[Archived] Bentley

[EIEIEIO]

And (on a non-footballing topic) he's cuter than I thought!

381189[/snapback]

Footballs not what it used to be. I remember a time where Alan Cork was a pin up!

[DJ Rich]

Bentley's a great prospect for Rovers. He's also created competition for Emerton as a wide attacking midfielder (although he's quite good upfront:)!), something which we have needed, or rather Brett needed, for a while.

I saw him play for Norwich last season, he scored some good goals but also has great ball control and very good general awareness. Hoping for good things from him.

[Ronin]

Add to that Sergio Peter, should definitely create some good competition on the wings.

[The Fly]

If nothing else it's about time we had a young up-and-coming English player to get excited about. He was touted as one of THE prospects a few years back, had a bit of attitude that saw him sidelined at Arsenal and then at Norwich.

Then as said above, he has a bit of a sense of humour: he was dropped at Norwich because during a keepy-uppy excercise he did a Peter Kay and smacked the ball out of the stadium... HAVE IT!!!

Like Ricky says on the front page, we now have a hero. I hope he can shoulder the burden...

Edited to include this link...

I like it when the day after a hat-trick he promises to work hard

[Ronin]

Seems well chuffed

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/lancashi...rt/ROVERS0.html

[Uxbridge rover]

try thinking about what you saying first

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Please dont patronise me I always think before opening my mouth or typing.Kuqi has never in my opinion shown that he will ever be anything more than a championship striker (as much as I would love to see the guy succeed) I remember watching the highlights on football first and noting on numerous occasions his reactions were often that bit too late.Also, why is it that some people feel they can talk to people like $@it on this board. If we were in a pub having this conversation you wouldnt talk to me like that !

[LA Rover]

The first one required great technique and strength. That was one heck of an awkward ball to deal with- it bounced up higher than he expected.

381001[/snapback]

spot on...any of us pub leaguers try and get any power on that ball and we'd have ripped a groin muscle to shreds

[joey_big_nose]

Bentley had a good game last night, but he has a long way to go yet and I'd still put him behind Bellamy and Dickov - perhaps even Pongolle yet - in the pecking order for strikers.

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Even if all three of them were available on Saturday you would have to keep Bentley up front. He is on fire so needs to be encouraged.

Personally I think it is unlikely he will have such a massive impact at West Brom but I am looking forward to finding out!

In terms of the long run at Rovers I can't see him being an out and out striker if everybody is available just due to the nature of his game. That means if he becomes a first choice regular we will play him on the right or change our system.

On that note I wouldn't mind seeing this!:

          Dickov/Pongo            Bellamy

                              Bentley

            Pedersen    Savage    Reid

           

        Gray      Nelsen        Todd        Niell

       

                              Friedel

The big problem is we would 1. lack width and 2. numbers in midfield.

However Gray and Niell have been bombing forward brilliantly recently giving us that wide dimension plus Bellamy runs the channels superbly. As for the numbers in midfield Bentley could be asked to drop back to lend support.

Obviously we don't want to mess with a 442 that s winning us games but it would provide another option.

[ihtd]

Well Sparky cannot drop him for sure after last night, even if Bellamy is fit enough, he has to drop Kuqi, Bentley deserves a chance against WBA, he is a midfielder not a striker and we have to remind ourselves of that. So where in the midfield four will he play, maybe he could be Tugay's replacement, they both have ball control and skill, David has the pace that Tugay has lost and they both can pass a ball, David is not in the same league as Tugay let, but i cannot think of a better player for Bentley to enhance his game from than Tugay.

[Exiled_Rover]

He's a Bergkamp type forward, the link between midfield and the forward(s). He'll excel playing alongside a striker with some pace and the ability to time a run. Kuqi is perhaps the worst type of player he could be playing alongside - the knockdowns are generally wasted on him because he's not a fox in the box type player, and obviously he can't play the ball to Kuqi's feet, or indeed expect a return pass.

Whether our team can adapt to not having a target man to lump it to when in trouble will be another test of Hughes' managerial skills.

[philipl]

I think it is quite a long time since I've seen Rovers lump it up to the target man. I've been very impressed by our build up passing and the way the players work triangles creating out balls to players with a bit more space.

When it goes long it is out to the runner on the flanks more often than it is straight up the middle unless Friedel is clearing. Balls up the middle tend to be no more than 20 or 30 yards long because of the need for the recipient to have support.

Unfortunately, Kuqi's ball control is such that any length of ball pings of his iron physique and it's a matter of luck whether he gathers it or the opposition nicks in.

It will be interesting to read if others see the current Rovers' game the same way.

[Exiled_Rover]

When we're on control the football we play can be sublime, but when we're under the cosh the back four tend to lump it up to Kuqi and see if he can't hold it up. Admittedly most teams do that, but it's pretty tough to do if you don't have anyone with any size up front.

[joey_big_nose]

I think it is quite a long time since I've seen Rovers lump it up to the target man. I've been very impressed by our build up passing and the way the players work triangles creating out balls to players with a bit more space.

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Not sure thats true Phillipl, we must of hoofed the ball at Kuqi's head at least twenty times in the game against Man Utd.

However, as you say, we play very well on the deck too.

ps. I was actually thinkng that we might of been in a bit of trouble if the cookiemonter wasn't on the pitch yesterday as when Utd put pressure on us, which to be fair was quite ofter, our 'out' ball was to the big man. If it was Dickov on instead for example then perhaps we would of found it harder to clear our lines.

[philipl]

I don't think I'd want to look at prozone/opta to get the answer to this.

How many times did the ball go towards Kuqi and we retain possession?

If your front line is small and quick, you hit it into the channel and not at the centre half's bonce- still an out ball.

But I'd have bet on Bellamy or Pongolle to have been much more effective last night as for every header they wouldn't have won there'd have been two balls they would have controlled or chased down which Kuqi didn't. Vidic would have really suffered if Bellamy had been on the pitch- he looked yards off the pace for the Premiership.

To me its a no-brainer to start with Pongolle and Bentley up front on Saturday. If we don't do that when Bellamy is out injured, why did we sign Pongolle?

[allan]

Jonathan Pearce said in MotD commentary that Pongolle would not have played gainst MU even if eligible because of a "fitness problem". The new signing hoodoo jinx strikes again?!

[BRFC4EVA]

I think the reason why the first goal went in was because of how supprised van d'sar and brown were of the power that Bently got into the shot. If you watch the replay carefully it looks like he is only going to tap the ball as his whole body is in the air. Somehow ever, he get a huge amount of (relative) power into the shot meaning it went in! He'll be a terrific player, ive been critical of his sometimes over doing it, but im very optimistic for his future!

[AxesFirstTouch]

Anyone else impressed with Bentley yesterday?

[Bobby G]

He looked our classiest player and the most dangerous. His confidence is getting higher and higher every game.

[Billy Castell]

Good to hear that, now he is signed up properly. Maybe he will flourish now he has left Arsenal for good, and is settled.

[Platini]

I saw him play for Norwich last season, he scored some good goals but also has great ball control and very good general awareness.

381195[/snapback]

He only scored twice for Norwich.

[Exiled_Rover]

He only scored twice for Norwich.

382304[/snapback]

Hence the plural of goal

[FourLaneBlue]

Bentley for England?

Doubt it...he plays for Rovers.

[G Somerset Rover]

Bentley for England?

Doubt it...he plays for Rovers.

After the confusion surrounding Bentley and the under 21's, I read a quote from hughes where he said that he isn't ready for the full squad especially as he'd recently got dropped from the under 21's. God knows how he did after his start to the season though?!

[LeChuck]

At this point in time he's probably behind Gerrard, Lennon, Wright-Phillips and Pennant for the right side. However, Gerrard could get moved back into the middle with Lampard's poor form and the other three are all very similar, maybe Bentley could provide a different option if he keeps up this form.

Edit: I'm intruiged to know why Bentley wasn't in the U21 squad. It wasn't long ago Peter Taylor was saying he could be an alternative to Joe Cole on the left side for the full squad.

[neekoy]

As much as I would be happy for the lad, for Rovers it would only mean opening him up to the world scouting eyes.

If it pushed his value up then it is obviously a bonus if we wanted to sell but on early season form if he keeps getting better it would mean another one leaving our team for supposed greener pastures.