Darren Bent

[Ulver]

How Bent almost kept up his 1 in 2 record in the piss awful sides we've had since he came is anyone's guess. But it does tell you one thing. He knows where the net is.

That's enough for me.

[8pints]

Clark is praising him anyway -

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/aston-villa/news/clark-praises-bents-attitude_58819.html

]Ciaran Clark has hailed his Aston Villa teammate Darren Bent for the way that he has dealt with his spell out of the starting lineup.

Despite his reputation as a clinical centre-forward, Bent has spent the majority of the season on the bench for Villa, whose manager Paul Lambert has preferred Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonlahor as a pairing.

However, rather than feeling sorry for himself, Clark has insisted that Bent has continued to have a positive attitude around the club.

"He has never changed and that's what you expect from Darren," Clark told reporters. "He has just got on with things, he is a good pro and a very experienced lad.

"He knows what he needs to do. He has kept his head up and it shows he must have been working hard in training to get back into the team.

"It just shows how professional he is in how he has kept going no matter how many downs he has had."

A number of reports have linked Bent with a transfer away from Villa Park during next month's transfer window.

[TrentVilla]

How Bent almost kept up his 1 in 2 record in the piss awful sides we've had since he came is anyone's guess. But it does tell you one thing. He knows where the net is.

That's enough for me.

In fairness though even when he was scoring VT was full of criticism of his work rate and all round game from quite a few posters (not all). It is a criticism that has been levelled at him throughout his career.

I don't particularly agree with Bent being out the side, I would rather Lambert tried to find ways to get the best out of him. For whatever reason, known only to a very small handful of people including Bent and Lambert he hasn't done that.

Lambert though would probably argue he did try with Bent, he made him skipper. Something obviously happened to change his mind, perhaps we will never know what.

[Ulver]

When we had Heskey, working his nads off. Dropping deep, holding the ball up, laying it off or creating chances for other players everyone slagged him off because he's a striker and should be scoring goals, 'that's his job' they all groaned

I want a striker to score goals, to be in the right place at the right time. No more no less

You can't train someone to have instinct, you've either got it or not. It's priceless

[Stevo985]

When we had Heskey, working his nads off. Dropping deep, holding the ball up, laying it off or creating chances for other players everyone slagged him off because he's a striker and should be scoring goals, 'that's his job' they all groaned

if he'd been doing that, we wouldn't have moaned.

You know as well as I do that, apart form a short period at the start of his Villa career, Heskey was largely ineffective for us. His days of EFFECTIVELY dropping deep and creating chances were behind him

[VillaForever1970]

When we had Heskey, working his nads off. Dropping deep, holding the ball up, laying it off or creating chances for other players everyone slagged him off because he's a striker and should be scoring goals, 'that's his job' they all groaned

I want a striker to score goals, to be in the right place at the right time. No more no less

You can't train someone to have instinct, you've either got it or not. It's priceless

When Heskey was actually doing that he was very useful in the team, he rarely did that has it bounced off his shin half the time.

Darren Bent is good at scoring goals, shit at everything else. We start the game with 10 men basically, something we cannot afford when we're down at the bottom.

Its as simple as that, oh and we dont create enough for him currently either so is a luxury we cannot afford.

[markavfc40]

How Bent almost kept up his 1 in 2 record in the piss awful sides we've had since he came is anyone's guess.

In all fairness apart from a brief spell at Spurs Bent has always played for either below average or piss poor sides.

With his record you'd have thought by now he'd have played for a club in the top 4 or 5 in the league. For some reason non of them have ever wanted to touch him with a barge pole. Logic would suggest that he would be ideal for a very good side with all the other ingredients in place and he can just get on the end of chances.

[BOF]

the short memory reference was obviously to do with Bent being the goalscoring God we'd all been waiting ten odd years for, and is now (for no apparent reason) deemed not good enough for a piss poor, shot shy, relegation threatened side

but i guess you knew that already

I actually thought the short memory was in reference to selling our stars in the past meaning we'd sell them in the future. Something that we probably will do. But I digress. I'd try and use both Bent & Benteke together. Especially tomorrow night as an experiment. They have different styles and might complement each other. I'd give Gabby a 'rest'. We won't know if we don't try. Though this thread seems to have stopped being a genuine discussion and has become a battle of personalities.

For my part I can see why Bent was dropped. It's the same reason Spurs had to sell him. As good as he undoubtedly is, he is a counter-attacking striker. He excels at balls over the top. Running on to long passes. He was tailor-made for it at Charlton, at Sunderland and for our McLeish side. All teams who willingly concede possession to the opposition and try to get them on the break. But at Spurs; a footballing side; and now here at Lambert's new Villa he is somewhat a fish out of water. It's not a co-incidence that the only 2 sides he has not excelled at are the 2 sides who (try to) play a more expansive game. Now I don't doubt that if he was in the Villa side he'd get the odd goal, but that doesn't mean we should necessarily be compromising what we're trying to do in the grand scheme just so that we can shoe-horn a high earner into a side that can't naturally accommodate him.

I think we could probably utilise the £15m better elsewhere. That's my thinking anyhoo.

[VillanousOne]

When Heskey was actually doing that he was very useful in the team, he rarely did that has it bounced off his shin half the time.

Darren Bent is good at scoring goals, shit at everything else. We start the game with 10 men basically, something we cannot afford when we're down at the bottom.

Its as simple as that, oh and we dont create enough for him currently either so is a luxury we cannot afford.

That somehow implies that Bent should be tracking back and running around like a headless chicken, he's a striker - even if he isn't doing much he is drawing defenders towards him and people have to mark him. How many times on Sat was there a cross where no-one was in the box to attack it, Benteke and Gabby were creating chances to no-one.

If Ireland starts he does tend to thread balls through to him and Lowton and Bannan are getting better at crossing. We should be aspiring to be the team that can accomodate him, whilst he needs to work harder for the cause. Saying the current team squad isn't equipped to supply Bent is a piss poor excuse, it is up to Lambert to find the balance.......... if he could get Zog and Ireland doing the business then job done!

I still reckon he is building the foundations before he can add the penthouse suite.

[VillaCas]

For my part I can see why Bent was dropped. It's the same reason Spurs had to sell him. As good as he undoubtedly is, he is a counter-attacking striker. He excels at balls over the top. Running on to long passes. He was tailor-made for it at Charlton, at Sunderland and for our McLeish side. All teams who willingly concede possession to the opposition and try to get them on the break. But at Spurs; a footballing side; and now here at Lambert's new Villa he is somewhat a fish out of water. It's not a co-incidence that the only 2 sides he has not excelled at are the 2 sides who (try to) play a more expansive game. Now I don't doubt that if he was in the Villa side he'd get the odd goal, but that doesn't mean we should necessarily be compromising what we're trying to do in the grand scheme just so that we can shoe-horn a high earner into a side that can't naturally accommodate him.

This is exactly why Bent will go in January

[Woodytom]

How anyone can't see why Bent isnt in the team is beyond me.

[Woodytom]

And what is really annoying is that is the media keep saying we are missing his goals. No were not. First of all - he wasnt scoring. Secondly, when he is scoring, his goals are not spread consistently over a large period of games to ensure prolonged success. It always about 9 in 4 and then nothing for weeks. Not to mention the fact that the opposition has usually banged in 3 due to sustained pressure through us not being able to hold the ball up.

To be fair to Darren, atm, were probably no better without him. But we are definitely no worse.

We will be better however when we get rid of his ridiculous salary though.

[Danwichmann]

And what is really annoying is that is the media keep saying we are missing his goals. No were not. First of all - he wasnt scoring. Secondly, when he is scoring, his goals are not spread consistently over a large period of games to ensure prolonged success. It always about 9 in 4 and then nothing for weeks. Not to mention the fact that the opposition has usually banged in 3 due to sustained pressure through us not being able to hold the ball up.

To be fair to Darren, atm, were probably no better without him. But we are definitely no worse.

We will be better however when we get rid of his ridiculous salary though.

Given that he was signed when we were already looking to reduce the wage bill I doubt he's on a "ridiculous salary". A good one, certainly, but manageable 'm sure.

[Big_John_10]

Not to mention the fact that the opposition has usually banged in 3 due to sustained pressure through us not being able to hold the ball up.

Quite a statement.

Quite a lot of blame being put on one player.

[TrentVilla]

And what is really annoying is that is the media keep saying we are missing his goals. No were not. First of all - he wasnt scoring. Secondly, when he is scoring, his goals are not spread consistently over a large period of games to ensure prolonged success. It always about 9 in 4 and then nothing for weeks. Not to mention the fact that the opposition has usually banged in 3 due to sustained pressure through us not being able to hold the ball up.

To be fair to Darren, atm, were probably no better without him. But we are definitely no worse.

We will be better however when we get rid of his ridiculous salary though.

I agree with you there.

[Morpheus]

This is Darren Bent we are talking about not Lionel Messi. Bent is not a 20m striker he's at best a £8m one now. His history is Ipswich, Charlton and Sunderland not Chelsea, Man United and Barcelona. When he played for a top half side (spurs) he was found wanting. If you told every premier league club they could have Benteke or Bent, I guarantee that all 19 would take Benteke.

Although 25 minutes of course is too little to properly judge what happened on Saturday is exactly why Bent can't work at Villa.

Arrogance? No mate, arrogance is thinking that you know better than a successful manager and ex-CL winner

What a very strange post.

I don't think anyone has made a comparison between Bent and Messi and Bent certainly wasn't found wanting at Spurs. He fell out with the manager after Redknapp's famous quote.

Bent has also scored goals for whatever team he has played for and that was my point. It doesn't make him an inferior player because he played for Charlton! To use just one example, Shearer played for Southampton yet is held in very high esteem for his exploits as a footballer.

Finally the title of manager doesn't always make you infallible. You seem to think that just because Lambert is our manager he should be devoid of criticism. You only have to look at our previous manager to see that.

Like i said a rather strange post from you there.

[Woodytom]

Quite a statement.

Quite a lot of blame being put on one player.

I assumed the word 'us' would be enough to ensure readers that I wasn't just blaming Darren Bent, but more so, the ineffective combination of Bent playing in a woeful team that can't string 3 forward passes together - causing DBs limited 18 yard box game to become useless more often than not.

[Stevo985]

He fell out with the manager

This seems to happen a lot with Bent doesn't it?

Now I'm one of the guys who would rather see Bent work at Villa than be sold. But I'd say the quoted is one of the reasons he'll be off, and one of the reasons he rarely lasts more than a couple of seasons at a club.

[Mantis]

We don't actually know he fell out with Lambert. It's all just speculation.

[Stevo985]

Yep, which is why I said "I'd say the quoted is..." as opposed to "It is..."