Andy Johnson Or Craig Bellend?

[MikeO]

Xavier did you hear about his bust up with Terry McDermott in the tunnel after the match with Newcastle and what McDermott said about him after, 'already rocking the boat at Liverpool'.

51441[/snapback]

 

 

McDermott said: "Everywhere he has been he has been in bother and it is starting again at Liverpool."

 

But Benitez responded: "Never mind Craig's history, his conduct since joining us has been perfect for me."

 

McDermott sparked the row when he revealed how Bellamy interrupted a conversation with referee Mark Halsey after the final whistle.

 

He said: "I was talking to the referee. It had nothing to do with anyone else and I take exception to little upstarts like him.

 

"I do not like it when people like to think they are bigger than clubs. When he was at Newcastle, he thought he was a big cheese.

 

"There was no need for it at all and he was 100 per cent out of order."

 

But Benitez launched a passionate defence of the 27-year-old striker he signed from Blackburn in a £6m summer deal.

 

He said: "You have to analyse what he does on the pitch, and all I saw on Wednesday was a player closing down defenders in the last minute to protect our lead.

 

 

 

Case closed I think . Benitez answers criticism by pointing out what he does on the pitch...what has that to do with it?

Edited September 22, 2006 by mikeo

[xavier]

Xavier did you hear about his bust up with Terry McDermott in the tunnel after the match with Newcastle and what McDermott said about him after, 'already rocking the boat at Liverpool'.

51441[/snapback]

 

We'll see, then.

 

 

Im confident, nothings gonna happen.

[MikeO]

We'll see, then.

Im confident, nothings gonna happen.

51450[/snapback]

 

But if even (before your time) Liverpool legends are speaking out...he's an arrogant prick..plain and simple.

[smeghead1]

AJ or Bellend im not even going to answer that

[Tara Mac]

Yep. I respect Johnson quite a lot, for not fucking Crystal Palace off when he could have. It probably cost him a place in the world cup squad but credit to him for sticking to his decision. Not many players do that.

 

51058[/snapback]

 

I like this post xav, fair minded from one non evertonian to a rs.

 

On current stats AJ, pure and simple, plus I like the bald look.

 

T

[xavier]

I'm always fair.

Have had some bad moments with your crowd though!

[Tara Mac]

My crowd?. I am Evertonian by marriage.

 

I just think that Everton are a club that has a following that is totally fanatical with no logic or reason.

 

T

[CraccerC]

I'm always fair.

Have had some bad moments with your crowd though!

51746[/snapback]

 

fair must be new word for bias

[Zed]

My crowd?. I am Evertonian by marriage.

 

I just think that Everton are a club that has a following that is totally fanatical with no logic or reason.

 

T

51750[/snapback]

 

thats true, your born to be a blue and although its took you a long time, you have heard Evertons calling, like a lost sheep in the woods mac the shepherd has brought you into the flock

 

 

I think it was destiny that you met mac

 

Amen

[MikeO]

thats true, your born to be a blue and although its took you a long time, you have heard Evertons calling, like a lost sheep in the woods mac the shepherd has brought you into the flock

I think it was destiny that you met mac

 

Amen

51789[/snapback]

 

Thus endeth todays sermon....beautiful...bought a tear to my eye Zed...sniff..

[thebluenose]

tis true. i became an Everton fan before i even knew my dad was one. i dunno what brought me to support Everton. everyone in the playground at school was a manure fan. i didnt want to support united.

[Bluetrip]

The point about Bellamy is he thinks about himself first then the football club he plays for. He will never change. I'm not saying that's wrong in general, plenty of people use the same principal to get the best out of life for themself and their family.

 

But in top level football it means when things start going wrong his true colours will come out. If Liverpool did not qualify for Europe this year and an offer came in from a top club I'm sure he wouldnt think twice. All hypothetical I know but his history backs it up.

 

Johnson has loyalty and you can not train that into a player, they either have it or they don't.

[xavier]

But in top level football it means when things start going wrong his true colours will come out. If Liverpool did not qualify for Europe this year and an offer came in from a top club I'm sure he wouldnt think twice. All hypothetical I know but his history backs it up.

51966[/snapback]

 

History backs it up?

 

How?

 

He left Newcastle because he had a major, major fight with the staff.

He left Blackburn because his favorite club (coz Rush and Toshakc are Welshmen, probably?) and one of the BIGGEST clubs in the world came in for him.

 

Two different things altogether.

[GoldfishMemory]

History backs it up?

 

How?

 

He left Newcastle because he had a major, major fight with the staff.

He left Blackburn because his favorite club (coz Rush and Toshakc are Welshmen, probably?) and one of the BIGGEST clubs in the world came in for him.

 

Two different things altogether.

51967[/snapback]

 

Thats BOLLOCKS he made it quite clear in the January he wanted Champions League football and only went to Blackburn because no one else wanted him. He would have gone anywhere where champions league was on offer!

[RuffRob]

I would prefer Johnson any day of the week ahead of Bellamy. Although, that doesn't detract from the fact Bellamy is a very good player.

 

Johnson is a proper gent - huge credit should go to a person who sacrificed personnal gain (not just money) to help the club who had helped him. A very rare trait in players these days.

 

Bellamy is the opposite of that - He is a player who thinks it's his god given right to play for a team who is in the Champions league. What a cheek to put in a clause when he joined Blackburn - 'I will sign for you, but only if I can leave if a bigger and better club come in for me when it suits them'. He really used Blackburn. I am so glad Moyes f*cked him off when he must have tried the same stunt with him. he would never fit in to Everton's team togetherness ethos - Bellamy is looks out for number 1.

 

Bellamy can also be a hot head and a thug - he can spend a fair old time suspended and he also has his fair share of injuries.

 

When both players are firing on full cylinders and playing at 100% - Bellamy may just edge it in the playing ability stakes.

 

But I would say you get near 100% out of Johnson a lot more than you do with Bellamy. Over a season I would take Johnson every time.

 

Moyes is pretty sure what he is going to get out of Johnson every time he puts his name on the team sheet - can Benitez say the same think about Bellamy??

[Bluetrip]

History backs it up?

 

How?

 

He left Newcastle because he had a major, major fight with the staff.

He left Blackburn because his favorite club (coz Rush and Toshakc are Welshmen, probably?) and one of the BIGGEST clubs in the world came in for him.

 

Two different things altogether.

51967[/snapback]

Love the "Biggest clubs in the world" comment despite having not won a domestic league title since 1990, who are you trying to convice? Excuse the paste job but I just wanted a summary of Bellamy's history.

 

He makes trouble where ever he goes, invariably blaming anyone but himself. He couldnt get away from Coventry fast enough and his Newcastle career was one disgrace after another.

 

* He joined Coventry for £6.5m in 2000 from Norwich only to leave for Newcastle after Coventry were relegated in the same season he joined them - Bellamy's six goals failing to keep the Sky Blues in the Premiership.

 

* Bellamy was sent home in disgrace from a club trip to Spain in November 2001 after going out drinking with Kieron Dyer, Carl Cort and Andy Griffin when he was supposed to be at a club dinner honouring chairman Sir John Hall.

 

* The 22-year-old Bellamy assaulted a female student outside a nightclub in Newcastle - hitting her in the face when she tried to get in Kieron Dyer's car - and was cautioned after admitting the offence. He was fined a massive £750.

 

* On the pitch Bellamy was given a three-match ban after headbutting Dynamo Kiev defender Tiberiu Ghioane in the face.

 

* The much more mature 23-year-old Craig Bellamy was accused of racially abusing an Asian bouncer in Jongleurs club, Cardiff in March 2003. He was thrown out of the club, down the stairs, and was given a severe warning by Toon chairman Freddy Shepherd. Newspaper reports suggested he had called the bouncer a "f***ing Paki" and a "Paki c***", but he was never charged.

 

* Bellamy threw a chair at Newcastle coach John Carver at an airport in March 2004 during a furious row about car parking.

 

* In October 2004 Bellamy was substituted by Graeme Souness and responded with a four-letter foulmouthed tirade. It was caught on camera. Later the same month, Souness and Bellamy squared up during a training-ground bust-up which ended with the Scot dragging the little Welshman into the gymnasium.

 

* Then in January 2005 came the big bust-up, Souness accusing Bellamy of feigning injury to get out of playing out of position. Bellamy went on TV and accused his boss of 'lying', prompting Souness to claim he would never play for Toon again.

 

* In January 2005 Bellamy went on loan to Celtic for half a season, scoring seven goals in 12 league matches.

 

* Sent a text message saying 'I am Craig Bellamy and I don’t sign for s*** football clubs' to Shepherd when he tried to sell him to Birmingham for £6m.

 

* Bellamy was accused of sending Alan Shearer nasty text messages - including one saying 'You couldn’t even kiss my a**e' after Newcastle’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.

 

* In the summer of 2005 Bellamy surprisingly teamed up with former Welsh international coach, Mark Hughes, at Blackburn Rovers, dismissing Champions League qualifiers Everton, who showed a keen interest in the striker.

 

* Bellamy had to cut short his honeymoon this summer as he had to attend a police station in connection with an assault on a girl at a Cardiff nightclub.

Edited September 26, 2006 by Bluetrip

[Bill]

Yeah, he's no saint is he, but a search like that can show that a lot of footballers are not saints. Take our "Gazza", a search on him would have showed possibly more, but there wasnt a club in the Prem who wouldnt have signed him if they had the chance.

 

Dont get me wrong i'm not defending him, but they pay him for doing the business on the field, and i cant argue against him being a good player.

 

The trouble will start when he doesnt play on a regular Basis.

[xavier]

Love the "Biggest clubs in the world" comment

 

You should. We are.

 

despite  having not won a domestic league title since 1990, who are you trying to convice? Excuse the paste job but I just wanted a summary of Bellamy's history.

 

He makes trouble where ever he goes, invariably blaming anyone but himself. He couldnt get away from Coventry fast enough and  his Newcastle career was one disgrace after another.

 

* He joined Coventry for £6.5m in 2000 from Norwich only to leave for Newcastle after Coventry were relegated in the same season he joined them - Bellamy's six goals failing to keep the Sky Blues in the Premiership.

 

* Bellamy was sent home in disgrace from a club trip to Spain in November 2001 after going out drinking with Kieron Dyer, Carl Cort and Andy Griffin when he was supposed to be at a club dinner honouring chairman Sir John Hall.

 

* The 22-year-old Bellamy assaulted a female student outside a nightclub in Newcastle - hitting her in the face when she tried to get in Kieron Dyer's car - and was cautioned after admitting the offence. He was fined a massive £750.

 

* On the pitch Bellamy was given a three-match ban after headbutting Dynamo Kiev defender Tiberiu Ghioane in the face.

 

* The much more mature 23-year-old Craig Bellamy was accused of racially abusing an Asian bouncer in Jongleurs club, Cardiff in March 2003. He was thrown out of the club, down the stairs, and was given a severe warning by Toon chairman Freddy Shepherd. Newspaper reports suggested he had called the bouncer a "f***ing Paki" and a "Paki c***", but he was never charged.

 

* Bellamy threw a chair at Newcastle coach John Carver at an airport in March 2004 during a furious row about car parking.

 

* In October 2004 Bellamy was substituted by Graeme Souness and responded with a four-letter foulmouthed tirade. It was caught on camera. Later the same month, Souness and Bellamy squared up during a training-ground bust-up which ended with the Scot dragging the little Welshman into the gymnasium.

 

* Then in January 2005 came the big bust-up, Souness accusing Bellamy of feigning injury to get out of playing out of position. Bellamy went on TV and accused his boss of 'lying', prompting Souness to claim he would never play for Toon again.

 

* In January 2005 Bellamy went on loan to Celtic for half a season, scoring seven goals in 12 league matches.

 

* Sent a text message saying 'I am Craig Bellamy and I don’t sign for s*** football clubs' to Shepherd when he tried to sell him to Birmingham for £6m.

 

* Bellamy was accused of sending Alan Shearer nasty text messages - including one saying 'You couldn’t even kiss my a**e' after Newcastle’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final.

 

* In the summer of 2005 Bellamy surprisingly teamed up with former Welsh international coach, Mark Hughes, at Blackburn Rovers, dismissing Champions League qualifiers Everton, who showed a keen interest in the striker.

 

* Bellamy had to cut short his honeymoon this summer as he had to attend a police station in connection with an assault on a girl at a Cardiff nightclub.

51978[/snapback]

 

Everyone in the world knows that he's had a horrid past. I wont even try to defend him. I'd be deluded if i try to defend his previous antics off the pitch.

 

As ive said innumerable times, i'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Two reasons:-

(1) He's our player, now.

(2) His attitude towards us has been examplary.

[thebluenose]

despite having a row with beneathus about squad rotation ALREADY and had a bust up with some player (dunno which) in the tunnel against newcastle

[aaron]

stephen carr it was

[GoldfishMemory]

despite having a row with beneathus about squad rotation ALREADY and had a bust up with some player (dunno which) in the tunnel against newcastle

51984[/snapback]

 

Then butted into a conversation between McDermott & the ref!

[Romey 1878]

You should. We are.

Everyone in the world knows that he's had a horrid past. I wont even try to defend him. I'd be deluded if i try to defend his previous antics off the pitch.

 

 

Most people would say Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world tbh. I dont agree myself like.

[xavier]

despite having a row with beneathus about squad rotation ALREADY and had a bust up with some player (dunno which) in the tunnel against newcastle

51984[/snapback]

 

Nah. He hasnt had a problem with Rafa. You're quite mistaken.

 

Most people would say Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world tbh. I dont agree myself like.

51990[/snapback]

 

Neither would I. But they are definately one of the biggest teams in the world.

[Bluetrip]

Most people would say Real Madrid are the biggest club in the world tbh. I dont agree myself like.

51990[/snapback]

Who would you say Mark? If it's on past glory yea but what about now. You look at the team theres only one world class player who would walk into the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Juventus squads. Gerrard, and he only stays out of blind loyalty. He would have gone years ago if he wasn't a Liverpool fan.

 

Xavier wants to live on past glories and refuse to accept they haven't dominated their domestic league since the 80s. That is not the sign of one of the biggest clubs in the world. Ask any neutral fan who they think is going to win the Premiership or even be runners up - none will say Liverpool. It's only Hansen and Lawrenson who bang that drum...every single year. Arsenal get Baptista and Gallas , Chelsea get Shevchenko and Ballack, Liverpool get Pennant and Bellamy. I'm sure the football world is shaking in its boots.

[xavier]

Who would you say Mark? If it's on past glory yea but what about now. You look at the team theres only one world class player who would walk into the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Juventus squads. Gerrard, and he only stays out of blind loyalty. He would have gone years ago if he wasn't a Liverpool fan.

 

Xavier wants to live on past glories and refuse to accept they haven't dominated their domestic league since the 80s. That is not the sign of one of the biggest clubs in the world.  Ask any neutral fan who they think is going to win the Premiership or even be runners up -  none will say Liverpool. It's only Hansen and Lawrenson who bang that drum...every single year. Arsenal get Baptista and Gallas , Chelsea get Shevchenko and Ballack,  Liverpool get Pennant and Bellamy. I'm sure the football world is shaking in its boots.

52018[/snapback]

 

As Rafa has said, 'You dont need the biggest leg to fit your table, you need the perfect one'.

 

We might not be the best team in the world now, but to say we're not one of the biggest is ignorant.

 

You're right, we havent won the league since 1990 but have certainly won trophies. we had a dry spell in the 90's but have won quite a few trophies in the 2000's. Rafa got us to 3rd place last season (1 pt behind 2nd), with a lot of poorer players in it and many holes to fill. He has filled these holes this time out. We're very confident this time out in the league, which we werent for the past 2-3 seasons.

 

I dont think we'll win it, but we have a fantastic chance of getting to 2nd place. We have a balanced squad this time out, which IS stronger than Arsenals or Man U's.

[thebluenose]

'You dont need the biggest leg to fit your table, you need the perfect one'.

 

 

 

 

 

than why the fuck did you buy crouch

[Bill]

"which IS stronger than Arsenals or Man U's."

 

......

 

NO, cant go along with that Xav.

[Romey 1878]

Who would you say Mark? If it's on past glory yea but what about now. You look at the team theres only one world class player who would walk into the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Juventus squads. Gerrard, and he only stays out of blind loyalty. He would have gone years ago if he wasn't a Liverpool fan.

 

Xavier wants to live on past glories and refuse to accept they haven't dominated their domestic league since the 80s. That is not the sign of one of the biggest clubs in the world.  Ask any neutral fan who they think is going to win the Premiership or even be runners up -  none will say Liverpool. It's only Hansen and Lawrenson who bang that drum...every single year. Arsenal get Baptista and Gallas , Chelsea get Shevchenko and Ballack,  Liverpool get Pennant and Bellamy. I'm sure the football world is shaking in its boots.

52018[/snapback]

 

I certainly wouldnt say it was Liverpool, not because Im biased but because its just not true. If I was asked who was the best in the world it would be Barcelona, but the biggest is a tough question, its more about a persons opinion than anything.

 

Xav - your team is not stronger than Arsenals, it probably only equals Manure's squad. Most Liverpool fans I know are baffled by some of Benitez's signings - Pennant, Bellamy, Crouch are just a few players that liverpool fans see as not good enough to play for Liverpool and arent really going to help Liverpool push for the title.

[Pat]

As Rafa has said, 'You dont need the biggest leg to fit your table, you need the perfect one'.

 

Ooohhh Nooo Thats starting to sound very Ged Houllier...Uno the Final piece of the jig saw....

 

.......As it seems that perfect leg isnt quite up to measure & Mr Benitez has had to move his table around 94 times & it still doesnt seem quite level......

 

Gota hate that, fold up a bit o cardboard Mr Benitez & make that errant leg level, That's what mr Moyes would do...!!!

[Bill]

Nice one Pat, your Intellect is only surpassed by your Wit.