Remember when almost every game came with the need to tell Craig Bellamy to shut up? The Welshman always did have a habit of letting his mouth go without engaging his brain; talking himself into the referee's book because he thought the footballing world owed him a favour. Yeah, he needs that helping hand to quieten his noise once again. This time, the "loveable" rogue with the chip the size of Wales on his shoulder has weighed in on the question of whether Newcastle fans want too much from their team. His response, inevitably, was nuanced and subtle and clearly showed literally seconds of consideration: https://vine.co/v/OizmzgdqdPg Not that he's bitter obviously. It's rather rich of the former Cardiff benchwarmer to be talking about delusions of grandeur and imagining things are better than they are, considering his response to being told he could become a legend at Newcastle was allegedly that he already was a legend. He might have been responsible for one of the greatest European moments - in fact one of the greatest of all moments - for Newcastle, but having lived in the region, and played for the club, Bellamy should know that the allegations of unfair expectations are no more than a fabrication. Why would Newcastle fans expect to be as big as Liverpool or Man Utd? But equally, why wouldn't they want to be? Why should any fan - whether of Newcastle or Nantwich - temper their desires and have to justify why they want their team to be the best? That is entirely the point of being a fan - fanaticism doesn't come hand-in-hand with logic and reason, it's about passion and a will to win. If you've got a Nissan, are you not allowed to dream of having a Lamborghini? If you eat rice and beans every night, are you not allowed to dream of steak and champagne? Once more, a public figure is using his profile to bad-mouth fans whose only expectations are to be entertained, to see good football, and NOT TO LOSE CONSTANTLY. God help us all if any of that is a crime. So let me just apologise on behalf of the entire Geordie fan base for wanting something better than not winning for months on end. We're sorry we wanted to be better: and thank you so much for letting us know that we "ain't" Liverpool and we "ain't" Manchester United. Because for a minute there, we really felt like we should be winning the Champions League.
