Dan Bentley: Will he be seen again at Roots Hall.

[FarmdogSUFC]

I think you're missing a few zeros, got to be at least £5,000,000! :winking:

I love that man.

 

[Jam_Man]

A quick update for you all.

I've just had a chat with an agent. Apparently most players in this country don't have a minimum release clause, regardless of level because clubs simply won't agree to them.

I asked him what he thought we could realistically expect to get for DB if we sold him now. His answer was that he didn't know anything about him!

Indeed.

Even Suarez didnt have one which Arsenal found out to their embarrassment. He only had a clause that said that Liverpool had to tell him about the offer. Pretty pointless.

Even if it was £600k, he would still have been 2 years younger than Bentley and would have had a full season at this level compared to Bentley's half a season. Hart was in the England Under 19s squad too, which would have boosted the fee.

Ben Foster was signed by Man U from Stoke for £1m, but he was on loan at a league 1 club the season before. Man U then sent him out on loan straight away to Watford, who were in the Championship, and the following season after they gained promotion to the Premiership.

Exactly, Yorkshire Blue listed a few Goalkeepers recently who moved for well under 1 million.

If we were to sell Bentley in January he would be sold as an inexperienced league two keeper.

Most clubs big enough to afford 1 million pounds aren't going to spend that on an untested keeper to go into their reserves and I cant see any clubs mid-season being desperate for a new keeper who would also want to gamble on a 20 year old.

 

[markw]

If i was in Bentley's position... i would be throwing my gloves into the crowd after every clean sheet. Especially if they go to kids, who will then have a new favourite player and want to come back the next week and the week after that. A win win for everyone.

You can tell we are doing well in the league when this is a hot topic of shrimperzone conversation

 

[EastStandBlue]

I've said this before and stand by it; if Bentley is still contracted permanently to Southend in September this year, something's gone wrong.

Talk of a seven-figure sum is farcical though. We may be able to broker a deal where the final sum could approach that figure, but there's no way on Earth a club will part with that amount of money up front for a 20-year old League Two goalkeeper, no matter how talented he is.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Surely goalkeeping is the one area in football where an untested 20yr old could fit straight into a Premier League side? How different can it be at the very top level?

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Indeed.

Im very happy with him and he has been solid and really made the position his own, but he has only been playing half a season.

I cant imagine any big clubs needing a first team keeper at the moment willing to take a chance on a kid without any real experience.

Obviously if someone came in with big money then he will go, but I dont think there will be any such offer made, and if someone bids £200k for him then its not worth it.

He is a first team goalkeeper here and with only 92 places in the whole country available thats pretty valuable to him as well.

I think theres also an element we are building him up too quickly anyway. He had a good game on Saturday and dealt with what he had to, but he didnt have to deal with very much. He pulled off one outstanding save from open play and obviously the penalty save but Id imagine saving penalties is pretty low down in the priority list when looking at keepers. I think most clubs would want to watch him for sometime yet.



By who ?!

His own manager bigged him up but thats not him tipped to be England keeper, he hasnt ever featured in the England set up has he ?

As for being worth 1 million Yorkshire Blue recently went through recent keeper transfers and none went for anywhere near that.

Again, think people are getting carried away. He has done really well and has lots of potential, but is playing in an in-form team and he isnt the finished article yet.

I cant imagine a big club wanting him as first choice yet, and who can afford to pay 1 million for a reserve keeper?

Quite a few clubs can afford it actually. Most goalkeepers who are worthy of a fair transfer fee from the lower Leagues who move to a much bigger club, start in the reserves, and then hopefully grab their chance when it comes to the first team. They are bought with a view to becoming the first choice keeper.

 

[chapperzUK]

Surely goalkeeping is the one area in football where an untested 20yr old could fit straight into a Premier League side? How different can it be at the very top level?

I'm guessing very different. Playing against strikers like Suarez, van Persie and Negrado will be very different to Benyon and Harrold.

Look at Paulo Gazzaniga, he was 20 when he moved from league 2 Gillingham to Premiership Southampton. IIRC he made a fair few clangers at the start of the season before Southampton signed Artur Boruc.

 

[Jam_Man]

Quite a few clubs can afford it actually. Most goalkeepers who are worthy of a fair transfer fee from the lower Leagues who move to a much bigger club, start in the reserves, and then hopefully grab their chance when it comes to the first team. They are bought with a view to becoming the first choice keeper.

How many 20 year old keepers have been bought for a million from a league two side and then put in the reserves?

Even Joe Hart didnt and he was an England youth.

Gazzaniga was probably the biggest one, I cant think of any others that got anywhere near that.

 

[londonblue]

I'm guessing very different. Playing against strikers like Suarez, van Persie and Negrado will be very different to Benyon and Harrold.

Look at Paulo Gazzaniga, he was 20 when he moved from league 2 Gillingham to Premiership Southampton. IIRC he made a fair few clangers at the start of the season before Southampton signed Artur Boruc.

Remember our game against Man U (who couldn't!)? Remember how hard Ronaldo hit the ball? I thought he was going to break Flahavan's arms every time he shot. Completely different ball game.

 

[mrsblue]

Surely goalkeeping is the one area in football where an untested 20yr old could fit straight into a Premier League side? How different can it be at the very top level?

The gulf in class is miles apart with the top players able to pinpoint their shot/free kick within millimetres of their target.

I think Bents currently is a tidy league 2 keeper with many years on his side to improve and maybe play at championship or who knows even higher.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I'm guessing very different. Playing against strikers like Suarez, van Persie and Negrado will be very different to Benyon and Harrold.

Look at Paulo Gazzaniga, he was 20 when he moved from league 2 Gillingham to Premiership Southampton. IIRC he made a fair few clangers at the start of the season before Southampton signed Artur Boruc.

Why? A ball is coming towards you, save it. If you can hold onto it as well, happy days.

I am available for the England goalkeeping coach. :smile:

 

[EastStandBlue]

I'm guessing very different. Playing against strikers like Suarez, van Persie and Negrado will be very different to Benyon and Harrold.

Look at Paulo Gazzaniga, he was 20 when he moved from league 2 Gillingham to Premiership Southampton. IIRC he made a fair few clangers at the start of the season before Southampton signed Artur Boruc.

There's more to it than just facing more gifted forwards. Set pieces are far more clinical at the elite level with teams far more effectively drilled. Players are more physical yes, but any Premier League 'keeper will be expected to have a far more in-depth understanding of what he's likely to come up against, how to combat that and arrange his defenders appropriately than a League Two 'keeper would be. Then there's having the requisite concentration to be able to deal with having long(er) spells of having little to do, and dealing with the increased atmosphere/pressure/intensity of competing in such fixtures.

It's completely different.

 

[Jam_Man]

Why? A ball is coming towards you, save it. If you can hold onto it as well, happy days.

I am available for the England goalkeeping coach. :smile:

If it was that easy then any keeper in League 2 could play there :smile:

Even Federeci got flack in the Premiership and he was better than Bentley.

 

[EastStandBlue]

If it was that easy then any keeper in League 2 could play there :smile:

Even Federeci got flack in the Premiership and he was better than Bentley.

And can't even buy a game at Reading in the Championship this season...

 

[chapperzUK]

And can't even buy a game at Reading in the Championship this season...

His first game this season was a 6-0 defeat in the cup to Peterborough. Played only 4 times and hasn't kept a clean sheet yet.

I agree with your other point, players at the top level are now top athletes. Look at Ronaldo, not only has he got unbelievable ability and talent but he is physically in top shape. Stamina, speed, strength and that is before you get to that mind-blowing leap he has as well as being able to somehow hang there too.

 

[undercovershrimper]

I think Dan could hold is own in the Championship already. However it makes no sense for us to sell him at the moment. I expect he will be collecting his League 2 winners medal with us come april/may

 

[leeblue]

Hes done well for us no doubt and has clearly got potential. The question is how highly do potential suitors value that potential. I still have question marks over his kicking at times and his command of the box seems to be either excellent or pretty poor. He is very young and has a lot to learn so I say let him keep learning and worry about transfers etc etc if and when they crop up, dont wanna turn his attention away from a possible promotion push.

 

[chelmo]

shut that window now

 

[MK Shrimper]

shut that window now

 

[rlb999]

If Bentley goes and smith makes a return we can kiss promotion goodbye !!!!

Absolute tripe.

I don't think Bentley's going anywhere this window, but at some point we'll cash in - hopefully we'll do a 'Barry Fry' and talk the price up first. But I've said before that we're in the rare position of having the 2 best keepers in the league - if Bentley went tomorrow, we're as well covered as we can be. The real issue here is that by the summer we probably will have cashed in on Bentley, and Smith is also out of contract. If you look at the dross we play against each week you'll see what your average league 1 / league 2 keeper is like - that's what we have to look forward too unless we can pull something out of the bag. You'll be back to cheering some little fat boy like Belford because he's a good lad and will have a few beers with you.

I await a chorus of people telling me Paul Smith doesn't come off his line much, and am yawning in anticipation.