Monday 2 July 2007

All of England's international football problems solved

Prepared to be amazed. I've managed to solve all of England's international football problems! Well, I can't really take ALL the credit. Martin Jol has discovered a new England striker who is better than the great Thierry Henry! No, wait... it's only Darren Bent. That's right, England's 'prolific' goal scorer (two appearances, no goals) has been sold for £0.4 million more than the now Barcelona striker, Thierry Henry.

I can't quite work out whether £16.4 million for a player that hasn't been tested either internationally, or continentally at club level seems steep, or £16 million for one of (if not the) worlds best strikers is on the cheap side! Probably a bit of both!

Granted, he's younger and so has more years left in him than Henry (although there is some weight behind the argument that Henry will be better at 40 than Bent will ever be!) but think how much Rooney and even Owen had acheived by the time they were Bents age (well I speak metaphorically as Rooney still has a few years to go!). Owen, however, was only sold for £0.6 million more than Bent in his latest transfer to Newcastle.

I don't think anyone would've expected Henry to sold for as little as he was this time last year, but with a poor seasons for Arsenal, the price tag was slashed. It is interesting to note, however, that despite the injury problems he had, he still managed a goal every 147 mins (compared to 222.5 mins for Bent).

I think I will reserve final judgment for when we see how Bent plays for a (slightly) better team!

2 comments:

James Fullard said...

Good point well made Phil! It does seem that when an English team wants to buy an English player they have to pay a ridiculous amount of money to do so... I suggest this is why the English football team always underachieves! Why should English teams buy English players when they can get players like Henry for a fraction of the price! Its ridiculous! I hate to say it but it is teams like Chelsea who seem to want to horde all the best English players to themselves! Shaun Wright Phillips for example - a great player who is not getting anywhere near the starting line up at Chelsea. Here we would have a great English midfielder if Chelsea actually played him or let him go to a smaller yet more suitable club!

Phil Lewis said...

To be honest with you Jim, I hadn't actually given much thought to the argument you put across, but it certainly adds weight to it! I guess I was looking at it more as a grieving Arsenal fan, than a bitter England one! Why be just one when you can be both! :-)