Darren Bent joins Fulham on loan (Reply #486)

[Percy McCarthy]

I do like him Eamonn,  it's just a reaction to how much stick I got for suggesting a while ago that we sell him and buy some decent defenders with the money. I remember Dorset Villain coming up to me when I was selling the fanzine and saying I'd started a hate campaign against him, when really, pretty early on,  I just  thought that despite his goals we'd be a better team with a more rounded centre-forward.

Fair dos. And I know you've been consistent with a similar point over how Liverpool get better results without Suarez.

Yeah, it's just a matter of fact. I'm a bit worried that I first started banging on about it when everyone was pissed off that he was going to miss the Newcastle game at the end of last season. Anyone remember how that turned out?

Liverpool getting better results without Suarez?

Yeah, they won 6-0 away.

Toronto - it's not really to do with the end of last season, although it continued then. Sky did the graphics because of the biting incident, and it showed that since they signed him, in a fairly large sample of games that he'd missed, their results were quite surprisingly better without him. The reason I'm a bit worried about it is we're celebrating him missing our game to the same extent we were bemoaning him missing that Newcastle game which they won 6-0. You see my point? Feel my fear?

[pauliewalnuts]

I do like him Eamonn,  it's just a reaction to how much stick I got for suggesting a while ago that we sell him and buy some decent defenders with the money. I remember Dorset Villain coming up to me when I was selling the fanzine and saying I'd started a hate campaign against him, when really, pretty early on,  I just  thought that despite his goals we'd be a better team with a more rounded centre-forward.

Fair dos. And I know you've been consistent with a similar point over how Liverpool get better results without Suarez.

Yeah, it's just a matter of fact. I'm a bit worried that I first started banging on about it when everyone was pissed off that he was going to miss the Newcastle game at the end of last season. Anyone remember how that turned out?

Liverpool getting better results without Suarez?

Yeah, they won 6-0 away.

Toronto - it's not really to do with the end of last season, although it continued then. Sky did the graphics because of the biting incident, and it showed that since they signed him, in a fairly large sample of games that he'd missed, their results were quite surprisingly better without him. The reason I'm a bit worried about it is we're celebrating him missing our game to the same extent we were bemoaning him missing that Newcastle game which they won 6-0. You see my point? Feel my fear?

I appreciate the point about Newcastle, but that's one match, so not really a sample worth much consideration, and probably says more about the shitness of Newcastle in the run-in than the strength of Liverpool.

There's this collection of data, however, which is interesting:



The problem there is that the sample of games without him is pretty small.

Probably the most important thing about Suarez is how much they want to keep him. He's a very good player and has done well for them. For us, the rest of the football world, it is therefore our duty to hope he fecks off ASAP

[Percy McCarthy]

Look, we said last season "Shit! He's banned against Newcastle, our relegation rivals". I said "Don't worry, they get better results without him".

Now we're saying "Great! He's banned against us". I'm saying "Worry, they get better results without him".

It was meant to be light-hearted, I certainly didn't expect the Spanish Inquisitionn.

[pauliewalnuts]

Somewhat touchy if you think that was the Spanish Inquisition. I didn't have to call for Cardinal Fang once.

[Ross]

Back on topic....Bent for £6m is astonishing value for the right team.  Suppose that's what happens when a player is benched for the season, obviously not challenging the decision to do so...

[tomd2103]

Back on topic....Bent for £6m is astonishing value for the right team.  Suppose that's what happens when a player is benched for the season, obviously not challenging the decision to do so...

Don't know Ross.  He looked a shadow of his former self when he featured last season.  He's not going to have had much of a pre season this time round either so is going to take time to get up to speed wherever he goes. 

[Percy McCarthy]

Somewhat touchy if you think that was the Spanish Inquisition. I didn't have to call for Cardinal Fang once.

Lol, yeah it was a bit touchy wasn't it? Every time I explained myself I got caught not working by the gaffer.

[Steve R]

You have to be pretty special to command big money when you near the 30 mark these days.

6mill might seem cheap but it's not like we are overrun with offers. I don't think his situation is depressing the price too much. He was hardly a regular at Spurs when they sold him.

[eamonn]

Somewhat touchy if you think that was the Spanish Inquisition. I didn't have to call for Cardinal Fang once.

Lol, yeah it was a bit touchy wasn't it? Every time I explained myself I got caught not working by the gaffer.

And I think Paulie's stats were bearing out your point, albeit from a smaller number of games.
Sturridge and Coutinho look good without Suarez. Thankfully Daniel, the would-be-Villan, will miss our game too, I think?

[Breezeblock]

Look, we said last season "Shit! He's banned against Newcastle, our relegation rivals". I said "Don't worry, they get better results without him".

Now we're saying "Great! He's banned against us". I'm saying "Worry, they get better results without him".

It was meant to be light-hearted, I certainly didn't expect the Spanish Inquisitionn.

[Percy McCarthy]

Somewhat touchy if you think that was the Spanish Inquisition. I didn't have to call for Cardinal Fang once.

Lol, yeah it was a bit touchy wasn't it? Every time I explained myself I got caught not working by the gaffer.

And I think Paulie's stats were bearing out your point, albeit from a smaller number of games.
Sturridge and Coutinho look good without Suarez. Thankfully Daniel, the would-be-Villan, will miss our game too, I think?

Hope so.

[olaftab]

plus he has to have time off for shopping

and it's a long way from Newcastle to Bicester Village!

[olaftab]

Can we please refrain from using data in this debate. Data is the enemy of a good discussion!

[maidstonevillain]

Can we please refrain from using data in this debate. Data is the enemy of a good discussion!

Have you got the statistics to prove that.

[citizenDJ]

Pfft. You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true.

Facts, schmacts.

[/Homer]