Darren Bent

[PaulTheVillan]

The Bolton, Norwich and Blackburn games shown that if we just go for it a little more Bent can be good in our team. I think it's as simple as that.

[stubbsyandy]

Amazing. Bent is shit?

There were three games this season when he got his radar wrong, Sunderland away, Bolton away and Swansea away, had things been different in those games he would have been on around 10 goals and we would be purring about him, he is just a bit off colour and needs our support so I am also amazed that some might consider him even a teeny weeny bit shit.       

Agreed. Totally.

[ktvillan]

Whereas this season, we'd be better off with Gabby playing up front.

We weren't against Arsenal.  Gabby was pants up front on his own,  absolutely awful.  There were plenty of great balls into the box that night from Albrighton and N'Zogbia that Bent would have thrived on.  Gabby didn't get near any of them.   

[Concrete John]

He did miss some good chances at Bolton.  I can't remember Sunderland too well, so I'll take your word for it on that one.  But for me Swansea was more not getting the service/chances than failing to put them away.  He also missed a sitter at home to Newcastle that had me thinking it was Heskey it was that bad! 

If you're looking for a 1 in 2 striker then he's scored 6 from 16, which is only two goals shy of that.  When you consider the poor play we've had at times this season and lack of creativity, there's not that much wrong with him.

[Percy McCarthy]

KT- but the team played better without Bent.

You have a different opinion to me so, in the traditions of this thread, here goes ...you've taken leave of your senses, sheer lunacy, that's mental etc.

[Shrek]

Most press outlets are saying he is Hughes top target and they are targeting Europe next season. Ambition above ours and back in London.

To be fair, the only reason we attracted people was with high wages.

So as we know, it'll all end in tears.

We attracted people because we had a good manager and owners who appeared ambitious and prepared to back him. I doubt we offered wages that couldn't have easily been matched elsewhere.

Right so the likes of Luke Young didn't go Liverpool and Beye has been around doing sod all because we were ambitious.

I agree we were on the up, but we paid over the odds for wages which is what QPR will now do.

[Concrete John]

We did pay over the odds to some players, but if you look at the better ones we bought under MON (Ash, Milner, etc.) then I'm sure they could have got the same or similar elsewhere, but we were on the up, had a good manager and a chairman that was backing him.   

[Chris Smith]

Most press outlets are saying he is Hughes top target and they are targeting Europe next season. Ambition above ours and back in London.

To be fair, the only reason we attracted people was with high wages.

So as we know, it'll all end in tears.

We attracted people because we had a good manager and owners who appeared ambitious and prepared to back him. I doubt we offered wages that couldn't have easily been matched elsewhere.

Right so the likes of Luke Young didn't go Liverpool and Beye has been around doing sod all because we were ambitious.

I agree we were on the up, but we paid over the odds for wages which is what QPR will now do.

It was fairly common knowledge that Young wanted to move back to London and if he'd gone to Liverpool it would just have been as understudy to Johnson.

Beye was a fuck up but when we signed him he'd just been Newcastle player of the season and it would have been the going rate.

The important signings, Ash, Milner, Downing, Dunne, Friedel etc came because we looked like a club prepared to have a go at competing.

[PaulTheVillan]

If you're looking for a 1 in 2 striker then he's scored 6 from 16, which is only two goals shy of that.  When you consider the poor play we've had at times this season and lack of creativity, there's not that much wrong with him.

Good points, plus he did miss 4 games over Xmas?

[ktvillan]

KT- but the team played better without Bent.

You have a different opinion to me so, in the traditions of this thread, here goes ...you've taken leave of your senses, sheer lunacy, that's mental etc.

Blimey is it that obvious..?
 

[Concrete John]

If you're looking for a 1 in 2 striker then he's scored 6 from 16, which is only two goals shy of that.  When you consider the poor play we've had at times this season and lack of creativity, there's not that much wrong with him.

Good points, plus he did miss 4 games over Xmas?

That's taken into account by only counting his 6 goals agianst the 16 games he's actually played in.

[ktvillan]

KT- but the team played better without Bent.

Not sure if it's justifiable to put the better performance that night down to Bent not being there.  We played a similar shape to if he had been there, with one up front, and the one in question contributed little in terms of general play, and was unable to get on the end of anything.  I agree that Bent may well have had the same negligible effect in terms of general contribution, but at least he might have got on the end of one of those crosses. I also think the effect of his runs is underestimated, he unnerves defences with them for a start off.  Ultimately his goal record speaks for itself and for me any manager with sense would see that as the most potent weapon he has and set his team up to maximise its potential.

[supertom]

KT- but the team played better without Bent.

Ultimately his goal record speaks for itself and for me any manager with sense would see that as the most potent weapon he has and set his team up to maximise its potential.

Unfortunately we don't have a manager who seems to have a great deal of sense. Bent should be our most potent weapon. He should be banging in goals that have us at the very least, sitting nicely above Stoke. I think we're wasting Bent, and it's criminal. Sometimes though, we do look better when Bent isn't playing, merely because Gabby for example does far more on the pitch. Even if it's as much as chasing back for the ball because we spend too much time on the back foot, or getting involved in our forward play. Bent simply waits for the ball.

We are creating more just of late (Swansea aside) and hopefully we'll see Dazza banging them in from now. But Eck must start being more adventurous and must start playing a more balanced side. None of this Heskey in midfield bollocks. Thankfully for the next month, that's not a possibility.

[Rick_avfc]

Sounds like the man is hungry to bang in goals for us after reent injuries:-

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~2574005,00.html

[Vanilla]

Has anyone else thought that, if 'arry Redknapp is going to be the England boss, would Bent even stand a chance of getting into the England team?