Sell Bent?

[olaftab]

He's not scoring because he's basically playing in an above average Championship team with no creative midfield. We might as well sell him but shouldn't expect Randy to invest the proceeds on the pitch.

You are of course entitled to your opinion but   "average championship team"
 

[Risso]

I was chuffed when we bought him. Look at his stats - up there with Rooney and Drogba. It gradually dawned on me that he has no interest in doing anything else but score goals, and if he contributed anything like those two in other areas of the pitch he would have played for top clubs. By the same token, if those two never did anything outside the box they'd each get fifty goals a season.

When you see what an out-and-out goal hanger he is, how he rarely shows with his back to goal, rarely goes wide, rarely drops deep to partake in build-up play (can't blame him, he's absolutely woeful at all three when he does), his stats aren't so impressive.

As I said on the match-thread, for £18/24m, you'd want someone who can score tap-ins and penalties AND play football.

I am in total agreement with this.

And me, which is where I was coming from when I asked the question.  It wasn't on the back of just one bad result either, more a theoretical question of what we would be better served by for the coming season assuming no more money is made available?  Darren Bent or £18m worth of new players?  Of course, that again assumes that the proceeds would be made available (by no means a forgone conclusion), but would we better with say, a £10m striker who is a better footballer than Bent, and two £4m players (eg a left back and central defender)?

[olaftab]

No I dont think we should sell him now. Leave it to Paul to get the best out of hom and if not ...

[pedro25]

I'd sell Ireland and N'Zogbia before I sold Bent.

[Toronto Villa]

I'm in the give Bent some help camp. Not convinced that selling him solves our issues. The other thing is to sell him means we have to find a buyer, and the only team that would fit is Liverpool. They need a forward like Bent given the opporunities they create and waste. However, do they have the money or desire? And if not them, there are few others out there where he fits. As excellent as Bent is, as we are finding he needs a lot of things to work in his favour to be truly effective and the buying club would need that in place themselves to benefit from the purchase.

I'd sooner not panic, find some pieces to get the best out of him and go from there. It's one game after all.

[Rick_avfc]

I'd sell Ireland and N'Zogbia before I sold Bent.

Totally agree with this

[Clark W Griswold]

See if Liverpool want to do something with N'Zogbia / Adam both have flopped to an extent but may be suited to a swap. Then see if we can get a good winger who actually wants to play for us, and a good partner for Bent, then we will see a different Bent.

[not3bad]

I'm in the give Bent some help camp. Not convinced that selling him solves our issues. The other thing is to sell him means we have to find a buyer, and the only team that would fit is Liverpool. They need a forward like Bent given the opporunities they create and waste. However, do they have the money or desire?

The most obvious answer is a straight swap for Carroll I guess.

[PaulTheVillan]

Someone make this a Poll?

[Jimbo]

You can't fire a Howitzer with Gat Gun pellets. Give Bent the right ammunition and he'll score goals.

[Mister E]

I'd sell Ireland and N'Zogbia before I sold Bent.

I'd go with this. We have to see how we can create a series of game plans that involve Bent for at least some of them but that offer a variety of attacking options. This might mean bringing in a CF type player to take some of the responsibility and physicality from Bent; it may mean playing Albie / Carruthers as wingers; it suggests having a more dynamic player in "the hole" (which might be Holman once he's found his EPL feet); it may involve starting with Gabby (I said on the match thread that I think a fit GA would have done much better on Saturday against the WHU bruisers).

Bent has proved his worth: can he continue to score for us? - only time will tell.

Get an attacking LB in and perhaps (if we do offlaod Ireland and / or Charles) another MF passer and let's get more dynamic.

[Toronto Villa]

I'm in the give Bent some help camp. Not convinced that selling him solves our issues. The other thing is to sell him means we have to find a buyer, and the only team that would fit is Liverpool. They need a forward like Bent given the opporunities they create and waste. However, do they have the money or desire?

The most obvious answer is a straight swap for Carroll I guess.

it would appear, but I don't think Carroll wants to go anywhere except closer to home. It's why I think he won't come and will stay on the bench at Liverpool. If Carroll wants to further his career he's likely going to have to mentally accept that his Newcastle days are over, be a big boy and prove everyone wrong somewhere else. There's a very talented footballer in there. Does he have the desire and strength to get his career back on track. Not convinced to be honest.

[garyshawsknee]

I'd sell Ireland and N'Zogbia before I sold Bent.

Totally agree with this

Me too,but who the hell would buy them?

[Brian Taylor]

Get Robbie Keane back! He will help Bent get back into scoring mode!

[Risso]

I'd sell Ireland and N'Zogbia before I sold Bent.

Totally agree with this

Me too,but who the hell would buy them?

Indeed.  The point about selling Bent isn't that he's crap, far from it, but that he would at least be worth something.  I think we'd struggle to get close to £10m for Ireland and N'Zogbia combined.