Darren Bent, can he keep us up??

[jonzy85]

This is something that is likely to divide opinion, but now we know he is our player until the end of the season, at least. I'm not sure where I stand myself.

But, 2 years ago he was bought for crazy money to keep us up and scored the goals to do just that.

There is no evidence that he has lost anything as a player in my opinion. This year a combination of injury and PL going with Benteke has meant he hasn't had a run of games and therefore hasn't been in good form. He has still showed, he knows where he goal us.

My question is, should we now look at introducing a system where we can get the best out of him and hope that he will score the goals to keep us up?

[Concrete John]

Benteke scores about the same as Bent does, so can't see how much difference he will make.  Unless we convert him to a centre half!

[paul_e]

No for me.

Our Best bet to get out of this is to switch to a 4231 and get the 3 drifting across the pitch and finding gaps.  Bent can't play as 1 of the 3 and can't play up front on his own as well as Benteke so, as far as I'm concerned, he should be mainly used as an impact sub from now on.

[supertom]

Don't know. Maybe.
In truth I'd be inclined to stick Benteke and Bent together for the rest of the season and try as best as possible to maximise the goals we get. We've got to do everything we can. If Bent scores enough, it could be the difference. It's all on Benteke at the minute.

[JUAN PABLO]

Don't know. Maybe.
In truth I'd be inclined to stick Benteke and Bent together for the rest of the season and try as best as possible to maximise the goals we get. We've got to do everything we can. If Bent scores enough, it could be the difference. It's all on Benteke at the minute.

tell Lambert we would need width too .

[PaulWinch again]

No for two reasons, firstly he doesn't really play and we don't create chances for him. Secondly no striker in the world could compensate for the amount of goals we concede.

[Mazrim]

He probably could but its more likely that the other 3 will do more.
Even if the strikers do their job, the problem has really been giving two goals away in every game.
There are single cell lifeforms in the deepest depths of the oceans that know this, that we needed a centre half or two to at least try and safeguard our top flight status.
However it has evaded the thinking of the powers that be at the biggest football club for 100 miles in every direction.

I can only conclude that witchraft is at play.

[saunders_heroes]

Benteke scores about the same as Bent does, so can't see how much difference he will make.  Unless we convert him to a centre half!

Benteke plays every game though, Bent doesn't.
I'd stick Bent in a leave him there till the end of the season. I like Benteke but he misses lots of chances. We need Bent's clinical finishing to save us, and as long as we have width (N'Zogbia are you listening?) we have a chance. It's our few remaining big players that will get us out of this god damn mess.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Were too narrow to suit Bent, He is better when good balls are coming from the wings and we have no decent wingers, If there is one small hope left inside me its that this Dawkins kid can supply some good service (although N'Zog has improved of late)

[eastie]

Yes but not if lambert is manager!

[Concrete John]

Benteke scores about the same as Bent does, so can't see how much difference he will make.  Unless we convert him to a centre half!

Benteke plays every game though, Bent doesn't.
I'd stick Bent in a leave him there till the end of the season. I like Benteke but he misses lots of chances. We need Bent's clinical finishing to save us, and as long as we have width (N'Zogbia are you listening?) we have a chance. It's our few remaining big players that will get us out of this god damn mess.

I meant in terms of goals to games.  Someone put the stats on the transfer thread the other day and we actually get more from Benteke than Bent.   When you add in Weimann, when was the last time we had two strikers on double figures by this point of the season?

The reason we haven't been scoring enough is therefore lack of goals from elsewhere in the team.

[supertom]

Maybe Dawkins can provide some width. I'd keep Holman or N'Zog out wide too. Charley hasn't done too badly coming back into the side, but he plays centrally too much and I think it's nulifying a lot of his threat. Gabby can provide width but he's just too inconsistent. His workrate is fantastic but the end product has been mostly dire this season.

Do I think any of this will happen? Nope. Lambert will blindly take us down.

[saunders_heroes]

Benteke scores about the same as Bent does, so can't see how much difference he will make.  Unless we convert him to a centre half!

Benteke plays every game though, Bent doesn't.
I'd stick Bent in a leave him there till the end of the season. I like Benteke but he misses lots of chances. We need Bent's clinical finishing to save us, and as long as we have width (N'Zogbia are you listening?) we have a chance. It's our few remaining big players that will get us out of this god damn mess.

I meant in terms of goals to games.  Someone put the stats on the transfer thread the other day and we actually get more from Benteke than Bent.   When you add in Weimann, when was the last time we had two strikers on double figures by this point of the season?

The reason we haven't been scoring enough is therefore lack of goals from elsewhere in the team.

I still think Bent would come good in the games that matter. As I said before its the big players who could keep us up. We need width though.  N'Zogbia must play every game out on the wing now if we want a chance of staying up.

[JUAN PABLO]

Holman , the last player we need when we are now in a fight.

[timeoutbigbar]

No.  It has to be Weimann, Benteke and N'zogbia if they're all fully fit.