Darren Bent

[paul34]

I still laugh about the posts where people claimed we wouldnt miss Bent as Gabby would step up and score the goals instead.

Gabby isn't, never was and never will be a goalscorer. He's a 15 a season man once in a blue moon at best.

I beginning to wonder if he actually gives a shit too. His performances of late have been pathetic. Both in terms of effort and quality.

Gabby is not keen on Eck or Grant and is not happy at being put out wide all of time and is contemplating leaving

Such shit stirring.

I actually know this as fact!

well if you know its a fact can you explain how a villa fan doesnt give 100% wherever he's being played cuz i know i would?pass the message on he can pm me if he wants too!

:winkold:

[houllierout]

we wouldnt miss Gabby.... he's just a modern day Julian Joachim.

[Laivasse]

We certainly would have missed Gabby this season. I worked it out before that his goals and assists before December, in games we drew or won by 1 goal, directly contributed to something like 9 points for us. Check where we'd be in the table right now with 9 fewer points. While it's arguable that another striker from outside could step into Bent's shoes and perform similarly, it's harder to argue that another member of our squad would have filled the hole if we didn't have Gabby early on. If Gabby's so easily replaceable, why didn't N'Zog/Petrov/Bannan/Ireland/Delph replicate his performances at the time and why has nobody replicated them since?

No doubt he's looked listless and demotivated so far in 2012, but then it's not like Bent was innocent of that criticism before the injury either.

[CI]

we wouldnt miss Gabby.... he's just a modern day Julian Joachim.

Oh FFS, I've heard it all now

[wiggyrichard]

we wouldnt miss Gabby.... he's just a modern day Julian Joachim.

[Voinjama]

we wouldnt miss Gabby.... he's just a modern day Julian Joachim.

I think he is a better player than Joachim was. But I presume you mean because they both rely so heavily on their pace, and dont have enough other attributes.

[houllierout]

Yup, and their goal records are very similar.

[juanpabloangel18]

Gabby is better than Bent.

[PieFacE]

Gabby is better than Bent.

at not scoring goals?

[juanpabloangel18]

I mainly said it to piss off houllierout, but I also think there's a case for it being true. Gabby, when he wants it, is a complete attacking player. Bent's all round outside-the-box play meanwhile is championship standard. He has absolutely no versatility and is only good at goal poaching (admittedly a valuable skill).

I think Bent is a good player but over the last 6 months I've come to see his limitations. Surely we can all understand why a top club has never come knocking for Bent, and while the same could be said for Gabby, I'd suggest that its largely his loyalty to us that has hindered his career.

[PieFacE]

I mainly said it to piss off houllierout, but I also think there's a case for it being true. Gabby, when he wants it, is a complete attacking player. Bent's all round outside-the-box play meanwhile is championship standard. He has absolutely no versatility and is only good at goal poaching (admittedly a valuable skill).

I think Bent is a good player but over the last 6 months I've come to see his limitations. Surely we can all understand why a top club has never come knocking for Bent, and while the same could be said for Gabby, I'd suggest that its largely his loyalty to us that has hindered his career.

Yeah Bent becomes better player with better attacking players around him (Downing, Young), whereas Gabby can do it at any level when he's in the mood for it. I don't think it's a case of him not trying, it just sometimes happens and sometimes doesnt, mainly doesnt lately.

[houllierout]

To me a strikers job is to score goals. Bent gets twice as many (0.47 goal to games) as Gabby (0.24) Now all that running around like a headless chicken from Gabby actually does him no favours. If the daft git would get in the box more he'd score more but he tend to come out onto the wings too much.

over the last 6 months you ve come to see McLeish's tactics dampening Bent not his limitations... as he's still scoring more than Gabby with no service.

The main reason no big club has come in for Gabby is simple. He's not good enough.

[Laivasse]

To me a strikers job is to score goals. Bent gets twice as many (0.47 goal to games) as Gabby (0.24) Now all that running around like a headless chicken from Gabby actually does him no favours. If the daft git would get in the box more he'd score more but he tend to come out onto the wings too much.

over the last 6 months you ve come to see McLeish's tactics dampening Bent not his limitations... as he's still scoring more than Gabby with no service.

But how many times has Bent been played on the wing? Gabby has always liked to run the channels, but lately he drifts wide mindlessly, even when we already have people wide and it results in an empty box. It's because he's become accustomed to playing more like a midfielder than a striker, thanks to Houllier and McLeish.

[houllierout]

To me a strikers job is to score goals. Bent gets twice as many (0.47 goal to games) as Gabby (0.24) Now all that running around like a headless chicken from Gabby actually does him no favours. If the daft git would get in the box more he'd score more but he tend to come out onto the wings too much.

over the last 6 months you ve come to see McLeish's tactics dampening Bent not his limitations... as he's still scoring more than Gabby with no service.

But how many times has Bent been played on the wing? Gabby has always liked to run the channels, but lately he drifts wide mindlessly, even when we already have people wide and it results in an empty box. It's because he's become accustomed to playing more like a midfielder than a striker, thanks to Houllier and McLeish.

Bent should never be on the wing so im failing to see your point?

Gabby's aimless because he's a bit thick.

[Laivasse]

Bent should never be on the wing so im failing to see your point?

Gabby's aimless because he's a bit thick.

I'm saying Bent's scoring record is unaffected by periods of being picked out of position.

McLeish's idea of a winger is a deep-sitting meatshield for the fullback - that's a position that Gabby should never be playing either. I'm not saying he's a secret MENSA member but when he's fired up and playing instinctually he can be dangerous in his all-round play, as evidenced by his goals and assists in the early season.

[houllierout]

Bent should never be on the wing so im failing to see your point?

Gabby's aimless because he's a bit thick.

I'm saying Bent's scoring record is unaffected by periods of being picked out of position.

McLeish's idea of a winger is a deep-sitting meatshield for the fullback - that's a position that Gabby should never be playing either. I'm not saying he's a secret MENSA member but when he's fired up and playing instinctually he can be dangerous in his all-round play, as evidenced by his goals and assists in the early season.

But his record shows that EVERY season he goes well for 4 or 5 games then just doesnt bother

[Laivasse]

Gabby was nowhere near as ineffective under MON as he has been under Houllier and Eck, two managers who have misused him. Bent gets to concentrate on scoring because he's never had to worry about the ridiculous and impossible task of covering Stephen Warnock. Tell any prem striker that's one of their responsibilities and watch them play like a trauma victim.

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

I mainly said it to piss off houllierout, but I also think there's a case for it being true. Gabby, when he wants it, is a complete attacking player.

Agreed. The only problem is that he seems to "want it" for a quarter of the season, and then for the rest of the time he looks like he doesn't want it at all!

[houllierout]

Although this is getting off topic.... one last thing with gabby.

You can tell the exact second he has to think about his play... by watching him you can hear yourself shouting "dont think" as soon as he does...... its given away..

[Woodytom]

I've had enough of fans saying we are better off without Bent and should sell etc..

.. So ive posted why i think he could be one of our best strikers EVER here:

http://lernerslostit.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/darren-bent-the-best-avfc-striker-since/

You need to get out more mate. Whilst I dont doubt Bents goals have been important to us since he signed, Id quite like to read a more balanced arguement where you don't appear to replace Bent with 'thin air' should he have not signed.

Absolutely ridiculous to take his goals away and not even acknowledge that another player would have been playing, who may have scored less and may have scored more - who knows??

its in direct response to people saying we'd be better off without him. So would Gabby or Heskey scored those goals? No. Especially given the fact they cant find their way into the box anyway.

Sorry for caring about the villa.

Who said it had to be Gabby or Heskey?

So not having Bent means we wouldnt have bought another striker?

We could have saved 20m and gone for someone cheaper like Demba Ba, Grant Holt, Danny Graham or Yakubu - all of whom have scored more goals than Bent in teams with similar total shots (chances created etc) - Or so they did last time I looked a few weeks back. Obv Bents injury hasnt done him any favours with that since.

In addition, those players offer something else to the team as well.

Is it daft to say blindly, wed be better off without Bent? Yes, Il give you that.

However, consider his price tag, his wage, his lack of other dimensions to his game, the fact that Mcliesh doesnt suit Bent, the fact there are cheaper options available who are out performing him - you would have to say yes, we might be better off without him - if hes replaced right - now thats a huuuuuuuuuugggggge IF.