Football 2010-2011

[TheGayTent]

cos Cole is now only getting a run-out with Liverpool's reserves of the reserves of the reserves - that's how 'good' he's playing.

Go on - keep hoping that West Ham sign him. They'll be the most popular club in Liverpool if they do.

[worm]

What do you think about Jay Bothroyd possibly being the man to come in and replace Bent, worm?

At 28, he's been around and there seems to be a lot of interest in him, has experience and is in form, plus out of contract in the summer so wouldn't command a huge fee, thus Sunderland being able to invest in other areas. Could be the best signing out there for Sunderland to be honest

[The Nal]

Longer term, we've got billions of strikers in the youth team. And shorter term, we've got some decent strikers out on loan that could return for cover.

[worm]

But none as good as Bent.

[sifi]

Julian was playing with the youth team when we re-signed him from Liverpool. That was a terrible deal too. (insert smiley here)

[pink_triangle]

I find it funny listening to bruce on the radio moaning about bent leaving sunderland in the lurch by leaving sunderland. Is this the same bruce who has pretty much walked out on more than one club himself.

[eFestivals]

I find it funny listening to bruce on the radio moaning about bent leaving sunderland in the lurch by leaving sunderland. Is this the same bruce who has pretty much walked out on more than one club himself.

It pretty much proves that Bent was sold by Quinn and not Bruce tho, doesn't it? Which gets to show that all is not well at that club.

[The Nal]

It pretty much proves that Bent was sold by Quinn and not Bruce tho, doesn't it? Which gets to show that all is not well at that club.

[eFestivals]

I think the way it happened was that Bent put in a transfer on Sunday to everyones surprise, including Quinn, and signed on Tuesday for Villa. Bruce seemed to hint, more than hint actually, that there was a deal in place before the transfer request and villa came in exactly at the right price, both in transfer fees and wages for him, but Bruce agreed to sell him, so did Quinn.

Thats the official line anyway.

Then the official line is bollocks. I'd read there was an offer for him from Villa before he put in that transfer request - but I'm guessing the transfer request was required to push it thru.

Bruce has stated that he'd personally had no contact from Villa, so the deal was clearly done above him.

[TheGayTent]

Bruce clearly had no plans to sell Bent. However, I think it's more a case of selling a player that doesn't want to play for you anymore rather than the deal being done above Bruce's head. After all, Quinn hadn't actively looked to sell the player either, or told Bruce he needs to balance the books buy selling Bent or any other player. All he's done is maximised the transfer fee received once the player has made his decision he wants out.

The key is whether Bruce gets the money to replace Bent directly, or strengthen other areas of his squad.

[The Nal]

So Bent was tapped up then? Bruce seemed to think the deal went through very quick considering Bent only handed in a transfer request 48 before he signed for Villa. He said something about "we know this goes on in football".

[jump]

I think there was a rumour that Bent wanted to go in the summer and handed in a transfer request becuase of the World Cup squad but they said no and agreed to keep it silent.

[eFestivals]

Bruce clearly had no plans to sell Bent. However, I think it's more a case of selling a player that doesn't want to play for you anymore rather than the deal being done above Bruce's head. After all, Quinn hadn't actively looked to sell the player either, or told Bruce he needs to balance the books buy selling Bent or any other player. All he's done is maximised the transfer fee received once the player has made his decision he wants out.

The key is whether Bruce gets the money to replace Bent directly, or strengthen other areas of his squad.

I wasn't suggesting that Quinn had been touting Bent around as for sale.

I'm taking it as being much the same as happened when Rafa was interested in Jones - in that a club makes an enquiry, Quinn realises that there's the chance of a decent price (with whatever reasoning he's using for that), and so the sale goes thru (or not, in the case of Jones to Liverpool). From one angle, it's little different to (say) Arsenal accepting a great price for Anelka, in that the profit that gets made on the player is too good to turn down.

But of course a sale like that is a sale that's about the money, and not about what's directly good* for the team. If it was purely about the team, then every deal would be fully in the control of the manager.

(* that's putting aside Bent's transfer request)

[eFestivals]

So Bent was tapped up then? Bruce seemed to think the deal went through very quick considering Bent only handed in a transfer request 48 before he signed for Villa. He said something about "we know this goes on in football".

While it's of course possible that Bent was tapped up, I reckon what went on with Jones when Rafa was sniffing about strongly suggests that stuff is being done by the club without Bruce's knowledge.

Bruce ranted at the press then, saying that Rafa shouldn't use the press to unsettle players to get his target. Yet it turned out that Rafa was talking to the club, and the club had kept Bruce in the dark about it.

Given that history, I think it's much more likely that the same has happened again, rather than there being something underhand having happened away from the club.

[TheGayTent]

As you say - the sale of Bent & Jones are incomparable due to Bent not wanting to stay - that wasn't the case with Jones.

[eFestivals]

As you say - the sale of Bent & Jones are incomparable due to Bent not wanting to stay - that wasn't the case with Jones.

They're incompatible on that part, yes.

But for Bruce's version to be true, the transfer would have had to have been done in a matter of hours, which almost never happens with other transfers - which by itself strongly suggests to me that Bruce's version isn't the truth.

When you factor in that Quinn has tried selling players behind Bruce's back before, then it starts to look very much like this is what has happened this time.

Tho of course it's also possible that Bruce is being full of shit about these things. It's not like he doesn't have his own history of spouting total bollocks.

[TheGayTent]

By all accounts, Owen is going to come in and fill the gap until Wellbeck returns. I think it's likely that we'll be teaming up with Gyan and Wellbeck next season. I'm convined that the main investment in a new player is going to be a winger, not a striker.

Longer term, we've got billions of strikers in the youth team. And shorter term, we've got some decent strikers out on loan that could return for cover.

[spwan-of-the-devil]

Fuller then?

[TheGayTent]

We have just Signed Carew

[spwan-of-the-devil]

on loan?

[eFestivals]

Yep until end of the season so I think it could well be a good deal and as well in kicking Jones up the Arse!

£52k a week he's getting, from what I've just read.

Jones doesn't need a kick up the arse tho does he? He's one of the best strikers in the country according to some. Unplayable!

[TheGayTent]

£52k a week he's getting, from what I've just read.

[pink_triangle]

Has anyone noticed this new obsession of british media of how barcelona would cope against a team like stoke. Why would barca build up a squad prepared for a team they never play. Seems to me a little bitterness that barca at their best are far superior to the top premiership sides on top form.

[eFestivals]

creditable source?

the Beebs' footie gossip, sourced by them from a paper or footie gossip site (I didn't note which).

[worm]

Fuller then?