The Red Report: A farewell, a rise to prominence & a mercenary
As per usual we decided to look at a non-United topic. This week we discuss Darren Bent’s bumper transfer from Sunderland to Aston Villa:
Chudi | The Busby Way: Darren Bent jumping ship and moving to Aston Villa was the ultimate mercenary move. Sunderland leant a hand when he was in a stressful situation at Spurs and he jumped ship. Looking at it from his perspective, he is moving to arguably a bigger team and probably more money.
£18m rising to £24m is a bit exorbitant but from Sunderland’s perspective it is good business and they still have time to replace him if they see fit.
Doron | Stretford-End: It’s a mind boggling fee. £18m upfront and that could rise to £24m. Crazy money. For £24m you’re just the one million shy of buying Rooney! If you’re the selling club it’s a brilliant fee because Bent just isn’t worth that – however, for Sunderland with only Gyan fit (Welbeck is out for 6-8 weeks) then it’s only a good fee if it can be reinvested immediately in at least one good enough striker. For Villa, it’s a big fee and I’m not really sure where they as a club are headed. If Bent’s goals keep Villa up then he’s worth every penny. Certainly Randy Lerner is making a brilliant statement of intent and is backing Houllier.
I’ve never been a fan of Bent. He gets goals as a poacher but that’s about it. If Downing, Young and Albrighton can supply him then he’ll continue to score at Villa. I have to say I was amused to find myself agreeing with Wenger for once yesterday. He said that very view players in world football are worth more than £20-24m at the moment – he’s right. This transfer is just another fine example of an English footballer being transferred between two English clubs for too much money. I think Villa will be the winners though, Bent will get goals and Bruce seems pretty peeved off at Sunderland with it. As for Bent himself, well he’s moved for money, pretty despicable but in any job if someone offers you more money elsewhere for doing the same role, you’re unlikely to say no!
Siddarth | Bangalore to Old Trafford: When I heard that Villa were about to sign Bent for £24 million, I was shocked! The news came out of nowhere, there were no rumors or speculation about the transfer and Aston Villa have certainly got themselves a very good striker, but the money they paid for him is really over inflated!
Will Darren Bent prove worth the money spent on him, only time will tell, but he has made an excellent start to his Villa career and I think he endeared himself with many united fans too after his winner against City last night?
Bent isn’t the first player English player to be sold at such an exorbitant price, players like Barry, Milner, Bentley, Johnson, etc. have all been bought by their clubs at really crazy prices and this is exactly why managers prefer to look abroad for players of similar caliber who come much cheaper! The likes of Modric, Arteta, Cahill, Van der Vaart, etc. have all been bought at prices much cheaper than the English players and have proved to be better than the too!
TG | ManUtd24: I know VAT has increased but not by this much! £18million? Seriously? Steve Bruce has every right to feel annoyed with the manner in which his star striker left the club, but surely the sight of some extra dosh will help calm him down. Bent’s move also brings player loyalty back into debate – he’s shown none of it. Aston Villa are a club in decline – they look to be heading in survival/relegation territory. And I think Bent will notice that as time goes on.
Alan | RedForceRising: What a mercenary! But as last night’s game showed, at least he’s a useful mercenary. I was under the impression that Darren Bent was really happy at Sunderland. He was playing week-in week-out, he was scoring goals for fun, the fans and his team mates adored him, so I don’t believe he traded Sunderland for Aston Villa for sporting reasons. Having said that, if he scores against the teams around us and doesn’t score against Manchester United, that’s absolutely fine by me.
Kyle | Stretford-End: To be honest, £24 million is probably more than I would have paid for Darren Bent, but after he scored the winner in his debut against City I feel compelled to call him the signing of the season. All sarcasm aside though, I do believe Bent will be a good signing for Villa. He is a proven goalscorer, a point which he has proven while at Sunderland. Last season he finished third in scoring for the Premier League behind Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney. That says a lot. I’ve always though Bent was a very good player, but not on the level of world class.
The one thing about this ordeal is that I think it’s unfair to Sunderland and a step back for him. Sunderland rescued him from life on the bench at Tottenham, and now he’s ready to leave for a club below Sunderland in the table. The Black Cats are pushing for a spot in Europe while Aston Villa are hovering above relegation. Something about this seems slightly off.
English footballer + a transfer = a ridiculous fee! Our sympathy seems to be aimed in the direction of Sunderland in this one.
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Best of the blogs:
The Busby Way | Midfield Mayhem: What Exactly Is Wrong In The Middle Of The Park?
Stretford-End | Ace In The Title Race…?
RedForceRising | Video Loan Watch: Macheda Scores First Goal For Sampdoria
Bangalore To Old Trafford | It’s Team Effort
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That concludes another Red Report for the week. Hopefully this edition keeps you entertained until next Monday. We’re always open to hear from you so you can catch us on Twitter:
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