It’s being reported by the News of the World that Sam Allardyce is interested in bringing Craig Bellamy back to Newcastle. We’ll look into this story and see if there’s any truth in this – and if so ask why would this make sense?
Craig Bellamy at Newcastle
Craig Bellamy himself expressed a wish earlier in the week that he’d like a return to Newcastle. He’s available from Liverpool for ₤9M. Of course we all know the cloud under which Bellamy left the club in January, 2005 when he had his fallout with then manager Graeme Souness. After he had moved on loan to Celtic for the rest of that season (under Martin O’Neil) he also sent abusive text messages to Alan Shearer – so there will still be backroom staff at Newcastle who would not welcome him back to St. James’ Park.
This news – if true – will both cheer and sadden Newcastle supporters depending on which side of the fence you’re on with regards to Bellamy. There’s no doubt when he played for Newcastle he was a popular player – and played well with Alan Shearer – but he was one of the gang (with Bramble and Dyer) that caused a lot of trouble off the field and the pending signing of Joey Barton has already caused a stir among Newcastle fans.
Newcastle already have Martins and Owen who play the same type of game as Bellamy – so we’re not sure this makes too much sense – unless of course Sam’s interest is because Owen may really be looking to leave Newcastle in the summer. It just wouldn’t seem to make sense otherwise to bring Bellamy in now – given the strikers we have in Ameobi, Viduka, Owen and Martins.
Aston Villa, West Ham and Blackburn are also interested in the striker and it appears that Allardyce will be in there trying to make the signing.
Michael Owen still is very quiet and seems unwilling to commit his future to Newcastle – so there is the possibility that he may be offered in a swap deal. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that the ₤9M wanted for Bellamy is the exact amount Michael Owen’s buyout clause is in his Newcastle contract.
It also shows you how the value of these players has changed over a couple of years. Newcastle sold Bellamy to Blackburn in 2005 for ₤5M and we brought Owen in for ₤17M. Now they are on a par – not good for Newcastle’s deal making.
Our view is that Owen is going nowhere – so if Allardyce pursues Bellamy it must be because he wants a big enough squad that will not be impacted by injury. With potential players like Barton and Bellamy in the squad Sam is giving himself a challenge that he indeed can control these problem players.
He wouldn’t want to wreck the enormous opportunity he has been given at Newcastle by having players upset the band wagon.
That’s our opinion – what do you think on this story?
Comments welcome.
25 comments so far
Mick Gray
Jun 10, 2007 at 7:58 AM
Comment #1If this story is true (lets remember it IS the NOTW – ahem!) – it means Owen is leaving United as Sam already has his “2 players for each position” up front. One little S**T swapped for another in my book – unless of course we can get the easily duped scousers into taking world class rocket man Shola Amoebi LOL
Mac
Jun 10, 2007 at 8:01 AM
Comment #2Its bollocks mate
steve
Jun 10, 2007 at 8:21 AM
Comment #3…no truth to this story. no quotes, not even from bellamy. i love bellamy but he’s simply too much trouble. with past mental patient mark “the duke” viduka and future mental patient joey barton already signed this week we could do without seeing where bellamy’s next golf swing will fall.
Valle
Jun 10, 2007 at 8:35 AM
Comment #4I dont beleive Michael Owen is such a creep that he will do that to the fans of NUFC. Remember how touched he where when 20.000 came just to see him in his new shirt after he signed. No, he will want to pay back that loyalty he has been given by NUFC and he is just sick and tired of the media making his life a soap. I do beleive that we could have gotten a very good offer for Martins though… §15 mil+, and in that case Bellamy would be perfect.
I loved Martins in the first half of the season, but i must say that i got frustrated with him, once he stopped scoring. He has a very bad first touch, he dosnt pass well and he dosnt utilise his pace very good. I wouldnt be sad if we made a 5-6mil profit at all.
Lee Smith
Jun 10, 2007 at 9:10 AM
Comment #5I agree with the above
Martins scores some great goals , but his all round play just doesnt do it.he gives the ball away too easilly .If someone offered 15 mil we,d have to think about it.Sign Bellamy?he.s a great player , but we should only re sign if the unthinkable has happened….He,s learned his lesson.Lets not hold our breath for that one though eh?
Graham Lishman
Jun 10, 2007 at 10:16 AM
Comment #6If there are backroom staff who would not want Bellamy back then get rid of the backroom staff. If Alan Shearer still has that kind of power at NUFC then we are in serious trouble. did you not fall out with Graeme Souness during his time here? I certainly did! If Owen wants away (and there’s no proof that he does) get Bellamy back here as a direct (and less injury prone) replacement. Mind you, we might have to move Barton into defence to keep them apart!
Major Newcastle News Stories - June 10th - 2007 - Owen Leaving? | Newcastle United Blog
Jun 10, 2007 at 10:19 AM
Comment #7[…] RSS ← Does Allardyce Really Want Bellamy Back at Newcastle? […]
Ed Harrison
Jun 10, 2007 at 10:22 AM
Comment #8Valle – I just cannot believe Owen would do this to Newcastle – calling him a creep is very mild if he does this. He shouldn’t show his face ever again in Newcastle….and if he’s going he better do it quick so he doesn’t have to come back to Newcastle.
Nicci
Jun 10, 2007 at 10:35 AM
Comment #9First of all, i cannot believe that Michael Owen would leave Newcastle after all we have done for him in getting him through his injury problems. I am aware of the clause, but this guy has only played 14 games for us and taken 10M pounds worth of wages and we stand to lose 8M of what we paid for him. So that will be 18M pounds we will lose on one player. How can any club work that way?. I think Owen needs to take a good look at Newcastle and it’s fans. Has he really just come to this club as a stepping stone into the world cup and then to Liverpool and taken all that money from us. Surely no one could be that greedy and then kick us in the teeth. If clubs seem to be able to put all thes clauses into players contracts, then if we go for Bellamy, can we not put something into the contract to say that if he causes any trouble in the club (on or off the pitch) then he pays the club a avst amount of money back from his wages. I’m not keen on trouble makers in football, I don’t even like Dyer and we don’t need them in our club. What i wil say is give everyone one chance only.
jacob
Jun 10, 2007 at 10:59 AM
Comment #10I was sad when Souness chinned Bellamy and packed him off to Celtic. It should never have been allowed to happen in the first place. Yes I know Bellamy was a handfull and would shoot from the mouth given the slightest opportunity, but he gave his all for this club, and even whilst up the road in Scotland, he claimed that he would crawl back to Newcastle any time. If it’s true about him wanting to come back, I’d grab him with both hands and get shot of EMO – whose continued silence is now making a mockery of those loyal Geordies who’ve put up with him sitting on his backside, taking the money and feigning noises of guilt. Get shot of the mercenaries and bring in people who want to play for this club – as the Owens of this world do more harm than good. After all, we have done without him for two years.
Ed Harrison
Jun 10, 2007 at 10:59 AM
Comment #11Nicci – well said. We already worked out the finances on Owen. ₤2.57M per goal and about half that per appearance – ₤1.29M. If he leaves the 20,000 who famously welcomed him to Newcastle will not be at the airport to wave goodbye – that’s a certainty. Kick in the teeth to the fans is a good way of putting it. What annoys us is his silence. When he’s played for England it’s all about how he loves playing and scoring goals for them – and how he’s getting fitter and better. Newcastle is never mentioned. 🙁
Cathal
Jun 10, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Comment #12if owen goes then bring bellamy in! he can b understudy to martins! but if owen stays then we hav enuf strikers already, keep the money for defenders!
Graham Lishman
Jun 10, 2007 at 11:56 AM
Comment #13Ive been thinking some more about this and from memory bellamy gave more effort in a single game than owen has in all the games he’s played for us (granted not may). I for one wont be too sad to see a swap
George Davison
Jun 10, 2007 at 1:35 PM
Comment #14of all transfer news i have read in the sunday shit stirrers, one story i came across was the one that Sam Allerdyce wants Diouf at Newcastle. This is one player of bad reputation too many. SA would need to hire Durham Jail to house his new recruits during their stay with us. Let this one go Sam, especially if the story is true. My other arguement on transfers, is i am fed up with all these foreigners. What is wrong with british players. For one thing very few overseas players play until the death, usually they give up very easily. Why is the employment law that states you can only have a overseas player provided, that there are no british born players of similar ability not being implamented. That law does exist.
Please Sam and all other premiership managers. This is the English Premiership, not the league of nations. Give the premiership and the english clubs back to the brits. As it stands NUFC are definately Black & White in more ways than one and i am not racist. I want to see the youngsters coming through, but with overseas buys this will not happen and in years to come, were will our national game be?
Ed Harrison
Jun 10, 2007 at 2:30 PM
Comment #15Mick – yes it’s the the old News of the World – but Bellamy was also quoted Friday as saying he would like to come back to Newcastle – believe he means it. But it makes no sense unless Sam thinks Owen is gone or going.
Ed Harrison
Jun 10, 2007 at 2:40 PM
Comment #16George – and there are some good British players available right now – pity we didn’t bag Sidwell – maybe when he gets sick of the bench at Chelsea we can still get him. David Nugent, David Healey, Wes Brown, Luke Young, Liam Rosenior, Curtis Davis, Leighton Baines, Nicky Shorey, Wayne Bridge, Craig Bellamy, Peter Crouch are all players we have been linked to in last 2 weeks. You also seem to pay more for British players.
matt w
Jun 10, 2007 at 3:11 PM
Comment #17what i do know about BIG Sam is that:
1. he only gets players in that want to play for him
2. only gets players that will be playing for the shirt, not their wages
3. he gets players that havent got heads so big that they think they are bigger than NEWCASTLE UNITED; not mentioning any names but this personas name rhymes with ‘Cryer’. in fact this person doesnt apply to any of the above! lol
i do agree that if someone came in for Martins with a bid of 15m+ should be considered!
i would say that Big Sam does tend to get a lot of players whcih are not even heard of, which has its pros and cons but i do belive that with the financial power behind him, we have a lot to be excited about next season and this summers transfers; jus hope e gets them in asap to ensure thay have got max gelling time
Ed Harrison
Jun 10, 2007 at 3:22 PM
Comment #18matt w – good post!
matt w
Jun 10, 2007 at 3:24 PM
Comment #19y thnk u Ed
TOON FOR LIFE!
Andy T
Jun 10, 2007 at 3:47 PM
Comment #20Matt – Sam also gets players who have notably not shown those attributes to demonstrate them (Anelka being a prime example) so I’m actually looking forward to seeing what Dyer will be like next season. There’s a small chance the big headed fookwit might actually knuckle down and play football a bit. If not then out in Jan to anyone that will take him!
If someone does pile in with 15M fir Martins, I think taking that and getting Bellers back is a smart move. I enjoyed reading SBRs autobiography and one of the things he mentioned in there is how upset he was with the persistent statements that he had lost control of Belamy in the dressing room. He rightly points out that in the last two years all of the issues with Bellamy off the pitch were during his time released from the club to internatonal duty. Apart from his no stop verbal, he wasn’t a problem on the pitch or in the dressing room – and that was something people playing with him just had to know. To be fair, many of the reports I’ve heard say that Bellars is happy to take as much abuse as he gives out.
Ed Harrison
Jun 10, 2007 at 4:00 PM
Comment #21Andy T – agree we should take money if we get offer of 15M for Martins – and we should sell Dyer if we can get 10M for him (but unlikely)..
Little Kev, Whitley Bay
Jun 10, 2007 at 4:05 PM
Comment #22After watching the non-triers of last season, we should all hope the Bellamy news is true. I know the baggage he carries but one thing that no Newcastle fan can say is that he does not try. He loves the club, the shirt and the fans. He never wanted to leave and Terry Mac calls him and he was not even here when the trouble occurred. Bellamy will give his all for this club whereas Owen appears not to be going to give even a little bit. I know which player I prefer at St. James’ Park.
Greg P
Jun 10, 2007 at 4:34 PM
Comment #23I was going to make a comment on how I feel Bellamy would show more commitment, but I don’t think either he or Diouf will end up at St James. I can’t see the backroom staff or some of the support accepting it. I do think that Owen will go if any ‘big’ club comes in for him, but in all honesty would doubt anyone would want him for £9m – if they do he’s off.
reggie22
Jun 10, 2007 at 7:54 PM
Comment #24i do love bellamy but I’m not 1 who likes to see players return especially for twice what he left for like i said i do love him but i think we should leave the memories at that there is no one alive who can say bellamy will score more than owen in any given season owen is alot better player and sometimes i think we are confusing owen a bit he never has come out in the media he is not that type so leave the bloke alone to make his own decisions as i feel we are trying to make them for him he will come out in his own good time and if we cant except that we dont deserve players of his quality u dont see fans of the other big clubs jumping on players back to talk he doesnt want to or he would if he leaves he leaves if he stays great there is no point us sweating on it because 1 thing we know is he wont do it on deadline day if he was to leave im sure he would give sam plenty of time to find a replacement but it would be a massive bargaining tool to lose in the race to attract big stars to st james that we cant deny
hello Mr French Italian Spanish star come play for us we have Micheal owen ? oh ok that sounds great
hello Mr french Italian Spanish star come play for us we have craig bellamy ? i dont think so !
or maybe that’s me being naive but i know who i would find more attractive !
Outlaw
Jun 11, 2007 at 2:05 AM
Comment #25I say if owen does leave we shud get ashley to smack 30 mill on Torres. We want to be a champions league side then we better invest in world class! Not go back a step and sign Bellamy. Pft!