Darren Bent joins Fulham on loan (Reply #486)

[Dave]

I'm pretty sure Berbatov's contract expired so they didn't pay a penny for him.

He had 12 months left on his contract, so they got him for a fairly paltry £5m.

As for Berbatov and Bent working well, they were pretty mediocre together at Spurs, I don't see why they'd be any better at Fulham.

[Boz]

Pardew is saying he won't pay over the odds for a player but he can hardly think he's doing that for Bent at £5/6m. A bargain really, he should be snapping Villa's hand off, but of course he has to negotiate the Kinnear hurdle first. 

[pauliewalnuts]

I wonder how Newcastle would use Bent. As another option for Cisse? Has Bent ever done consistently well playing alongside another striker?

[Tuscans]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11677/8849121/transfer-news-fulham-leading-race-to-sign-aston-villa-striker-darren-bent

[Tuscans]

I'm pretty sure Bent will score bags of goals at Fulham alongside Berbatov. Looks a good pairing that.

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm pretty sure Bent will score bags of goals at Fulham alongside Berbatov. Looks a good pairing that.

I can see how it'd maybe work with Berbatov, as Berbatov is the sort of player who floats around all over the final third rather than a typical half of a striker pairing.

I wish we'd signed him.

[Tuscans]

I'm pretty sure Bent will score bags of goals at Fulham alongside Berbatov. Looks a good pairing that.

I can see how it'd maybe work with Berbatov, as Berbatov is the sort of player who floats around all over the final third rather than a typical half of a striker pairing.

I wish we'd signed him.

They're so different that it almost has to work. Some of the lay offs, flicks and first time passes Berbatov made last season were class and I think Bent will thrive on that.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I'm pretty sure Bent will score bags of goals at Fulham alongside Berbatov. Looks a good pairing that.

I can see how it'd maybe work with Berbatov, as Berbatov is the sort of player who floats around all over the final third rather than a typical half of a striker pairing.

I wish we'd signed him.

They're so different that it almost has to work. Some of the lay offs, flicks and first time passes Berbatov made last season were class and I think Bent will thrive on that.

These.

[Percy McCarthy]

Yes, on paper it's a good partnership.

I'd also back him to do well at West Ham or Stoke. Not so much Newcastle.

[Dave]

I'm pretty sure Bent will score bags of goals at Fulham alongside Berbatov. Looks a good pairing that.

I can see how it'd maybe work with Berbatov, as Berbatov is the sort of player who floats around all over the final third rather than a typical half of a striker pairing.

I wish we'd signed him.

They're so different that it almost has to work. Some of the lay offs, flicks and first time passes Berbatov made last season were class and I think Bent will thrive on that.

Why were they hardly ever played together at Spurs then? I seem to remember that on the few occasions that they did they seemed to be playing two different sports.

[Concrete John]

Personally, I don't think it would work all that well!

For a start, you've got two strikers who give you very little off the ball, so you'll be playing with 9 men when defending.

Attacking wise, they could click, but if Berbatov plays deep, will Bent hold the ball up well enough to allow him to get on it.  And if they play more patiently through the middle, meaning Berbatov sees more of the ball, will that hurt Bent who likes it forward quickly as he plays on the shoulder? 

It just seems to me that you have two players there who need the team set up to suit them to get their best.   

[Tuscans]

I'm pretty sure Bent will score bags of goals at Fulham alongside Berbatov. Looks a good pairing that.

I can see how it'd maybe work with Berbatov, as Berbatov is the sort of player who floats around all over the final third rather than a typical half of a striker pairing.

I wish we'd signed him.

They're so different that it almost has to work. Some of the lay offs, flicks and first time passes Berbatov made last season were class and I think Bent will thrive on that.

Why were they hardly ever played together at Spurs then? I seem to remember that on the few occasions that they did they seemed to be playing two different sports.

Because Arry had a hard on for Defoe

[Toronto Villa]

I'd back Bent to do well anywhere that has a system to get him the ball. It means though that those teams have to be dedicated to it. Bent's running off the ball helps in that regard, but he's not going to score a wide range of goals, so it's quite narrow as to what kind of service he'll benefit from. If he ends up at Fulham, it they can get some good wide play and maybe have Berbatov sitting in behind him, then it would be quite good.

[supertom]

I think Jol's plan is to have Berbatov playing a little deeper this season, behind an out and out striker. I could see it working in some regards, but when they're under the cosh, Berba and Bent will go missing, and also could concievably get marked out the game. That said, it'd be difficult to mark both of them out the game.

Even if they don't work that hard in build up, the way Jol plays, which is quite direct, you'd fancy both to score at least 10-15 a season regardless. Maybe more.

[Dave]

I'm pretty sure Bent will score bags of goals at Fulham alongside Berbatov. Looks a good pairing that.

I can see how it'd maybe work with Berbatov, as Berbatov is the sort of player who floats around all over the final third rather than a typical half of a striker pairing.

I wish we'd signed him.

They're so different that it almost has to work. Some of the lay offs, flicks and first time passes Berbatov made last season were class and I think Bent will thrive on that.

Why were they hardly ever played together at Spurs then? I seem to remember that on the few occasions that they did they seemed to be playing two different sports.

Because Arry had a hard on for Defoe

Arry wasn't Spurs' manager at the time.