Now I know we should berate him for picking up another booking and never keeping good discipline on the field but after watching the highlights last night, he really cheered me up!

Seeing him mouthing abuse to all and sundry, mixing it with Terry and generally being a pain in the @rse - Well it made me think we've been missing someone with his attitude since Batty left.

I know his bookings are a pain but seeing him last night, after the mood I was in, well it was a tonic.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Answers

I agree. While it's a little annoying to see Bellers pick up another yellow I love seeing him annoy the s**t out of defenders. He's a real handful. Just wish he'd put more chances away or at least hit the target. Still love him though.

Now I've calmed down from last night I actually feel pretty good. Still obviously disappointed but there was a resilience about the team that I liked. They also played with confidence and grit...an attitude which will stand us in good stead in games to come.

Roll on Blackburn...

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

was it blackburn who stuffed arsenal?

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Awful, awful miss though, that I think hit his confidence a bit in the rest of the game (shooting-wise). Got a good view of it from where I was standing, and he scuffed over the ball badly when it had sat up fairly nicely for him. Perhaps in two minds as to whether to try and loop it over or slide it past. Hope it doesn't become like our London run. As an isolated incident it wouldn't be too bad as even the best strikers have their moments, but the number of chances he's muffed when he's had one-on-ones is getting worrying.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Yeah Blackburn did stuff Arsenal. Good 4-0 win. It was against a second string Arseanl side but they are playing pretty well at the moment. It'll be a tough game at home but there's no reaso why we shouldn't do em. Have to win really to make up for the Chelsea loo.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

It may have the booking as much as the miss that subdued Bellamy last night - I actually thought he had a poor 2nd half. A couple of weeks break might just do him good right now.

His booking was utterly ridiculous, indeed childish. He had been fouled, and the Ref was in the act of booking John Terry. So, what does Bellamy do, he rants and raves at the Ref until he get's booked himself, cancelling out the advantage he had just gained.

What the hell did he expect the Ref to do, other than he was already doing? Sheer stupidity - that may actually have had a material effect on the outcome.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

clarky, it looked like Bellamy was booked for kicking Terry in retaliation and not for mouthing off. The verbals could easily have seen him sent off

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

From my restricted view at the back of the pub it looked like he was walking away after the incident then turned back and started mouthing off and that was when the ref showed him the card.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

LOOKING AT OUR RECENT RECORD, I RECKON BOB NEEDS TO SPICE UP HIS STRINKING OPTIONS A BIT

ROAR

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

My impression was pretty much the same as Clarky's. I didn't see any retaliation (but I didn't have the benefit of close up TV coverage - even MasterBates doesn't provide that in the away section). I was livid. Terry was being booked, and as far as I could see, Bellamy opened his gob yet again.

We discussed this on the way back from the ground. I think YBR should fine him a weeks wages for every booking he gets for dissent. Not just him mind - anybody who gets booked for gobbiness after they have already been banned. :-( T0$$er

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

what about positive encouragement too ? Set him a target number of games and reward him if he doesn't get booked.

Oh yeah forgot they get paid so much money that a weeks fine/bonus doesn't really matter

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

If we sanitise his game too much, he might just fade into the background and lose his edge. It's YBR job to keep the fesitiness, but slowly tray and get him to control it more. Anger is an energy..as was so eloquently stated by Mr Rotten.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

For me a higher priority would be working on his finishing.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Actually, he apparently kicked and headbutted the Chelsea lad, which is another matter entirely.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

While I was out last night, thinking about how wretched I felt after another loss in the smoke, another missed opportunity by Bellamy, I began to think of a possible solution. Please bear with me. Basketball in the USA relies heavily on both individual talent and the teams ability to recognise certain formations of their opposition. Thus, when a team is playing a certain formation the opposing team makes adjustments to combat that style of play.

Bellamy is an undoubted talent, however NUFC need to play to his strenghts so that his weaknesses' are accomodated. Bellamy has trouble with one on ones with the keeper, so why not give him another option when he gets into that position? Why because no one can keep pace with him once he goes on a run, right? wrong! Dyer can keep up with him. So what I propose is that Bobby puts in place for execution an attacking option. For instance, Bellamy and shearer play up front in their usual fashion, but at the point when say Robert drifts inside to the center circle, Dyer steps up, shearer drops back for coverage in midfield, Robert releases Bellamy with dyer on his heels as the option. We now have two v. quick forwards going into space.

Of course this relies on the right set of circumstances, but I feel that if it was tried two or three times a game, this might work as an option.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

You have got a point syme, Dyer and Bellamy together could potentially cause a hell of a lot of problems to other teams.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

If you think Shearer would drop back when there's a chance of goal you're much mistaken, mate :-) A better suggestion is for Bellamy to spend 5 x 1/2 days at training with Harper or Brain working on the 1 on 1 finishing. CB could be up there with Owen if can improve that little bit.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2001

Although Owen missed some sitters against Fulham as well.

Everyone has an off day, it's just Owen has had more time to get used to big games. MO has had a few very bad runs - but Bellamy seems to create more for us than Owen would. If he gets his finishing right he has the potential to be BETTER than Owen, but that is a very big if.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2001

I still think that dyer and bellamy would by excellent.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2001