Bedlam's Coming to Liverpool - A blessing or a curse?


Like a lot of fans of the game, I've often found Bellamy's behavious disgraceful, while at the same time being impressed by his ability on the field. However, I never felt that he could become a Liverpool player - his ego on pitch and arrogance off it, went against the ethos of the club, I said.


Here's a classic story that indicates my point:

Following Newcastle's 4-1 humiliation in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United, Alan Shearer was reportedly bombarded with nasty, gloating text messages from Bellamy. He reportedly told Shearer that he was past it and his legs had gone.

This is staggeringly unpleasant behaviour – even for Bellamy, a man who taunts opposition at smaller clubs about their inferior wage packet. What makes it even harder to take is that he is correct in his observations about Shearer. At this stage in their respective careers, Bellamy does provide a more potent threat than the former England captain.


This, perhaps, is what is most ugly about Bellamy’s success. He flourishes because of his unpleasant characteristics, rather than in spite of them. His arrogance and selfishness have helped to fashion him into a devastatingly combative footballer. Bellamy does not improve as a result of lessons learnt from previous displays of stupidity. Rather, he uses the resulting negative reaction to fuel even more energetic footballing performances


However, in his defence, he seems to have turned it around at Blackburn and I'm sure Mark Hughes played a part in that, possibly suggesting that Bellamy has learnt how to listen. On top of which, Craig Douglas Bellamy has, like many Welshmen, been a Liverpool fan since childhood, so in signing for the club, he'll be fulfilling a lifelong dream. Perhaps that will be another positive factor in the signing.


Only time and temper will tell.

Craig Bellamy's League Record