Posted on Wednesday, 4th January 2012 by This Is Futbol
Unfortunately for Aston Villa, the one change that current pantomime Villain, Alex McLeish, made in bringing in Darren Bent for Marc Albrighton did not pay off: in fact one word used to describe the decision was “clueless.” However, having been scrutinised earlier in the month for shopping whilst injured, as his team mates played a PL fixture, it seemed that his return was as warmly received as his absence just a few weeks earlier: surprising considering that he is Aston Villa’s top scorer this season.
However, while there may well be a wise few content with Bent – who is averaging a goal every other game for The Claret and Blues – the same wise few may well acknowledge that Bent’s prolific start at Villa, supplied by the ferocious wing play of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young, has become somewhat jaded – now only averaging one in three this season – since his former teammates moved on to bigger and better things at Liverpool and Manchester United respectively: now it might be Bent’s turn to move on up.
Martin O’Neill left Aston Villa at the dawn of last season’s Premier League campaign under situations imposed by club chairman, Randy Lerner, who insisted that O’Neill would have to sell if he wanted to buy, having seen Gareth Barry leave the season before and Milner leaving, also for Manchester City, at the time of his resignation. Now, it looks like the same policy is in place for Alex McLeish if he wishes to improve Villa’s fortunes, as they sit in 13th place having lost 2-0 at home to Swansea, who recorded their first away win of the season.
One man that could fund such a mid-season revamp, for the team that is looking a shadow of the side Martin O’Neill led to three successive top-six finishes in the Barclays Premier League, is Darren Bent. Bent, who urged his team to build on their New Years Eve victory, “It was a massive result to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – not many teams will do that this season – so we can take a lot of confidence from that going into the game against Swansea,” failed to recognise that Chelsea haven’t lost at home as frequently as they have this season since the days of Ranieri and failed to take any confidence on to the pitch, not recording a shot until the 90th minute, having spent the game committing fouls: 3 to be precise.
However, until Marc Albrighton took to the pitch with little over 20 minutes left and the game already lost for Villa, Bent was never going to score: the service wasn’t there and the spearhead of a Villa attack was left isolated, reminiscent of his England performance against Spain, where scraps were the only balls that Bent was going to be able to strive off of; a move to Liverpool could benefit both parties.
Although Bent is doing his best to sound enthused about his current supply, “With Charles N’Zogbia on the left and Marc Albrighton the right you know, as a striker, that the ball is going to come into the box,” a move to Liverpool would see Bent reunited with Stewart Downing, the man who made him shine when he first came to Villa Park and a reunion may well benefit Downing too, as he continues to draw criticism from fans of his own club and the nation alike. Last season, Bent joined Villa with a goalscoring record of one every 174 minutes in all club competitions and the prolific scoring form in which he joined the Villains, having scored 36 goals in 62 games for Sunderland, a ratio of 1 every 152 minutes, undoubtedly secured Downing’s high chances created figure of 1.71 a game, in the 10/11 PL campaign.
Over the past five years, having created 65 goal-scoring chances last season to add to his already impressive career tally, Downing is only behind fellow Liverpool player, Gerrard, retired Red Devil Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, English midfielder Frank Lampard and the since PL departed Cesc Fabregas, when it comes to setting up goal-scoring opportunities. This season, Downing has missed Bent: despite creating 39 goal-scoring chances for his teammates this season, he hasn’t got any assists to his name, compared to his former fellow Villain winger, Ashley Young who has created 18 chances and has 5 assists to his name at Manchester United. Bent could change opinion on, not only himself, but an underrated and undervalued Stewart Downing.
However, the Aston Villa boss has stated he has no intention of selling off the England international, who cost £24million last January,”I say that now, he won’t be leaving.” Furthermore, some sections of the Liverpool fan base believe that the transfer talk circulating Bent is a helpful smokescreen for the signing of Luuk De Jong, which may present itself as the better option for The Reds if the unlikely rumour that the unknown striker Chelsea are in for is in fact Darren Bent. Eitherway, McLeish denying the possibility of Bent departing is irrelevant: Wenger denied an interest in Henry early in December and now it is all but confirmed and closer to home, Villa denied Downing leaving, as well as Gareth Barry when he left for Manchester City in 2009.
Liverpool need a striker and Aston Villa need the money – but who can hold their own the longest or find a better deal in a predicted tighter market than 2011?
This article was written by Jordan Florit and is courtesy of our partner website thisisfutbol.com. Read the latest news and blogs about European Football at TiF. – ed
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Tags: Alex McLeish, Aston Villa, Darren Bent, Liverpool Blog, Liverpool FC, Liverpool News
Posted in View from the Kop | Comments (23)
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January 4th, 2012 at 5:13 pm
In a word, no. And i’m not sure how many times Alex McLeish is going to have to come out and say “Darren Bent is not for sale at any price” (I count 2 so far), for Liverpool fans to stop believing it. In fact a recall an interview a couple of weeks ago when he joked that he would not sell Bent unless maybe he could buy Suarez as a replacement!
February 1st will probably be the point when its finally accepted.
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Mike Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 6:31 pm
Words mean nothing
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January 4th, 2012 at 5:14 pm
‘ferocious wing play of Stewart Downing’….. are you having a laugh! On the basis of seeing him play half a season this guy just isn’t good enough for LFC… hope I’m proved wrong
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Mike Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 6:31 pm
He did play brilliant for Aston Villa. And thats what the author is trying to say. Besides, Downing hasnt been too bad for us. Strikers aren’t converting his crosses.
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Lee Merrett Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 7:05 pm
He played brilliant for us ??? when ??? oh yeah when we were playing him with 8 of our youth team and Ashley Young !! anyone would have looked good in our teams last season !!lmao …….. he is very average and we had your pants down at £20m …. as for his crosses he gets one in five on target as most Liverpool fans are seeing. Stevie G came on the other night and put four out of four into Carrol, Downing isn’t good enough for Liverpool.
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Chan Reply:
January 5th, 2012 at 5:01 am
Would one of those strikers be Carroll, the same chap that KD paid a record fee for and brought in specifically to convert Downing’s crosses?
Oh, did you notice they do have similiarities, over inflated, overhyped and British, just the sort favoured by KD and DC.
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Bekim Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
Apart from Bellamy all other british players were waste of money
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jimmy c Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 9:09 pm
Is that ferocious as look at that girl running with the ball,she looks ferocious!and like the comment below i too am worried by the crap we bought and the crap we are being linked with,
was lost for words when kenny came back,and i admit i shed a tear,but life throws strange
things in your path and i am now worried that kenny is not up to the job,the players he as bought are not up to putting on the famous red
top,carroll,henderson,adam and downing,iam losing
faith in our buys.
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Mike Reply:
January 5th, 2012 at 10:15 pm
Pfff you guys seem to think we could have bought world stars. There is no way you can get them without paying huge salaries. We are no Man City by paying huge salaries.
LFC was a wreck when KK came in. Rebuilding to a team that has quality in every department takes time. Probably a few years. This year we hope to get CL. Next season to be in the mix for the title race and the year after is when we should see the rewards from our current and upcoming transfer dealings. Henderson will be a great player. And Carroll is still younger than Spearing. Dont forget that. He will improve in the coming seasons. LFC is a work in progress but you FIFA playing children dont seem to understand that.
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January 4th, 2012 at 5:47 pm
There should not be! Honestly, the sort of players LFC are being associated with are worrying me. There isn’t much difference between Bent and Carroll. The young man should be trained on his positional sense and there is no need for LFC to have two similar players.
In this window, if possible, LFC should bring-in goal scoring right-wingers like Reus (M’gladbach) or Kagawa (Dortmund). This way LFC can meet its immediate needs but address its long-term strategic need.
To overcome the goal drought, make a strategic investment in a DM (which will be required sooner or later) and move Gerard forward as a second striker (the way he operated in the 2008/9 season). We will start to see the goals flowing in no time because goals are about quick and timely decisions which seem to be a problem for our young attackers. That is the difference between a Carroll and a Maxi or Bells.
In the meantime, if we can attract Soldado, Podolski or Negredo in the attacking department, I’m all for it because these players give us a different dimension. They also have the experience in front of goals.
YNWA
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Bekim Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 6:50 pm
Why do we keep buying this masively overrated british players. 4 that money why not try and bring El Niño back.
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January 4th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
Yes, there is real truth in this story. However it’s unlikely that Darren Bent will submit a transfer request.
For more take note of @BodymoorInsider on Twitter
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January 4th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
See my honestly held opinions were moderated out of your blog. Your lot really are full of head in the sand snotty arrogance.
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Ben Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Who cares what you have to say?
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jbd656 Reply:
January 5th, 2012 at 12:43 pm
My accusation was that LFC did their transfer activity in the press rather than through club to club negotiation. I also pointed out Bent’s ethnic origin and your club’s blinkered outlook might just make such a transfer awkward to achieve. I just used the sarcasm that I learned from countless scousers I came across in the services.
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January 4th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
Good chance, the boy scores goals, whoever the get MUST be a lot better than what they bought in so far. Apart from Suarez and Bellamy (free) the rest are poor Carrol, downing, Henderson and Adam, £80 million ouch! not sure i’d give Kenny any more.
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January 4th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Rafa would have been ripped apart if he had bought downing, carrol and adam. Are we as fans, at a bare minimum not allowed to question KD and DC judgement.
The sports media don’t say anything about this because they are English/Scottish players and we all know that british is best in the redtops.
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Chan Reply:
January 5th, 2012 at 4:57 am
There are some so call fans outthere who puts the interest of one man way above that of LFC.
To these bunch of jokers, please call yourself fans of KD and not LFC.
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January 4th, 2012 at 6:44 pm
Here we go again. Another overrated English player. If we keep signing English/British players we will win nothing. We wont even finish top four and Suarez will b off to Spain. I for one won’t blame him at all. we bought Carroll, Adam,Downing,Henderson (All British)combined fee 85million and Suarez and Enrique(30 million). Where is the value in english or foreign players. KING move upstairs pls and bring the legend(RAFA) back. YNWA
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January 4th, 2012 at 7:14 pm
cant agree more with GG.very well said
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January 5th, 2012 at 4:18 am
What’s with Kenny Dalglish’s obsession with British players? Apart from Bellamy who cost nothing, all of Kenny’s British signings have been rubbish. The only signings who are actually worth their prices are Suarez and Enrique. Liverpool will not win anything and will not finish in the top four with overpriced and overrated British players like Downing and Carroll who are simply not good enough. If Liverpool continue with this ridiculous transfer policy in targeting average British players then players like Suarez and Enrique will be off to Spain and Kenny Dalglish’s second reign at Liverpool will not be very successful.
And what exactly is Comolli’s job all about? To help Kenny find average British players? With his expertise in the transfer market why didn’t he sign Cabaye for 5m instead of Adam?
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January 5th, 2012 at 4:55 am
No. One word says it all and at 24 mill. Eric is right, LFC sign players, not pasports. Barring Bellamy, all the British players that KD signed had been a huge flop.
Maybe KD should resign, go buy his own club and take this rubbish players with him.
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January 5th, 2012 at 10:57 am
I think there’s definitely some truth in the transfer rumour about Bent. Liverpool would be a step up and would give Bent a greater chance of appearing in England’s starting line up in the European Championships this summer. Gone are the days where players stay loyal to one club and considering that Bent has had several previous clubs, he’s a player that may very well see a transfer as essential to maintaining the standards he sets himself. I think a lot of teams would fear Bent at Liverpool with the service from Adam, Gerrard and Downing. He would also compliment Suarez better than perhaps Andy Carroll has done so far.
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