Lennon v Bentley

[guy]

Hi NP4 - Bentley poor start agreed - but still 1 goal and 1 assist to Lennon's one assist - and this is Lennon during his 'best spurs player ATM' phase according to some

can see why lennon should start on wed - but I still need convincing he's better than Bentley -

in the long run i'm backing Bentley to be better than Lennon - may be mistaken of course

the stats dont mean shit. What about general play? wheres the stat for that? wheres the stat for bentley being so slow and so off the pace that he gets the ball knicked off him all the time?

Lennon has looked so much better than bentley this season, its plain and simple.

 

[hybridsoldier]

I think the booing ofBentley is one of the most disasterous things I've seen. WHY?

The guy has not even played 10 games yet and people are booing him, for what? a few misplace passes and poor crosses. the lad is fucking trying, and you were all proverbially licking his balls in pre-season!

Lennon has had a kick up his little booty and is looking in good form

 

[MattyP]

Thing is we are creating very little, all three of our strikers seem to be making the same run, there's verly little linkage between midfield and our attack.

Unless you have someone like Berba who can control difficult balls, hold off defenders and wait for support, or someone like Keane who can drop deeper and act as the link, the problem will continue.

I'm all for playing Lennon in the hole (maybe my memory is going with old age and/or drink but didn't we do that at Chelsea in the cup a couple of years ago). He's quick enough to inject some pace, he can actually hold the ball up, can turn defenders, can interchange with Bale on the left / Bentley on the right, he can get use his pace to get onto any flick ons from the main striker, or pick up on the defenders covering headers if they win the long balls, which we seem to be playing with little success at the moment. If he gets fouled, Bentley's free kicks, or Bales, are still better than JJ's.

We'd have so many options that way. You'd have the choice of Bent/Pav/Campbell as the main striker and if that one isn't working swap with one of the others, Lennon or Gio in the hole, Lennon can swap with Bentley if he is out of form who'd be substituted for one of the other strikers or Gio. Similar thing on the left.

 

[SteveH]

Bentley will need to get used to the need to be more mobile on the ball. His first touch is not all it could be and he needs to be quicker in his control and release of the ball. More work for Ramos which for a £15m player is very poor. Bentley will have to shape up quickly he will only be given so long.

Lennon is very good at the moment Ramos is getting a good player out of the very average one.

Bentley needs all the games he can get he looks very nervous.

 

[ravo]

Ideally, the plan would be to have Benltey (in peak form) as the starter, with Lennon as the impact player.

However, at the minute, Lennon must be starting, simply due to the fact that Bentley is unfit, slow and way out-of-form. You cannot blame him for missing the pre-season camp. Shit happens.

So, keep him on the fitness regime, perhaps even a couple of reserve games for confidence, then bring him back. Hoepfully, by that time, we will have won a few games and there will be less pressure on him.

Speaking of winning, let's start tomorrow up norf...

COYS

 

[ravo]

I think the booing ofBentley is one of the most disasterous things I've seen. WHY?

The guy has not even played 10 games yet and people are booing him, for what? a few misplace passes and poor crosses. the lad is fucking trying, and you were all proverbially licking his balls in pre-season!

Lennon has had a kick up his little booty and is looking in good form

Must say that I haven't heard any boos.

If there have been, those people should be booted. 1) for booing a player at all, 2) for booing one who has just joined the club.

Pathetic at best.

 

[puppa_toni]

Give bentley time he'll come good.

 

[joey55]

I was there and I didn't hear any booing of betley. I think there was some groans towards the end when things kept going wrong for him and these might have been reported as fans booing him.

 

[Bristol Coys]

no way has lennon been our best player prior to this game - he's had lots of pitch time and produced one assist - not enough for a primarily offensive player - let alone to be our best player

bentley has a poor start and still his end product has been superior

maybe lennon deserves to start on wed - good luck to him - but until he starts producing assists and goals the critics will be there

if he was even creating a stream of chances which we were missing then good for him - but he don't

Lennon has created plenty of chances, for others as well as himself, should have had a pen, created best chance Vs Wigan and actually had Villa on the back foot.:clap:
Bentley, regardless of his Goon background, has done very little so far, his corners and crossing would embarrass a Sunday league player.
Yes we know Lennon, needs to improve his final ball, but that is supposed to be Bentley's strength. :shrug: I'll support Bentley while he tries hard in a white shirt, but he REALLY deserves to be dropped.

 

[AngerManagement]

Bentley + Lennon = Ashley Young

By no means 'perfect' but he has pace in abundance and can very much deliver a great ball.

Most assists in the league last season, and he has already got his toll of goals and assists rolling this season...

Hopefully both Lennon and Bentley will prove to be excellent players for us.

Although right now I think I'd agree that we missed a trick with Young. He looks to be an excellent player.

Infact I think Villa have made some excellent signings and built a good team that is fluent and has wonderful engery and drive.

We need to be developing our squad of talent players into a team in the same way MO'N has up there.

 

[yanno]

I agree that Ashley Young is in excellent form, and is playing very effectively for a coach (O'Neill) who has always got the best out of his type of player. However, Young is 23, and I'm not sure he's got much more upside left.

Gio Dos Santos is 19, and has the potential to be both a better wide player and a better ACM than Young. Dos Santos has pace, fantastic technique, and very quick feet which can strike the ball with real power off a short backlift (like Defoe). He's also a very intelligent team player, as anyone who saw his last game for Barca will confirm.

We're bottom of the league, playing poorly, and a lot of players are either lacking fitness or confidence. So, it's true that we need players who can step up and do it now.

But..... I'm still delighted we signed top-class players like Gio in the summer. If Ramos can get a formation that works, and get the players beleiving in themselves, then we'll see the best of Dos Santos and won't be pining after the likes of Ashley Young.

 

[LadieK]

I think Bentley was a good buy, but if we don't start Lennon when he is on form ahead of Bentley when he isn't, Lennon isn't going to want to stick around!

I think Lennon's been great recently, but Ramos just won't seem to give him a full 90 mins.

 

[punky]

Lennon is a good player and always showed a lot of promise. His final touch is poor and he's not really developed as well as we hoped. Could still run at players though. I think Bentley was brought in for his inch-perfect crosses, but he's been a bit off since he arrived. I don't think playing him all over the lane has helped. When both are at their best I think Bentley is better, but at the moment, the right-wing position is open. Lennon does seem happy to play anywhere though, unlike Bentley.

 

[Bristol Coys]

I don't think we needed Bentley as much as we needed to strengthen other areas.
I'd have happily kept Lennon and Steed as right hand / hole options and found a proper lefty. Joaquim maybe.
I really hope Bentley comes goo,d he has the ability, but needs to grab games and make things happen. But with Lennon on form he cant expect to keep his place with the performances he has put out.

 

[Rackybear]

Also, which right footed ineffective options solve the left wing problem, that has been unresolved since a certain Frenchman decided he was "no longer worth it"

I'd have happily kept Lennon and Steed as right hand / hole options and found a proper lefty. Joaquim maybe.

Make your mind up

 

[Bristol Coys]

Make your mind up

My mind (strange and warped as it may be through suffering Spurs all these years) is clear. Stated over and over again, not happy to let both the 100%ers go. Keane move seemed unstoppable. Glad we kept Lennon, wanted to keep Steed too (who was never a left wing) and buy a 'proper' left winger, before considering additional right wingers.

The handsome French left wing to whom I refer, is the man that declared on several shampoo adverts "Because I am worth it" and is of course our Daveed Ginola. Capiche?:wink:

 

[Rackybear]

My mind (strange and warped as it may be through suffering Spurs all these years) is clear. Stated over and over again, not happy to let both the 100%ers go. Keane move seemed unstoppable. Glad we kept Lennon, wanted to keep Steed too (who was never a left wing) and buy a 'proper' left winger, before considering additional right wingers.

The handsome French left wing to whom I refer, is the man that declared on several shampoo adverts "Because I am worth it" and is of course our Daveed Ginola. Capiche?:wink:

I know who you are talking about, what I dont understand, is how you go from suggesting a right footed player on the left is a no-no (frenchy being the exception), to then say Joaquin (a right footer) should play on our left.

 

[Bristol Coys]

I have probably got the wrong Spaniard then, its late and too tired to think of it. The alternative to Capel who played with Milito. Point being, priorities would be an actual left winger and look at England's last decade 1/2 for lack of left peg out there waiting for Ryan Wilson to don the 3 lions again. Buena sera senor y amigos, yo voy.

 

[Rackybear]

I have probably got the wrong Spaniard then, its late and too tired to think of it. The alternative to Capel who played with Milito. Point being, priorities would be an actual left winger and look at England's last decade 1/2 for lack of left peg out there waiting for Ryan Wilson to don the 3 lions again. Buena sera senor y amigos, yo voy.

Then you meant sergio garcia from zaragoza - is right footed as well I think :roll:

Ill be honest with you on this left wing debate. I think Bale is better at LM then any winger we could potentially buy at the moment. Capel is only available for a ridicoulos price, one that is exclusive to us because of the way we 'stole' ramos from sevilla. We exceeded his buy out clause by some million, but they still wanted more.

 

[Bristol Coys]

Actually I dont get/ have never got, if you are; men who kick ball (to quote Phil Cornwall), why cant you train to use the other one too?