[Archived] David Bentley

[RoyRover]

This is very good news. We gave him his chance at regular football and he has delivered for us. He has been one of our best players this season and has started to play more consistently. I think that he realises that Rovers have a very good team and when we have a fully fit squad, with all our key players playing, then we will be a team who are challenging for European football and in cups on a regular basis.

[USRoverME]

I might be parading my ignorance, but does this 4 year deal set up a ManUre swoop for Bentley or is it designed to protect that very thing? (Maybe I should have read the previous 3 pages).

I would think that this contract doesn't block a swoop, but it means that Bentley couldn't leave on a Bosman or on a cut-price deal.

The only way to have this "block" a swoop would be if the contract doesn't have a "release clause" like our dear friend Mr. Bellamy.

[CircoW]

Delighted. Made my day.

He just gets better and better. Looking forward to watching him for years to come.

[thenodrog]

Why is that true? Micah Richards, Joey Barton, Konchesky, Andy Johnson, Ben Foster, Chris Kirkland are all at similar or lesser clubs but have recently been in the england squad. Seems more players from small teams are breaking in nowadays.

Thats cos the big teams are full of foreigners.

[Billy Castell]

despite the new deal, come the summer, he'll still be a name linked with the 'big' clubs.

How long will it be until he'll 'sign for Spurs in a £2m deal', along with all the other players that were supposed to go there.

[92er]

Agreed. The big problem for Bentley is that his best position is right wing and currently we have loads of right sided players: Lennon, Gerrard, SWP, Dyer, Milner, Jenas, and J Cole can play there. Beckhma couldmake a comeback too. While Bentley has recently been playing better than many of these it would be hard in my opinion to really argue that he was a better allround player than any of those apart from perhaps Jenas and Milner.

Its going to be a pretty tough scrap for him to get a place.

What was interesting in the LT today was the suggestion by Neild that MH sees Bentley as Tugay's replacement when the latter stops playing in the Premiership.

[Presty On Tour]

awesome news, the fact he has signed the extension shows how much he is enjoying his football here and sees big things happening in the future.

we knew he had potential and now he is filling his boots, happy days!!!

[Dr Gonzo]

What was interesting in the LT today was the suggestion by Neild that MH sees Bentley as Tugay's replacement when the latter stops playing in the Premiership.

I really hope to be proved wrong about this but I don't think he's that kind of player. The reason he's come good recently is that he's been given a job to do and has delivered brilliantly. He's blossomed under a structure. Keep him at RW.

Maybe he could become a Tugay, but it'd be a long way in the future IMO.

I think he deserves a lot of recognition for his performance this season, but I'm glad he's shown some loyalty in signing a contract. Under the guidance of Hughes and Rovers he's been able to settle and really grow naturally as a footballer.

[3recurring]

Very pleased that he's extended his contract with us - and in case anyone was curious as to what he's on now, the Guardian are reporting it to be worth £30k p/w.

[Ronin]

Did like the comments from both Bentley and Hughes on SSN about signing the new contract. Very positive stuff indeed.

[joey_big_nose]

I really hope to be proved wrong about this but I don't think he's that kind of player. The reason he's come good recently is that he's been given a job to do and has delivered brilliantly. He's blossomed under a structure. Keep him at RW.

Maybe he could become a Tugay, but it'd be a long way in the future IMO.

I think he deserves a lot of recognition for his performance this season, but I'm glad he's shown some loyalty in signing a contract. Under the guidance of Hughes and Rovers he's been able to settle and really grow naturally as a footballer.

I agree with that. Bentley is far far better on the right than he is in the centre. His crossing is absolutely first rate, not sure I could name a better, and if you but him in the centre you lose that.

If he was to become a new Tugay he will have to learn to keep his head up more, have more awareness about who was around him and learn when to play the simle and the through ball. He does have all the skill required though.

[den]

Didn't we win something around that time though?

I'd say the only thing that is preventing David from a call-up is his position.

The point being made was that he isn't selected for England because he plays for rovers.

[gumboots]

Yes, but presumably if he played for Rovers in a position where the so called big clubs don't have English players he'd get a call-up. The problem is that with so many media darlings liking to play wide right, Bentley, as a Rovers player doesn't stand as good a chance of selection

[FourLaneBlue]

Doesn't Bentley play in the position that recent call-ups Jermain Jenas, Shaun Wright Phillips and Kieron Richardson play in?

None of them have been anywhere near as good as him all this season.

[joey_big_nose]

Doesn't Bentley play in the position that recent call-ups Jermain Jenas, Shaun Wright Phillips and Kieron Richardson play in?

None of them have been anywhere near as good as him all this season.

The only one of those who has had a stint wide right for England is SWP. Apart from that it has been Gerrard and Lennon who have got the call.

Much as I like Bentley, and especially his outstanding crossing, I think you would be hard pressed to say that he is a more effective wide player than those three. SWP has been well off the boil recently but remains an outstanding winger.

While I completely accept that if he were a Man Utd player he would be in the squad, sad as it is to say, I hardly really have a problem with that as he still wouldn't be playing in the first XVI. He would, like Richardson at the moment, be limited to cameos from the bench and be utterly forsaken at tournaments.

He needs to find one more gear to seriously trouble McClaren, and I think he has it in him. But in the longer term I would probably say the right wing is going to be Lennon's.

[gumboots]

Lennon is currently all pace and no end product. He's nowhere near as good as Bentley at crossing the ball, and if it weren't for the fact that he plays for a media loved team I don't think he'd even be in the squad.

[Ronin]

While I completely accept that if he were a Man Utd player he would be in the squad, sad as it is to say, I hardly really have a problem with that as he still wouldn't be playing in the first XVI. He would, like Richardson at the moment, be limited to cameos from the bench and be utterly forsaken at tournaments.

Which is why Bentley has said, he doesn't want to play for one of the big boys, he's getting a regular run in the team and enjoying his football at Rovers too much.

Which is nice.

[rover6]

Lennon is currently all pace and no end product. He's nowhere near as good as Bentley at crossing the ball, and if it weren't for the fact that he plays for a media loved team I don't think he'd even be in the squad.

The fact Spurs are a different (better) side with a fit lennon in the team puts pay to those opinions - imo.

[FourLaneBlue]

Much as I like Bentley, and especially his outstanding crossing, I think you would be hard pressed to say that he is a more effective wide player than those three. SWP has been well off the boil recently but remains an outstanding winger.

I disagree as his performances this season have been far better than the other three. Bentley's passing ability is far better than all those three and would offer different options if included in the squad. I'm not advocating he should be first-choice but he is playing week in week out unlike the others and impressing against the top clubs. Those teams are better than the teams usually faced at international level.

[joey_big_nose]

I disagree as his performances this season have been far better than the other three. Bentley's passing ability is far better than all those three and would offer different options if included in the squad. I'm not advocating he should be first-choice but he is playing week in week out unlike the others and impressing against the top clubs. Those teams are better than the teams usually faced at international level.

David's form better than Gerrard's? Not sure about that. And I would say over the season when he has been fit Lennon has been the better player. Still nothing less than delighted with Bentley's progress, long may it continue.

[T4E]

I agree with that. Bentley is far far better on the right than he is in the centre. His crossing is absolutely first rate, not sure I could name a better, and if you but him in the centre you lose that.

If he was to become a new Tugay he will have to learn to keep his head up more, have more awareness about who was around him and learn when to play the simle and the through ball. He does have all the skill required though.

I'll throw my hat in your ring as well. Bentley's crossing this season has been beyond outstanding - every single one with pace, dip and accuracy. If we had a Shearer in the team he'd be sat on 30+ goals already.

He'll never be a Tugay - no English/British player will. We aren't made that way. Tugay is from a different culture and way of life, he brings that to the pitch in his football. Nobody else has Tugay, plenty of other teams are still successful. We'd be best off forgetting about trying to replace him and finding an alternative way to play.

[LeChuck]

It can't be long before Savage can no longer be a box-to-tox player, he already seems half a yard slower than used to be. As he gets older he may have to confine himself to a defensive role and let Reid take over the box-to-box duties...I suspect we'd get more goals from the central area that way as well. Savage patrolling infront of the defence and Reid 'doing a Savage' (so to speak) could be a better option than moving Bentley into the middle.

Even if we do end up moving Bentley into the middle...doesn't that just pose a Tugay-esque question of "how do we replace Bentley on the right?"?

[FourLaneBlue]

David's form better than Gerrard's? Not sure about that. And I would say over the season when he has been fit Lennon has been the better player. Still nothing less than delighted with Bentley's progress, long may it continue.

Eh? What has Gerrard got to do with this conversation?

We are talking about whether Bentley's form is worth a place in the squad compared to Jenas, SWP or Richardson. Lennon and Gerrard are certainties.

[LeChuck]

FLB...Jenas is usually taken as a central player, Richardson goes as a left sided player. I don't really think Bentley is competing with those two, he's competing with Lennon, Wright-Phillips and Dyer...possibly Gerrard if we're playing 4-4-2.

[FourLaneBlue]

FLB...Jenas is usually taken as a central player, Richardson goes as a left sided player. I don't really think Bentley is competing with those two, he's competing with Lennon, Wright-Phillips and Dyer...possibly Gerrard if we're playing 4-4-2.

I don't remember Jenas playing in the centre for England and thought he had only played on the right for them.

Richardson seems to be chosen more for his versatility than anything else. Jack of all trades; master of none.