January Transfer Thread: Speculation, Lies, Absolute Cr*p and Bosman Rumours

[pauliewalnuts]

Selling our one player of proven quality, who can score goals, in a season when we're going to struggle would be absolutely nuts.

As would replacing him with someone from the lower leagues. I'm sure at this point someone will say "huh, yeah, but club X replaced player Y with a 12 year old from the Stourbridge Paper Boys League, and they did OK", but that's not the point.

Selling Bent would almost certainly weaken us, and this season the last thing we can afford to do is move on more experience.

Not to mention the sort of message it would send to the fanbase.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Selling our one player of proven quality, who can score goals, in a season when we're going to struggle would be absolutely nuts.

As would replacing him with someone from the lower leagues. I'm sure at this point someone will say "huh, yeah, but club X replaced player Y with a 12 year old from the Stourbridge Paper Boys League, and they did OK", but that's not the point.

Selling Bent would almost certainly weaken us, and this season the last thing we can afford to do is move on more experience.

Not to mention the sort of message it would send to the fanbase.

Well said.

It would be insanity to sell a guaranteed goal scorer, the team is sub standard as it is, without losing him.

[Irish villain]

Let's look at the evidence. Bent hasn't looked happy in claret and blue over the past twelve months.

He's spent most of that time trying to get fit.

He got injured in February at Wigan away. It was being commented for months before that how he was running about isolated up top with no support and that it didn't seem to be working under TSM.

That was just TSM though. He has no idea how to work strikers into his teams.

I know. And a lot of villa players looked unhappy last season. My point is many players look rejuvenated under Lambert. Bent doesn't.

Oh, and for the record, I want us to keep Bent. I want him to score twenty goals in claret and blue this season. But I am just coldly looking at the situation and have probably, by now, been hardened to the possibility of losing our best players.

[Aston Villa]

Would his departure weaken us if he isn't the type of player that PL wants in his team? I guess it is sometimes a case of square pegs and round holes.

[VillaAlways]

Selling our only proven goal scorer in January when it's very likely we will be struggling at the wrong end of the table would be absolute suicide.If Randy allows this to happen,he will deserve everything he gets

[john e]

i'm sure if he went Lambert would get the funds to reinvest,
it could be the same senario as Andy Carroll where he doesnt fit into the managers plans for whatever reason, i suppose if it does happen we have to just hold our breath and trust in PL

on the other hand if PL doesnt see Bent as a long term option in what he's trying to build, now would be the time to sell if there is a buyer, because as soon as he hits 30 his price willl plunge and thats not to far of

[john e]

Didnt I read somewhere that Lambert doesnt like "flash Harry's" around the camp. Bent rocking up to BH in his new Ferrari coincided with him being stripped of the captaincy and dropped. Might just be coincidence but you do wonder.

So I take it that Ron Vlaar drives a Skoda? All footballers have flash motors don't they?

yes, but it does have especially made shiny alloy wheels

[Clampy]

Keep him and play him. He's a goalscorer and they're very hard to come by. Besides, a replacement of his goalscoring ability would cost a fortune.

[john e]

he has scored a load of goals, i think only Rooney and Drogba are up there with him overall in the last 5 seasons

but he has scored them playing for Charlton, Spurs (briefly) Sunderland and Villa,
 now if he was this top class goal machine he would have played at a far higher level than that by now, and that is a very difficult thing to right when you are a Vila fan, but never the less remains true in my opinion

[VillaAlways]

Keep him and play him. He's a goalscorer and they're very hard to come by. Besides, a replacement of his goalscoring ability would cost a fortune.

This . I don't give a toss about his resale value. I love PL but why he seems hell bent in pissing off the only person that can score goals is beyond me. If he's sold in January I'll be really annoyed especially  with the message it would send out especially if Benteke/ Gabby aren't scoring consistently  . Just look at who the scorer of our last 2 league goals was

[JJ-AV]

I could get over it, and if the money was spent wisely I think it could improve us.

However, not sure I'd want to sell Bent and bring in 3-4 unknowns from the Championship. We need proven quality if we are to let Bent go.

[Clampy]

he has scored a load of goals, i think only Rooney and Drogba are up there with him overall in the last 5 seasons

but he has scored them playing for Charlton, Spurs (briefly) Sunderland and Villa,
 now if he was this top class goal machine he would have played at a far higher level than that by now, and that is a very difficult thing to right when you are a Vila fan, but never the less remains true in my opinion

Alan Shearer was a prolific goalscorer and he only played for Blackburn, Southampton and Newcastle. Don't worry too much that he has'nt played for the top 4, he's playing for a big club in the Premiership which is a high enough level in itself.

[VillaAlways]

I could get over it, and if the money was spent wisely I think it could improve us.

To replace a player of Bents quality would cost us more than what we'd get for him. Just bloody play the man and get him scoring goals like he has been. Madness

[Aston Villa]

he has scored a load of goals, i think only Rooney and Drogba are up there with him overall in the last 5 seasons

but he has scored them playing for Charlton, Spurs (briefly) Sunderland and Villa,
 now if he was this top class goal machine he would have played at a far higher level than that by now, and that is a very difficult thing to right when you are a Vila fan, but never the less remains true in my opinion

Alan Shearer was a prolific goalscorer and he only played for Blackburn, Southampton and Newcastle. Don't worry too much that he has'nt played for the top 4, he's playing for a big club in the Premiership which is a high enough level in itself.

That's spinning it a fraction. Blackburn were champions when Shearer was there and he rejected Manure to go to Newcastle. Bent has never been coveted by a top 4 side to my knowledge.

[Clampy]

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make John. On one hand you've said that his scoring record is up there with Rooney and Drogba, but at the same time you're not convinced because he has'nt played for a top 4 side.

His goals kept us up a couple of seasons ago and if he can get back to that form, we'll be urging Lambert to give him a new contract not sell him.