Darren Bent

[Phil from the upper holte]

Darren Bent would never get in the Arsenal side. Can you imagine their one touch football working with his cumbersome first touch? Not me.

I don't think they'd care about that if he scored 20+ goals a season. Which he would if he was given the service.

Is exactly right given the right service Bent would score for fun,  I said when we signed him people would soon get on his back.! It's not Bents fault is the manager and the chairman. Manager for being shit and Randy for not buying decenct players to replace young & Downing

[brian green]

I think his fewest touches in the Prem statistic is a misleading one.   Darren Bent does not actually work to touch the ball.  His innate skill is in the runs he makes and the positions he takes up to finish with a goal.   In a team with the right set up it is devastating in a team without the set up his talents are wasted.   With a player like Bent it is a very fine line between a shed load of goals and none.   Jimmy Greaves was exactly the same.   That is why Alf Ramsey had problems with him.

[Shrek]

It's not misleading, he doesn't get involved, he doesn't contribute, he just creates more pressure for his own team. We play worse with him in the team.

I'll give him one thing, he is certainly unique, I've never known a player like him.

[Ad@m]

I think his fewest touches in the Prem statistic is a misleading one.   Darren Bent does not actually work to touch the ball.  His innate skill is in the runs he makes and the positions he takes up to finish with a goal.   In a team with the right set up it is devastating in a team without the set up his talents are wasted.   With a player like Bent it is a very fine line between a shed load of goals and none.   Jimmy Greaves was exactly the same.   That is why Alf Ramsey had problems with him.

A classic example of this was his debut against Man City last season.  He probably had no more than 3 or 4 touches in the entire game.  But one of those he scored with and we won.

Everyone that says he doesn't contribute to the wider team is absolutely right but they're missing the point.  The hardest thing to do in football is score goals and he's one of the best, if not the best, in the country at putting them away with minimal involvement.  That's why Spurs paid £17m for him.  That's why we paid £20m for him.  That's why he plays for England.

If we can play to his strengths we'll have one hell of a player on our hands.  If we can't then given his track record I think he'll be off as soon as anyone comes in for him with a decent offer.

[Ad@m]

It's not misleading, he doesn't get involved, he doesn't contribute, he just creates more pressure for his own team. We play worse with him in the team.

We do at the moment because we're playing a style that virtually eliminates him from the game.  Hence the fewest touches stat.  But that's not his fault.  Everyone knows how one-dimensional he is but he's damn good at that one dimension.

You don't buy a Ferrari then use it to pull a caravan.

[eastie]

A great finisher but he doesn't contribute enough otherwise and without regular quality service his talent is wasted- if we got an offer giving us back our money and spent it on 3 quality players I'd see it as good business- bent kept us up but we are playing a much different style to the way houllier liked to play and Darren is not suited to this game.

The big question being would randy give Alex all of the money to spend and would Alex spend it well or waste it?

[pauliewalnuts]

Selling Bent and getting in three quality players means three quality player salaries, not one.

That's why the selling Bent thing might happen, but the three in one won't.

[Chris Smith]

If he gets a run in the team and Ireland and N'Zogbia continue with their improved form he'll soon be banging them in regularly again. We're too quick to write off players.

[eastie]

Certainly not writing him off- he is a quality finisher but he needs service and this season the service to him has been poor- gabby contributes more as a striker and links play better and we looked very good with him leading the line and Ireland , just behind him- if we keep bent we must play to his strengths or he is wasted.

[dorsetvilla]

I went to the game last night and people were giving Bent loads. The fact remains that we have a proven goal scorer who has scored for every club and at international level. We simply don't play to his strengths. Just like all season, nearly every ball played to him last night was hoofed in the air, a complete waste of time. I just can't understand how AM can't see this.  We should build our play around Bent and he will score goals. For me it's just another reason why AM will never make it at the Villa. He has a far superior quality of player at Villa but just wants to recreate the style of play and general negative foootball  that he was known for at the Blues. I haven't seen anything to suggest that AM has the ability to change the way he sets up a team to suit the players we have. In Bent's case this is a criminal waste of goal scoring talent .

[Ian.]

It looks likely he is staying, which I am very glad about. Lets use him properly and get him scoring again. Once he starts he'll be on fire again.
My main concern is the stupid mistakes we keep making. Again yesterday another one. We can not afford these mistakes as against Swansea proved.

[brian green]

I just do not get the use of the word contribute.   A game is won or lost on the number of goals scored and the number of goals conceded.   Bent's contribution is the final conversion of play into a goal.   It is a priceless asset for a team to have.   The fact that he does not hurl himself about and celebrate when he wins a corner kick like Marlon Harewood is irrelevant.   If you own a world class five furlong sprinter you put it in the Kings Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot not the Grand National at Aintree.

[Clampy]

It's not misleading, he doesn't get involved, he doesn't contribute

He contributed last season, or has that been forgotten already?

[supertom]

Darren Bents main contribution is indeed goals.

Has he contributed enough this season? Not really.

I just don't think our team is set up to get as much out of Bent as we can. Largely down to Randy's failure to re-invest funds from our sales last summer into the squad, and McLeish's rubbish brand of football.

But yes, if he stays, then signs do seem to be pointing to some kind of upturn in fortune. Alby and Zog are finding form and Ireland is finally playing. Most importantly, if we can avoid having Heskey as our midfield playmaker, we'll certainly create more for Benty.

If we are going to sell him, it has to be this month, or in the summer to make a decent return. I still hope we get a better manager in the summer, sign a few players and Bent bangs in 20+ next season.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

If he gets a run in the team and Ireland and N'Zogbia continue with their improved form he'll soon be banging them in regularly again. We're too quick to write off players.

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