Darren Bent joins Fulham on loan (Reply #486)

[OCD]

One of either Martin Jol or the new owner is clearly mental:

"I don't know what's happening. Darren's probably doing his own thing. We're not sure about it," the Fulham boss said.
 
"We don't speculate on players and can only give an answer when a deal is finalised. We'll see in the next day or two."

"We need quality up front and we're trying to get someone in that position in the next week. We need some pace up front," Jol said.

"People were telling me yesterday that he was having a medical at Crystal Palace. That is changing every day," Jol said.
 
"I thought yesterday that he was going to Ian Holloway. It's tough in the Premier League.
 
"I'm not sure if other managers should say things like that, because we are not 100 per cent sure about any player and I have a few players on the list.
 
"Maybe some geezer told him he was coming to us. Maybe he's right, maybe not. We'll see in the next day."

"The new owner's not interfering with anything. The only thing he said was try to create a nice sausage.
 
"He knows that we like sausages here. As long as it's a nice sausage he'll be happy."

I also like the idea of Jol saying the word 'geezer' in his Dutch accent.

That reads like a text message where predictive text has suggested the wrong word.

[eamonn]

Yes but no-one in London calls it 'east of the river' ; South of the border , Out of Order as them cockerney types like to say.

There is certainly quite a difference north and south in my experience, different outlook on life.

There's no such great geographical divide in Brum that I know of : Discuss.

Yes. South of the river is best.

True. South east, if I'm being technical

They're all soft bummers up north

Well, yeah, cottagers.

Isn't Craven Cottage actually in Putney though just like Stamford Bridge is in Fulham and on the Fulham Road, not the Kings Road?

[Toronto Villa]

Moxley in the Daily Mail reporting it like it is a done deal

I never fell out with Bent, insists Lambert... Benteke has just been so good
 
By Neil Moxley
 
PUBLISHED:11:57 EST, 15 August 2013| UPDATED: 11:57 EST, 15 August 2013
 
Darren Bent's career at Aston Villa has been cut short due to the form of Christian Benteke, according to Paul Lambert.
 
As the former England striker left for Fulham following a loan deal that has been arranged between the two clubs, the Scot clarified why the £24m forward fell out of favour under him.
 
Villa have accepted a 'substantial' loan fee for the frontman who has two years left to run on the four-and-a-half year contract he agreed after joining from Sunderland in January 2011.
 
The Cottagers have also agreed to pick up all of his £65,000-a-week wage while he is on their books.
 
Lambert denied reports that the pair had fallen out, claiming that there had 'not been one crossed word.'

He said: 'Darren's down there (Fulham) having a medical.
 
'There's not been one crossed word between us. I don't know where people have got that from.
 
'I brought in Benteke. If anyone can tell me that was the wrong decision, then the boys in white coats would take you away.

'It's just been the way I play and the way I look for people to play football under me.
 
'That's football. All over the world. That's that game. It's nothing to do with faces. I just had to make decisions about who I played.
 
'The big man has come in and been exceptional.'

[PaulWinch again]

Substantial loan fee and all the wages sounds good.

[ajclayton]

From £20m to a £2m loan fee. When you think about Bent, Andy carroll and Downing there hasn't half been some money wasted by clubs lately.

[Dave]

From £20m to a £2m loan fee. When you think about Bent, Andy carroll and Downing there hasn't half been some money wasted by clubs lately.

Even if we'd given him away for free then it wouldn't have been money wasted.

[ajclayton]

From £20m to a £2m loan fee. When you think about Bent, Andy carroll and Downing there hasn't half been some money wasted by clubs lately.

Even if we'd given him away for free then it wouldn't have been money wasted.

Well he did help us keep us up so you have a point.  I bet Lerner is a bit upset about writing off another big fee though.

[Mister E]

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?

[Salsa Party Animal]

It is a shame we can't keep him to put pressure on 3 strikers and the gladiator. I think Bent is the victim of awesome Benteke plus cost cutting on wages. 

[ciggiesnbeer]

I do hope Holloway gets sacked before seasons end. I am already tired of his gobby antics.

[Jeff Green]

It is a shame we can't keep him to put pressure on 3 strikers and the gladiator. I think Bent is the victim of awesome Benteke plus cost cutting on wages.

Totally agree but not necessarily in that order.

[PeterWithesShin]

From £20m to a £2m loan fee. When you think about Bent, Andy carroll and Downing there hasn't half been some money wasted by clubs lately.

Even if we'd given him away for free then it wouldn't have been money wasted.

Well he did help us keep us up so you have a point.  I bet Lerner is a bit upset about writing off another big fee though.

He'd be even more upset if our season had already kicked off.

[olaftab]

From £20m to a £2m loan fee. When you think about Bent, Andy carroll and Downing there hasn't half been some money wasted by clubs lately.

If I remember right that was a very silly "january" window. You could even include Torres and Henderson in that group as they have  failed to deliver expectation. Bent did his job in the first season but still  the money drop on these players is astonishing.

[London Villan]

Bit of a weird deal though, why didn't they just buy him? I'm guessing he has two years left on his contract?

[eamonn]

Yeah, he does. I guess Fulham don't want to commit to a long-term deal in case he doesn't deliver the goods this season. He should be at his peak but has been injured or benched for the past 18 months so I guess they want to mitigate that risk.

It's interesting to compare Downing and Bent's situations. Both moved for similar money - big money within a few months of each other and today both have been offloaded at a fraction of the cost.
Bent's initial importance to us far outweighs anything meek Stewie managed at Anfield though.