Darren Bent joins Fulham on loan (Reply #486)

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Good job 'The Mighty Reds YNWA' weren't relying on Downing's goals to keep them up!

[SoccerHQ]

Decent deal for us in the end (if you think of the saving in the wages we got to the 6m in the end), hopefully mean we can get another attack minded player in the squad with the extra 6m or so.

[Legion]

I'd prefer a decent defender.

[Clampy]

I'd prefer a decent defender.

And me, although hopefully Okore will be amazingly good.

[London Villan]

How quick are we going to spend the cash...

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

As stated previously, at least this means he won't score against us next season.

If they pick up his wages, then that can't be a bad thing.

I think he could well be in the top 10 goalscorers this season (not that I want him to stay as he doesn't fit into our system).

[Ian.]

Sounds like a good move all round. Thanks for the goals to that kept us up. Now go get a hatrick against Crystal Palace.

[adrenachrome]

Torygraph:

Darren Bent's frustration is over as he prepares to complete a loan move to Fulham, with Martin Jol agreeing to pay a substantial loan fee and all of the England international's £65,000 a week wages.

Bent's departure ends a nightmare 12 months in which the £24 million record signing was first stripped of the captaincy and then spent the majority of the season on the sidelines, largely due to the emergence of Christian Benteke.

Lambert insisted there had been no rift and claimed he had been vindicated in his decision to exile the forward.

"There has been not one crossed word between us," he said. "I brought in Benteke. If anyone can tell me it was the wrong decision (to pick him ahead of Bent) then they'd take you away in a white van!

"It's just the way I play and the way I look for people to play under me. That's football. All over the world that's the game. It's nothing to do with faces, I just had to make decisions about who I played."

[sid1964]

This medical must be the longest ever, what are they doing to him they must be giving Bent open heart surgery!

[rob_bridge]

The best thing about the loan is that he won't be scoring against us.
covering the wages and get a laon fee seems like a good way to get his salary off the books.

Now, anyone for that scrote Ireland?

Unless King Kenny gets another job I fear we are stuck with him.

[saunders_heroes]

I'd prefer a decent defender.

Me too. I'm staggered to think we're going into a new season with that back line.

[rob_bridge]

I'd prefer a decent defender.

Me too. I'm staggered to think we're going into a new season with that back line.

This is my biggest concern. I see us being entertaining and scoring a good few but any team with some nous / guile will be able to pick us off relatively easy.

[Yossarian]

The best thing about the loan is that he won't be scoring against us.
covering the wages and get a laon fee seems like a good way to get his salary off the books.

Now, anyone for that scrote Ireland?

Unless King Kenny gets another job I fear we are stuck with him.

Ireland has many abilities, most of them he never uses but the one he makes full use of is his ability to put the least amount of effort in and get the most financial gain out. Ireland will therefore see out the rest of his contract twiddling his thumbs. There is a gulf in class between Bent and Ireland.

[Dante Lavelli]

I'd prefer a decent defender.

Me too. I'm staggered to think we're going into a new season with that back line.

I kind of like it.  Lambert's balls are so big it must give the players confidence that they're good enough.

And for the club I'd expect two of Clark, Okore, Baker, and Luna/Bennet to be considered "a safe pair of hands" by the end of the season (like Lowton last season).  As a result there will only be one critical place left to fill in the defence and the others can be sold. 

It's a slow process but the club will grow bigger as a result.  Buying so called finished articles like Collins and Dunne can only get us so far as - as players - they've already acheived their potential.  Virtually all of the current squad are of the age to improve, and the current set up seems to want to coach them. 

[Monty]

I don't think the defensive problems we have will necessarily be solved by an individual defender we can afford.