IT’S that time of the week again where I have a look back over the season just gone and provide my views on how I thought specific individuals got on.
Please look back over my previous articles as I have now covered quite a few members of the squad. Today is the turn of our Welsh wizard Craig Bellamy.
I have always been an admirer Bellamy and his approach to football and in some respects have often thought he has been quite misunderstood in footballing terms.
He has had his flirtations with controversy off the pitch and the odd encounter with the boys in blue, but in modern football that is something that is becoming more common as young lads are courted from a young age with the promise of money and fame with no consequences to their actions (I feel an article in this issue for another time!).
Off the field aside, it is the philosophy and approach Bellamy seemingly has to the game of football that I have always admired. He is clearly a very passionate character that loves the game, whether it be a match day at Anfield or training at Melwood and has a belief that he and his team mates owe the supporters their best performance and a work rate to span the entire game. If anyone doubts this, cast on eye back to his time at Manchester City where he was brought in and was turning in top notch performances, scoring goals, getting assists and making LFC fans curse that we let him go.
But he fell out with the likes of Robinho. Why? Because Robinho has a much more laid back lackadaisical approach to the game which grated Bellamy, as it was the polar opposite of his own approach. It should not be underestimated the influence over younger members of the squad the approach to match days and training that senior professionals such as Bellamy and Kuyt have.
When Bellamy first arrived in 2006, I like many other Liverpool fans were over the moon that we had secured his signature. He had attributes we craved such as pace, aggression, got goals and had a genuine love for the club (and not in the Robbie Keane way!!). I was there at the first friendly he played (and first goal he scored after a great ball by Fowler) away at Wrexham and the reaction the travelling support gave him after he scored and as he warmed down was quite something. During that year however something never really clicked and he never really reproduced his best form, and will be most likely remembered from that period for the golf club incident rather than anything else which is a real pity.
Benitez cut his losses at the end of the season and Bellamy moved on rediscovering his form at West Ham and then Manchester City giving us a glimpse of what could have been. I remained a fan of what he offered on the pitch and appreciated his professionalism when he scored against us so when the rumours began surfacing about the possibility of him returning I was hopeful that this had some truth in it.
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With Dalglish in charge, a veritable Liverpool legend then surely Craig would be chomping at the bit to return and this transpired to be the case and not only did he sign on again but for a more than favourable transfer fee!!
As I have already mentioned I think Bellamy will have brought an excellent attitude and approach to the game into the dressing room and with the experiences and lessons he has learnt throughout his career to date will be an excellent role model for the younger members of our squad, but the impact he has on the pitch has been equally important. Unfortunately his body has not been his best friend down the years so regular starts and 90 minutes a game are limited and importantly he has embraced this fact so that he has become a real impact player from the bench.
Despite his many injuries Bellamy has retained his pace which is any defenders biggest fear, especially late on in games after physically draining battles with Carroll and mentally draining battles with Suarez. He has shown he is not limited to impact roles as in the games he has started he has shown what he is capable of with the Anfield tie against Newcastle springing to mind.
In a year where he will have suffered great personal tragedy with the loss of a close friend in Gary Speed and a disappointing league performance by the club he has been consistently a bright spark in a red (and black) shirt as his introduction into a game whether from the start of as a sub gives the crowd a lift and a tremor of fear in the opposition as he is one of those players capable of magic on his day, and like Kuyt, if it is not his day his tireless work rate will make life difficult for the opposition not allowing them to settle.
Without doubt the King was a big influence in Bellamy returning (he said so himself) so now that Dalglish has gone where does that leave him?
There is no question in my mind Craig still has a big role to play at Anfield and like others in the squad will benefit from how Rodgers sets out to play the game. Besides what we know already about Rodgers and his playing style at Swansea that appeals so much, some of my first impressions of the man are that he is a very intense dedicated to the job sort of guy and I think this kind of manager will be right up Bellamy’s street and I believe there will be an appreciation from both sides of the others talents and attributes so we should look forward to a positive and fruitful relationship between the two.
Please come find me on twitter, I love chatting footie and Liverpool FC @timdibs and if you enjoyed/hated/appreciated this piece please check out my other articles.
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