Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on November 07, 2011, 09:39:43 AM
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http://www.thebirminghampress.com/2011/11/07/send-in-the-crowds/
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Excellent point about Bent at the end and some "so called "fans comments about him
Makes me wonder sometimes how much these fans actually want
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I think another factor in it being a relatively good crowd is no home game for another 4 weeks.
One of the local radio stations was saying our crowds are down 12 % ! However I am sure that must be based on the overall average at present rather than corresponding home fixtures last season. The next three of Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal must surely boost up that average ?
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The only thing that pisses me off about Bent is the amount of times he's needlessly offside. Not as bad as Angel was mind you...
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Another good piece, Dave. You comment that some fans complain about Bent's work-rate. Considering that his main role is to be in the 6-yard box, as against Norwich, I think he covers a lot of ground and goes quite a good job tracking back. What he isn't is an effective target man for a hoof out of defence from Given, Collins or Dunne. But, as you say, the main thing is that he scores goals, and you can't complain about 14 goals in 26 games.
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The only thing that pisses me off about Bent is the amount of times he's needlessly offside. Not as bad as Angel was mind you...
Its the nature of his game playing really tight off the last man with a split second movement for a pass.
I will happily take 6 offsides a game and a 5 yard tap in goal over no offsides but no goal .
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The only thing that pisses me off about Bent is the amount of times he's needlessly offside. Not as bad as Angel was mind you...
Its the nature of his game playing really tight off the last man with a split second movement for a pass.
I will happily take 6 offsides a game and a 5 yard tap in goal over no offsides but no goal .
As would I, obviously, as yes, he needs to be on the edge to gain an advantage. I just feel he could do this better. Apart from that I have no criticism of his all round game. He scores goals, can't ask much more from him than that. The modern day Andy (andrew) Cole.
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The offside thing with any striker can be irritating but that's the nature of strikers if you are playing the last man and you have to play the last man to give more chances of scoring.
I don't give a toss about Bent's work rate or lack of it if he keeps up the scoring rate.
Anyway, good article.
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I noticed on MOTD that Lineker was practically creaming himself over Bent's ability to be in exactly the right place in the six yard box, let's face it, Big Ears forged a whole career on making just the type of runs that Bent makes, and now that Gabby seems to have sussed it out (and hopefully he'll pass it on to N'Zog) things could get interesting.
Bent scored two, finished another when just offside and missed at least one sitter, that's a decent afternoon in any striker's book.
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He always misses one sitter every game.
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I think another factor in it being a relatively good crowd is no home game for another 4 weeks.
One of the local radio stations was saying our crowds are down 12 % ! However I am sure that must be based on the overall average at present rather than corresponding home fixtures last season. The next three of Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal must surely boost up that average ?
In the Grauniad they said average attendances were down 12%ish but gates against the corresponding teams were also down 11%ish. That was before the Norwich game.
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It's funny how some people think of Bent as someone who doesn't do anything except score. Er...isn't the idea of football to score goals? Who cares if he does nothing all game providing he bangs in the goals???
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He always misses one sitter every game.
Some strikers barely get into the right position to miss a sitter per game.
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He always misses one sitter every game.
Some strikers barely get into the right position to miss a sitter per game.
Exactly that, I'd rather he misses a sitter every game than get no chances at all. Vassell used to go games without half a sniff at goal.
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He always misses one sitter every game.
I think any striker needs more than one chance in a game, and in the games against Albion and Sunderland he only got one chance and maybe should have put one of them away. Having said that, I don't think the one he missed on Saturday was a 'sitter' - their goalkeeper did well to close him down quickly and smother the shot away. Good goalkeeping rather than a missed sitter for me. And if he continues on a score rate of one every two games I'll gladly take that. Who knows what would have happened if we'd bought Bent instead of Heskey in 2009?
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Bent didn't miss a sitter on Saturday.
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Excellent Dave, well written and bang on the money in my opinion
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The only part I would disagree with is the "give away a daft goal" to let them back into it. I think that's harsh bearing in mind we were down to ten men as one of their players had macheted Hutton and left him lying in a heap but for some reason the referee didn't give us a free kick. The goal was crossed from Hutton's side too.
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Who knows what would have happened if we'd bought Bent instead of Heskey in 2009?
That, of course, presumes we had the extra spodulees to buy Bent, which I'm not sure we did.
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Good article Dave.
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Who knows what would have happened if we'd bought Bent instead of Heskey in 2009?
That, of course, presumes we had the extra spodulees to buy Bent, which I'm not sure we did.
We spent, when you subtract money raised from sales, about £20 million in 2009 so I see no reason why we couldn't have bought Bent then. It might have meant we wouldn't have signed one or more of Heskey, Beye, Downing, Delph or Warnock though.
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Having said that, I don't think the one he missed on Saturday was a 'sitter' - their goalkeeper did well to close him down quickly and smother the shot away. Good goalkeeping rather than a missed sitter for me.
Exactly, short of hitting it first time which probably would have resulted in it ballooning over the bar, by the time the ball fell into a position to strike the keeper was right on top of him.
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Who knows what would have happened if we'd bought Bent instead of Heskey in 2009?
That, of course, presumes we had the extra spodulees to buy Bent, which I'm not sure we did.
We spent, when you subtract money raised from sales, about £20 million in 2009 so I see no reason why we couldn't have bought Bent then. It might have meant we wouldn't have signed one or more of Heskey, Beye, Downing, Delph or Warnock though.
But when we went to sign Heskey, it was January 2009 and we had spent it all in the summer. TBH, without Carews "injury" in November, I doubt we would have bought Heskey.
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Who knows what would have happened if we'd bought Bent instead of Heskey in 2009?
He'd have been played at right back.
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I'd just really add to your and other's comments. 20 goals a season from on or around the 6-yard box actually requires a very high work rate. It's just a different type of the work rate compared to the Rooney-track-all-the-way-back-to-right-back-get-stuck-in-and-be-shown-a-yellow-card type.
OK's Bent's missed a few, both on Saturday and earlier in the season, but on another occasion he'll get just one half chance all match and tuck it away earning a crucial three points or a cup victory. That's what strikers like him do.
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I think he has an excellent work-rate.
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great article .
Bent is awesome ..
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Another good article, Dave.
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I would like to be at the Bournville roast. Who is the lucky girl?
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The only thing that pisses me off about Bent is the amount of times he's needlessly offside. Not as bad as Angel was mind you...
Worth noting that in the preceeding league match at Sunderland there was not a single offside decision, against either team, all afternoon!
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whilst i couldn't give a toss about many other football clubs, I do think you are a bit unfair in what you write on the subject of Norwich City's status and have painted them like they are a Swindon, Barnsley, Blackpool or a Burnley. They have been in the Prem a few times before, and were founder members lets not forget.
apart from that - nice article.
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Being founder members of the Premier League is like being in the original line up of the Bootleg Beatles.
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I made the same point on Saturday how Norwich sold out when their away following used to be on a par with Wigan. I guess it is the improvement in tractor design that allows more of them to travel.
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whilst i couldn't give a toss about many other football clubs, I do think you are a bit unfair in what you write on the subject of Norwich City's status and have painted them like they are a Swindon, Barnsley, Blackpool or a Burnley. They have been in the Prem a few times before, and were founder members lets not forget.
apart from that - nice article.
They've certainly got less history than the latter two and won as many trophies as the first.
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whilst i couldn't give a toss about many other football clubs, I do think you are a bit unfair in what you write on the subject of Norwich City's status and have painted them like they are a Swindon, Barnsley, Blackpool or a Burnley. They have been in the Prem a few times before, and were founder members lets not forget.
apart from that - nice article.
They've certainly got less history than the latter two and won as many trophies as the first.
point well made, fair comment. Think Norwich are a bit more bigger than what you suggested that is all.
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This boy Woodhall writes a decent piece. He'll go far.
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He bloody won't. He hasn't even bought me a pint yet this season, the tight bastard.