Swerbs Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 (edited) Good footballer but poor defender, hope he improves on that. Edited May 5, 2013 by Swerbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Good footballer but poor defender, hope he improves on that. Well at least its something to work on. If he was poor in both depts. that would be a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 He's gonna be the next Bale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houlston Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 People being far too harsh on him. Match of the day did a proper hatchet job on him. He had a bad game, indeed, but he has been playing better of late and the example of how United targeted is kind of misleading. Not one goal that game was his fault and he was up against Valencia and Rafael with little cover from Gabby. His initial booking yesterday, imo, was very harsh, especially when you consider Holt was constantly fouling and never got booked. The penalty was stupid as was the foul on the edge of the box but the rest of his game was decent. He had the second highest pass success rate, wasn't dispossessed once and made 9 clearances (only 1 less than Vlaar). He's not had a great season but neither has Aston Villa as a team, but at times he has looked good and he, generally, has improved in the second half of the season. This is his first in the prem in a struggling team that in the first half of the season invited pressure for almost a full 90. Give him a chance, there's a good player there he just needs to bulk up, not be so naive and not have the fans on his back as soon as he does something wrong. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 People being far too harsh on him. Match of the day did a proper hatchet job on him. He had a bad game, indeed, but he has been playing better of late and the example of how United targeted is kind of misleading. Not one goal that game was his fault and he was up against Valencia and Rafael with little cover from Gabby. His initial booking yesterday, imo, was very harsh, especially when you consider Holt was constantly fouling and never got booked. The penalty was stupid as was the foul on the edge of the box but the rest of his game was decent. He had the second highest pass success rate, wasn't dispossessed once and made 9 clearances (only 1 less than Vlaar). He's not had a great season but neither has Aston Villa as a team, but at times he has looked good and he, generally, has improved in the second half of the season. This is his first in the prem in a struggling team that in the first half of the season invited pressure for almost a full 90. Give him a chance, there's a good player there he just needs to bulk up, not be so naive and not have the fans on his back as soon as he does something wrong. We still need a good left back in the summer. He needs competition to maintain some sort of consistency if nothing else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel1Avfc Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Terrible defender, Cresswell for the extra 1m would have been worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 they wanted 6 million for Cresswell. highly doubt he is worth half that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa-revolution Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 they wanted 6 million for Cresswell. highly doubt he is worth half that Sat right next to Cresswell's uncle in the Witton Lane Stand (It's correct name) at 3rd round FA Cup game at VP. He assured me that Villa offered £4.5 M & Ipswich rigidly wanted £6M so we never went back after that! Bennett has certainly got a nice left foot but defensively he is so, so naive & as a lot of posters state most opposition managers & coaches target this area as a major weakness in our team. He does have potential though & I would much prefer us to go out & sign a quality LB & let him & Bennett fight it out for the shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3te Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 What Bennett lacks can be taught, that's the biggest thing about him. If he was just a really bad footballer, there'd be no hope, but he's a decent player who just needs to be taught how to defend properly 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 I don't think he can handle the pressure right now. Sign another LB and let him improve as a squad player. Going into next season with him as first choice LB would be stupid IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 would prefer we sign a good centre half and push Baker to left back. can use Bennett against the teams that would let us play football like the Fulhams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 I expect Bennett to leave in the summer in any case. I'll bet you a thousand pound he doesn't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 would prefer we sign a good centre half and push Baker to left back. can use Bennett against the teams that would let us play football like the Fulhams Bennett needs to bulk up a little and cut out the silly fouls but there is a decent player in there Baker has not got the attacking ability to be a regular left back I agree that we need some competition for the LB slot though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 It's just horrible having him there, he can't do anything defensively right at all. His issues are partly physical, being the leaf he is, but it's mostly understanding of the game. Gets himself the wrong side, doesn't know how to stand a man up, show someone wide, deal with someone bigger than him aerially, stuff you learn when you're 15. Accident waiting to happen, very nearly cost us the win Sat. He can pass if given time, and has a bit of quality in general with his left foot, but we need solidity there right now. I'd have Lichaj there, or even Clark at a push for the next two. Keep Baker in the middle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 I think you are being too harsh on him. He had a good game against Adam Johnson. I've hardly seen Johnson have less effect in a game. There's no doubt we need competition at left back but Baker, Clarke and Lichaj are not the answer there. Bennett is far from the worst left back we have seen at Villa and at 22 he has plenty of time to improve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfisher Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 I'd put Lichaj in. It's his wrong side but as said above I think Lichaj has at least a grasp of the basics of defending. Bennett should never have left the championship. I haven't seen any grain of potential to feel maybe he has something to work on, he's just so way off the level I can only suggest a new LB and keep him as a spare and hope he gets better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaglint Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 I still believe he has the potential to come good. His bad games are becoming fewer in number which is encouraging. No doubt though if we are to progress as a side we need more depth at LB, probably someone to come in as a starter with Bennett challenging Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pelle Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 I can't believe people wanting Lichaj to step in. Do you really have such a short memory? Lichaj played lb earlier this season when Bennett was injured and he was far, far worse than Bennett's been so far. And Bennett hasn't been that bad defensively either since we started to gain some form. Yes, he was very bad against norwich and almost solely made us drop points. But that's one game. He's been decent the rest of the last say6-7 games. But I'm in the "let's keep him and get someone else in for competition"-camp. We need someone who's better than decent. Get rid of Stevens instead. He's worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted May 7, 2013 Moderator Share Posted May 7, 2013 TBH I want Lichaj in. Bennett should have been sent off at the weekend and he cost us the goal too. He almost single-handedly jeopardised our result. He has always been more effective going forward but at this stage of the season we (I) need a more solid defender there. I don't care how effective my left back is at going forward at this point. I don't know whether he will ever be good enough, but right now he isn't and that's all that matters in May. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 Personally, I'd be happiest with Clark in at left back, or Baker with Clark back in the middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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