Source: Telegraph
Craig Bellamy: No revolt at Manchester City
Bellamy was thought to have accused Robinho, and Elano of being "lazy" following last week's 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth. Sources close to the club suggested that, following a meeting at the club's training ground, the pair refused to speak to each other. [LNB]Mark Hughes, the Manchester City manager, denied a rift existed after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Anfield, in which Robinho and Bellamy combined to give City the lead. [LNB]Yesterday, the Wales international spoke warmly of playing alongside the former Real Madrid player. [LNB]He said: "I am a massive admirer of Robinho. I adore him as a player – how could you not? He's exceptional and I think other teams know that. [LNB]"He's our talisman. When people think of Manchester City, they think of Robinho. He's our biggest and best player by a mile. For us, he's a player we need to play well. When he plays well, we play well, so we need him at the top of his game."[LNB]Such admiration is unlikely to staunch the flow of rumours about the atmosphere among City's players. Accusations that the club's Brazilian contingent – reduced by one after Jo was loaned to Everton earlier this month – refused to submit to Hughes's disciplinary regime have been rife since the start of the season and the manager has clashed with Elano and fined Robinho. [LNB]Bellamy is no stranger to controversy and former team-mates Alan Shearer and John Arne Riise would testify that he is susceptible to falling out with team-mates. That history, combined with the intense spotlight on City since the club's takeover, means he accepts he is likely to be thought of as a potential source of discord. [LNB]He said: "It's all part-and-parcel of what goes on, all part of being a footballer and you have to deal with it. [LNB]"We're a club everyone is looking at for the moment. It doesn't worry me." [LNB]
