'What a f****n goal Lowts!'

[Ron Manager]

Bent is a dying breed of striker. He's a pure, out and out goal scorer who can't really do too much else. In the modern game players like him are becoming a rarity. Guys like Andy Cole, Michael Owen, Ian Wright who'd play right off the shoulder but would demand the service to get the best out them.
Also much like Andy Cole, a draw back to Bent is that, though he's always making very good runs and gets into good positions, he sometimes needs 3-4 chances to put one in the back of the net. So by virtue you have to be creating these chances for him.

Even Fergie recognised 6-7 years ago the way the league was heading and realised he couldn't carry Ruud Van Horseface. Fucking brilliant player at what he did, but all he did was score goals. You spend large amounts of the game with basically 9 outfield players when you play a striker like that. Hernandez is your classic goalscorer but adapted for the modern game. Technically he's very good, he can run at people and he gets involved in the game.
Lets face it though, every one wants to be Barca. In that side, every single player gets involved, every single player wants the ball. 

Only 2 players in our side, Lowton and Westwood, have made more passes than Benteke this season, suggesting he gets a lot of the ball. He's our top scorer and our joint top in assists. Bent cannot do what Benteke has done.

I like Bent. But his days as a striker for a top club are over. He's also probably only got 2 more years at Prem level before his style becomes even more obsolete. To be honest we need to sell him now whilst we can get some sort of reasonable fee. Leave it till Jan, or the following summer and we'll get peanuts. Lambert isn't, and shouldn't, adapt his style to suit Bent.

Thats a well constructed reply Supertom and on reflection you may well be right. We shall have to wait and see. The summer break (as Eastie says) will be very interesting. Say (god forbid) we get relegated would you keep Bent?

[David_Nab]

He seemed happy enough on Sunday night said he was buzzing after the result , answered some questions for fans and signed off with #UTV.

Injuries this season have been his downfall would of got more game time but for that and Benteke exceeding all expectations.Useful to have for the run in but expect him to leave in Summer

[ozzjim]

In contrast to others, I think Bent could, if asked, and if willing, play in the role out wide in the 3, he did as a kid coming through at Ipswich and I saw Curbishley when he was out of the side saying in our team, he would give Bent a run in one of the wide roles. If Andi or Gabby got injured I would be tempted to put him there, if only in the hope of 2-3 goals before may pumping his price back up.

He was the right signing, at the right moment, for a very small window of time. The appointment of McLeish killed him.

[eastie]

In contrast to others, I think Bent could, if asked, and if willing, play in the role out wide in the 3, he did as a kid coming through at Ipswich and I saw Curbishley when he was out of the side saying in our team, he would give Bent a run in one of the wide roles. If Andi or Gabby got injured I would be tempted to put him there, if only in the hope of 2-3 goals before may pumping his price back up.

He was the right signing, at the right moment, for a very small window of time. The appointment of McLeish killed him.

The sale of downing and young killed him more than the appointment of Mcleish- bent needs good service and he had that until they left.

[Brend'Watkins]

In contrast to others, I think Bent could, if asked, and if willing, play in the role out wide in the 3, he did as a kid coming through at Ipswich and I saw Curbishley when he was out of the side saying in our team, he would give Bent a run in one of the wide roles. If Andi or Gabby got injured I would be tempted to put him there, if only in the hope of 2-3 goals before may pumping his price back up.

He was the right signing, at the right moment, for a very small window of time. The appointment of McLeish killed him.

He wouldn't work as hard as Gabby.  But, what we might lose in work rate might give us a goal or two extra by him simply being there.

[Concrete John]

If Lambert can get some use out of him for the last fwe games, then great.  But longterm he needs to go for both financial and footballing reasons.

[Merv]

This is getting very tired. Bent can only play up front, not in any of the support strikers role. Benteke is sensational. Lambert clearly made the right call. We can't play 442

Simple

I feel weary just reading. Our front three have been playing out of their skins for weeks now; if we stay up, it's because of them. Swap any of them for Bent and the whole thing changes. He can only play that central role, and he won't contribute anywhere near as much as Benteke. It's the set up Lambert has wanted from the start, and since Gabby has come back from injury he's been able to play it, and it's starting to gel. I'm not sure how we get from that to Lambert being tactically poor. You'd have to say buying Benteke and giving him that role in the team is perhaps the best managerial decision of the season.

As for Bent: it's a shame. At times he's been excellent. I would like to see a breakdown of how many times he's been involved in the squad WHEN FIT however. He's been injured a lot this season. Not sure he's been genuinely overlooked that often.

Bowery - obviously not in the same 'class' as Bent, but again - Bent couldn't play that role, running the right wing, putting defenders under pressure. Bowery fitted that role, did it reasonably well.

I did notice Bent's obvious joy at celebrating Lowton's goal, though, which was heartening to see.

[eamonn]

He was left out completely wasn't he, for a few games, despite not being injured? Seem to recall Pat Murphy haranguing Lambert over it.

[ciggiesnbeer]

He was. I think all this writing off Bent is way premature. Lambert is nothing if not changeable. If Bent hits form or adapts to how Lambert wants him to play, he will play. He played him before , even made him captain and he could do so again. Good managers do that, Fergie has dropped and reinstated Nani, Rooney and many key superstar players several times.

Bent will rise again. I am delighted we have him in our squad.