' Is Craig Bellamy the answer to City's Survival ? '

Paul Abbandonato: Cardiff City desperately need 34-year-old Craig Bellamy back... which says everything about their plight
Monday 24th Feb 2014


Paul Abbandonato says the Bluebirds desperately need Craig Bellamy back if they are to have any hope of survival


" Craig Bellamy can galvanise Cardiff in their hour of need "

Eight years ago, I had the misfortune to be at the Millennium Stadium as John Toshack’s young Wales team were battered 5-1 by Slovakia in a horrendous Euro 2008 qualifier.

Wales creaked so badly, every single time the Slovaks went anywhere near our penalty box you feared they would score. By the time 59 minutes were gone on the stadium clock, Paul Jones had been beaten five times.

Fast forward to Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday and there was a horrible sense of deja vu for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Bluebirds against Hull.

Not since that slaughter by the Slovaks have I been quite so demoralised watching a football match.

I would accuse Cardiff City of being clueless. Clueless in defence, clueless in midfield, clueless up front.

And I don’t believe they are that clueless, so Solskjaer needs to urgently examine his tactics and team selection if his Bluebirds are to retain even the minutest hope of retaining their Premier League status.

At least with Toshack’s young side there was an excuse. He was tasked with rebuilding Welsh football and a crop of teenagers were having to learn their trade in the most demanding environment of the lot.

Amid the Slovakian carnage, a pretty much then unknown 17-year-old by the name of Gareth Bale announced himself with a wonder goal of his own.

There was hope for the future. With Cardiff, there is simply no time for rebuilding. None whatsoever.

Only 11 matches are left and Solskjaer needs to find the correct chemistry immediately... something he would be the first to admit he hasn’t managed yet.


With Toshack as manager, Wales had a master of defensive organisation and you just knew the heavy nature of the Slovakia defeat would be a one-off. It was. Wales even went out to Trnava a few months on and triumphed 5-2 themselves.

Unless Solskjaer quickly restructures his defence and midfield, and develops a resoluteness to the team, you wouldn’t rule out more Bluebirds batterings in some of those 11 games left.

Actually, there is another apt anology between Wales of eight years ago and Cardiff from Saturday.

In their next game, Wales were rallied by Craig Bellamy who produced such a scintillating performance in a 3-1 victory over Cyprus that Toshack compared his captain to Kevin Keegan in his pomp.

It says everything about Cardiff’s current plight that they are reliant on a bloke soon to be 35, and who can probably only do 60 minutes, riding to their rescue when he returns from suspension against Spurs next weekend.

Bellamy was comfortably Cardiff’s best player last time he played, in the derby defeat to Swansea. His drive, inspiration, experience, know-how and passing ability were desperately missed against Hull.

In fact, with Bellamy, Jordon Mutch and Gary Medel absent, the very spirit of the team was missing. How it showed, too.

If it’s insulting to say Cardiff lacked fight once they went a goal down from Tom Huddlestone’s strike, they certainly appeared devoid of belief and conviction that they could get back into the game.

Solskjaer’s side huffed and puffed, but never looked capable of blowing Hull down. Whenever Steve Bruce’s side ventured towards David Marshall’s goal, you almost wanted to cover up your eyes for fear of what was likely to happen. Many couldn’t take it the moment Nikica Jelavic struck the third in the 57th minute, streaming away from Cardiff City Stadium in their droves with more than half an hour still to play.

You couldn’t blame them, it was that abject. In fact, it got even worse when Jake Livermore hit Hull’s fourth 10 minutes afterwards.



Solskjaer’s problem is twofold. The first is that he has had such a glittering career, he knows nothing about what is required in the dog, tenacity and different pressures of a relegation fight. He is having to learn on the hoof, with time running out fast.

The other is that Solskjaer clearly doesn’t know his best team. I understand the need to utilise a squad, but the constant chopping and changing has simply led to a lack of structure and organisation which makes the Bluebirds so defensively vulnerable.

In my view, there were fundamental flaws to the selection on Saturday. The balance and shape was wrong from first minute to last.

Playing Kenwyne Jones and Fraizer Campbell together simply doesn’t work, and leaves the Bluebirds hopelessly outnumbered in the midfield. Particularly when there are two out and out wide men as well and one of them, Wilfried Zaha, doesn’t track back.

Games of football are won and lost inside the two penalty boxes, but the midfield battleground still offers you control of proceedings. Hull’s five strung across the centre had a field day and put Bruce’s men firmly on the front foot.

Why were two old Malky Mackay favourites, Don Cowie and Andrew Taylor, picked ahead of Aron Gunnarsson and Declan John? Neither had good games.

Zaha wasn’t playing well either, but he does have talent. Taking him off at half-time meant any hope of a Bluebirds goal completely disappeared.

Craig Noone flattered to deceive, looking good with his twists and turns, but not delivering with crosses and shots. Fabio da Silva reacted too slowly to defensive situations. With Fabio and Taylor creaking at full-back, even the normally majestic Steven Caulker had an off-day.

I’ve never regarded Kevin McNaughton anywhere near as highly as most Cardiff fans do, but perhaps his tenacity, pace and sheer defensive resoluteness is what is required at the moment.

I never thought I would write those words, but that’s how bad things are.

So, is it already over, as Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer would have you believe?

No, I don’t reckon it is. More importantly, Solskjaer and his players need to believe it isn’t.

In any other Premier League season, I would say the Bluebirds couldn’t bounce back from a 4-0 home hiding and are down and out.

But while they were woeful, the teams around them failed to really take advantage.

Sunderland and Crystal Palace lost, Fulham and West Brom fought out a draw... which was a great result for Cardiff.

The Bluebirds have to believe they can still finish above three of those sides. They have games left at home to Palace and Fulham, and away to West Brom and Sunderland, so their destiny is in their own hands.

Solskjaer needs to get his team right, restructure defensively... and get his Bluebirds nicking one-nils.

How about this 4-5-1 line-up for Spurs: Marshall; McNaughton, Caulker, Cala, John; Gunnarsson, Eikrem, Mutch, Bellamy, Zaha; Campbell?

It certainly couldn’t do worse.

He's our only hope now. Not only for his quality and experience but the way he will act as a leader and drive the team on to fight for survival

That suspension finished us off.
we need to beat everton or Tottenham and I think we can

I am wary of becoming a 'one man' team, although Marshall has been that to some extent this season

Craig can be invaluable for us in the closing games IF he can get it together and 'drive' the team on in the way we know he can

He needs to become the proverbial 'pain in the arse' from team mates and opposition and if that is what it takes to get him off certain players backs, then so be it. I don't think for one minute Craig will be too bothered if he p***es one or two individuals off!

Cardiff are not quite in 'miracle' territory yet (despite what the mischief makers on here will have you believe) but they are in need of an injection of confidence and Craig (IMKHO) can help provide that as a leader and cojoler

I don't disagree much in what he has reported only the fact i wouldn't pick Zaha before Noone.

I think his "gutsy" attitude could definitely be a help to the players... He would want cardiff to do well obviously, his drive could be one of the many things we're lacking at the moment.

Craig Bellamy isnt even the answer to his own survival.. But the team shure needs his attitude in the dressing room for the remaining games . Just as long as he dosnt turn to a whiney bitch

No chance, the guy is a clown. A loudmouth with short man syndrome. I think Bellamy has a negative effect on the dressing room, as one of the senior players at the club, getting banned at this stage of the season for that petulant shit against swansea, calling the fans wankers and his constant moaning. As I said in a thread yesterday, he's an overpaid asshole who I can't wait to get off the wage bill ASAP.

Obviously not.
How many really great performances has he put in this season?
There's your answer.

No chance, the guy is a clown. A loudmouth with short man syndrome. I think Bellamy has a negative effect on the dressing room, as one of the senior players at the club, getting banned at this stage of the season for that petulant shit against swansea, calling the fans wankers and his constant moaning. As I said in a thread yesterday, he's an overpaid asshole who I can't wait to get off the wage bill ASAP.

Have you got "Tall Man" syndrome, Jorn??

Bellamy, Mutch and Medel need to be on the pitch for as many games as possible.

No chance, the guy is a clown. A loudmouth with short man syndrome. I think Bellamy has a negative effect on the dressing room, as one of the senior players at the club, getting banned at this stage of the season for that petulant shit against swansea, calling the fans wankers and his constant moaning. As I said in a thread yesterday, he's an overpaid asshole who I can't wait to get off the wage bill ASAP.

all though i would not put it as forecfull as that he has certainly been a let down this season and as stated his stupid act of petulance against swansea cost us dear

He's our only hope now. Not only for his quality and experience but the way he will act as a leader and drive the team on to fight for survival

Agree