Rafa Benitez, Bellamy is a Liverpool player once more.

As he waited in Cardiff on Wednesday morning for his future to be decided by Kenny Dalglish or Harry Redknapp, or belatedly by Cardiff City among a posse of other interested English clubs, Bellamy was also aware of the club in Moscow ready with a private jet to swoop him off to a Russian winter.

It had to be considered, but what Bellamy wanted was to come in from the cold, not venture further into it. The 32-year-old Welshman was in deep freeze at Manchester City, frozen out by manager Roberto Mancini. There was never going to be a thaw in that relationship but that still left the economics. Bellamy had one year left at City — around £4.5million in wages. It is a sum to make anyone think.

But clearly a deal was agreed, losses were cut. It left the forward as a ‘free’ transfer — though let’s not forget his Anfield salary. But Liverpool have done their mathematics and this could be the transfer of the window, could be.

What Bellamy wants, like most players, is to be loved — maybe just a little, but enough. Dalglish and Liverpool have offered that. What Bellamy offers them on the pitch is a willingness to work as hard as Dirk Kuyt and on either wing. He was too good an option for Dalglish to refuse.

What Bellamy also brings is genuine affection for the club and an anorak’s understanding of it. Some at City may have heard him yesterday morning talking of his respect for Dalglish, rolled their eyes and thought about the cash bottom line.


Putt off: Craig Bellamy's first spell at Liverpol was clouded by bust-up with Riise

Saluting Dalglish, Bellamy said: ‘To every Liverpool fan Kenny is probably the best player ever to pull on the red shirt so that speaks for itself. He was the first player-manager to do the Double, and just how he conducted himself really.’

But what Bellamy said as the transfer window closed was merely a variation on what he said in his front room in Cardiff six months ago.

Then, unwanted by Mancini, the player was on his season-long loan at his hometown club. He reflected on a career that began as a 15-year-old at Norwich and which took him at various stages through Coventry, Newcastle, Celtic, Blackburn, West Ham, City and of course Liverpool.

This is what he said then.

‘Liverpool, I supported as a kid. It’s great to see Dalglish there now, that’s given me a boost. I love the Boot Room mentality — that was Liverpool Football Club. When you support a club, you have to understand why. What made it so great? Shankly coming, the Boot Room — they’d all sit in a room, five or six people and three of them would go on to win the European Cup!

‘What conversations must they have had week in, week out. And if you went in there you couldn’t just listen and agree, they’d ask you for your opinion. They’d bounce off each other. From a shoebox they created a club.

‘To see that go, and also the feel for the club . . . but now Dalglish is back I just pray it goes well. So far it’s been great — (Luis) Suarez, it’ll be great to see how Andy Carroll does. That affection has come back into me a little bit.’
Bellamy offered higher praise for Norwich and West Ham, and hailed the regenerative managerial talents of Redknapp, so this was no take-me-back plea. Bellamy’s preference then would have been for a permanent move to Cardiff.

But their promotion hopes faded and with it any chance that the Malaysian backers could afford to retain their loan star. Since then there has been a City stand-off.

This represents a dream resolution for the winger. In the previous season at Anfield, Bellamy was said not to have convinced Benitez. Yet he played 42 times and though the golf-club incident with John Arne Riise will not be forgotten, nor should Bellamy’s goal in the Nou Camp that helped eliminate Barcelona — Xavi, Messi, Ronaldinho, et al — from the Champions League.

Liverpool reached the final against AC Milan. Bellamy was on the bench; Jermaine Pennant was right midfield, Boudewijn Zenden on the left. So Bellamy moved to West Ham, where he met Steve Clarke and Kevin Keen, now coaching at Liverpool. Dalglish will not expect Bellamy, at his age, to play every week. He has had bad injuries down the years but last season managed 35 matches for Cardiff in the Championship, plus Wales games.

Bellamy said that being home in Cardiff had changed him, he had lost his ‘anger’. Some may struggle to believe that but then the records show one Bellamy dismissal since 2002. Now he’s seeing Red again


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...#ixzz1Wn8jhL6B

****ing superb stuff from Bellamy

[Neil Young]

No thank you.

I was thinking more like Houghton, Lawrenson, Aldridge, Beglin, Whelan and Heighway (one of my all time favourites).

And I'm not Irish, but all the great teams of the 70's and 80's had an Irishman and a Scot in them.

Hmm, OK, let's try and get one of them then. Any of them, even now, would be better than Shane "Knows where the goal is" Long.

[BigChief]

Fantastic option to bring off the bench with 20 minutes to go.

Just as Suarez has been raping the centre and full backs all game, with Carroll and Downing battering them from aerial assaults, Downing goes off only for Bellamy to come on and finish off the sad, pathetic play-things.

[Lee]

I can't ****ing wait to see Bellamy get onto the pitch again for us.

[Mostar]

I can't ****ing wait to see Bellamy get onto the pitch again for us.

[yamiedo]

Kuyt, Bellamy and Suarez are going to make it a nightmare for defenders. They will constantly be working hard, putting them under pressure and most importantly working their hardest for the team. There aren't many (if any) teams who have that kind of dedication in their frontline.

[Leyton388]

Glad he's back and ope he does well. I can see him ripping the arse out of defenses with Suarez.

[RedReet]

Fulham game should make good viewing.

[john316]

Terrific for Wales tonight

[cream]

Kuyt, Bellamy and Suarez are going to make it a nightmare for defenders. They will constantly be working hard, putting them under pressure and most importantly working their hardest for the team. There aren't many (if any) teams who have that kind of dedication in their frontline.

Was going to post something similar. Those three will harass the **** out of the opposition, it'll be funny to watch.

[Kenneth]

Bellamy is ****ing funny. The incredulous look on his face as he stands arms outstretched shouting 'Oi, ref, ref.' every time he gets tackled.

Was it here, or back when I was on 6CM when someone published regular Craig Bellamy diaries? Him and his mini pepperami sponsorship Who was that?

[topscorer]

Hmm, OK, let's try and get one of them then. Any of them, even now, would be better than Shane "Knows where the goal is" Long.

Yes, unfortunately not too much Irish talent for us to choose from at the moment. It's a shame because it certainly did Liverpool no harm having the best of Irish in the 70's and 80's.

Anyway, I won't hijack the Bellamy thread talking about Irish players, it was just a thought after the Bellamy interview when he said the new look Liverpool was more like what he grew up watching with the larger make-up of Brits in the squad and I think Irish and Scandinavian players where also key to our successes in that period.

[Fernandinho]

Kuyt Suarez and Bellamy up front! Stop that.

[Mostar]

Hmm..What is he thinking..