Irrespective of yesterday's result and performance by England and Bent respectively I stick to what I have written. This post comes just after England's crucial qualifier against Switzerland where England managed to score only a paltry draw, a disappointment for most spectators and fans. But this is also against Paul Parker for saying that Darren Bent is not the answer for England. My question to Mr. Paul, why is Bent not the solution for England's persistent striking woes? Why not encourage a man who has performed his best in mid table teams like Sunderland and Aston Villa? Why can't England have a great striker who plays not only for the like of ManU, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea but also the other teams?
The world around we observe top teams and England have always been a top team, but off the field while on the field they remind of boys playing at school. With the influx of foreign players in EPL, especially the stronger striking force like Drogba, Tevez, Torres and others there has been a decline in the development of English strikers with the exception of Wayne Rooney who moved to ManU as a teenager and has grown from strength to strength. However on the international stage he has flopped miserably and there hardly are games where you can remember him making a great contribution. Since the downfall of Micheal Owen hardly anyone comes to mind who has made his mark for England, be it Rooney or the lanky Crouch. And in the past few years there have been so many strikers who have played for England that you would hardly remember them. And to add to that list there's Darren Bent. However contrary to popular belief, I would go for this chap, a man who has been begging for a chance with his performances week in week out in the Premier League.
Darren Bent started his club career with Ipswich town scoring 48 goals in 122 Apps, then with Charlton Athletic scoring 31 goals in 68 Apps. He then moved to Tottenham and scored a paltry 18 goals in 60 Apps. I can understand Bent's misery at Spurs, as strikers always don't make a great impact at Spurs taking Pavlyuchenko, Crouch, Defoe, Keane as an example. The move to Sunderland was a great one for him as he scored 32 goals in 58 games and recently a move to Aston Villa didn't stop his goal scoring run as he has already notched up 9 goals in 16 games. Well one would say why quote all this, but if you have a closer look with all the stats combined he averages 0.4 per game over his whole career and in the past 2 years he has been simply superb with over 0.55 goal/game. Now again this is all at club level but if you look at the teams he has played , it is the ones which always finish outside the top four and his recent form indicates that Bent is on fire. And if you still have doubts Bent has been the top English goal scorer in the league for the last two seasons.
Darren Bent did his international debut on 1st March 2006 against Uruguay in a pre world cup friendly. Since then the World has witnessed two world cups without Bent. He should have played for England in South Africa but Capello thought otherwise going with Crouch and Heskey, someone I thought was really past his prime for the biggest tournament on this planet .
 |
| Bent's statement after being dropped for the World Cup last year “I knew I hadn’t done enough to get picked but I always hoped, I went on holiday to America, came back, turned the negatives into positives, and tried to do well for club and country this season.” |
Paul Parker mentions that England need Bent, which shows the extent the team is struggling to find strikers which is just shameful. Why can't you respect Bent for the kind of player he is , the efforts he puts in training and the amazing show he displays on the field. And I don't need to justify this. The stats prove my point and Steve Bruce at Sunderland will testify for him. Parker doesn't know what he is saying when he also compares Bent with the likes of Balotelli of Italy and Llorente of Spain and Benzema of France and writes that they play regularly for at the international stage and for top clubs. Mr Parker why don't you see that at 23, Bent was performing and was still young but yet never got a chance. Is he to sulk and protest, quit football for not getting a chance to play for the national team. Why don't you see the confidence this man exuberates, the determination with which he has got himself to be as one of Capello's favourites right now, the man who got a struggling Sunderland to the top half of the Premier League table. Why do you have to dismiss him off just because he plays for smaller teams. Is not Bent playing against stronger teams and still able to put the ball in the back of the net. These are little things which make a man invaluable, which Parker doesn't even take into consideration.
By gones are by gones, Darren Bent should be given a chance and persisted as he can help England recover their lost fortunes, At 27, he is not a young lad, but his experience at club level will surely make him a great asset for the national team. Would love to see him play alongside Rooney and capture the world's attention for glory which they last tasted way back in 1966. Mr.Capello or whosoever your successor post Euro2012, can we witness Darren Bent at Brazil2014?
 |
| My team for England with Bent |
I agree with the post to an extent. Bent certainly deserves his chance based on club form. However, England's style of football does not really benefit his playing style, which is why Carroll is the long-term solution for the lone strikers role. Bent needs the ball to be moved quicker through the midfield in order for him to find the space behind the opponent’s backline. England unfortunately do not play this type of football. It is very one paced with little movement.
ReplyDelete