Darren Bent - worth every penny

[curiousorange]

I think the difference between brilliant Bent and lacklustre Bent is all to do with how we expect him to get the ball. He scored with his head yesterday - a class finish, btw - but really he's not that good in the air. His preparation to compete in the air is bizarre: he takes a huge run up and leap and ends up jumping under the ball, but because yesterday we had Heskey, most of the aerial ball was lumped up to him and anything chest height or lower came Bent's way. Bent's fast and loves the chase. That was his best game for us without a shadow of a doubt.

[Ads]

Monty, I think 4-4-2 benefits him. In the past three games he's scored three (five!) and looks very dangerous.

[Percy McCarthy]

Great feeling eh TV. Great result today, and fair play to Bent, 6 in 10 with 2 perfectly good ones chalked off too, is about as good as you can get from a  centre forward.

Not really. By the letter of the law the one against Newcastle was offside. And obviously, had yesterday's first goal stood, play would have resumed with a kick-off in the centre circle rather than a free-kick in their box, making the whole rest of the game different and he might not have got another (or he might have got another five of course). Nauses me a bit when someone misses three chances and people say he should have had a hat-trick, when of course if they'd scored the first one they might not have had another kick. Only true if they'd scored the first two and then missed.

Great signing though, panic or not - and we might well have been fucked without him.

He's done great and he really should be on eight when you think he's had some perfectly legitimate goals disallowed.

Sorry, Deano's was the post I meant to answer.

[Monty]

Monty, I think 4-4-2 benefits him. In the past three games he's scored three (five!) and looks very dangerous.

He scored quite a few at Sunderland when they played him in a 4-5-1/4-3-3. To be honest, I think we've pretty much been playing the same system under GH almost every game, it's personnel that have changed the emphasis of it. Both Gabby and Heskey were playing very much 'off' Bent, though in Gabby's case there was a bit more running involved, whereas Heskey essentially stood there and tried to make the ball bounce off him to someone in a Villa shirt. It's pretty much where Young's been playing, except actually Young makes more pointless forward runs in that position, so you could argue that it's become even less 4-4-2.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Monty, I think 4-4-2 benefits him. In the past three games he's scored three (five!) and looks very dangerous.

Yep.
We were all crying out for 4-4-2 on here, he's done it and it seems to be paying off.

Despite Gabbys goal, I'd be tempted to start with Heskey against Stoke, he'll come in handy for the physical stuff and unfeasibly long throws.

[Ads]

I think 4-4-2 can and does work when you use the ball as inteligently as we did yesterday. Good movement from all the front players combined with a nice solid shape too.

[brian green]

The cherry on the top for me is not only is Darren playing so well and doing exactly what we wanted but it must be making Oliver Holt grind his teeth to see all his anti Villa anti Bent pro O'Neill outpourings blown away by all the glowing praise for Bent's performances not what a shit he is for leaving Sunderland.

[TaxDodger]

Bent 6 Carroll 2 Torres 0.. Remind me who is over priced?

[AV82EC]

Bent 6 Carroll 2 Torres 0.. Remind me who is over priced?

Nicked for facebook status. Ta.

[Chris Smith]

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I think 4-4-2 can and does work when you use the ball as inteligently as we did yesterday. Good movement from all the front players combined with a nice solid shape too.

I still think we need better in central midfield for it to work. We need more mobility in there, a proper box to box player. Imagine Jimmy Milner in that side.

[Risso]

(

I think 4-4-2 can and does work when you use the ball as inteligently as we did yesterday. Good movement from all the front players combined with a nice solid shape too.

I still think we need better in central midfield for it to work. We need more mobility in there, a proper box to box player. Imagine Jimmy Milner in that side.

You're right, and Milner chipping in with his 10 goals a season would be great as well.

[TopDeck113]

There seems to be a ground swell of opinion about Milner coming back to B6.

To avoid any disappointment between the opening of the transfer window and the end of September, it is probably for the best if we all accept sooner rather than later that that isn't going to happen.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

There seems to be a ground swell of opinion about Milner coming back to B6.

It would certainly help negate the pissed off vibe that will emerge once Ashley goes.

[Mazrim]

I think this idea that he's not involved in play except when he has a chance is rubbish. Yesterday in particular he was everywhere, pressing their back-line relentlessly, coming deep to get the ball and link up play, even playing passes like that brilliant one to Ash early on. Quite apart from that, his movement is so good that he alone can occupy two defenders and create space for others. He's gone up a level from when he signed for Blunderland and is now without doubt a really terrific player, and we're reaping the rewards.

Spot on.

[coreyfeldman]

http://hastorresscoredforchelsea.com/