[Archived] Bentley

[gumboots]

Yes but surely we'd be even better if Bentley stayed and the other midfielders were replaced. We can only sell him once and I'd rather it wasn't the desire of quite so many fans on here to rush into doing it now.

[trueblue]

The rest of his sentance that you handily chopped off outlined how he thought we would be better if Bentley left.

No it doesn't .. it just says to replace the other 3 midfielders as well ! so how does that explain why we would be better off if Bentley left?

[LWX]

It's not really gonna make any difference what we say on here. At the end of the day, if he wants to go, he will. He's had a great season, we've had a pretty average one. It's the likes of Samba, Nelsen, Dunn, Reid, McCarthy etc etc, that we need to be worrying about.

[gumboots]

What, that they might stay?

[bellamy11]

No it doesn't .. it just says to replace the other 3 midfielders as well ! so how does that explain why we would be better off if Bentley left?

Good grief. Because the money we would get from Bentley when combined with our supposed £10m warchest would mean we could afford three very good players rather than three average ones for just £10m. Am I missing something here?

[trueblue]

Good grief. Because the money we would get from Bentley when combined with our supposed £10m warchest would mean we could afford three very good players rather than three average ones for just £10m. Am I missing something here?

So where does the 4th very good midfielder come from ?? or am I missing something !

[gumboots]

No except that where Rovers are concerned it doesn't seem to work like that. I know arguably Everton benefited from the sale of Rooney and that's partly why they have had money to get to the level where they are now. But they were always a bigger name club able to attract bigger names and they can offer Europe next year. Our problem is that we can't attract players on anything but getting them in and letting Mark Hughes sell the club to them and I still don't think it looks good if your better players are leaving. As I've said countless times he may well leave and there's nothing we can do about it but I still think a club with him will be more the kind of club you'd look at joining than without him. Any players we bring in will have to be premiership ready players as we can't really take a risk that they might not acclimatise if we're talking a major midfield overhaul and a completely new kidfield will be very risky, regardless of the players you bring in.

[bellamy11]

So where does the 4th very good midfielder come from ?? or am I missing something !

What I believe shilitoe is saying is that we'd be better with three very good midfielders and a decent Bentley replacement, than with Bentley and our three decent midfielders.

[gumboots]

And since we seem to be in competition with about 10 other teams for every midfielder so far mentioned where are all these excellent midfielders going to come from. Every team seems to need them at the moment. If midfielders of anything like Bentley's ability were easy and cheap to buy there wouldn't be so many teams coveting what we've got. I'm not saying there are none to be foud but if you're good there are always clubs like Spurs around to pay too much and let you sit in their reserves. Foreigners generally like the idea of living in London or another big city and they'll choose somewhere else in preference to us.

[roversmum]

Yes but surely we'd be even better if Bentley stayed and the other midfielders were replaced. We can only sell him once and I'd rather it wasn't the desire of quite so many fans on here to rush into doing it now.

I've a feeling some are trying to avoid the inevitable feeling when he does leave be it sooner or later. Something along the lines of a spurned lover..........

[ABBEY]

aw bloody hell your not dumping me again are you ma?

[roversmum]

as if

[S15]

So where does the 4th very good midfielder come from ?? or am I missing something !

Wow, you must have gotten into some hillarious black comedy moments throughout your life with your seeming inability to read between the lines.

[1864roverite]

Anyone think that Bentley has given up on this season knowing that he intends to leave ? Maybe his performances havent been up to scratch in taking Rovers up into European football giving him an excuse to seek his football future elsewhere ?

[trueblue]

Wow, you must have gotten into some hillarious black comedy moments throughout your life with your seeming inability to read between the lines.

Heyy good one Shillito.. we don't read your posts as you've written them then, we're actually supposed to read what you DON'T write !!

[S15]

You say 'we,' but you're the only person who didn't grasp the clear as day insinuation that my post suggested, which was that I thought selling Bentley and replacing the other three midfielders with better players would make us a stronger team.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Anyone think that Bentley has given up on this season knowing that he intends to leave ? Maybe his performances havent been up to scratch in taking Rovers up into European football giving him an excuse to seek his football future elsewhere ?

I don't 1864 but neither do I think he has had a better season than last.

Doesn't help though when he keeps being played in the center or as the 2nd striker.

Still think he wil be off though as IMO European qualification has gone out the door.

[ABBEY]

as if

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeea

[joey_big_nose]

Anyone think that Bentley has given up on this season knowing that he intends to leave ? Maybe his performances havent been up to scratch in taking Rovers up into European football giving him an excuse to seek his football future elsewhere ?

I certainly don't think so. He looks desperate to perform to me. However he was waswted in the middle against Liverpool. He wants to get his place back on the right for England and he needs to play there.

His problem for me is that he tries the spectacular too often.

As an aside if we do sell him for 15m, not an unreasonable figure, then it really depends who Sparky has got tabs on. We could theoretically go out and buy Bradley and Farfan for that money (emphasis on the theoretically) but we wouldn't have much change out of 15m if any. Yet I would say we would have a stronger team as a result. However if Hughes has identified quality players who are kicking around for 3-4 million like we did with Cruz/McCarthy then we could get 4 players in.

Nonetheless I believe Hughes' philosophy is not to sell anybody if they have something to offer the club and they want to stay which I think is sensible. Horse trading players causes bad feeling and a lack of team spirit in the squad. Bentley will only go if he wants to go even if, potentially, we could force him out to buy players. That said I am pretty certain Bentley will want to leave!

Incidentally there is the issue that if we do go out an dbuy a whole new midfield it is going to completely destroy the continuity at the club which is a bad thing. The best clubs slowly grow the first team. The big problem with Spurs and Newcastle is they chop and change things so much. It would really be for the best if Dunn and Reid can get up to speed as opposed to trying to lineup with a bunch of guys who have little time to blend.

[philipl]

We would be a better team if Bentley left and the other 3 midfielders were replaced with better players.

Totally disagree with this.

To get the 4 midfield players of the quality we need in one window is totaly impossible for the Rovers.

[b12_simon]

Totally disagree with this.

To get the 4 midfield players of the quality we need in one window is totaly impossible for the Rovers.

Spot on Phil. That's the sort of thing Sanchez tried in the summer and look where it got Fulham.

[Hughesy]

As Joey said - change things by small parts, build your team, dont just change the entire midfield.

Realistically if Bents goes then we need to replace him with a good right winger, who has abit of pace and probably sign a new centre midfielder. Dunn & Reid & Vogel are building their fitness and also confidence in thier bodies and Pedersen has improved over the last few months - next season they will be so different.

[Eddie]

We need two central midfielders.

[S15]

We aren't a bigger enough club to hold on to star players to build around them. We are the kind of club who sells it's star players in order to build future teams.

We have reached this stage with Bentley, he will leave, and we will build a new midfield.

Philip, I at no point said it needs to be done in one window, we might only sign a replacement and one central midfielder this summer. Then maybe someone to come into the first team in defence or attack.

Either way I am strongly of the opinion that we need a major refresh of the first 16, if Hughes can do this with the supposed £10m he has whilst keeping Bentley then that's perfect. If, which I assume is more likely, he needs more than this, I know where the best place to get the cash is.

Bentley is a good player, but he is not as good as Duff was. Him leaving would be no disaster at all, especially at £15m, which is way above his value IMO.

[tony gale's mic]

£15 million is way above his value?!

Have you seen how much some players go for these days? Granted Bentley has underperformed in some games this season, but some of those has been when hes been shifted to the middle by Hughes. Besides, with some of the players round him you can't expect him to have a blinder every game. But the fact is he's young, will most probably be England's next number 7 and has the raw attributes and the attitude to make it at the highest level.

If we got £15 million I'd probably try and hold out for another 2 or 3 mill, but I guess it would depend whether he was keen on signing or not.