Craig Bellamy?

Well, with Bellers giving an honest opinion of his imminent arrival in the summer and the fact that Arry wants him - but City wouldn't sell him to Spurs, and that Mancini probably will leave him on the bench.........................


What does everyone think?

I personally think he IS EXACTLY the player we have missed in certain games, at certain times.

Granted, the PL is different to the Championship..............but what a player to bring on at half-time or with 25 minutes to go............will Mancini sell him, or welcome him back as a squad player? I doubt it......the fucking Itlalian fool!

Lets hope he's still on our books in august because I'm certain shankly Mancini won't be
He'll get on with Jose like a house on fire,hopefully

Bellers is the kind of player we have missed this season. His pace on the wing scares the living shite out of full backs and centre halfs. Bellers on one wing and AJ on the other would be great impact players. Understandably he couldnt play 60+ games like this season, however Ballotelli has been injured for half the season. Suspended for 3 games and booked 10 times. We would be no worse off. I hope Bellers comes back but it depends on whether Mancini is kept on as manager...

Mancini is too stuborn to bring him back into the squad, but he'll forgive Madio in a flash. Some managers are strange. Complete bias towards certain players when they want to try and prove a point. Mancini-Madio. BaconFace-Fletcher. Hodgson-Konchesky. Mancini-Kolorov. Ancelloti-Torres. Wenger-Half his 'stars of the future' and every keeper he's ever had. Mancini-Yaya.

So Bellers is right and Mancini is wrong...except that Bellers was right at Newcastle, Liverpool,Norwich etc etc. His record off the pitch is hardly choir boy stuff yet the concensus is we miss him. We have enough spoilt kids on the block without Bellers coming back, we have enough disruption in the changing room without bellers coming back and we have enough bad press on the training ground without Bellers swinging his golf club around.
'arry might want him but why should we sell him to a rival? I admit he has tallent, energy etc but the baggage is too much, and selling him to a rival....same with Given and Arsenal....no way.

I dont think anybody believe's that Bellamy is a saint, but to blame him for every problem he's had at clubs because he has a bad reputation off the pitch is'nt fair. Before Souness went to Newcastle they were flying and Bellamy's partnership with Shearer was among the best strike partnerships in the prem that year, Bobby Robson got the best out of him because of his man management, as did hughes at Blackburn and City.

If Mancini cant handle a player like Bellamy then WTF is he doing signing Balotelli, why does Tevez look so miserable under Mancini? Mancini could learn a thing or two about his players this season but i doubt he will because all he see's is 2 legs 2 arms and a kit, it seems he treats all the players the same way and expects them to act as he does (and did throughout his wonderfull career). Well players are more complex these days, a bunch of individuals to be moulded into a team.

And yet Mancini managed ego's in Italy, Has had no trouble with Mancini (according to him his problems were higher), Man managed Micah and is getting the best out of him. Is managing Kompany, Zab, Toure, Silva, Hart, Given, etc. In fact Micah and most of the players have commented on his man management techniques.
Whereas Hughes had trouble with Elano, Petrov, Dunne, indeed most of Svens signings and still managed to get higher than Sven in his first season..... not.
Perhaps he didnt like it that Bellers refused to train Mancini's way, that Bellers ran to the press at every opportunity, perhaps the anger was all very well (see Bellers article on himself) but his refusal to bugde an inch on his stance convinced Mancini he wasnt worth the effort.

Were 3rd in the league WITHOUT bellers, were in the semis and at wembly without bellers ..... peossible that Bellers should reconsider his stance rather than Mancini reconsider his?

The frustrating thing though Lee is how many times when Tevez got tired and subbed did we bring on Zabaleta? We were forced to shut up shop and either hang on to goals or play out for the draw. I'm not saying that Bellers should be concidered as a first choice starter but he would be a great impact sub.

I posted this on 606 yesterday. I would love Bellers back. One of Mancini's biggest cock ups letting him go. With Bellers in the team this season we would have done a lot better than we have. Balotelli or Bellers?
Bellers everytime for me !

The trouble is that Bellers ego would never let himself be considered as an Impact sub. He would want to start every match and when he didnt then would start to let Mr Angry out of the bag. I'm not saying that bellers is a bad person, like Balotelli I think they have had problems in their personal lives while growing up, its just that lack of control in a 20 year old is something that can be worked on. In a 32 yr old its probably a little late.

We are 4rd in the league and yet to play Spurs (we never beat spuds) Liverpool (always a tough game away) Everton (bogey side) Bolton, Blackburn, Stoke (all derby games as far as i'm concerned). I expect 6 points from Sund and WH at home but they will be tough to break down, and we do struggle sometimes in that respect.

I could have got City to the semi's of the FAcup, And we had shit sides taking us to replays that we were lucky to get (N County who are close to relegation to division 4). If he tries his all out defensive pollicy at wembley we will get embarased yet again.

Mancini has let players go on loan and brought in worse versions of them. Bridge is a better LB than Kolorov (unbelievably), Bellamy and Ballotelli are only different in one respect- Bellamy gives 100% for his team mates and never setles for 2nd best, Balotelli could'nt give a shit. Adebayor is better than Dzeko....fuck me RSC is no worse than Dzeko. Boateng/Nedum very similar. And Micah has improved since he dropped the BTC attitude and has moved back to his best position at RB

The case for having Bellamy back is not for anyone to prove a point to anyone, its because i believe it would be benefitial to our continued success in chasing top 4 and win 2 wembley finals, i'd love to see Bellamy running at the scum the way they are playing.

Come on Dzeko hasn't exactly been brilliant but he's still 1 million times better than Crocky ! The rest I have to agree with

Bridge is a better LB than Kolorov (unbelievably), Honestly? no honestly?
ADe stopped playing when he came back from the traumatic experience in the African cup. Boateng is finding his feet as are half the players you mention. Teams like United, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal wernt just thrown together over 1 season and expected to perform they have taken time and at least 3 seasons to build. Jose inherited a side that was 90% complete, something Mancini didnt yet he still built on what was there, he hasnt tried to dismantle a team as Hughes did. It will take at least another 2 season to get anything like the stability the others have and yet were still ahead of spurs and pulling away fromn the rest.

After the draw at home by Spurs I wonder how many of their fans were calling for 'arry to go? When they shut up shop at home to inter how many called them a boring team.

Wayne Bridge is awful. I'd rather pull Michael Tarnat out of retirement and put him abck in the City team than watch him again. No way is Kolarov worse than him... Kolarov hasn't exactly been mind-blowing but he's finding his feet. Coming from the Italian league and picking up the pace in one season is pretty hard work. As for Adebayor, he wasnt intereted in City once Mancini had made it clear that he wasnt in his first team plans. Didnt look interested and (although it was a tragedy) blamed his poor performances on his traumatic experience when lets be honest he was frankly shit! Give Dzeko a chance. He is a goalscorer. Drogba was dogshit in his first season with Chelsea, now look at him. Yaya Toure is lethargic at best. He has this sudden burst of speed then stops for 20 minutes to catch his breath. He is chosen week-in, week-out over Milner who will run all day long if you asked him to... Thats a joke! Mancini makes far too many selection errors and it has cost us points...

I'm not calling for Mancini to be sacked, i'd give him at least 2 more years but with the pressure building, he needs to be a bit more attacking and i think Bellamy could have made a big difference to us wether starting or off the bench. but thats all hypothetical is'nt it.

This is the best squad ive seen at City and my complaint is we could have got more from the team, but we still dont know our best starting 11 and its nearly April, Balotelli has been disruptiveand Dzeko unballanced the team when he was brought in but i wont rite him off just yet. But much improvement is needed, ive got time, ive waited 33 years

I dont like Mancini, i wont deny that... But come on, can he not see the problems? Vieira is too old... SWP is past his best years... Milner is NOT a winger... Yaya Toure can only last 20 minutes... Dzeko/Barmytelli up front on their own while Tevez plays left wing/forward... NDJ does not need domeone to hold his hand in DMF... If we can see this as supporters, paying for the privelige to go and watch City, why cant he and he is getting paid thousands a week to manage them... We dont know our strongest 11 because at the moment i dont think we have one. We dont even know what formation we play half the time. As much as Andy Gray was a cock it was funny watching him try and work out what kind of system we were trying to play on his little gadgets... He probably knew more than Mancini does... And thats saying something!

Like i said earlier managers are a strange and stubborn bunch, sometimes this season he has got it right tactically but not nearly enough. If he gets the result he wants at the end of a game then he can be happy and he is proved right, if it delivers on the targets set for him then fair play to him. Cant help wanting a little bit more from them though.

Kompany, Zab, NDJ, Tevez - The core of our team was bought by Hughes, everyone that Mancini has bought, with the exception of Silva have either been disappointing at best or have actually taken us backwards at worst. Adam Johnson was obviously a Brian Marwood choice.

Inky the 3 players you mention have all had nearly 2 seasons to settle. I would have thought Tevez was a Marwood choice as well seen as Tevez has stated he was promised things that havnt happened?

Your also forgetting the "other" Hughes buys of Lescott, Ben Haim, Bridge Ade, SWP and Jo......

If i may contribute, although he had a few good games for us and was able to change a game on his day, i think the Bellamy ship has sailed. He's another year older and those knees are going to give way more and more.The only impact he would now have with us would be as a sub, he more or less admitted he hasn't many more miles on the clock left.

He divided opinion while he was with us and continues to do so now that he isn't, we should just move on, he was never the world beater that some fans make him out to be and we need to be looking for a better and longer term player.

Oh and he's Welsh.

Surely he would have been a better member of the squad than Jo?

Hey Jo doesnt cause waves, does and what he's asked ..well tries to anyway

Lee,

Lescott - Doing OK,
Ben Haim - Sven's choice,
Bridge - I'll give you that one,
Ade - No problem under Hughes,
SWP - Needs a run of games, was a great player under Hughes,
Jo - Sven's choice again.

Ben Haim was Hughes first signing and a typical Hughes type player, he was no way a Sven signing (Jo might have been though).
SWP played the first few games through the centre, as soon as Hughes switched him back to the wings he became totally inefectual
Ade only played the first part of the season under Hughes including a 3 match ban so its a bit difficult to judge how else he would have performed unless you look at "history" and see how he did at Arsenal.
Lescott is slowly improving but were talking about how he did under hughes?...like Bridge not good.

However my point is all managers buy good and bad players. Some players need time and others make an immediate impact. Lescott is a case in point, not doing bad but its taken 18 months, how do we know Boateng, Koralov and a few more wont settle next season.

From what I could gather the TBH deal was started by Sven which is why Hughes hardly ever picked him.

I agree about Kolarov, Boateng and even Dzeko being give time but I reckon Yaya and Balotelli have taken us backwards and a decent manager wouldn't have picked them week in, week out on their current form.

Sorry inky but my memory of its a bit different.
He totally and utterly disrupted one of the best central defence partnership that was developing with Dunne and Richards. He played him for the first half of the season were he conceeded more home goals than Dunne. He was a typical Hughes style bruiser, a Big Sam style player in fact, and I doubt very much that sven would have touched him esp taking into account that Sven knew he was getting the push 2 months before it happened.

Now the person most likely to have engineered it might be a certain Tevez agent

Lee, TBH came in July and left 6 months later after only making 9 starts - Some of them at FB when other players were injured. Hughes couldn't get shot quick enough, that's why I believe he wasn't his signing.

I still dont think that Sven would have anything to do with it. I think Hughes deliberately targetted top 3 teams who had players in their reserves he thought good enough for 1st team football.
Hence Bridge, Ben Haim, Toure and Ade were bought to adda "winning " mentality to the squad. I dont think he realised just how bad Ben Haim was. If you lok at the first 5 or so games played he picked Ben haim in the centre at the expense of Richards. He found it wasnt working which is the only reason he dropped him. About 2 months after everyone else saw it.

I would have liked him this season, but his knees are shot and it just wont work with RM anyway, so best to offload I reckon.

We should just recall Weiss back from Rangers.
They don't give him full games anyways, that and he's too good for the SPL..
sod it, I'm probably too good for the SPL and I havent kicked a ball for 8 months..

But Weiss does have something different, pleanty of skill and willing to run at people, we've only got AJ who will do that.. And Yaya who just kicks it past then tried to motor on past but thats something differnt entirely..

Moon - good shout mate I mentioned Vladdy on 606 yesterday.

A Winger is needed!!

I havent posted on 606 for about 2 years, my ID of "moonchestetr loves bananas" expired and I didn't have the 3 hours required or the will to re-register on there again. And it's full of too many numptys.

I do read 606 when I get a few spare minutes, but never bother to get a full thread, only the most recent replies, as I am just that lazy.

Haha don;t blame you bro, I tend to use it less and less.

I just can't abide the morons that WUM

Oy oo you callin a Moron!!!!

Haha as if Lee mate!

Sorry about shocking you on 606 just now, I aint told many people, as you can imagine as they tend to judge me before knowing me!

It got my goat that article about Etuhu thats why I let it out!!

No probs Vince, I have a cousin who was unfortunate to be in a similar situation. I have another cousin who has pleasured her Maj and deservedly so...lets say he acts, looks and is an associate of lattlay or so I'm lead to believe.

Ahh well, you live and learn don't you mate?

I did, and I know after my incarceration, I won;t be breaking any laws no matter how bent they are, ever again.

I have too much lose.

Vince are you sorry for what you did or would you do it again if the same situation arose?

Ive read the thread on 606
I have an employee who was imprisoned for 3 months for breaking a lads jaw after he pushed his pregnant girlfriend in a bar,the lad turned out to be a trainee lawyer.He only hit him once but he's a big guy and I think it goes against you in the eyes of the law and they look after their own. In the end this cretin pursued him for compensation because he found out I continued to pay his wages while he was inside,never understood the reasoning behind that idea and he never got anywhere because it was all cash in those days so no paper trail
Missed his first kids birth as well,the law is ridiculous sometimes