Liverpool FC Forum

[MASTER]

Espionage, when are you going to give Cisse a break, he was farmed out on loan because Benitez did not like his attitude in training games not due to his lack of ability because if you haven't seen the stats he was our best striker GPG ALL THROUGH LAST SEASON even when he played out wide, like against the Hammers in the league games and ithe FA Cup Final.

[Espionage]

Espionage, when are you going to give Cisse a break, he was farmed out on loan because Benitez did not like his attitude in training games not due to his lack of ability because if you haven't seen the stats he was our best striker GPG ALL THROUGH LAST SEASON even when he played out wide, like against the Hammers in the league games and ithe FA Cup Final.

IMO:
1) He was farmed out because of his lack of ability.
2) He might have had the highest GPG but he was definately not our best striker last season.
3) Him playing wide was his best position.

This is not a Cisse thread, drag one up from the depths and we can discuss it further, as I will not discuss it any further in here.

[bigmick]

Bellamy isn't really firing at the moment (and in fairness with the possible exception of Daniel agger nobody is) but the answer isn't to play him left side of midfield. That's because he isn't a left-sided midfield player, he is a forward who is right-footed. He is probably marginally more suited to playing left-side of midfield than he is to playing centre-half or central-midfield or in goal, but only just.

Let's just play players in their proper positions, and if we've got more than eleven fit players for each game we should pick eleven. Then we put the ones who didn't get picked on the bench. If one of them comes on as sub to replace somebody who isn't playing too well/has picked up an injury and then proceeds to do well, then in the next game he plays and the other bloke reverts to the bench. It's sort of been that way since the beginning of time really.

There have been celebrated cases converting players into something else at our club, Ray Kennedy into a midfielder being the most obvious example, with Carragher back to centre-half, and Gerrard to right midfielder arguably also successful. Usually though, when you buy a bloke to play upfront that's where you play him. If you need a left-midfielder you play one there. If you have two new left-midfielders, you play one of them there. At least that's what I'd do anyway.

[puroresu]

as much as i dislike Bellamy, we need to give him more time

but Rafa's rotation policy isn't doing him any favours - he needs to play all the time in his main position (up front) to get settled in - and that means consecutive games

it's still early days for him but if he doesn't get his confidence back soon, i fear his old character flaws will resurface once again

Agreed.

[stmichael]

funny how at the start of the season we were moaning about having too many left sided players and now we're suggesting putting a stiker there.

personally, i'd play gonzalez there for home games (i don't like garcia playing wide as he offers the fullback no protection whatsoever) and aurelio or riise for away games.

on bellamy, it's just a confidence thing like crouch had at the start of last season. once he gets a goal he'll be like a different player i'm sure.

[bigmick]

Back on the question of Bellamy, I was going to start a topic on him but somebody already had. My topic was going to be "Craig Bellamy, I know it's early but...... is he any good?"

In that topic I was going to say that I was really up for it when we went in for him and really glad when he signed. I have seen absolutely nothing so far in any Liverpool game which has made me change my mind. I think he's a really good player who will have a big season for us. This season. He is good enough to play for Liverpool and to win trophies in Rafa's team. he's low now but in my opinion will come back. A spell on the bench, a tumultuous reception when he comes on and a goal is all he needs.

[RAGE UK]

It’s not brain surgery it’s very very simple.
To win games we need a goal scorer ok?
So let’s keep playing a player that is not on form and doing nothing for the team.
Before you all say o yer bellamy is grate and all that take yourselves back to another player Morientis what a waste of space time and effort he was for Liverpool. rafa stuck by him for far far to long looks like he is going to do the same with bellamy.
I’m not a bellamy hater at all I just want us to win and with out peter crouch on the pitch every game until the other strikers come good we will lose because we cant score.
Even when bellamy come one late he plays the same he has got the speed but that is all he has got at the moment.
I would be playing Gonzalez instead of bellamy because I thing Gonzalez looks more of a threat at the moment when he gats on the pitch that is.

[Fowler_E7]

Back on the question of Bellamy, I was going to start a topic on him but somebody already had. My topic was going to be "Craig Bellamy, I know it's early but...... is he any good?"

In that topic I was going to say that I was really up for it when we went in for him and really glad when he signed. I have seen absolutely nothing so far in any Liverpool game which has made me change my mind. I think he's a really good player who will have a big season for us. This season. He is good enough to play for Liverpool and to win trophies in Rafa's team. he's low now but in my opinion will come back. A spell on the bench, a tumultuous reception when he comes on and a goal is all he needs.

not IMO, i was dissapointed when we signed him and he's done nothing to change my mind. Hes the type of player who looks good on Match of the day, when he actually scores a goal, but to me he's just plain average. Newcastle/Blackburn/celtic are about his level.

I mean to his credit he works exceptionally hard, and has great pace, but thats not enough to make u a quality player, his finishing, decision making, dribbling and crossing are all very average, and he has not much end product, especially against good teams, with quality defenders who no how to defend against his pace.

I reckon he will probably get around 13 goals in all competitions, all scored against fairly weak sides, and he will hit some form at some point, and get some goals against the relegation fodder and middle table teams. I really cant see him ever scoring the winner agaisnt Man utd, Arsenal, Chelsea or in a Champions league knock out game.

Hopefully i will be proved complety wrong but i doubt it.

[puroresu]

Back on the question of Bellamy, I was going to start a topic on him but somebody already had. My topic was going to be "Craig Bellamy, I know it's early but...... is he any good?"

In that topic I was going to say that I was really up for it when we went in for him and really glad when he signed. I have seen absolutely nothing so far in any Liverpool game which has made me change my mind. I think he's a really good player who will have a big season for us. This season. He is good enough to play for Liverpool and to win trophies in Rafa's team. he's low now but in my opinion will come back. A spell on the bench, a tumultuous reception when he comes on and a goal is all he needs.

not IMO, i was dissapointed when we signed him and he's done nothing to change my mind. Hes the type of player who looks good on Match of the day, when he actually scores a goal, but to me he's just plain average. Newcastle/Blackburn/celtic are about his level.

I mean to his credit he works exceptionally hard, and has great pace, but thats not enough to make u a quality player, his finishing, decision making, dribbling and crossing are all very average, and he has not much end product, especially against good teams, with quality defenders who no how to defend against his pace.

I reckon he will probably get around 15 goals in all competitions, all scored against fairly weak sides, and he will hit some form at some point, and get some goals against the relegation fodder and middle table teams. I really cant see him ever scoring the winner agaisnt Man utd, Arsenal, Chelsea or in a Champions league knock out game.

Hopefully i will be proved complety wrong but i doubt it.

I think Bellamy is great in a side like Blackburn where he is the star. However at a squad like Liverpool he is just another striker.  I think he thought he was going to be the main man for us this season but then Rafa went and spent big on Kuyt.  Like at Newcastle where he couldnt handle Shearer being the Golden boy up their.  Bellamy will score goals, but I dont think his any better than Cisse to be honest.  If he never had the clause in his contract I dont think Rafa would of bought him.

[Bad Bob]

I'm with Mick on this one, we don't need to be playing our forwards out wide.  This is especially true given that we have at least 4 players who can play that role more effectively.  It's time to give Gonzales a run on the left or to move Riise back up to LM and get Aurelio in behind.  Playing Stevie wide left feels stop-gap in a way that playing him wide-right simply does not.

[account deleted by request]

I expressed my doubts on Bellamy before we signed him. He is not a prolific scorer and doesnt tend to score against good teams. Having said that he is a good player who works hard ,and I have no doubt that he has the ability to be a great success at Liverpool. All he needs is a bit of luck infront of goal and for one to go in off his knee or backside and get his confidence back.

It has been a hard time for all the new signings because we havent been playing very well, but harder for Bellamy because I think more was expected of him . I still expect him to get about 15 goals this season and to prove to the doubters that he was a bargain buy. My only worry is that he presses the self destruct button before his luck turns. He needs to keep trying, keep working hard and keep doing the things that have made him a success.

What he doesnt need is to be played out of position while his confidence is low and hes struggling for form. Rest him or play him up front, not on the wings.

[aCe']

mmmm..bellamy...best position.....the leftmost seat on the bench.... i agree with some of u guys.....time to give gonzales a run in the first team.... and Crouch... WTF is rafa thinking ?! playing Bellamy and dropping Crouch ! mmmmm.... just dont get it !

[crazyhorse]

Bellamy is a good player, but he has never been a prolific goalscorer.
We only have the one player in the squad who has ever been such - Robbie Fowler; he should IMO be given the same oppurtunities that the other front players have enjoyed, and in Robbies case he needs a few starts to get his match fitness and sharpness; he always has.

[66-1112520797]

I can see why the questions asked, Bellamy pulls out wide most of the time during games which inevitably leaves him trying to pick out the lonesome Kuyt in the box. But for that matter I'd never start him off as a left winger mind you I wouldnt play Stevie out there but thats another story. I would like to see him hold his position more centraly upfront, and drift wide every now and again. He's not scoring because he simply isnt taking up the positions constantly, and on that note he also looks a player in desperate need of a goal. I think he's a decent player and like Crouch this time last year, when Bellamy gets his first goal we'll see a more confident and more composed Bellamy in front of goal.

[red37]

bellamy named as skipper for wales next two games.

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/cgi/NGoto/163913290?-11194

a bit of responsibility may chill him out a bit...though i doubt it. lets hope he can be one of the international players who can benefit from a good week and bring something to the table for the blackburn game, refreshed and raring to go.

what a stop-start season this is