Bent as ****

[miso_kool]

can't keep up.

last time i read on of these it was Dawson and that was only a few weeks ago.

(and what happened to the Kevin Prince hate, that went on for ages)

 

[Barmy_in_Palmy]

and trying to claim he setup jj for his goal against brum almost made me piss myself laughing, good one!

sounds like you might have a bladder infection, best you see a doctor quick smart.

 

[Flatters]

sounds like you might have a bladder infection, best you see a doctor quick smart.

You just wanna try and make him laugh and hold out a pint glass.

 

[SpurSince57]

comparing torres and bent just shows you up really

one has come from a foreign league to a foreign country and has banged in the goals like a striker should

the other has played in english football all his life, played in the premiership for a few years now, played against the same defences year after year, has nothing to adapt to apart from playing football with new team mates yet looks so out of place on a football field its unbelievable

whatever bent may or may not be in the future, right now he's dog shit and there's no denying that

and trying to claim he setup jj for his goal against brum almost made me piss myself laughing, good one!

But Torres' main purpose in life is to score goals, right? And it's something he does very well. If he wasn't doing that, what other tricks would he have? His passing's not that great, and he's hardly Berbatov when it comes to creating opportunities for team-mates. That was my point, not whether or not he's better than Bent (he obviously is). Sorry you missed it.

What he hasn't had to adapt to is going from first-fiddle to third. He was brought in as Number One, not back-up. Would he have been so effective if his opportunities had been as limited as Bent's? I doubt it. The way we started the season Jol wasn't going to change one of the few things that was working the way it was meant to and bugger around with rotating strikers, and we also had JD to accommodate. Ramos has continued to favour Berba and Keane.

Here's Bent's minutes on the pitch, in the league:

Sunderland: 31
Everton: 62
Derby: 90
Arsenal: 8
Bolton: 17
Villa: 16
Newcastle: 78
Blackburn: 14
Boro: 58
Wigan: 22
West Ham: 36
Birmingham: 45
City: 77
Pompey: 74
Derby: 58
Birmingham: 90

If we'd made him a regular starter from the off (as you normally would with a £15m striker) and he'd failed to deliver after a dozen games or so then there would be big cause for complaint. But how people expect him to gain any rhythm or confidence or be any better than so-so at best with patchy opportunities like that is beyond me—especially in a team that's had its confidence shot.

 

[Defsta]

Oh Dear

 

[Barmy_in_Palmy]

You just wanna try and make him laugh and hold out a pint glass.

and your point is what? :grin:

 

[orkneyspur]

:hello: Hi Def

 

[alamo]

If he'd had a run of ten to a dozen games and failed to deliver the goods it would be a different matter.

And even then I seem to remember it took a certain Mr. Lineker in the region of ten games to get his first goal for us. And Teddy looked rather hopeless in his first few games until we adapted our style of play to utilize the wingers instead of playing through the middle.

Bent needs to be given a good run in the team to build confidence and so the other players can start playing to his strengths.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

And even then I seem to remember it took a certain Mr. Lineker in the region of ten games to get his first goal for us. And Teddy looked rather hopeless in his first few games until we adapted our style of play to utilize the wingers instead of playing through the middle.

Bent needs to be given a good run in the team to build confidence and so the other players can start playing to his strengths.

Ok, so he needs a good run in the side - at the expense of our league position or the Waffa cup? :shrug:

The only way i can see Bent salvaging his career at Spurs is that either a) We adapt our play style to suit him, tell Berbatov and Keane to let Bent run the show up front, pair him off and resolutely keep sending the ball down, time after time, until eventually Bent might click with one of them, or b) Drop him to the ressies til the end of this season then let him get his run in the team during friendlies or whatever we do in the off season.

Personally, no matter how much i'd like the lad to start scoring, i don't want to risk a single result between now and May.

 

[alamo]

Ok, so he needs a good run in the side - at the expense of our league position or the Waffa cup? :shrug:

The only way i can see Bent salvaging his career at Spurs is that either a) We adapt our play style to suit him, tell Berbatov and Keane to let Bent run the show up front, pair him off and resolutely keep sending the ball down, time after time, until eventually Bent might click with one of them, or b) Drop him to the ressies til the end of this season then let him get his run in the team during friendlies or whatever we do in the off season.

Personally, no matter how much i'd like the lad to start scoring, i don't want to risk a single result between now and May.

Can't argue with any of that fella. He needs a good run yes, whether he deserves or will get one is a different matter. I think his best hope is probably the point b) you listed.

 

[Evolution]

I'm split on Bent and the jury is still out for me. Some of you on here have already hung the poor bastard out to dry already which seems a little harsh. Pre season he looked on fire and I think he banged in more goals then Keano or Berba. Now he looks woefully short on confidence and is playing terribly. I think give the guy a little more time before we judge him. Lets see what a goal or 2 does to for him. Micheal Owen seems to be suffering similarly badly as well and we all know what he is capable of on his day so.......

 

[Flatters]

RSS, I agree. I think it's a case that Bent is a very good player, and I'm sure would start playing well for us with a run of games, but I'm not sure how able we are to provide him with that just yet. We all have to be patient, including young Darren.

 

[DC_Boy]

Bent will be our back up striker till the end of the season at least - and as such needs our backing

we really don't need the boo boys turning on him at the Lane or elsewhere - leave it to JR in the summer to sort out the team - just support the team please

I don't want Robbo in goal on thurs but if JR picks him I'll support him

 

[Legend10]

In his last 2 outings he has been unlucky not to find the net.

Against Slavia he hit the bar twice and the first one really was a very good header, at Brum he was clean through and wrongly flagged offside and was only denied (when JJ scored) by an excellent last ditch block.

I've no doubt Bent will get his goals and just needs a break or 2 to build his confidence and a game or 2 to find his rhythm. However people need to appreciate what Bent is, he's an out and out goalscorer he will never bring much else to the team so when he isn't scoring goals it doesn't always look pretty. But over the course of time he will take more chances than most.

 

[SpurSince57]

Well, that's your chicken-and-egg, RSS. If the team were playing well as a whole, consistently, and we were where we imagined we would be in the league, it would be a different matter. Playing Bent won't lose us games, but until he gets his confidence back and clicks into scoring mode he's a lot less likely to win them for us than Keano and Berbatov.

Pleaty pointed out during the Slavia game that he wasn't taking the opportunity to run at defenders in the box but passing the ball, which is nice and unselfish of him, and sometimes the right thing to do. But there are times when you want your strikers to go for it, and a year ago Bent would have done just that.

Give him a regulation 15-20 minutes at the end, certainly if we're on top?

 

[gerishep]

well said.

 

[fozzi44]

Yes, the price-tag was excessive, but then strikers always have cost more. What did £6m-£7m get you last summer? It got you Camara, Nugent, Chopra, Smith, Mido—strikers who'd done very well in the Championship but can't cut it at the top level, a midfield clogger masquerading as a striker, a potentially very good striker with major fitness issues. £25m got you Torres. £11m got you Yakubu, who's tended in the past to look great for half a season before mysteriously turning into a donkey at New Year. Or you could splurge £70k a week on Viduka, if you happen to be Newcastle. Or strike lucky with Santa Cruz if you happen to be Sparky.

If Bent's one trick is scoring lots of goals that's fine by me. Does Torres have too many others?



You expect sense from the Mail?

Totally disagree. Dont care what you say about strikers costing more, premiership being inflated bla bla bla......DB is not a 16 million pound man 11 million maybe.

As for the Yak going missing for half a season - come of it.

As for all this "this could have got you this or that" rubbish. Here is one for you, how about we just sign defoe up to a new contract, and let bent go to the spammers. And dont tell me you buy into this 'we need 4 strikers' malarky as well clearly know you cant give enough airtime to all of them to 1.attract good strikers 2. keep them happy. Noy unless you are a top club, which we clearly arent yet.

As for torres, you comparing him to bent is clearly crazy.

Torres can beat a man, make goals out of nothing and is a better finisher.

Bent is maybe as quick, but doesnt have the same footballing brain.

 

[Kendall]

Hense why Torres would have cost another £10m.

I don't see how we can compare Bent to a player who's playing week in, week out.

Every single striker in the country would suffer when only playing sporadically.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Torres can beat a man, make goals out of nothing and is a better finisher

:rofl:

Yeah, can beat a man in a falling over contest - Torres has pace, he has technique but, just like Christiano Ronaldo, he prefers to not see how far that natural talent can take him and take the easy route - the sad, slack, wankers route. The one that Zokora looked destined for as he first went to ground after barely a touch.

Torres cannot beat a man, stop saying stuff that's not true to try and reinforce your argument - he does the "Spanish-Skinning" where you knock the ball past your man, go to pass him and OH NO! I felt a bootlace!! Down i go! Knee skids ftw!

I'm not comparing him to Bent, although if you want me to be a **** i can say that they are both strikers, both expected to score goals and only one is doing that at the moment.

Yeah, i agree again - Bent is not worth £16m but, especially in England, strikers are changing hands for stupid money now and other clubs know - there's plenty of cash in English football so why not squeeze a bit out of us all?

an example: Barca get an offer for Ronaldinho and they're prepared to let him go to AC Milan, for example, for £25m. Now, at this point Chelsea ask how much it would cost - you think that Barca will say the same? Will they f*ck - they'll slap at least another £5m on, plus clauses if they can.

The game in this country is too big now - too much money is involved and the biggest problem is the mugs who are willing to pay it. Foreign investment, or homegrown, it makes no difference - whilst people are willing to splash the kind of money on one single transfer that could feed an entire country of starving people for a fair few weeks, provide shelter and maybe some healthcare too, this game is commanding too much power and the important shit gets ignored. Why? Because it's depressing, that's why! We want ENT-TER-TAIN-MENT and for it we're prepared to pay top-dollar!! Why? Because we can! Because we're not the starving Africans! Yay!

This entire "civilised" world has run out of things to do as machines and inventions have made our lives much, much simpler. This gives us spare time and we need to fill it - just so happens that most of us in England don't look any further than our own doorstep or direct family when it comes to wealth, even if we have so much we pick up the dog shit in the park with £20 notes, to stay entertained, we pour more and more cash into those things that make us happy - TV and Football.

There is your problem.

Darren Bent isn't worth £16.5m. In my opinion, football should lead the way and show that a bit of loyalty and a bit of following the rules instead of trying to break them at every given opportunity pays off - you sign a contract, you finish that contract. If something happens that means you don't want to play for them anymore, or you suck, you're sacked/resign and you're out of a job until someone re-employs you, just like we are in our jobs.

We paid over the odds for Bent at a time when we really didn't need him - in my opinion, we bought him for buyings sake and to stop other sides from getting him. We didn't need him in the slightest and i'm shocked that DC or Levy saw clear to signing a cheque for anywhere near that amount. We couldn't have predicted that he would flop so badly but now we have no other choice, unless we're drafting in Pekhart and i'm told he's still not ready. :shrug:

Lets move on, finish this campaign, admire the silverware for a bit then start a fresh next year. STOP spunking pointless cash on over-priced players, simply because we're competing in England, work on our academy and youth system and start encouraging local kids and those from nearby to come try out once a year - fill the academy, fill that f*cker to bursting - the more you put in, the more likely you'll find a gem amongst them :up:

well, that's the remainder of my lunch break destroyed with waffle... i'm going to have a cuppa... my fingers ache nearly as much as my tooth now

 

[Paxtonite]

I like to think that i always give players a chance and sometimes over play this in as far as i tend to try and accentuate the positive for any of our players.

I have posted recently that i don't think much of Bent and having been at Birmingham on Saturday i cant say i have changed my mind. Of course the whole team played badly on Saturday, no doubt about that. But over the season so far Bent has just not stepped up to the plate.

Lets analyse some attributes of a forward player:

Holding the ball up - He doesn't do it / can't do it

Positional play - poor

Runs off the ball - poor

Attacking space and positional sense - poor

Heading - had a free header that went aimlessly wide on saturday. Most of his "flick on's" were too heavy.

Touch - not that great

Shooting - when he finally gets into position then he can shoot.

Pace - has it in abundance, but this is not enough

Team play - looks like a lost sheep

Whatever the merits or demerits of the price tag its irrelevant. The guy has shown nothing so far of what we can expect. Even if he is only getting spells in games he should show glimpses of something to give us hope. That would buy patience from the fans and show them that there is more to come. He had a full game on saturday, and a full game against prague recently and did not a lot.

He should have stayed at Charlton. A team that at the time sat deep, packed the midfield and punted long balls for him to chase. That is his game and sadly that will never be ours. Particularly under Ramos.