Newcastle-Online comment: 22nd July 2004
...On
the treatment table as usual. Ha Ha, poor joke I know but sadly most
accurate. Anyway we aren't going to concern ourselves with the injury
plight of one of our most influential and certainly one of our most
important players so lets forget about that and ask ourselves a question
that Kluivert's arrival has thrown at us. Where exactly will Bellamy
play?
Is he to fight it out for a place up front? I think it's safe to assume
that Big Al's place in the first-team is guaranteed and I can't see
Kluivert sitting out too many games, not on the wages we are paying
him so it looks like the one player that gives us an extra dimension,
that changes our pattern of play, that scares the hell out of the
opposition defence (when fit of course...) may well struggle to feature
this coming Season.
Or maybe not. Giving our tendency for the far-fetched and our ability
do do the unexpected, what I am about to suggest may not be as daft
as it may sound.
Could Bobby's plan for Bellamy be to mould him into a right-winger?
How often did Bellamy drop to the right-flank last Season? Quite a
lot and he has played there for both Norwich and Coventry prior to
signing for Newcastle, he can play there. He's admitted
this himself, although he's pissed and moaned about not liking it
but we know he can do a job there. No guesses that Bobby will also
know this too...you'd imagine.
To take Bellamy out of our team, for me, makes it easier for the opposition
and harder for us to beat teams. Bellamy is that type of player where
you just want him in the team. Even when he's not scoring he's creating
havoc and his presence in the team frees up Shearer to do his thing.
Bellamy has been one of, if not the, biggest catalyst of our rise
from mid-table mediocrity to the top 5. You can't just relegate this
type of player to the subs bench. Every time he has been absent due
to injuries we have suffered - and badly. We have never been able
to compensate his loss.
We could play 3 up front with Bellers just behind Big Al and Kluivert
but away from home we could ship goals. At home we will scare the
living daylights out of the opposition but as our solitary two wins
on the road last season proved - it's away from fortress St. James'
where we need to improve - badly.
Bellamy is not going to displace Big Al or Kluivert, it's just not
going to happen and if Bobby wants the pace, running and pressing
abilities that Bellamy possess in the team, which I suspect he does,
he'll have to find somewhere for him. The right-flank seems the most
obvious place. |
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