CRAIG BELLAMY: COULD/WOULD HE BE THE SOLUTION?

Could Craig Bellamy be the elephant to the Cardiff City management conundrum?
By Paul Abbandonato


Craig Bellamy is the Cardiff City elephant in the room, he ticks the boxes as manager - for the team, the fans and the club

The Bluebirds' hunt for Mick McCarthy's successor continues, but there appears to be an obvious candidate staring Vincent Tan in the face if only differences can be resolved

Sir John Hall once telephoned Kevin Keegan and started the conversation as follows: "There are only two people who can rescue Newcastle United - and they're talking together right at this moment."

It was the Newcastle owner's way of trying to persuade Toon fans' favourite Keegan to come on board as manager to revive a sleeping giant who had hit the bottom of the old Second Division and were in real danger of relegation to the third tier.


Kevin Keegan rode to the rescue. The rest, as they say, is history.

It would be an exaggeration to say that for Messrs Hall and Keegan read Vincent Tan and Craig Bellamy when it comes to Cardiff City 2021.


Yet given Cardiff's own crisis position near the foot of the Championship table, and Bellamy's status as a home-town idol, it's also hard to escape the analogy.

As various names continue to get bounced around over the vacant manager's job, Chris Hughton, Michael Flynn, Jody Morris, Michael Beale and indeed stand-in boss Steve Morison amongst them, the elephant in the room hovers in the background.


Yet Craig Bellamy, surely, is a better fit for the Bluebirds than any of them?


Word has it he and Tan don't get on particularly well. I doubt, however, Hall and Keegan were particularly bosom buddies given their differing backgrounds.

This is about what's best for the future of Cardiff City Football Club, a bigger picture which ultimately should usurp the feelings of any strong-willed individuals.

Tan, as the owner, and Bellamy, as his manager, are the men capable together of creating a dream to drive the Bluebirds to new heights, even if compromises might be required on either side.

This choice of manager is one of the hardest and most important decisions in Cardiff City's history and whichever way they go the Bluebirds Board won't be satisfying a section of the fan base.

Some feel Cardiff need an experienced hand at the tiller for the rest of the season, someone with Championship know-how to guide them away from the danger of relegation.

There's a lot to be said for that. But what then? A new two-year deal and the same situation arising a few months down the line?

Others covet a younger manager, someone to change the vision and direction on the playing side. But that comes with risk too, particularly given Cardiff's precarious position and the clear lack of confidence inside the dressing room.


Tan is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.


However, he can't get this one wrong and that is why in my opinion the name of Bellamy needs to be right at the forefront of Cardiff's thinking, not just being whispered in hushes at the back of the room.

Yes Bellamy lacks managerial experience. That is a major flaw.

But Morison, Morris, Beale, Brian Barry-Murphy and other rookie bosses on Cardiff's radar don't exactly resemble Carlo Ancelotti when it comes to previous jobs on their CVs.

If Cardiff are to take a punt on a younger man, then why not Bellamy?

He would surely be brilliant for the team, bringing fire, brimstone, passion and tactical awareness into that dressing room.

Tick.

He'd be the choice of so many fans, helping to galvanise a potentially huge supporter base and afforded extra latitude by them to get it right simply because he is Craig Bellamy.

Tick.

He would be excellent for the business model of the football club.

No-one knows Cardiff's rich pool of young playing talent better than Bellamy, having spent years working at the Academy, first voluntarily, then full-time. He consistently argued Neil Warnock should have been picking the teens and early TwentySomethings. He most certainly would, improving the likes of Rubin Colwill, Sam Bowen, Kieran Evans, plus others we know little about at present, enabling Tan to sell them on for millions in the future.

Economically it clearly makes sense.

That's another tick then.

What's not to like here?

Tan's dream has always been to see his Cardiff City side filled with home-grown talent, who then go on to shine in the red of Wales as well at the home of Welsh football.

Managers he's chosen down the years haven't even come close to delivering that ideology.

Bellamy would make it central to his Cardiff City plans.

He'd also play football the right way, a pass-and-move brand, executed at pace, which he himself implemented as a player. That would be music to the ears of Cardiff fans fed up with route one down the years under Mick McCarthy, Neil Harris, Russell Slade and even, at times, Neil Warnock and Malky Mackay, much as those two were loved.

Another Bellamy tick then.

Plus he is available, back home again in Cardiff and, I'm told, ready to take his first step into management if the opportunity were to arise.

A further tick.

Of course there are cons. Lots of them. The lack of experience being the main one.

Bellamy would almost certainly need a conduit between himself and Tan.

Well there are options there, too. Warnock had it with Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman, the perfect mediator.

Bluebirds Board member Steve Borley, a fellow Cardiffian Bellamy has known well for decades, is another option.

Eddie Niedzwiecki perhaps? He coached Bellamy under Mark Hughes with Wales and Premier League clubs, and could come on board as a hugely respected senior figure within the new management set-up.

Mark Bowen, who also coached Bellamy, is a further option.

We're told there are differences between Bellamy and Tan. Over how Malky Mackay was treated. Over his own situation within the Bluebirds academy and how that was handled. Over the running of the club, no doubt.

But where there's a will, differences can always be resolved. If Bellamy were to make Cardiff successful again, Tan would be quickly grinning from ear to ear.

Bellamy's recent interview with a London newspaper about personal issues is clearly a cause for concern, but I've always felt he would make a good manager one day.

He came within a whisker of landing the Wales job ahead of Ryan Giggs, who had appeared a shoo-in for the role.

Bellamy wowed so much with what was dubbed 'a Hollywood interview' that the vote ended up a 3-3 split on the FAW's interviewing panel. It came down to the casting ballot of President David Griffiths, who sided with Giggs.


That was one dream job Bellamy just missed out on. The other, managing his home town club, appears tantalisingly within reach, yet also so agonisingly far away as things stand.

Few know this football club and its enormous potential better than Craig Bellamy. He would have grandiose plans for the team, great ideas to take the club forward - and he would do a lot of it with home-grown talent, having learned so much working next to Vincent Kompany with Anderlecht.


Beat Huddersfield on Saturday and Tan might well choose to stick with Morison. That would be understandable. Many Cardiff fans reckon he deserves a proper crack at it.

That's fair enough as well. It may well happen, too.

But there might just be an open goal staring Cardiff City in the face here. The obvious candidate and name on the lips of so many supporters, but who only really gets whispered about.

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This report is by Paul Abbandonato and raises questions and/or issues we have both seen and debated before

Could it happen?

Personally, I would love it to but I genuinely cannot see it for reasons previously debated

Would be a massive event, if it did though; and would give the club a fillip the majority of its supporters would take right now!

One day, maybe not just now, but one day...!

I’m struggling to see what boxes CB has ticked as a Manager.. and isn’t he dealing with more important issues at the moment.
PA must have been ordered to write that.. it’s complete guff.

Desperate news stories.

Bellamy would not fit in with the the Dictator in charge, simple as that. It would be a disaster.

No chance he comes. I’m quite happy with Steve Morison, we’re actually playing decent football and the results will come as the little mistakes are ironed out

Ridiculous article, he ignores completely the fact that Bellamy has a head full of demons.

He wouldn’t last 6 weeks.

Leave the lad to sort his life out. Then get a simple job and prove he can stick at something before we gamble on him.

There are loads of better candidates out there.

Sick of hearing about it to be honest.

It’s not going to happen and we should be concentrating our thoughts on the genuine candidates.

Hudson, Newton, Beale, Morris all have better CVs .

Managers these days need first and foremost to be able to keep a cool head. Flying off the handle won’t work.

I told Paul,

The author of this Bellamy story , Bells is 100% not interested to n managing Cardiff under Vincent Tan, so why the hell di media Wales keep running a nine story.

Bellamy would not fit in with the the Dictator in charge, simple as that. It would be a disaster.

Tan wants a yes man as always, no one with any self respect will do this, this is why malky had to go, the start of our demise.
Tan should take a leaf out of Joe Lewis book at Spurs and just hire someone who knows football to run the club.

The way things are he could be player -manager.

I told Paul,

The author of this Bellamy story , Bells is 100% not interested to n managing Cardiff under Vincent Tan, so why the hell di media Wales keep running a nine story.

I agree and I also know the club don’t want Bellamy.

Well the reason media Wales keep running with the same shite is for the hits.

I told Paul,

The author of this Bellamy story , Bells is 100% not interested to n managing Cardiff under Vincent Tan, so why the hell di media Wales keep running a nine story.

I agree and I also know the club don’t want Bellamy.

Well the reason media Wales keep running with the same shite is for the hits.

Exactly Paul,

Bellamy does not want to join Tan because of how Malky was treated and also himself over the Accademy etc

And Tan does not want Bellamy as Bellamy stuck up for Malky and still does etc

I just don’t get the interest in Bellamy Yes he was a good player but trouble always seems to follow him He has done nothing as a coach If he was not a Cardiff boy his name would not even be mentioned

100% no . The man has questionable man management skills and could very well fall out with everyone.

So not even in the conversation for me.

I can't see it happening.

He wouldn't work for Tan and he has recent issues with his personal life right now that are more important than football.



He's into second favourite in the betting, but I think that may be a reaction to people betting on him off the back of this article.

Great footballer.

Flawed personality.

The fact that he won’t work with Vincent Tan is totally irrelevant. He’s nowhere near ready for management at any level.

Apart from the fact that apparently he would not work for Tan again and he is currently taking time out to look after his mental health, theres also the issue of zero first team management experience and the fact that he was sacked by the city for bullying.
Lazy journalism - Bellamy’s not getting near the City managers job anytime soon.

Bellamy would not fit in with the the Dictator in charge, simple as that. It would be a disaster.

Tan wants a yes man as always, no one with any self respect will do this, this is why malky had to go, the start of our demise.
Tan should take a leaf out of Joe Lewis book at Spurs and just hire someone who knows football to run the club.

While I agree that a DOF is definitely required don’t think Spurs are a good example as they just had to pay Nuno £14m because he was a disaster and Conte has also cost them a fortune! Leicester are a much better example of a well run club?
Also All Mangers have to say Yes to their owners most of the time otherwise they wouldn’t last long? You have to Manager them as well as your players to get your own way as Warnock did but when you get it wrong the owners have to pay?

Bellamy would not fit in with the the Dictator in charge, simple as that. It would be a disaster.

Tan wants a yes man as always, no one with any self respect will do this, this is why malky had to go, the start of our demise.
Tan should take a leaf out of Joe Lewis book at Spurs and just hire someone who knows football to run the club.

While I agree that a DOF is definitely required don’t think Spurs are a good example as they just had to pay Nuno £14m because he was a disaster and Conte has also cost them a fortune! Leicester are a much better example of a well run club?
Also All Mangers have to say Yes to their owners most of the time otherwise they wouldn’t last long? You have to Manager them as well as your players to get your own way as Warnock did but when you get it wrong the owners have to pay?

I agree on (desperate and expensive choice) Nuno; but I think the 'value' of Conte signing will prove itself going forward

A Director of Football for our own club, if the right choice were made and he was allowed to do his job, could be of huge benefit going forward

Young manager, experienced football head behind the scenes, I'd like to see that happen...

I can't see it happening.

He wouldn't work for Tan and he has recent issues with his personal life right now that are more important than football.



He's into second favourite in the betting, but I think that may be a reaction to people betting on him off the back of this article.

Ned,

Spot on

The article is full of shit and has some how changed the betting.

Right man ,right club but wrong owner , wrong time