Darren Bent joining Brighton on loan

[Monty]

I'm obviously not speaking literally - of course other players in his teams did score goals, but his presence made this less likely because of his all-round non-contribution. 1 in 3 is good if you assume that the rest of the team is also fairly likely to score, but with Bent around this is less the case. He was perfect for us for one half-season because the team was set up for a finisher but didn't have one until he showed up, but the amount by which he will improve a team has a very solid limit on it.

[hilts_coolerking]

Fair enough.  I know you like your forwards to be allrounders, pivoting their bollocks off, whereas I prefer them to be above all else a reliable source of goals, so we shall have to agree to differ on this one.

[Monty]

Well, they do eventually have to pivot round and face goal. All-round does include goals - Heskeys need not apply.

[Gregorys Boy]

The thing you have to ask yourself is would you have Bent ahead of any of the other main strikers at the club right now?  For me no.  Certainly not ahead of Benteke, and for all their inconsistencies Gabby and Weinmann both have things to offer and at least have a few goals to their names this season.  I do think that Bent has had a bit of a rough time under Lambert.  For his first two seasons at the club he did pretty well for us, and then two seasons ago when Benteke was still settling in and Gabby was out of form, and Weinmann still settling in, then I think Bent should have easily been our second choice striker, or played a bigger role off the bench anyway.  But fact remains that since then his form and fitness has hit the buffers, and it makes sense all round to send him to a club where he will get regular games.

I did think he would struggle even in the Championship, but fair play to him he's off the mark.

[eamonn]

"Pivoting their bollocks off" is definitely the best phrase I've heard for days.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

[supertom]

Good finish.
Hopefully this will get Bent fitter and he can come back to (hopefully) a new manager and we can start getting some goals out of him. Give him the right service and he's still got the movement and instinct. If he keeps scoring for Brighton it will undoubtedly do his confidence the world of good.

Fitness is the big thing. He needs to shed some paunch and come back fit enough for the Prem.

I hope he's still got something at this level. It's unlikely but it's more likely than us signing anyone half decent to replace him.

[adrenachrome]

Dailt Star

Former England striker has £200,000 supercars stolen in burglary days before Xmas

HEARTLESS thieves have raided the home of Aston Villa's £18million striker Darren Bent and driven away two of his luxury supercars just days before Christmas.

By Tom Rawle / Published 18th December 2014

The 30-year-old's home in Little Aston, Staffordshire, was targeted in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Raiders got away with the England international's high-spec Range Rover and top of the range Audi RS6 – believed to have a combined worth of almost £200,000.

Staffordshire police rushed to the address at around 3.15am and discovered locks on a uPVC window had been snapped using a new breaking technique.

They found thieves had then made an "orderly" search of the house and found the keys to each car before driving them away.

Sergeant Richard Morris, of Staffordshire Police, said thieves are now more commonly targeting the flawed cylinder locks.

He said: “Thieves have devised methods of snapping these types of cylinders locks in a matter of seconds while still being able to operate the lock to open the door.

"They’re then able to look for the keys to the cars they’ve seen outside and drive them away.

“This threat can be reduced simply by upgrading the cylinder to one that is specifically designed to prevent this method of attack."

[Toronto Villa]

shame he couldn't have been in one of his cars when came on to the pitch for us. Might have got him somewhere near the ball on occasion.

[Damo70]

I had my Toyota Supra stolen about ten years ago. Two weeks later it was found by the police. My drivers door lock and ignition needed some repair but on the plus side I had gained a selection of dance CD's in the glove compartment and an impressive amount of women's G-strings scattered all over the inside of the car considering it had only been gone a fortnight. I'm surprised the thief had the energy to pinch cars.

[silhillvilla]

Wonder why they didn't take the Ferrari unless db9 has it down in Brighton with him

[Matt Collins]

Good finish.
Hopefully this will get Bent fitter and he can come back to (hopefully) a new manager and we can start getting some goals out of him. Give him the right service and he's still got the movement and instinct. If he keeps scoring for Brighton it will undoubtedly do his confidence the world of good.

Fitness is the big thing. He needs to shed some paunch and come back fit enough for the Prem.

I hope he's still got something at this level. It's unlikely but it's more likely than us signing anyone half decent to replace him.

No chance

[pauliewalnuts]

I had my D reg VW Golf broken into in Italy.

They chucked a load of CDs around as they went through the glove compartment and nicked a packet of fags that had been left on the passenger seat.

It wasn't until I drove all the way to work and noticed the hole in the door where they'd drilled just below the lock and flicked it open that I even realised it'd been broken into, my car was always such a mess.

Totally feeling your pain today, DB9.

[ronshirt]

I thought this clever the first time read. But I've realised on second looks that it's got an iambic pentameter thing going on.

Lambo has lost it big time, to be sure,
And has now achieved critical mass
Of unresolved bats in his belfry
But don't go beating him with Dozy
Daz stick.

Laurence Olivier or Peter
 Sellers - either voice suits.

[Risso]

I had my D reg VW Golf broken into in Italy.

They chucked a load of CDs around as they went through the glove compartment and nicked a packet of fags that had been left on the passenger seat.

It wasn't until I drove all the way to work and noticed the hole in the door where they'd drilled just below the lock and flicked it open that I even realised it'd been broken into, my car was always such a mess.

Totally feeling your pain today, DB9.

There's next to zero car crime over here, mainly due to the fact that it's almost impossible to get stolen cars off the island.  My missus routinely loves her car parked outside the house unlocked with the keys still in it.