do you want us to sign David Bentley?

[StevieH]

Crouch needs service, Torres doesn't.

[joey54]

No way Mooooooooody bastard....Arsenal Reject......give him a miss

[MLB]

Originally Posted by Rashid

Peter Crouch is a good player

Dirk Kuyt is a good player

Your point is?

My point is that you're a biff.

And not worth arguing with.

[Rashid]

Originally Posted by MLB

My point is that you're a biff.

And not worth arguing with.

You don't have a point mate, you will complaining about Bentley in a years time in your legendary one liners.

[MLB]

I'm not even complaining about Pennant or Benayoun, why would I complain about Bentley?

[Paul]

This is quite an interesting read (yet another OCD footballer). Certainly the bit about preferring mangers to be tough is encouraging should Rafa make a move for him in the summer:

The secret life of a footballer


Blackburn and England's David Bentley on Beckham, David Cameron and his strange obsession with plug sockets

Sunday April 6, 2008
Observer Sport Monthly


Like most footballers I have an addictive personality. The other week I enjoyed jetwashing the grime off the driveway so much that I tried to do the whole house. With vacuuming it's the same problem. I won't vacuum for a month and then I do one little bit of carpet and I'm hooked. I can sit down and stay sat down for a week.
Addiction is one of the pitfalls of being a footballer. It stems from being so focused on the game - in order to be good at what we do we have to be obsessed with it. Also, we have a lot of free time. The best thing that's happened to footballers is DVD box sets. Watch those in the afternoons and they'll keep your mind occupied. Although once I get started on one I'll be up until 4am just to finish the set.

It's not all vacuuming and DVDs, though. I was addicted to gambling when I was younger, everything from horses to online poker. I got in the habit of going to betting shops with my mates and their dads. Eventually I gave it up and I haven't gambled for three years.
There are a lot of distractions for a young footballer. You can tie yourself up going to film premieres and celebrity events. It gets to the point where people always expect you to be doing something amazing, as if you're constantly jumping out of aeroplanes and climbing mountains. Actually you're just down the pub and playing a bit of football.

At the minute I'm obsessed with DIY. I've been taking up tiles and knocking down walls, mending the potholes in my driveway - although I've got a strict DIY 24-hour ban before a match because it knackers you out. My team-mates can't get their heads round why I wouldn't just pay someone to do it. But I like DIY. My mind tends to wander, and it helps keep me on the straight and narrow.

Inside my head it's a muddled little world. People say that I'm cocky and arrogant because I'm a big character and I like to talk - I think I might be addicted to talking. But I'm just being myself. It's one of those lose-lose situations: stay out of the limelight, ignore the fans and you get called arrogant, talk to everyone and you get labelled a cheeky so ...#8209;and-so. You can't win.

People say I'm the new David Beckham. I don't mind that at all, it's nice being compared to a legend. I grew up watching him and admiring him, and I still do. He's better looking than me, though. Much. You can actually lose yourself thinking about what a good-looking guy he is. And he's even better close up. My missus says I'm more rugged, whatever that means.

My team-mates are forever winding me up about talking too much. They say I'm always on the telly or in the papers. I've never had any media training, maybe it shows. Once when I was in the youth team at Arsenal we spent a day doing fake interviews, but I messed about and didn't pay attention. Why be calculating about it? You should just say what you feel. That's not always easy. Sometimes I go into interview mode, like when I've just come off the pitch and I'm knackered. I hear myself saying all the usual cliches. My mates say I sound boring, but what am I supposed to do? Wax lyrical on how skilful my passing is?

I like to tell the lads that I'm running for prime minister. I'm always watching Parliament TV. It's good banter, all those old fellas giving it, heckling Gordon Brown. My personal favourite is David Cameron - he really hammers them. That's the advantage of being the opposition, you can get on their backs. I love the drama of it.

The media are not much different. It's all a pantomime, you can't let yourself become concerned by it. I've been done over by the press before, but you just ignore it. Journalists are only human. Maybe they're having a bad day when they write that stuff about you. You'd hear the same sort of opinions in a pub after a match - the only difference is that journalists write it down in a newspaper. They can write what they want. It's only football, here today, gone tomorrow. It'll all be over in 10 years. Then I can chill out, do some DIY. You've got to keep a healthy perspective on these things. I've got my obsessions to keep me busy anyway. There are the plug sockets - at the training ground, in hotels at away games - I have to turn them off everywhere I go. I can't stand how the cleaners leave them on. I have to remind myself: walk away from the plug socket.

Money and football change your life, although you might not realise it at the time. You've just got to hope you become a better person for it. Some people change, get a few quid and suddenly think they're better than everyone else.

The craziest thing about football and celebrity is the whole PR machine that's grown up around it. PR agencies are constantly churning out images of footballers looking glamorous on red carpets - people begin to believe that's actually how you live your life. It's a complete illusion.

A footballer could go out every night of the week and never get photographed if he wanted to. But because so many of them choose to go to certain clubs where the paparazzi camp out, they end up in the papers. It's never going to happen if you go for a quiet pint at your local, is it?

Some people plan it all. Their PRs tell the papers which club they're going to, or which shops their missus can be seen walking out of. It's part of a whole lifestyle. People like Jodie Marsh and Danielle Lloyd are driven by it - they crave being photographed. I know there are people who could arrange things for my missus if she wanted to raise her profile. If I wanted to be known as the DIY King I'd just set it up for me and my girlfriend to get papped going into B&Q.

With all of that going on you need strong leadership from your manager to keep you focused. My gaffer at Blackburn [Mark Hughes] gives me that. He won't try to be your friend, having a laugh and a joke. He doesn't want to sit down for coffee. He and Mr Capello are my favourite kind of manager: disciplined. You give a player an inch and they'll take a mile, that's just the way young rich footballers are. We need managers to rein us in. It's a bit like when you're at school - if you have a strict teacher, you respect them; if you have a teacher that's always larking about, you lark about yourself. We need to be kept on a leash, otherwise we lose our focus.

Anything different and the team stops winning. I've seen it happen. You look at the clubs that are struggling in the Premier League and it's always for those same reasons. Players have to be controlled, if they're not it's a disaster. Look at Newcastle.

Under the guidance of Mr Capello I can see things going only one way. With him we could win the World Cup. If it was solely down to individual talent we would already be the best team in the world, we just need to learn to play together and we will do well. I'd put money on it, if I gambled.

People say footballers aren't bothered about pulling on the shirt any more, but that's rubbish. I love everything England. I didn't have a football club as a kid, I only ever supported England. Didn't matter if it was rugby, badminton, tennis or golf, if there was someone English doing sport on the telly I'd support them. You just do, don't you? I'd never sit through Lancashire v Worcestershire in the cricket, but if it was England I'd be there for hours. Every time we go out to play for our country, you feel that pride.

There will always be doubters; that comes from the trend of putting footballers on pedestals, to knock them down. That's the one thing I can't stand in this world, people who worry themselves with other people's success. Why can't they just be happy with what they've got? For me, it's a sign of the times, the Big Brother era. We're all obsessed with celebrity status. No one is happy just to be themselves. I'm not saying it's easy, but if you're true to yourself now, it will always work in your favour in the long run.

[Rashid]

Utter nonsense about the Englad players individually the most talented in the world just look at the position he plays and the lad who plays there for Argentina (Messi).

That said he comes across ok and hides the fact that he is a cockney big mouth quite well. It doesn't change anything for me, he is not good enough for Liverpool.

[Zippy]

FWIW my mate an Evertonian texted me to say there was a thread on Bluekipper from some lad who said he saw Bentley out in a Manchester club and that Bentley was in the toilets singing Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool and then told them he was joining us next season. My mate said the thread had photos of the lads with Bentley so it could well be true (as seems like a strange story to make up and put on an Everton forum).

Not sure what I think about this as whilst Bentley clearly has fantastic technique I was hoping that we would sign a player with more pace. However I suppose this will be less important if we also sign a pacy attacking fullback.

[Thants]

Originally Posted by Paul

This is quite an interesting read (yet another OCD footballer). Certainly the bit about preferring mangers to be tough is encouraging should Rafa make a move for him in the summer:

The secret life of a footballer


Blackburn and England's David Bentley on Beckham, David Cameron and his strange obsession with plug sockets

Sunday April 6, 2008
Observer Sport Monthly

Good read that, certainly doesnt come across as a nob. I hope he comes.

[PaulMcC]

Was him that done class to set up Blackburn's goal yesterday?

[spider-neil]

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind our right hand side will be rafinha and bentley when we kick off the new season.

[StevieH]

Originally Posted by spider-neil

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind our right hand side will be rafinha and bentley when we kick off the new season.

I'd be happy with that, but I feel that we will need a quality left back and a deep lying attacking forward as well all of whom can go straight into our starting eleven.

[spider-neil]

Originally Posted by StevieH

I'd be happy with that, but I feel that we will need a quality left back and a deep lying attacking forward as well all of whom can go straight into our starting eleven.

I say this because both players are in our price range and in the case of bentley we'll prbably be able to send a squad player in the opposite direction.
I simply can't see us getting players who cost more and the quality some people are talking about will definately cost more.

repeat after me; 'we have a 30M pound interest repayment to service'

[Dirk]

Originally Posted by Paul

With all of that going on you need strong leadership from your manager to keep you focused. My gaffer at Blackburn [Mark Hughes] gives me that. He won't try to be your friend, having a laugh and a joke. He doesn't want to sit down for coffee. He and Mr Capello are my favourite kind of manager: disciplined. You give a player an inch and they'll take a mile, that's just the way young rich footballers are. We need managers to rein us in. It's a bit like when you're at school - if you have a strict teacher, you respect them; if you have a teacher that's always larking about, you lark about yourself. We need to be kept on a leash, otherwise we lose our focus.

I found this bit the most interesting. It's fascinating how different players thrive off different types of personality traits in managers. I think Gerrard struggles with this type of management style but others seem to like it and vice versa.

[WaltonRed]

Our new number two can be the arm round the shoulder than Stevie likes so it will be sound.

As for Bentley, he likes David Cameron so obviously a bit of a tit. I dont think we will sign him though.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by Dirk

I found this bit the most interesting. It's fascinating how different players thrive off different types of personality traits in managers. I think Gerrard struggles with this type of management style but others seem to like it and vice versa.

I thought the comparison with teachers was a good one. The best managers(like the best teachers) will be to each player what he needs him to be: a twat or a mate (as a crude illustration). Fergie is basically a twat from what I can tell, but for some players (Cantona for example) he'll rip up his rule book.

[StevieH]

Originally Posted by Paul

I thought the comparison with teachers was a good one. The best managers(like the best teachers) will be to each player what he needs him to be: a twat or a mate (as a crude illustration). Fergie is basically a twat from what I can tell, but for some players (Cantona for example) he'll rip up his rule book.

Very true and in return that player will respond and produce the goods.

[MLB]

Originally Posted by PaulMcC

Was him that done class to set up Blackburn's goal yesterday?

Yes. Apparently he had another very good game.