Darren Bent

[garyshawsknee]

When Bent made his debut last year the stats showed that he only touched the ball a few times,but importantly scored. Most of us on here stated that we hadn't had that type of player for years and it was just what was needed,now the goals have dried up people now want him out.

 If Nzog and Albrighton,Ireland continue to improve like they have,then the chances will come and hopefully the goals will as well. He's been so isolated in some games and as we all know link up play isnt his strong point,but if Gab and other are closer to him on the pitch i think his form will come back.

I agree about Gabbs and said so previously he needs to come in closer to Bent, IMO AM is playing him way to wide leaving Bent isolated also just as important Gabby himself is quite handy at popping in a few goals and he carries that threat, but not out in no man's land.

Yeah,i think McCleish sets us up so that our wide men are a bit deeper,fullbacks don't push on like they did last season,overall the teams sits a bit deeper and as a result Bent is isolated. Hopefully Ireland's improvement and maybe Keane's introduction(though i have my reservations) will help Bents game,give him chances as his record shows and more often than not he'll score.

[Monty]

The fatal flaw in that argument is goals win games. Emile Heskey is better than Bent at holding the ball up. Does anyone consider him to be a top striker?

Sadly Alex McLeish seems to! But no, my main point is that football is a team game, and I don't care how many goals one player scores compared to how many the team scores. If we have one player not contributing to making chances, demanding essentially that all chances go to him, then I think there's an argument for saying the team may score fewer goals overall with him in than it could with a good all-round forward (not Heskey, but Ba, say). Besides, Bent actually isn't a great finisher. I don't know how many half-chances I've ever seen him score.

[Shrek]

Bent is a shit finisher, he is such a limited footballer.

BUT he has that natural talent that cannot be taught of being in the right place at the right time.

[Toronto Villa]

Bent is a shit finisher, he is such a limited footballer.

BUT he has that natural talent that cannot be taught of being in the right place at the right time.

Shit finisher? You have completely and utterly lost your mind

[Clampy]

Bent is a shit finisher, he is such a limited footballer.

BUT he has that natural talent that cannot be taught of being in the right place at the right time.

Shit finisher? You have completely and utterly lost your mind

I was going to comment myself Toronto, but posts like that are not even worthy of a response. Ignore.

[TheSandman]

I think Bent has been shagging Shrek's missus.

[Ian.]

Sometimes if you keep saying something enough you end up convincing yourself and you have no idea you are talking out of your own arse.

[Villanation]

Bent is a shit finisher, he is such a limited footballer.

BUT he has that natural talent that cannot be taught of being in the right place at the right time.

  I mean come on guys, these kind of post's have to be deemed priceless, this and Zogmans reply  brilliant.

[Monty]

He's not a shit finisher, but he's not world class at it. What he is world class at is movement and timing of runs. Finishing, however, is a technical skill, and he'll never be world class at anything technical.

[seanthevillan]

He's not a shit finisher, but he's not world class at it. What he is world class at is movement and timing of runs. Finishing, however, is a technical skill, and he'll never be world class at anything technical.

Not even for his goal at Arsenal? I thought that showed great technique.

[Monty]

He's not a shit finisher, but he's not world class at it. What he is world class at is movement and timing of runs. Finishing, however, is a technical skill, and he'll never be world class at anything technical.

Not even for his goal at Arsenal? I thought that showed great technique.

He doesn't do it on a regular basis though. Technique is consistently doing difficult things, and while he's far from bad he's not brilliant.

[pauliewalnuts]

He's not a shit finisher, but he's not world class at it. What he is world class at is movement and timing of runs. Finishing, however, is a technical skill, and he'll never be world class at anything technical.

He's the best player I have ever seen at beating the offside, he times his runs superbly.

[pauliewalnuts]

Bent is a shit finisher, he is such a limited footballer.

BUT he has that natural talent that cannot be taught of being in the right place at the right time.

Shit finisher? You have completely and utterly lost your mind

I was going to comment myself Toronto, but posts like that are not even worthy of a response. Ignore.

If we'd signed Lineker in his prime, Shrek would have been moaning that he didn't put a shift in like Mark Hateley, and we should sell him.

[Dante Lavelli]

Yeah,i think McCleish sets us up so that our wide men are a bit deeper,fullbacks don't push on like they did last season,overall the teams sits a bit deeper and as a result Bent is isolated. Hopefully Ireland's improvement and maybe Keane's introduction(though i have my reservations) will help Bents game,give him chances as his record shows and more often than not he'll score.

Do other people agree with this synopsis?  Are the team say 10 yards deeper than they should be? 

I ask because I do not attend games and therefore cannot see this macro picture from the TV.  Personally I like the idea of Clark and Petrov sitting pretty deep as this protects the back fours and encourages the defenders to pass out of defence.  However this protection should give the front three license to join Bent and also give the full backs a chance to get forward.

Ideally the front three (behind Bent) should have the freedom to interchange and get forward pretty much at will as long as there is communication between them.  This would make them effing hard to mark and us a good/great team to watch.

[Dante Lavelli]

He's not a shit finisher, but he's not world class at it. What he is world class at is movement and timing of runs. Finishing, however, is a technical skill, and he'll never be world class at anything technical.

He's the best player I have ever seen at beating the offside, he times his runs superbly.

Agree, his movement is superb.  This gets in him great positions, from which he occasionally misses.
World class movement.  Good finisher.