Rich_D

Brought in half way through a season. No pre season. Foreign surroundings. Doesn't speak the language. The team in general were not playing well. Completely different league to the bench in Ligue 1. Give him the summer. To me, he thinks too quick for the players around him and I can personally see the quality in the quy.

So we should never look for him to improve?? Or point out when he doesnt perfrorm?? Strange how we dont do that with all players?? There really is a will on here to avoid saying anything negative about the fans favourite. Darren Bent earns 70,000 a week and if he has a bad game, then he should be looking for ways not to have a bad game. Why cant we as well?? I didn't men you can't slate him if he has a bad game, but when has he for us? The times he has been 'poor' so to speak are the ones when he hasn't scored, and he hasn't scored because he has not been given the service that he needs. What is the point in arguing about him not being the most prolific goalscorer in the PL, when in fact he is in the top 3 anyway, which is far higher than our current position in the table. I'm trying to say, he won't adapt his game, he has no need to. He isn't the greatest of footballers, he is not like Rooney nor Drogba, but do the majority of us care? I'd say no. He scores goals when he is given the chance and that is good enough for me and a lot of other fans. He isn't my favourite player at the club but from what I have seen of him so far there is very, very little to slate him about. FWIW, I slate Coker for not being able to play simple passes and not really offering much else other than being a bloody good defensive midfielder. I bet people aren't giving Hernandez at Utd any stick. Yep, he is slightly younger but he offers the same to Bent. He just has someone around him called Rooney that does his work and his own work so it doesn't look as 'bad'. Bent would probably score more goals if he was around better players. Oh well, what does it matter to us?

What does it matter that he is only 2nd in the list. Going on those stats, surely he should be playing for a club that finishes 2nd. But he doesn't, he is a Villa player, will score goals for us if he gets the service and that should be that. I can't see why there is any debate about Bent. Initially his fee seemed a lot, but inheinsite it is mere peanuts in comparison to what happened later on in January. Since then, he has scored 9 in 15, scoring 4 goals against the top 3 with a game against Liverpool to come. This thread should be about praising all the work the guy does, not a debate about how good he should be, can be or whatever.

If thats aimed at my question then you implied it wen you said you agree with everything in the post you quoted?? i didn't even read your post, i believe bent is world class and would score goals in any side in world football and no that post was about rooney Fair enough, I disagree, based on he hasnt proven anything on a world stage yet. Also, Im not sure your synopsis works tbh. Score goals for any team in world football? Surely the better the team ur in, the easier it is to score. A better way to look at it imo, wud be to judge whether or not he can consistently score against any team in world football. If Villa played Man Utd 38 times next season, Darren Bent aint gettin 20 goals for me In his 1 and a half years at sunderland, he scored against arsenal, liverpool, chelsea, tottenham and man utd. Since joining us in jan, he has scored against arsenal twice and man cit Think youve missed the point tbh. Im not saying he cant score against them, cos that would be silly given that hes proven he can. My point is, could darren Bent adapt his game enough to score consistently against a top side over a season. After a few games, man utd would know his game and shut him out as they would with anyboby admittedly, but Id be more confident that - Torres (when on form), rooney, Villa, Tevez, Messi, Drogba, Ronaldo etc (who I believe to be the best strikers in the world) would be able to adapt there game more than Bent to score more often. Im not having a go at Bent here, im saying simply hes not at the level of the other players mentioned imo. Theres been much debate on world class on here and what it means. The majority seem to think its 'the best of the best'. A definition, Ive swung towards from the opinion I had a few months back which I now believe was wrong - but thats a different matter. The strikers above are the best in the world. On form, all of them have proven that over and over again. No one in ther right mind can argue that Darren Bent is of their quality. Its just madness Bents game is based on movement, reacting to lose balls and putting away half chances. It is not that easy to stop those traits. It would mean, anticipating him as well as where the ball to be, holding on to every single shot and literally being closer to him than his own shadow. It is easier to take a player out that comes deep, always wants the ball at his feet and runs at players. Also, to say you want him to adapt to score more consistently is wrong, 5,7,8 goals in the last 3 seasons against top 6 teams is pretty impressive. You have got to think about the amount of goals those teams concede and when we beat them, how many goals is it by.

Watched him at VP, if he didn't get a pass to his feet he was whinging or constantly throwing hand gestures and we think Young thinks he's Billy big time. That could be the big fish in the small pond scenario. Wants the ball and thinks he is the only one that can do anything threatening with...which isn't far off in the Wigan side.

Houllier to move upstairs and get the players in. Moyes to be the manager of the squad and pick the team. GMac to leave and go cause havoc somewhere else, preferably at Lpool or a relegated SHA

Top player. Offers nothing in an actual attacking threat, but what a poacher!

Big defeat I think. Hopefully we go with Bent up top on his own, Young and Downing on the wings, Makoun Petrov and NRC in the midfield with Cuellar in for Collins at the back

Because they hired Houllier? Who has years of experience at a top club in England, won trophies there and then won trophies in France. Ye, he has been away for a few years but so what? Does that make someone who has experience in an industry, then made redundant, completely inadequate to go back in to the industry after time out? No. Hiring Lambert, Poyet is worse. No experience at this level, and never won trophies. Hughes is a strange one. What did he do when he had all the cash at City? Win anything, or even get close? Moyes is the only candidate that is a viable one. Has proved he can do something on a budget, given a little bit of cash and a team with better players, he could do something. He'd still have to prove to the world (or just us fans) that he can spend he money wisely, which, when you look at what MON did on the whole, isn't as easy.

We need to get rid of the all the foreigners, including Randy. We are a British club and need everything British.......

So our players are English, means we should have an English manager? Problem is finding a good one. Other problem is that other foreign managers are still able to bring through English youth. At the end of the day, clubs need to have so many homegrown players now to play in Europe so that aspect will not be overlooked.

good luck to em never won owt for us so wel get over it!! Just like we did with Milner and Barry (who also won us nowt). Ash will be tough to take cos hes my favourite player but im gettin used to the idea. Downing may have been one of the best players/the best player this season - but hes been the best player in what has ultimately been a shambolic team That does not make him a bad player though. He performed well in a poor team, imagine what he could do in a better team, with the players around performing better. A lot of people say Young's form has dipped because Barry left, it got better when Milner was there and has dipped again since Milner left. This shows that Young needs to be fed. What has Downing been fed this season???Apart from a lot of abuse about his lack of tackling... No you right, it doesnt make him a bad player but it doesnt make him a gr8 one either. FWIW Id prefer for him to stay but I dont think hes key to success. In all the MOTM performances hes given - how many have been match winning performances?? Can't answer that question off the top of my head. How many games has Young, Gabby, Albrighton, Petrov won us this season. The only player that could stake that claim is Bent, who in effect, has kept us safe this season with his goals. As I said, shambolic season after which Im not particularly worried about losing anyone! Still means another player going out (which shows lack of ambition to some), another player coming in, having a settling in period, getting used to everything and then expected to hit the ground running. Young and NRC will go. Downing, although not the greatest player in the world, has proved that he can put in a good shift even in a team that is under performing. Imagine if he had under performed like the rest of them. Although we would all like 9 new players to slot straight in to the starting team, it will not work unless all of those players join at the first possible date, have a solid pre season and all understand the philosophy of the club

good luck to em never won owt for us so wel get over it!! Just like we did with Milner and Barry (who also won us nowt). Ash will be tough to take cos hes my favourite player but im gettin used to the idea. Downing may have been one of the best players/the best player this season - but hes been the best player in what has ultimately been a shambolic team That does not make him a bad player though. He performed well in a poor team, imagine what he could do in a better team, with the players around performing better. A lot of people say Young's form has dipped because Barry left, it got better when Milner was there and has dipped again since Milner left. This shows that Young needs to be fed. What has Downing been fed this season???Apart from a lot of abuse about his lack of tackling... No you right, it doesnt make him a bad player but it doesnt make him a gr8 one either. FWIW Id prefer for him to stay but I dont think hes key to success. In all the MOTM performances hes given - how many have been match winning performances?? Can't answer that question off the top of my head. How many games has Young, Gabby, Albrighton, Petrov won us this season. The only player that could stake that claim is Bent, who in effect, has kept us safe this season with his goals.

good luck to em never won owt for us so wel get over it!! Just like we did with Milner and Barry (who also won us nowt). Ash will be tough to take cos hes my favourite player but im gettin used to the idea. Downing may have been one of the best players/the best player this season - but hes been the best player in what has ultimately been a shambolic team That does not make him a bad player though. He performed well in a poor team, imagine what he could do in a better team, with the players around performing better. A lot of people say Young's form has dipped because Barry left, it got better when Milner was there and has dipped again since Milner left. This shows that Young needs to be fed. What has Downing been fed this season???Apart from a lot of abuse about his lack of tackling...

As does Downing. My theory goes... a defender is there to defend, if he scores it is a bonus. an attacker is there to attack, if he defends it is a bonus. He isn't going to be the best defender, after all, he has been an attacker for all of his career. No point trying to knock the player that has been heads and shoulders above the rest of the squad in terms of performances and consistency across the season. I don't care if he hasn't been perfect, hasn't been as good as previous winners, or that he may have won it because other players around him have been poor this season, it is all relevant, at least he was able to show some professionalism and quality to just get on with his game

Good bloke - but to much of a dyed in the wool cockney for me No coincidence Chelsea were a flop and dropped a lot of points after he left. They have recently got back to form but are far, far away from the team they used to be when RW was around.

Don't care how much it costs, but get Ray Wilkins in. Not as manager but he needs to be involved someone within the backroom staff

Messed up our shape when Albrighton came on as Young had to play behind the striker.

This.

That based on hope (aka your negativity) or based on what you've heard about GH going upstairs as DoF? Mark, would you take Moyes as the manager?

Problem with Moyes is that his team are always terribly slow starters. I don't care how high they finish at the end of the season because Houllier was getting stick for the slow start he had, and he was a new manager. Surely, Moyes should be able to hit the ground running after a few seasons in charge. Alladyce should never be near Villa apart from when he is the visiting manager and simply no to Benitez. Lets all get used to the FACT that Houllier will be manager next season, baring he makes a speedy recovery, he WILL get a pot of money to spend in the summer and WILL bring in players that will want to play for the fans/club/himself and we will be back to competing for EL again.

A little thought earlier...to anyone that doubts he could play for one of the top 4 because he doesn't offer much else that just scoring goals, what else does Hernandez @ Man Utd do apart from score?

Wouldn't be surprised to see Cuellar at RB to combat the aerial threat from Stoke. NRC to batter their midfield. Bent to score.

Completely different player

There was something on PLWorld this morning that said Moyes has always started slowly in his time at Everton and pulled it through at the end of the season. I doubt a slow start at Villa would be received well, after all, Houllier had one and people hate him.