3 Dec 2012

"He's perfect for LFC" - Reds legend urges BR to sign £24m goalscorer. Agree...?

In February 2012, Aston Villa striker Darren Bent admitted that he was 'flattered' to be linked with a move to Liverpool during the preceding January transfer window. At that time, the striker insisted he was 'delighted' to be at Villa, and planned spend to spend 'years' at the club. One managerial change later, and everything is different: Bent is out of favour and warming the bench; he's publicly criticised his 'frustrating' boss, Paul Lambert, and consequently, the 'Bent to Liverpool' rumours have started up again. A January exit seems like a good bet at the moment, and Reds legend Jan Molby believes Bent would be fantastic signing for the club.

In his column for Eurosport yesterday, Molby slammed Paul Lambert's 'inexplicable' and 'staggering' decision to banish Bent to the Villa wilderness, and claimed that 'teams like Liverpool, Everton or Arsenal would be delighted to have a goalscorer of his calibre'. He added:

"It is incredible that Lambert feels he can leave £24 million of goalscorer out of the squad when Villa are in their current predicament. It doesn't make sense.

"Bent is a January target for Brendan Rodgers and I think he would be absolutely perfect for them. There might be a loan deal to be done but there won't be a shortage of clubs willing to take on a player who almost guarantees a goal".


I totally agree with Molby, and I just can't understand the antipathy towards Bent, who has consistently proved himself to be one of the Premier League's most consistent goalscorers.

It's quite simple: Liverpool need goals. Bent guarantees goals, and has done for his entire top-flight career, and that's all that matters. Consider the following stats, compiled in January 2012:

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KEY POINTS

* Scores of creates a goal every 1.8 games
* Guarantees an average of 18 goals a season.
* Majority of goals from open play.
* Average conversion rate of 21%.

* In 2009-10, Bent scored 24 league goals for Sunderland. Imagine what he could do playing alongside superior quality players at Liverpool.

What else needs to be said? The accusation that he wouldn't fit into Rodgers system also doesn't make sense, as Molby explains:

"It has been suggested that Bent wouldn't fit into Rodgers's system but you could easily play Suarez off him. Suarez likes that floating role anyway. Without the ball he could take up position on the flank and when Liverpool have the ball he could go and buzz around Bent"

If Liverpool can grab Bent on loan, or even a swap deal involving Stewart Downing (Please God, make it happen!), then where is the downside? It's a no-brainer:

* Bent is out of favour at Villa and available.
* He's Premier League proven and guarantees goals.
* No dreaded settling-in period required.
* He hasn't played regularly so he'll be fresh and raring to go.
* Despite warming the bench, he still has 3 goals in 7 starts.
* He could be available for as little as £8m.

Where is the credible argument *against* signing Bent?





Jaimie Kanwar


75 comments:

  1. He is not the fans favoured target but the lad scores goals and his record is superb, BR likes players to get involved in the build-up but Bent doesn't. Personally on-loan or in a swap for Downing yes we must do it, it really is a no-brainer for sure. There are other strikers coming out of contract too, Walcott, Huntelaar and Llorent just 3 of them. With a little investment Liverpool can really push on after Christmas, FSG are right to cut rubbish from the wage bill but a little speculation in January could pay huge dividends!!!......................100% behind FSG!!!

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  2. No brainer really! I always wanted him to come to Liverpool after Charlton got relegated. We were looking for a proven goalscorer back then and Bent might have been the answer we were looking for. I bet AVB would have loved to have Bent at Totte now.

    But if there is change of getting him I am all for it. And if it involves a swap between him and Downing then that's even better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Striker tend to peak from 27-32 so he still have as nice few years left of goals goals goals.

    Can't actually believe he was bought for £24M and we bought AC for £35!!!!!!

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  3. Not as good as Suarez though, is he?

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  4. How daft. The man can't get into Villa's first eleven and some people want him at Anfield? Has it occurred to anyone that this player might still be carrying an injury? I hope Liverpool bypass him and move on to a much better striker.

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  5. FSG: loan Bent, get Studridge 12m n Walcott 10m ... heading for top 4. C'mmon!! YNWA

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  6. Michu at £2m is the deal of the century, the lad was good in Spain too. It highlights how poor we have been recently in our scouting, no more mistakes please Liverpool. The £15m we gave Swansea paid for their new players easily and the £35m we gave Newcastle helped re-build them, what about helping ourselves just the once????................come on you scouts, get out there and find a Michu!!!

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  7. Bent is not the player i want us to sign specially when players like Huntelaar, Llorente, Ba, etc. could be available for much less.

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  8. If he's carrying an injury, why is he on the bench every week, and why does he come on as a sub?

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  9. He just as prolific a goalscorer as Suarez (over his career); who cares how good he is individually? His job is to score.

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  10. If we can get this lad on loan then I really think that would be fantastic business for Pool. He really does score goals in whatever team he is placed in. He might be a bit lazy for the system that Rodgers plays but we actually need a player like that, one that just sits in the box and puts them away. Really think Brendan has a trick up his sleeve for January tho. Will wait and see. Cmon Liverpool!!!

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  11. It's no secret that Lambert and Bent do not get on well at all.

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  12. I care J-Rock. I care.

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  13. I know he's denied it, but that 50 game clause in his contract sounds plausible to me. And he's stuck on 47 - it's saving Villa 5 million quid or something.

    It wouldn't surprise me if Bent plays against us in a couple of weeks. Shop window, and all that.

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  14. If you has to put you're money on one striker to turn-up at Anfield in January, who would it be???

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  15. Sturridge, sadly. I'll be gutted if that happens.

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  16. I still feel sick over this deal. LFC tracking him; why the hell didn't we sign him? It's negligence.

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  17. I always knew you had it in you.

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  18. As a matter of fact, nobody "guarantees" any amount of goals. There is not one player playing in any game that guarantees scoring!

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  19. Could not agree more :). FSG never promised a Chelsea & Man City style reign, rather they want us to be sustainable and rely more on our academy to produce good potential (Sterling, Wisdom, Kelly, Suso). Now all we have to do is to get rid of Downing, Andy Carroll, Joe Cole, Henderson and that will free up alot of money.

    I feel one or two attacking options would do us wonders.

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  20. That sounds very likely to be honest, sadly.

    Bent and and Attacking Mid!

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  21. As the actress said to the bishop.

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  22. I think this needs to be said re: Sturridge:

    Do you recall last season when we were leading 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the PL game, through a goal by Maxi Rodriguez?

    Sturridge equalised relatively early in the 2nd half with a tap in at the far post. He then proceeded to dance at the back post - like an absolute BELL-END - as the rest of his teammates scrambled to get the ball back up to the centre-circle to get on with the game and capitalise on their momentum. He danced. For an equaliser.

    I personally don't want a player like that clown, who is so absolutely self-absorbed, at Anfield. Say what you like about Luis Suarez, but at least he's professional enough to understand that the focus of the game is to win.

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  23. Hmmm never knew that... Could well be.

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  24. SMH. £2M...Man what a bargain.

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  25. It was a figure of speech.

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  26. Michu is to Liverpool what Santi Cazorla is to Chelsea, United and City. This is the situation we're in now. Michu was excellent last season, but he was always a step down from Cazorla. Yet nobody seemed to be prepared to take the gamble on either of them, and now everyone's casting jealous eyes at Swansea and Arsenal.

    I'd personally have liked Berbatov, but because of the weird politics involved between United and Liverpool, a move for him was impossible. Michu is a similar player and he'd surely have been a success at Anfield.

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  27. I'd rather go for: loan Bent, don't get Sturridge, Walcott 5m, reasonable contract for Sterling.

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  28. I understand your point but at the same time Bent has the most PL experience and would prob be a cheaper option.

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  29. really sturridge jaimie ?
    i would rather have bent as a striker than sturridge, think sturridge is better on the right wing. I still want bony and ince but if we dont get those lets get bent for bony and sturridge for ince.

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  30. The credible argument against signing Bent is pricetag. I agree that Bent would not be bad to have around the squad and if we can get him on loan then fine. However, we're looking for someone who can play in the point of attack in stead of Suarez and Bent just isn't the type of striker that consistently scores. He scores in patches. If you average it all out over a season it looks good but so do Defoe's stats. The thing with Torres was that he scored every two matches on average (probably more) but he actually also scored once every two matches at least. If Bent scores seven hattricks in a season, I'm exaggerating, and nothing more he'll have scored 21 goals but was no good to us for the other 31 matches. We need a striker who doesn't just score a lot of goals but who consistently scores goals. At the start of the season all of Ingurland and Scotland were creaming their pants over Fletcher at Sunderland but where is he now? Guys like Vossen at Genk, Bony at Vitesse and Lewandowski at Dortmund just score, every match, all the time. That's what we should be looking at if we're looking to spend money and buy someone. But for a loan for six months and on top of another striker coming in like the three mentioned above, would be fine by me.

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  31. Downing too had lot of premier league experience and look how that worked out for us so far, Downing and Bent are players who can be big fish in small ponds but they can't survive in big pond.
    Bent cost Villa 24m and i don't see how they will sell him cheap, on the other hand we can get Ba for 7.5m that would be a great coup and getting him could be realistic now that Liverpool are above Newcastle in the table.

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  32. Not saying I want Sturridge, just who I think BR will go for.

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  33. Haha I remember that!

    To be honest he is a very selfish player. His not even that good.

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  34. I would rather go for someone better, but if that isnt an option, I think Bent would do a good job. Loan deal only though.

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  35. I don't think you're that much of a bigger pond these days. I recall that we signed Downing during the close season when Villa finished above you guys.
    I think we have to accept that both clubs are having a tough time at the moment, but dismissing a club which prior to last season had qualified for Europe in three successive seasons as a "small pond" is arrogant and disrespectful.
    On a more serious note, I wonder how Liverpool fans would feel about swapping Downing for Charles N'Zogbia? I remember at the time, many Liverpool fans were saying you should sign Zog instead of Downing, but I know who I would rather see in the Claret and Blue

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  36. True but Downing was at Boro from 2001-2009 and made 181 appearances and scored only 17 goals. For a winger thats not good enough. He has one good season at Villa. But Bent has had many good seasons for different clubs which is why this one is a different case. My opinion anyway :)

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  37. Very interesting this.

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  38. I would never sign bent, even for 10m or so, hes old enough now to score many goals as people think, hes been a massive flop at villa no wonder lambert leaves him out all the time and prefers benteke, there are so many fantastic young strikers all around the world so why do we have to get bent I dont get it? Im sure he would be just like carroll, hope rodgers isnt that foolish to gamble on this, id say better go for falcao huntelaar higuain or llorente, one of these would be perfect.

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  39. Sturridge is too up himself but hope we dont get bent either, regardless of any stats i dont think he,s good enough for us, just hope we can finally start doing our homework on any prospective signings, had a gut full of duds :(

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  40. Liverpool must learn from their previous mistakes.Dont think he is good enough and he is going to solve their problems.Go for better players like what other teams are doing

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  41. jaimie its carr71 this is the other one that i,ve posted on in the past,will you try and unblock mine ta

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  42. I have heard about this too but who knows???

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  43. Well argued Jamie, the problem however is that Bent does not fit into the shape adopted by Rodgers for practically every game we have played this season. Bent fits best in a 4-4-2 system, which I cannot imaging Rodgers opting for; if we did play 4-4-2, we should have definitely kept Carroll at Anfield.

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  44. agree 100%, if its a swap with Downing. As Downing doesn't offer anything other than an excuse to have a moan. People need to understand we need stop gap player, we're not going to attract Benzema's or Falcao's on league standings and don't offer mercenary wages. If we make 4th because of Bent contribution, we've reached our target against the odds. Then in the summer we have a better barging tool, granted we if have finances. In ideal world Bent wouldn't be in the equation, but the bloke does get goals. When keepers parry our shots no one in the current team consistently sits there to gobble it up like Inzaghi or Ruud(thought Borini was fox in box type).

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  45. Bent for £6m would be a good deal but does he fit FSG's profile? He isnt exactly young and there isnt a sell on fee as he hits 30 in a few years.

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  46. Theo Walcott,Daniel Sturridge,Wilfred Zaha and now is Darrent Bent? I don't understand why sometimes somebody like to give no good sugestion evently he is now legend people......with UK24milion we can sign much better players who having high potential to shining.David Villa and Wilfred Bony or Michu will be enough to firing the goal problem.

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  47. BENT would be a wrong option ,

    i seriously doubt his ambition n work rate if not talent, and have to consider this that he seems more like a long ball playing teams strike, big presence , latches on the loose ball in the box, but over all not enough ground play...WONT SUIT THE tiki-taka...we need a Odemwingie type of player . who can hold the flanks, interchange with suarez. SPAIN is the answers to our problem . yes this might hurt but , english players arent good enough

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  48. exactly...if we sign bent , then y would we let go carroll? (i think carroll would offer any team more then bent). bent doesnt fits in our system...

    and for those who r playing numbers game i.e. abt cheap n costly, swansea got 2 miln michu n 4mln Pablo Hernandez. WE NEED TO FIND THE RIGHT MAN, not needed that he is big player.

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  49. Him and Huntelaar, perfect. And cheap.
    Thank you Lukas Leiva.

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  50. Would prefer west broms Long, the guy has a great work ethic as well as his other attributes, Villa would still want a decent chunk of the 24 mil they paid for Beny
    & i just dont see him being worth more than a cheap punt.

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  51. thnk we should look at shane long he is young and extremely quick wouldnt b 2 expensive and its pace up front we defo need

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  52. I have to be honest to all Liverpool fans around the world,Darren Bent isn't a good player to play for our team.Also,he is not among the top ten strikers whom can come and help our team to reach on top four.Lastly,BR should sign either Demba Ba, Huntlaar or Jackson Martinez.

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  53. personally we need to be realistic. one of shane long or darren bent as a 2nd striker (would roughly be in the £7-£10 mill range, but swapping downing/cole could help) + a wilfred bony/gomis/hunterlar signing would be ideal!

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  54. Whoever fixes the damn problem!

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  55. we should have signed Bent atleast 2 years ago, it's a no brainer. Huntelar IS NOT COMING, stop dreaming guys! To be honest I think there is a personal issue with Paul Lambert & Bent & has nothing to do with football. Lambert is just stamping his authority which in other words he is cutting of his nose to spite his face! It's inexplicable how a 20+ goal a season striker, progressing towards being a regular for England (ankle injury prevented Euro 12 involvement) yet can't make the squad??!!!! Those who say he can't do it for a top club, don't worry we're not a top club, we're a club with tradition there's a difference!

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  56. You sure about that? Didn't 'onest 'arry get rid of him at Spurs because he reckoned his Missus was a better striker?

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  57. because when it comes to scouting and the transfer market, quite frankly we are a joke. ok it's only a rumour but i wouldn't rule it out. tom ince-let go on a free less than 6 months ago, maybe looking to buy him back for, in the area of 4-6m! we are an agents dream, ridiculously inept scouting-wise. how we could do with another geoff twentyman, even then, we let him go, yes times change, but we have over the years abandoned the morals and values, that were instilled by shanks and paisley. if graham carr of newcastle and the likes of john park up at celtic can find some fine, young, CHEAP talent, then what the hell are our scouts doing?

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  58. bent-if we must, loan only. sturridge- if we must.......................................................................................................................................................but i hope not.

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  59. Can't see this happening in January.
    They are realistically in the fight for Europa League place. Steve Clark won't want to let him go before summer, especially to us, and we can't realistically say whether we are challenging for a Euro place at the moment, since we can't string two wins together. From Shane Long's point of view, moving to Liverpool right now makes no sense whatsoever.

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  60. Villa fan. Why would we let you have Bent on loan? Can't see that as Lambo needs the money to re-invest in Benteke Mk II and there are plenty of clubs with the money apparently.

    Bent is a goalscorer but needs to have the team set up to enable this and, for me, would probably want the same role as Suarez. From what I have seen of Liverpool, you need a player that can play in the no. 10 behind Suarez (like a Michu or a Carzola as mentioned above) and another wide player who can weigh in with goals as I don't see Sterling as a goal scorer (latter could be Walcott but I think he will stay at Arsenal - why would you leave Arsenal to come to Liverpool unless you pay him a lot more cash?).

    It makes me laugh that Downing gets so much grief from Liverpool fans. The guy was awesome for us in the season before he came to you and if King Kenny couldn't get the best out of him then have you ever thought that it might just be poor man management/tactics and not the player? I would have him back in a shot - at the right price though because he needs to be repaired. Might swap you Lucas and Downing for Bent??

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  61. the red shirt will be to much pressure for bent, he will not live up to expectations, regardless us being a mid table team now.

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  62. he can't hold the ball up or link play= cant play tiki taka

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  63. 50 games clause for Bent sounds plausible.

    If we got him on loan with no commitment to buy and most of his wages paid maybe. Otherwise no way

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  64. Only on loan. We don't want to be stuck with him like we are/were with Cole, Downing, Carroll, Aquilani, Adam...

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  65. Enjoy the Championship...

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  66. r u drunk ? lucas ? the brazilian destroyer ? he is worth the whole villa squad .
    and that too for bent ? 24miln for bent would have been the biggest joke of the season , had not we gone one better with 35miln for andy n (chevesky 50miln for totteres). jokes apart bent is a decent option , but has passed his best already n wont fit in our style of play..

    abt downing , look guys you seriously dont understand a liverpool fan..we r not like chevesky showing *manager out* flags on the 1st day itself n neither like the gooners. y(D)awning has been given plenty of chances its his 2nd year here but , there has not been a single match till now that you would feel to clap for him, from the 1st day that guy is so confused whether to cut-in or try to beat the defender(end up doing nothing ) , just dont has any confidence in him.

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  67. And Liverpool have never celebrated an equalizer right??

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  68. Sturridge is better than Torres though.

    And a lot of Liverpool players want him back for some weird reason...

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  69. Why would Arsenal bother to sell Walcott for £5m.

    Only Liverpool would do something like that, a la the £3m sale of one of the better right backs in the league...

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  70. Where do you see the connection. I would expect him to be going for Crouch and Defoe like he seems to be doing at every club he signs.

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  71. They probably wouldn't but why should we spend 10m on a player who's contract runs out in the summer and whose end-product or consistent lack thereof has been questioned many times.

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  72. Talking about players people were not ready to gamble on, remember a certain fernando? Basically the only reason we got him was because none of the money feuled clubs thought he could make the step up...how wrong they were haha

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