Bellamy set to return.

[AFII]

Bellamy set for Reds return
01/12/2006 - 10:16:05

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will have Craig Bellamy back in his squad to face Wigan at the JJB Stadium and hopes Xabi Alonso also has a chance of being involved.

Bellamy missed the 0-0 draw in midweek against Portsmouth due to his five-day court case in Cardiff.

Alonso was missing due to a hamstring problem, but the Spaniard has trained this week and has a chance of being in the squad as Liverpool still searching for their first away league win of the campaign.

Mark Gonzalez, Bolo Zenden, Mohamed Sissoko and Harry Kewell are all long-term injury worries.

Provisional squad: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Riise, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Alonso, Pennant, Fowler, Crouch, Bellamy, Kuyt, Guthrie, Dudek, Paletta.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/12/01/story287429.html

[Eth]

Can't really say I'm excited about this news - he's not exactly delivering

[AFII]

I agree with you. I still don't understand why Rafa signed him for £6m when we already have Pongolle.

Pongolle is the better player IMO.

Loan out Pongolle and then sign a similar player for £6m, that's just weird.

[The_weatherman]

Pongolle wasn´t exactly lighting up the place and I feel we tend to overrate him, I´m sure Bellamy will come good(ish) soon - he has a chance to start fresh after this court case.

[NICKZS]

Bellamy is an enigma. Has looked **** almost every time I've seen him play, club or country, and yet fans from all his previous clubs (even those from Newcastle) are adamant that he is the mutt's nuts. Blackburn fans, particularly, make out that he is the most underrated striker in the league.

I really hope he comes good because I think he has been working really hard for the team and I have been happy with his overall contribution, albeit a non-goalscoring contribution

[Howard_lfc]

I'm going against popular belief here - but I believe that playing Bellamy alongside Kuyt is the way to go.
I know people will say that it's Crouch who scores the goals - but my arguement against that is that our whole game is geared around Crouch and quite simply it's not working. With Crouch in the team we must play a certain way to get the best out of him (stating the obvious yeah?) but I believe that that certain way of playing is hampering us. We've become too predictable and pedestrian and far far too easy to defend against (1 goal in 3 games against Boro, Citeh and Portsmouth).
In Europe - where the continental defenders aren't used to playing against a big man (Koller and Zigic apart) Crouch is a real bonus but in the premier league he's bread and butter to most british centre halves.
In some games Crouch can be the answer - but in other games I believe he's also the problem. Do we want to hold the ball up and attack slower - or use the pace of Bellamy to get behind teams? I'd prefer the latter and believe that it's time we gave it a serious go.

[Slim]

I can see where you are coming from there Howard. I'd like to see Bellamy get a run out tomorrow at some point, if even only on the right hand side, to inject some raw pace going forward.

[Rocket]

if people are against Bellamy playing as a striker, what is there to lose by at least putting him on the right. he can't be worse than anyone else playing there.

give him some confidence, some match fitness

[El Jefecito]

At least he creates a different matchup than when we have Kuyt & Crouch playing together.

If wigan press at least will have some pace to catch them on the counter.

[Taffy]

I think Bellers will play on the right wing tomorrow.

[Rocket]

I think Bellers will play on the right wing tomorrow.

[dww]

I'm going against popular belief here - but I believe that playing Bellamy alongside Kuyt is the way to go.
I know people will say that it's Crouch who scores the goals - but my arguement against that is that our whole game is geared around Crouch and quite simply it's not working. With Crouch in the team we must play a certain way to get the best out of him (stating the obvious yeah?) but I believe that that certain way of playing is hampering us. We've become too predictable and pedestrian and far far too easy to defend against (1 goal in 3 games against Boro, Citeh and Portsmouth).
In Europe - where the continental defenders aren't used to playing against a big man (Koller and Zigic apart) Crouch is a real bonus but in the premier league he's bread and butter to most british centre halves.
In some games Crouch can be the answer - but in other games I believe he's also the problem. Do we want to hold the ball up and attack slower - or use the pace of Bellamy to get behind teams? I'd prefer the latter and believe that it's time we gave it a serious go.

I think the problem is as much how we use Crouch as Crouch himself. He is always up in the box, he contributes more and presents a wider range of problems when allowed to drop deep. The problem has been that the wide midfielders do not get into the box enough to mean that this is a practical strategy for us at the minute.

As such I would like to see either Kuyt or Crouch played with Bellamy. I think that if we do it we have to leave Bellamy in the team for 5 or 6 games at least. Otherwise we will never see the best of him.