Mon Sep 16, 2013 5:04 pm
Mon Sep 16, 2013 5:25 pm
lyndipops wrote:After two games on Wales duty, Craig Bellamy missed Cardiff City's trip to Hull
By Terry Phillips | 16 Sep 2013 17:35
Craig Bellamy should be rested for a month by Cardiff City, and not recalled until the visit to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea on October 19.
That’s the view of WalesOnline columnist and Bluebirds legend Nathan Blake, who believes the days of City relying solely on Bellamy to make them tick are over – with Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Hull in his absence the proof.
Blake is adamant Bellamy’s exertions for Wales against Macedonia and Serbia mean he needs time to recharge.
“Give the boy a rest. Too much emphasis is being put on Craig,” said Blake on his weekly Bootroom show on our website WalesOnline.
“Sometimes a player just needs to be removed out of the spotlight for a bit and given a proper rest.
“Craig no doubt has aching bones and a dodgy knee. Just let it settle down. The team must learn to cope with different players in different positions throughout the season.
“For me, if Craig is feeling a bit sore, which doesn’t surprise me after playing two full matches for Wales, let’s wrap him up and give him a break.
“Maybe forget about the rest of September and throw him back in October when he is fully refreshed.
“There is a strong squad now at Cardiff. The days of having a rigid starting line-up and the same five subs are gone.
“City earned a positive result at Hull and nobody would say we missed Bellers on the day.
“Yes, he is an important cog in the machine, but he doesn’t always have to play.
“The man is 34 now. If he retires from international football, and for me that would be the right decision, he can extend his club career.
“He has given more than enough for Wales and has played for Wales through some difficult times.”
Born, July 13, 1979, Bellamy (left), pictured with brother Paul at the age of one, started playing football for Cardiff youth side Caer Castell, where his father was manager. He went on to play for Bristol Rovers before joining the Norwich youth system
1996: Joined Norwich as a trainee, playing 84 games and netting 32 times
1998: Made his international debut against Jamaica and scored his first Wales goal in his next game against Malta
2000: Moved to Coventry City for £6,500,000 and scored 6 times in 34 appearances.
2001: Joined Newcastle United for six million pounds. In 93 appearances for the Magpies he bagged 28 goals.
2002: Bellamy scored the winner as Wales beat Italy 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium
2004: Swore at then Newcastle manager, Graeme Souness after being substituted. In the next team meeting, Bellamy was asked to fight him in the gym
2005: Loaned to Celtic in January where he scored seven times in 12 games.
2005: Whilst on loan to Celtic, Bellamy exchanged texts with Alan Shearer, who said: "If I ever see you in Newcastle again, I'll knock you out."
2005: Signed by Blackburn in July for £5m. In 27 appearances for Rovers, he netted 13 times
2006: Made the switch to Anfield for £6 million. He scored seven times in 27 appearances for the Reds
2006: Cleared after a five day trial for allegedly assaulting two women in Cardiff
2007: Bellamy created the Craig Bellamy Foundation to teach children in Sierra Leone about health, nutrition and football
2007: After a Champions League tie at Barcelona in February, Bellamy confronted John Arne Riise with a golf club because of an argument they had earlier in the night
2007: Snapped up by West Ham for a fee of £7.5 million. Bellamy went on to make 24 appearances for the Hammers and score seven times
2009: Went to Manchester City for £14m, where he appeared in 40 matches and netted 12 times
2010: Had a bust-up with Roberto Mancini in January after refusing to train because of a knee injury
2010: Bellamy was loaned to his hometown club, Cardiff City for a year. In his first spell with the club, he scored 11 times in 35 appearances
2011: Bellamy was signed for a second time by Liverpool on a free transfer on deadline day. In his second stint at the Merseyside club, Bellamy scored six times in 24 appearances
2012: Bellamy returned to Cardiff City on a free transfer in order to be closer to his children. He has scored four times in 30 games for the Bluebirds in his second spell with the club.
2012: Bellamy played for Great Britain in the London Olympics, scoring once in five games
2013: In June Bellamy announced that his retirement from international football would come after the current World Cup qualifying campaign
If City were to rest Bellamy over the next few weeks he would miss Spurs at home this Sunday (4pm), Fulham away and Newcastle at home before returning to the squad for their trip to Chelsea on Saturday, October 19 after the next international break.
Manager Mackay has had chats with Bellamy about his club future.
Mackay said: “Craig is at ease with seeing how the season goes and making any decision in the summer.
“I talk to him about Kevin Phillips and Ryan Giggs, who take it a season at a time.
“There will be a point where, because of his knees, Craig wants a life with his family where he can walk about and not have arthritis in his knees for the rest of his life.
“Hopefully, though, he’ll say ‘that’s not quite yet, I’m going to have another season’.”
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