Bent "play me or i'm off"

[we_all_loved_freund]

I do feel a little sorry for him, he is though the epitome of our season, completely inconsistent :-|

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article2233753.ece

DARREN BENT has scored more times this season than Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Michael Owen and Carlton Cole.
In fact, the only top-flight Englishman to have bettered Bent’s 14-goal tally so far is Steven Gerrard.

Yet when England played in Spain this week the £16million Spurs striker was not even considered for the squad.

Bent, though, was not surprised to be left out. If you are not playing for your club, you are not going to play for your country.

And the former Charlton and Ipswich ace knows he might have to leave White Hart Lane this summer if he is going to achieve all his ambitions in football.

He said: “I’ve spoken to the manager a couple of times about my position but I can only hear the same thing so many times.

“I’m not one of those players who will just sit back and let his career pass him by.

“I’ll bang on his door. At least I’m still involved. I’m not being left out of the squad or anything like that.

Suspicion

“But I’m only 25 and there is so much more to come from me as a player. I’m not the finished article and I will get better.

“I’d like to think that improvement will be with Tottenham. But if nothing is happening for me by the end of the season then I will look to go elsewhere.

“I need to play more games. I want to play football. I don’t want another season where I’m in and out of the team all the time.

“I’ve actually scored quite a lot of goals this season, considering I’m not playing regularly.

“So I’m going to have to weigh up my options in the summer.”

Bent has hardly been helped by the fact that he has played for three different managers and with six different strike partners since his big-money move from Charlton 20 months ago.

He added: “The constant change has definitely made things more difficult.

"I’ve played with Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe, Giovani Dos Santos, Fraizer Campbell and Roman Pavlyuchenko and not really had time to develop an understanding with any of them.

“Last year, we sold three of our strikers and now most of them are back at the club — which is strange.”

Now there is the suspicion that current boss Harry Redknapp does not really rate Bent, who has started just three of Tottenham’s last 16 games.

Within days of arriving at White Hart Lane, Redknapp said Bent and Pavlyuchenko could not play together.

Bent added: “It was a bit of a silly thing to say because we hadn’t really had time to gel as a partnership.”

Yet Redknapp had not finished there and recently declared “my missus could have scored that one” after Bent squandered a glorious chance during the 1-1 draw against Portsmouth.

Bent said: “Those comments were quite hard to take because I knew better than anyone that I should have scored.

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“But the next game I played, I came on and scored twice.”

Bent admits this season has a been a huge disappointment and added: “I really thought this was going to be my big chance. Pre-season went really well for me and I felt so sharp. But, for whatever reasons, I just haven’t played as much as I’d hoped.

“There were huge expectations at the club at the start of the season. But it was the same situation when I joined in 2007. And it hasn’t happened on either occasion.

“Villa are having a fantastic season and, when you look at what they’re doing, it’s something Spurs should be capable of.

“There’s no doubt we’ve got the quality. We’re just far too inconsistent. At times we’ve been brilliant but at other times we’ve been really poor.

“We’ve been too easy to beat, too fragile — and conceded a lot of silly goals from set-plays.

“The signs are there that we’re slowly starting to turn it around but we really need to kick on from here. We’ve got a massive couple of months coming up and if a few results go against us we’ll be back in the bottom three.”

Redknapp has already declared that Premier League survival is his only concern this season but Bent still has aspirations of achieving cup glory.

He said: “I was on the bench for last season’s Carling Cup final and didn’t get on, which was disappointing. So I hope I’ll be involved this time against Manchester United.

“And then there’s the UEFA Cup. Jermain is injured and Robbie and Pav are ineligible. So next week’s game in Donetsk is definitely a chance for me.

“I have never lost faith in my ability and I know for a fact that I can do well at the highest level. I’ve already proved that. But you get frustrated when you’re not playing regularly.

“All I can do is keep working as hard as possible and grab every opportunity I get. Because any manager in the world will like you if you put the ball in the net.”

 

[Wellspurs]

It's up to him now Wembley beckons and uefa cup.

 

[Spurz]

but everytime he starts he does fa

 

[General Levy]

:violin::hello:

The guy is jinxed. Yeah he will get you 20 goals a season but you'll still get relegated with him in your team.

 

[There's always next year]

I notice he is saying this now the transfer window is shut. I'm pretty sure he was on offer throughout January, but there was a lack of interest, or interest that matched our valuation.

 

[DC_Boy]

I have massive sympathy for Bent - comes on v bolton scores two goals in a half away from home - and his reward - dropped again

in comes captain keane - not properly fit it seems - certainly from his lack lustre performance (yes, yes he ran around a lot)

equity would have demanded that Bent started and the newcomer keane was on the bench

I do understand why that didn't happen - but if I was Bent I'd be unhappy too

luckily Bent will get his chance - he has to be the big man now - don't sulk - get on with it - maybe be a wembley hero (yes yes - straws clutching now I know

but I think most of us probably see him leaving in the summer

then at last we can get a big target man type striker - and that should balance our attack (more straws - clutching perhaps

 

[Adam456]

Well trying not to repeat oneself - hard worker and good finisher most of the time but one-dimensional and does f all to bring others into play. If we can get £10m for him in the summer then we should take it

 

[van_Pommel]

It was only a matter of time before these stories started coming out. We'd hear the same thing from Pav if Bent was playing, and I'm sure we'll here it from Defoe when he's been back from injury for a while.

I actually think Bent would be better suited to partner Keane than Pav.

Bent can score and is very quick but he is limited outside of that. You wont get flashes of genious or clever little flicks.

Pav's a much more rounded player and is much better with the ball at his feet. He's not got a great deal of pace though.

For me, Bent and Keano would make a very productive partnership given time. As would Defoe and Pav.

 

[Fordy]

I wish he would start sprinting a bit more, he seems to just jog about all game. good finisher granted, but we need a bit more movement from him.

 

[sheringmann]

Very understandable.....guess he is off in the summer then....

10 mill?

 

[Mr Gamgee]

am i bovered!

 

[Hoowl]

That's slightly reminicent of the kind of stories that came about regarding defoe and his time on the bench. I like darren bent but I think he's firmly behind keane, Defoe and pavlyuchenko in the pecking order. For all the critism he keeps getting, Bent has made a large positive contribution to our season and will hoepfully continue to do so in the Carling and Uefa cups (part of the reasons that made it highly unlikely he would leave during the window). I think he's a shoo-in to be off in the summer, probably to everton or villa.

 

[fozzi44]

I hope this proves to those that insist we need 4 strikers that it just doesnt work. You simply cant keep them happy.

Shame on Darren for talking to the Sun.

 

[chrisd2k]

Not good enough for where we want to be. Bye

 

[fozzi44]

Not good enough for where we want to be. Bye

I hate this attitude. Where we want to be. Every club want to be in the same place. Fact is we are 15th and Bent has been essential in securing us even this lowly position.

 

[$hoguN]

Spot on there Fozzi, but I have to say I hate it when players say this stuff to the media... Its really something you say to the manager and do behind closed doors... Because all that has done has made it harder for us to secure the price we want for him in the summer... its very unprofessional

He has made a large contribution this season for us and that shouldnt be overlooked as his goals at the start of a tough season set up where we are now and we would have been alot worse off without him... Yet he can be seriously infurating to watch, due to the timing of his runs and his general contribution to the team just isnt what you expect of him, especially after seeing him be so effective for Charlton

 

[g_harry]

:hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello:

 

[Hoowl]

Not good enough for where we want to be. Bye

But arguably better than where we are.

 

[DJS]

:hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello::hello:

Don't ya mean this?

:adios:

 

[Max_Junglie]

Bent is a great finisher, but he doesn't win much in the air, is frequently outmuscled by defenders, rarely takes on or beats defenders, and is generally pretty anonymous for huge parts the games that he plays. Of course, the fact that we've never seemed to even try to play to his strengths or give him the type of service he's thrived on at other clubs is hardly his fault.

I'd like him to stay, but I can't say I'll be too distraught if he goes.