Darren Bent has disputed Fulham manager Felix Magath’s claim he was not fit to feature in Sunday’s crucial match with Everton. Bent was again reduced to a watching brief for the match, with Magath instead preferring teenagers Cauley Woodrow, Moussa Dembele and Patrick Roberts. The German manager revealed afterwards that the former England international missed out because he had taken a knock in training on Thursday, insisting “it was better to put the players in who are really fit” - comments that bemused Bent. “I trained on Saturday,” he told reporters. “I’d taken a knock and limped off quite early in training on Thursday but I’ve trained since and felt fine on Sunday. It is just disappointing. I was fine to play. I am disappointed not to feature, especially in games like the Everton match where you feel that you can definitely affect the game, when your team needs a goal.” “Over the years I have managed to produce quite a few of those. When the team got back to 1-1 you are thinking: ‘You can make a difference here.’ But once again it was not to be. That part is disappointing. When you are a substitute in any game, it is disappointing, but especially today. All I can do is stay positive and keep working.” Bent has not featured for Fulham since coming off the bench in the 3-1 defeat at Cardiff on March 8 and has made just 10 starts for them this term. It is an understandably frustrating time for the on-loan former England international, who is ineligible to face parent club Aston Villa this weekend but still hoping to be able to make an impact. “It is getting difficult to see how I can contribute now as I can’t play next week against Villa, because of the loan,” Bent said. “I am here, up for selection and more than willing to play. That is what I do, that is what I love to do. That will never change. At this stage of the season you need goals. You need firepower. If I am called on, I am ready to go. If I start up front, I am ready to go.” Source: http://www.london24.com/sport/fulha...gath_s_comments_after_everton_clash_1_3516084
I get the feeling Magath has been instructed by someone higher up to experiment with the team and only play those who have a chance of being here next season, obviously this rules out Bent, who has less chance of being here next season than anyone else in our team. I was rather hopeful when we signed him, a proven goalscorer at the highest level and has done decently at every club he's been at despite limited playing time. His fitness and pace have just gone, and the PL is no place for a striker without pace and technical ability, which is why Berbatov excelled on his ability alone, Bent doesn't have a football brain.
Why should we play him now even if he is fit, he hasn't taken any of his chances this season, Dembele and Woodrow are the future of this football club and Dembele had a decent game against Everton so Bent can stay in the reserves
Actually, Bent can just jog on. He's looked next to useless in virtually every match he's played in this season and all three managers have sidelined him. There must be a very good reason that none of them really fancied him to do the business. And, to be fair, neither did lambert last season, who must have been rubbing his hands together when he got rid of him to us. Like Bandit, I thought he was going to be a good signing. However, as it has turned out, DR had the inside track all along. Shame he didn't have Jol's mobile number.
I have to agree with Cookie and Fulhaman - I've not seen Darren Bent play well this season. Let's keep with the youngsters! COYW!
Agreed, bent has been poor. Great at finishing in the six yard box but that puts him marginally better than Steve Marlet, other than that he cannot run and as bandy says not much technical ability. Fulhaman nailed it saying he can jog on because that is about quick as he can run.
I doubt that Magath is under any instructions other than 'try to keep us up'. If he's leaving Bent out in favour of Woodrow and Dembele it's because he thinks they are a better option for the team right now. When and if we are mathematically down, that's the time for picking the team with next season in mind. The youngsters are in on merit.
Think Captain has a point. Bent has only himself to blame as he started when Magath took over... Did he manage to win a header? No. Did he manage to win the ball up front for us? No. Dembele won headers and had them worrying. Same with Woodrow. Bent is next to useless. Apart from the last minute goal against Utd I can't remember him contributing to anything. On your bike boy!
Can't agree with this sorry. Woodrow was barely getting a game for Southend and Dembele had been injured for quite some time, when both returned to full fitness and were inserted into the team, it wasn't on 'merit' but purely because we had exhausted our striking options and failed so it was time to mix it up, which Magath did by putting them in. If they play next week, it will be on merit, considering how both have performed but they weren't selected in the first place based on each's contribution this season. It really must be morale destroying for Bent/Rodallega to see a 17 and 19 year old in front of them in the pecking order.
Bandit what are you on about? Woodrow played three games in a row from the start and was a sub before Bent... If that's not on merit what is all about?
Agree Bandit. And there's no question that Felix has a "don't train, don't play" policy - not sure about Hugo but Bent has definitely missed chunks of training for one reason or another. My take on Bent speaking to the journalist is, it's a mixture of feeling sorry for himself and (mainly) trying to get himself in the transfer window. At the moment who'd take him and his wage demands? Which brings me to your "morale destroying" point. Again I'd agree with the point in principle. However, since both are currently on £3.6m per annum they might just get over it !!
I think Magath is old school in the sense that the competition begins every Monday morning and continues all weekn with the best and fittest rewarded for their efforts by getting to march out onto the pitch, holding the hand of some little kid. I doubt Magath gives fig about a player's resume and how many caps they have for their country. Bent's got talent, but talent needs to be coupled with heart, and he hasn't had that in years. He warmed the pine for 'Villa and Sunderland. I can't imagine why anyone thought he'd work hard for us. Think about this, too, from Felix' standpoint. If Bent and company were so damned good, they wouldn't have needed Magath to put out the fire. Therefore, nobody's likely to get his respect or consideration. They're all failures. If Felix wants to start a squad of 12-year-olds, who on the team can argue with him? Stekelenburg's a Dutch national team player. You think Felix gives a hoot?
He hadn't really got anything to gripe about. I was an advocate when he joined but he just hasnt got it now. Im glad FM is using the younger players as Bent has no future with us anyway.
Surely by 'merit' you mean that the player has 'earned' his place in the team, and as Woodrow was out on loan earlier in the season, you have to judge him on that spell rather than his time with us, no? Well Woodrow was barely more than an impact sub at Southend, so this would lead me to assume that it wasn't his performances out on loan that convinced FM to give him a go in the first team, rather than the fact that we needed someone/anyone to replace Bent/Rods who simply weren't cutting the mustard. I think we tried to get Trotta back but he wanted to stay at Brentford, where's he's had a far bigger impact than Woodrow did at Southend.
The Daily Star - spouting absolute garbage as per usual... Fulham are preparing to sack boss Felix Magath just six weeks after he was appointed because he has alienated players with his training methods. Full story: Daily Star Felix Magath was appointed Fulham manager on 14 February Magath believes striker Darren Bent can still play a big role in Fuham's bid for Premier League survival despite making just 10 starts this season and not featuring since a 3-1 defeat at Cardiff on 8 March. Full story: Daily Star
When I said 'on merit' I meant that he would pick the players he thought would do the best job for the team, whether that was based on what they did on the pitch (for us or others), what they did in training, and what their rivals for a first team shirt had done (or failed to do) previously. The fact that Bent and Rodallega have disappointed is part of why I'm sure the youngsters are there on merit rather than as a sign that we've given up on this season.
