Assistant coach Craig Bellamy, who is currently filling in for the suspended Kompany, believes that the team’s lack of experience at both ends of the field has ultimately cost them in crucial moments. He emphasized the team’s ability to reach the final third comfortably and attributed it to the players’ skill. However, he highlighted the importance of the final bit and the two penalty boxes, stating that these factors differentiate top-level players, for whom clubs are willing to pay significant amounts of money.
In the context of the evolving football landscape, Bellamy acknowledged the shift in focus towards investing in midfielders but emphasized the difference-makers and the real quality that defines top-end players. He also pointed out the team’s young age, drawing from his own experience of struggling in his first season in the Premier League but then winning the PFA Young Player of the Year in the following year. Bellamy emphasized the need for hard work and adaptability in the Premier League, given the high level of competition.
Furthermore, he acknowledged the team’s young age and relative financial constraints, recognizing that they are the youngest team in the league and do not have the resources to acquire proven top players. Despite this, he expressed confidence in the team’s potential and highlighted the learning process as an integral part of their development. He also reiterated that the club’s identity as a non-traditional big-spending club is not a limitation, but rather a characteristic that they embrace.