[Archived] Bentley

[Iceman]

Bents Gets Last Laugh

losing 5-1 to a good spurs team and losing 4-1 to an average team like we did is just not comparible.With Arsenal fielding a young team,you would have expected Spurs at full strength to run all over them.

The only reason bents is saying all those things is because he struggled to get into the Arsenal team,and is having a swipe at them.this lad just needs to play football and put in good performances for Rovers and England,and in that way will make many people sit up and take notice,not that they havent already.

[Rover Down Under]

Oh yes ... Paul Merson.... what an upstanding indivdual he is to comment on football performances, being as most of his were fuelled by ... what was it again? Sprite? Fanta? one of the other fizzy drinks. And yes one man can turn a team around can't they Merson - well unless you get on the front page for reasons other than the white powder marking the goal line.

Clearly a man still in serious need of rehab.

[bluebruce]

You are being blinded by your support for Rovers. Merson is right, put away your bias for a second and think about it.

Whilst I agree that the two hammerings are not comparable and ours is far more embarassing, Merson is not right. He is in fact just bitter that somebody is insulting his club, as he sees it. As I see it Bentley is just telling it how he feels it is. Which environment has he flourished under? Rovers, where the players are allowed a bit of a laugh (and let's not fool ourselves that Hughes has some lackadaisical training regime where everybody lies back and smokes bongs). So he probably sees it as a factor in his success. In all likelihood he was asked why he thinks things didn't work out at Arsenal, and has given his reasons. I can't remember the whole interview but I do expect he was too proud to admit that another big reason would be that there are far far too many talented youngsters at Arsenal. I do remember he spoke of how the young players mostly don't speak English, and I can easily see that being a discouraging factor.

[Alan75]

Alan, seriously, that is just pathetic.

Unless there is some highly subtle irony going on there - How can you even compare a hammering by the paupers of Coventry to one by Tottenham's first team? Let alone suggest that the latter is even more risible?!

You are being blinded by your support for Rovers. Merson is right, put away your bias for a second and think about it. You made a comment in another thread about the Premiership being blighted by complacent players - if the Arsenal regime is as disciplined, laugh-free, analytical zone as Bentley makes out, perhaps it's the best environment to prevent complacency. How often do you hear of a awful Arsenal performance? Far less than Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea - I suggest.

If Merson is going to take cheep shots, then he deseves them back.

[Spider]

Alan, seriously, that is just pathetic.

Unless there is some highly subtle irony going on there - How can you even compare a hammering by the paupers of Coventry to one by Tottenham's first team? Let alone suggest that the latter is even more risible?!

You are being blinded by your support for Rovers. Merson is right, put away your bias for a second and think about it. You made a comment in another thread about the Premiership being blighted by complacent players - if the Arsenal regime is as disciplined, laugh-free, analytical zone as Bentley makes out, perhaps it's the best environment to prevent complacency. How often do you hear of a awful Arsenal performance? Far less than Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea - I suggest.

From what I remember Bentleys full statement alluded to the fact that training at Les Arse all week and never getting a game was boring. That is totally different to stating that the training was boring.

I for one am relieved when I still see players moving because they want to play first team football, that is the only real place to learn your trade and playing for Blackburns first eleven is better than reserve football at champs league clubs. Conversely I understand why The Sav and JR were/are keen to move. Its a short time you get to play footy, so do so at whatever level you can because all proper sportsmen thrive off the competition.

[USRoverME]

and by the way, check the match report.. that was hardly the arse's kiddie squad in that game... unless Galas, Sagna, Gilberto, Hleb, Denilson, Fabrega, Adebayor and Eduardo are their kids...

It wasn't a full strength side, but it certainly wasn't their academy.

[mjs]

You are being blinded by your support for Rovers. Merson is right, put away your bias for a second and think about it.

Not often I agree with you, but there is a first time for everything I suppose.

[S15]

If Merson is going to take cheep shots, then he deseves them back.

Tweet tweet?

Have you been drinking or are you illiterate?

I must say I'm with Rover6, Bentley came out bitching and Merson commented back.

End of.

The article is almost as cringe worthy as the Big Brother theme that lasted about 3 days when the Transfer window opened.

[broadsword]

Have you been drinking or are you illiterate?

Unnecessary cheap shot. Illiterate doesn't really mean having lax spelling either.

[Alan75]

ok, you spotted the spellchecker fault, but lets take this in content.

Bentley's comments in The News of the World.

"When I was at Arsenal I lost my love for the game. I sat down one day and thought: 'I go to work, yet I don't want to',"

"I didn't want to train every day and I didn't like football.

"I got to that point where I thought I would have to go somewhere else for a new challenge so I could become a better player.

"I wasn't playing games at Arsenal and I wasn't enjoying the day-to-day banter and the environment I was in.

"When you you're not enjoying yourself it doesn't matter whether you are at a top club or not. If you don't enjoy your time, what's the point?

"It crossed my mind that football might not be for me. I thought about what I really wanted to do.

"It was more about finding another club to re-discover my hunger and I have found that at Blackburn. I've found that love of the game again."

Bentley made an honest comment on his feelings yet Merson had to take a cheap dig with the following comments in the Mail.

"If he wants laughs he should be a comedian.

"I don't see anything funny about losing 4-1 at home to Coventry."

I will be one of the first to criticise or chastise a player, but I will also stand by my rights to have a cheap shot back at football pundits, when in my opinion they unfairly pick on individuals, just for the sake of gaining some headline space.

[Eddie]

Merson is right, he was also very hard on the Arsenal team last night for their performance, so he isn't just picking on us. Arsenal's training methods are obviously effective. Based on recent results you would have to say that we could do with taking a leaf out of their book.

[Tris]

Merson is an idiot - his punditry is detrimental to Sky's coverage (as is Alan Parry's commentary - so last night was a poor show). I've never been unlucky enough to read him in print but I can't imagine it's any better, or less biased, or backed up by any evidence or thought.

If he had the slightest clue, then his record as an aspirational manager would read better than - Walsall - arrived April 2004 - departed February 2006 with the club as good as relegated from League 1. They finished rock bottom - and that is the epitaph on Merson's tilt at proving his worth as a football tactician.

So he can f*** off with all of his brainless comments.

I find it offensive that this failure of a human being is still able to earn money from the media. Since his original tearful admission to addiction problems, he has gone running back to the press or the cameras every time he needs an attention shot.

Contrast that with Tony Adams - the only reason you ever see him on TV is because Redknapp won't speak to the BBC cameras - he's learning his stuff the hard way - at Wycombe he was in too deep and knew it. And his Sporting Chance clinic is a meaningful and valuable payback for his indiscretions. Merson is scum who isn't fit to tread on the same ground.

The news section is Alan's domain, so he can write what he wants I suppose. Personally, I think news should be reported in news, and there's a whole messageboard for comment and opinion.

[mattyboy6000]

Merson is an idiot - his punditry is detrimental to Sky's coverage (as is Alan Parry's commentary - so last night was a poor show). I've never been unlucky enough to read him in print but I can't imagine it's any better, or less biased, or backed up by any evidence or thought.

If he had the slightest clue, then his record as an aspirational manager would read better than - Walsall - arrived April 2004 - departed February 2006 with the club as good as relegated from League 1. They finished rock bottom - and that is the epitaph on Merson's tilt at proving his worth as a football tactician.

So he can f*** off with all of his brainless comments.

I find it offensive that this failure of a human being is still able to earn money from the media. Since his original tearful admission to addiction problems, he has gone running back to the press or the cameras every time he needs an attention shot.

Contrast that with Tony Adams - the only reason you ever see him on TV is because Redknapp won't speak to the BBC cameras - he's learning his stuff the hard way - at Wycombe he was in too deep and knew it. And his Sporting Chance clinic is a meaningful and valuable payback for his indiscretions. Merson is scum who isn't fit to tread on the same ground.

The news section is Alan's domain, so he can write what he wants I suppose. Personally, I think news should be reported in news, and there's a whole messageboard for comment and opinion.

Merson's a proper ugly @#/? as well, poor lad

[philipl]

Merson was bang out of order.

[pksrover]

Just watched an interview with Bentley on SSN this morning where he states that he love the club!

[Cocker]

Just watched an interview with Bentley on SSN this morning where he states that he love the club!

Dam, thats him off next week then

[Hughesy]

What was the interview for? His Match award interview?

[Cocker]

What was the interview for? His Match award interview?

He has one every week now I think. I am sure they should start paying him a wage

[pksrover]

What was the interview for? His Match award interview?

No, it was just an interview where he talked about his future at the national team, and what they can achieve in the future. He actually he said they're gonna win the world cup 2010.

And then of course he talked about how he loved to play for the manager, loved to play with his team mates, and that he love the club. So he would love to stay at Blackburn and continue helping them forward.

EDIT: at the interview he was at a photo shoot with Puma, all dressed up in their gear. I assume he's playing in Puma boots then.

[thenodrog]

Merson was bang out of order.

I can't really believe that we are seriously debating the comments of a barely coherent addict. Who with an IQ higher than that of the average amoeba takes any notice of any opinions put forward by him anyway? He has to sensationalise stuff otherwise he has nothing of value to add to any debate. Surely it's widely accepted that most footballers brains are in their feet?

[broadsword]

Typical ITV/Sky pundit, who always seem to go by names, rather than any analytical ability they might have.

[thenodrog]

EDIT: at the interview he was at a photo shoot with Puma, all dressed up in their gear. I assume he's playing in Puma boots then.

Now I rem persuading my parents to invest a small fortune in some purply coloured George Best boots many years ago, however I never succumbed to the temptation of purchasing Alan Balls white boots with the ligament wrecking swivelling studs. Buying boots worn by top players was new then but now that it is so widespread does marketing still work with todays kids other than with the obviously really top players eg Rooney / Ronaldo / Fabregas etc?

[T4E]

Typical ITV/Sky pundit, who always seem to go by names, rather than any analytical ability they might have.

I can't believe you've seemingly deliberately omitted the organisation that hires Ian Wright from that list

[AggyBlue]

Now I rem persuading my parents to invest a small fortune in some purply coloured George Best boots many years ago, however I never succumbed to the temptation of purchasing Alan Balls white boots with the ligament wrecking swivelling studs. Buying boots worn by top players was new then but now that it is so widespread does marketing still work with todays kids other than with the obviously really top players eg Rooney / Ronaldo / Fabregas etc?

I had some of those. Probably the reason both knees and both ankles are goosed.

[broadsword]

I can't believe you've seemingly deliberately omitted the organisation that hires Ian Wright from that list

Well, he is a pillock, admittedly.

Just as long as the Beeb don't make a habit out of it.

Mind you, can't think of many Beeb pundits I like.