Bentley

[janaage]

What trying to take the flak for it, as it wasn't that popular, or was he thinking it was a great innovative idea?

[Colin Todd]

dos santos....arshavin...modric.....bentley.


geez louise that is some midfield.

I hope they play that 4 v Pompey. Papa bouba diop will eat them

[oxford_fan]

Jesus what kind of insane world are we living in when a jumped up England B international winger is "a snip" at £15m.

cynic!

theres so much expectation of young players. the lad has had only one full season at prem level and looks pretty damn good so far. he scored some blinders and made plenty of assists.

[Rich Pullen]

cynic!

theres so much expectation of young players. the lad has had only one full season at prem level and looks pretty damn good so far. he scored some blinders and made plenty of assists.

Ashley Young is close to justifying the ridiculous fee Villa paid for him - I'm sure Bentley will do the same but I still think these fees are unbelievable.

[Bob's Orange]

Spurs also trying to sign Pavluchenko for 15 million.

[DV]

Jesus what kind of insane world are we living in when a jumped up England B international winger is "a snip" at £15m.

With so many free transfer and plays sold on the cheap when they are in their last year on contract means that a players value is very rarely dicatated by his worth, more so the amount of time he has left on his contract.

Bentley signed a new 4 year (I think) deal last yeah, so has at least 3 years left to run. Thats what Spurs are paying for a player of Bentley talent and the remaining 3 years of his contract.

If Bentley only had one year left he would have been sold for half the price if that.

[Batch]

Contract length is irrelevant. Spurs still paid stupid money for someone whose 'talent' is not yet proven.

[Panda Paws]

dos santos....arshavin...modric.....bentley.


geez louise that is some midfield.

You'd have to have someone sitting behind, but if done right then it's an awesome midfield

[Lumps]

cynic!

theres so much expectation of young players. the lad has had only one full season at prem level and looks pretty damn good so far. he scored some blinders and made plenty of assists.

I think you've made my point for me. The blokes had one decent season, looking good in a pretty mediocre side, and people think £15m is some kind of bargain. Remind me, how much did Torres cost Liverpool last season?

If Bentley is "a snip" then that deal was fucking robbery.

[Flea]

Good point RP, Everyone thought young was over valued turns out hes not bad. I would of paid no more than 10 mill for bentley.

[Don Rogers Shop]

i dont think he is much better than pennant to be honest. Bare in mind though arsenal get 505 sell on fee so that obviously had a big part

[Lumps]

i dont think he is much better than pennant to be honest. Bare in mind though arsenal get 505 sell on fee so that obviously had a big part

I don't know just over 500 quid doesn't seem a huge amount out of £15m.

[oxford_fan]

I think you've made my point for me. The blokes had one decent season, looking good in a pretty mediocre side, and people think £15m is some kind of bargain.

not at all. £15m is a wack load of money. but transfer fees are pretty irrelevant. if you can afford it, and theres potential for him to prove his worth in the future, feck it. the market (and to an extent the contract as DV points out) dictates the price not the player.

whatever the fee it is a good aquisition.

"he's not worth fifteen million - that's just  silly! I'd have been happy paying nine million pounds for him" sounds ludicrous to me.

polar to your cynical evaluation of his season you could also say he looked a bright spark in a distinctly average side. contributed some key goals and many more assists. has age on his side. a great prospect with a decent chance of establishing himself as a key fixture in the national side over the next couple of years.

[DV]

Contract length is irrelevant. Spurs still paid stupid money for someone whose 'talent' is not yet proven.

It clearly is relevant because players with more years left on their contract go for more money.

Michael Owen (injuries) as side is class player and about a thousand times the player Bentley will ever be and Liverpool sold him for 8million because he only had one year left on his contract.

A year later he is sold for 16million, double what Madrid paid for him because he had a couple of years left on his contract. Owens talent didnt double at Madrid he didnt get any better. His value just went up because he was under contract for longer.

Bentley signed a new 4 year contract within the last year. So in effect Spurs are probably buying David Bentley for 8-10million and buying out his existing contract for the remaining 7-5million.

[Lumps]

Astonishingly I'm finding myelf agreeing with DV. Having a 4 year contract in place definately inflates your transfer value.

However I still don't think the fellah's that great. If you can't get into the England midfield, which is pretty bloody woeful for an international team of England's standing, and is so chronically short of width that SWP, who barely gets a kick at Chelsea, gets a regular place, then you might not be that great.

For me he's just the latest in a long line of players that the media get all excited about that don't strike me as being that good.

This was supposed to be Englands golden generation, but is Bentley better than Waddle? Any of the forward combinations available (and I include the scouse doughboy in the equation) any better than Beardsley and Lineker? Gerrard better than Gazza? Hargreaves better than Robson? Would you rather John Terry than Tony Adams? Ashley Cole or Pearce?

If I was picking a side from England's players from the early 90's and those of today I think I'd only have 2 current players in the starting line up:

Gerrard because I think he'd offer more than Platt would alongside Gazza

Ferdinand because I think he's a better fit than Mark Wright in a back three that would include Walker and Adams

Shrek would have to settle for a place on the bench because I'd rather have the pug ugly geordie up front with Lineker, and Waddle and Gascoigne in midfield.

I don't think anyone else would get a sniff.

It may be that I'm looking back with the rose tinted glasses of nostalgia on but i can't help but think that England teams used to have loads more exciting, creative, attacking talent to call on.

In Italia 90 they fielded a team that included Beardsley, Gazza and Waddle with John Barnes on the bench, and didn't even bother to take Hoddle with them.

I'm sorry if that means I can't get too excited about the little cockernee with the daft haircuts and the attitude problem but there it is.