I'm not just talking about his dismal showing for us against QPR yesterday, but also about that period of about 18 months when he score two goals. Remember that shirt he had prepared, the one beneath his Spurs kit, which celebrated 100 Spurs goals? Remember the anger of the fans that he had the audacity to even think about celebrating anything when he was playing so badly for us? And how that anger made him think twice about making any celebration, to the point where he gave up on the idea? The man is clueless. He used to be good, but he isn't anymore. And whilst I have little doubt that when we sell him to QPR, or Villa, or Suunderland, he'll have at least one great season, knocking in 25-30 goals, that will only be in the season after we sell him, then he'll revert back to doing what he does best of all - not scoring. Harry has got at least one thing right, by only playing Defoe when he has absolutely no other choice - and, even then, I'd prefer him to play the ball-boy ahead of Defoe. Our next manager really does need to have a massive spring-clean. He needs to make that a condition with Levy, of his joining us. And Defoe's name should be top of the list, above that of Jenas and Bentley.
Nope. Sorry, HIAG. We don't play to his strengths, there's only one suitable partner for him in our squad, he's rarely started and when he is we use a system that totally unsuitable for him. Despite all of this, he's still our top scorer. Play him alongside someone like Crouch in a 4-4-2 and create space for him and he'll score all day long. We don't do any of those things, so he's often completely anonymous and lacking in confidence. If we stick with the 4-4-1-1 and van der Vaart, then Defoe should go. That's not an issue of his ability though, it's a matter of suitability.
But, we tried that, and he didn't score at all, let alone "all day long." The man is finished as a top player.
I agree with PNP, Defoe is an effective goalscorer given balls to run on to. Yesterday you could see that he was trying to play the role that Ade does so well. Holding the ball up with his back to goal is never going to suit Defoe. You need acute positional awareness for a start, hardly a strength of his is it! Harry always played to Crouch's strengths (to the detriment of the team) but now he expects Defoe to play like Adebayor.
We did it in 09/10 and we finished 4th, with Defoe scoring 24 goals. We didn't do it last season, preferring the Crouch and van der Vaart combination, so we finished 5th and our top scorer only managed 15 goals, a total which Defoe has surpassed this season.
I totally agree that Redknap's tactical ineptitude hasn't helped matters, which is why most of us, now, will be glad to see the back of him (either by his taking the England job, if the FA come calling, or by getting the sack if they don't). But your argument for him emphasizes the very reason why he is no good enough for us - a team supposedly with aspirations of CL footy - and that's the fact that Defoe is so one-dimensional. You all criticised Bent for the same thing, and yet I have always believed that Bent is at least as good a goal-scorer as Defoe. As far as I am concerned, Bent and Defoe were created from exactly the same mold.
Defoe works hard for the time and is a capable striker in a team playing to his strengths. The teams that he plays for often seem to finish pretty high up the table. Bent's a lazy twat with an attitude problem, whose team always seems to end up in the bottom half of the table. He scores, but nobody else does.
Bent has no ball control, makes few effective runs. All he has is an ability to be in the box to pick up chances which he will take with any part of his anatomy that happens to make contact with the ball. His contribution to a TEAM has a very direct negative affect. At least Defoe can control a ball, turn, run and hit it with a foot. No comparison in my view.
Again, I hear this "Bent is lazy" nonsense. And that's what it is, nonsense! And, even if Bent is lazy, he still seems to score more goals than Defoe! What that says to me is that all of Defoe's hard work, for the return he gets, is no better than you or I banging our heads against a wall.
Saying something's nonsense isn't actually a counter argument. Bent is lazy. He spends large chunks of the game standing around doing nothing. Doesn't track back, doesn't close down, doesn't bloody move.
Nor does Defoe. He used to have, but he doesn't any more. What nonsense! If he scores goals - which he has been at lot better at doing than Defoe, in recent times - that means he's in the right place, at the right time. So what if he doesn't do as much running as Defoe? Walnut does a lot of running, but so does a headless chicken. And? 32 goals in 58 appearances for Sunderland 18 goals in 38 appearances for Villa Yes, very negative I agree, Defoe can do those things. The problem is, that he hasn't been doing them enough, not for two seasons.
If I was the manager of Scunthorpe I wouldn't want Bent in my team that's how much I rate him. Anyway Scunthorpe already has a C**T in it.
You've noted Bent's scoring record HIAG, but you seem to have glossed over the overall performances of his teams and the total lack of goals from elsewhere.
Out come the stats as all Bent supporters use. The stats that make teams buy him in the first place. What stats do not show is how many goals the team would have scored if he wasn't in it. To appreciate Bent's lack of ability as a team player you really need to watch him play for real. Anyway WTF are we doing arguing about Bent when our ****ing season is falling apart.
WTF would we want Vermain Defoe? Pity Spuds have not learnt to 'park the bus' is it not! Fancy the gooners and the skunks getting Cl and the Spuds missing out, O how we laughed!
No glossing, at all. I've noted that Bent and Defoe are made from the same mold. The rate we are are going at the moment, it really wouldn't matter if we had either Bent or Defoe playing for us. Well, perhaps with the exception that Bent would probably score us more goals.
Darren Bent will never play in a successful team, i've said that ever since we signed him and stand by this, and so far I have proven correct and i expect darren bent will never play for a team that has a successful season and when i mean success, i dont mean scraping into the top half. Yes he can put the ball in the back of the net, but team success is based around team play, individual stats and brilliance which come at the expense of the team winning and having a fluid game which brings success, imo does mean bent is a negative footballer. As for defoe, i rate him as a sub and squad player and he does have his place, but i would agree he isn't good enough to be a regular starter for us, if our ambitions are to cement a place in the top four and fight for 3rd. The game has moved on since we last got 4th, all the teams around us are buying higher quality players and at the start of each season there will be 7 teams that can get in the top four.
