Craig Bellamy played for Liverpool and Newcastle United during his career in the Premier League, among others.
Craig Bellamy has claimed that Newcastle United have been devoid of trophies in recent times because of the ‘mentality’ of the club, as he stated that it’s the complete opposite at Liverpool.
Former Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher shared how it ‘frustrates’ him that the Newcastle team under Kevin Keegan didn’t win anything.
Newcastle’s team of the late ’90s were challenging for the Premier League title, and they infamously, during the ’95/96 season, blew a 12-point lead at the top of the table.
Speaking on Jamie Carragher’s The Greatest Game podcast, both Carragher and Bellamy shared their thoughts on Newcastle’s inability to win a trophy despite having so much promise about them as a club.
“Did that team underachieve? I get frustrated by that Newcastle team the Kevin Keegan Newcastle team,” Carragher told Bellamy. “The Leeds team of David O’Leary. These teams get talked about a lot. It’s not a jealousy thing in some ways. The Liverpool team I played in, we never won the league, but we won different trophies. I see these teams, people talk about the football, but they never won anything and it frustrates me that you never won anything. Why not?
Bellamy stated in a blunt fashion: “We weren’t good enough,” Carragher then responded by saying: “But you were in the Champions League. You were third in the league. Fourth in the league. Why couldn’t you win the FA Cup? I’m not talking about the league – Is it a mentality thing? Is it something within the club? They don’t believe they can win because they haven’t won for so long?
Bellamy responded: “We were overachieving to get where we can. Now, the FA Cup and the League Cup are opportunities to go in. I look at the teams we lost to. Like the League Cup, we never really played a strong team. I believe we could have attacked it – winning trophies is a mentality of a football club. Of course, it is [lacking]. That’s why it’s been so long.
“The first thing you do when you walk through the door of Liverpool, you know what you are there for. To be successful at Liverpool, you have to win a trophy. Otherwise, there’s no point. At Newcastle, give these fans hope. Excite them. They’ll love you for it.”
The wait for Newcastle wanting to win a trophy goes on, as, under the stewardship of Mike Ashley, the main aim is to stay in the Premier League.
Steve Bruce replaced Rafa Benitez in the St James’ Park dugout in controversial circumstances in the summer, but things have been heading in the right direction of late.
For Bruce it is a simple task of keeping Newcastle in the division, progressing up the table, and all will be well from a boardroom perspective.
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