David Bentley - Were the boo boys right?

Discussion in 'England' started by Skizz, Sep 10, 2007.

  1. Skizz

    Skizz Guest

    Having pulled out of playing for the Under-21's this summer, citing "fatigue" as the reason and leaving his country a man short for an international tournament, is it right that David Bentley is allowed to play for England?

    I personally believe that representing your country at any level is an honour and to turn that down, regardless of reason, is a poor show. Some senior England players played 60 odd games in the season running up to the 2006 World Cup and you never saw them crying off, even at under 21 level.

    Am I wrong to think that Bentley shouldn't be rewarded with an international call up for snubbing the under 21's?
     
  2. sendorange

    sendorange Member+

    Jun 7, 2003
    Bigsoccer.com
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    The big issue with Bentley is not just that he pulled out of the U-21, it was the timing of it which was so late and meant no replacement could be made. That was disgraceful and I would be tempted to say he should have a long ban from being called up. How someone could be so openly selfish and stab his teammates and the national setup in the back like that..

    He does have a reputation for having an overinflated opinion of himself, although I can't help feeling it was his nobhead club manager who was pushing him into it so maybe he shouldn't get all the blame.

    Shouldn't normally support booing your own players, but in this case I think it was justified. Normally I would like to see a player given a chance to redeem themselves, but tbh I hope we never need a player like that in the squad.

    It is not as if we're lacking right sided midfielders either, we have plenty of quality ones and although Bentley is a good player, he is not outstanding. Becks, SWP, Lennon, Young, Pennant... There are lots of them.
     
  3. BobanFan

    BobanFan Member+

    Jun 28, 2007
    Club:
    AC Milan
    I agree with you on that, but he is still young and young footballers tend to make tits of themselves from time to time. I think we're just going to have to see how he goes on and like you've stated there is quite a lot of competition with Lennon, SWP and Young, so he's going to have his work cut out if(and a big if when we're talking about England) everyone is fit and you never know if the experience makes him grow up a bit.
     
  4. CaptVimes

    CaptVimes New Member

    Jun 12, 2006
    In defence of Bentley he and Hughes asked that he not be picked as I understand it which is why Pearce was left with one less player. He was equally to blame.

    Then onto why should a player refuse. The idea of the under 21s is that it is a platform between the youth and the England first team. However what tends to happen is that we as a country don't really take it seriously and any decent younger players don't play for them (Lennon and Rooney). Bentley is now 23 he has captained and played for under 21 for a number of years, playing for them could be argued hasn't really got him far in the England first team because a younger player jumped straight ahead of him.
     
  5. Teso Dos Bichos

    Teso Dos Bichos Red Card

    Sep 2, 2004
    Purged by RvN
    Those were big name players who would have had a nice summer rest before their season started again. Bentley would have had a week max (?) because Blackburn were playing in Europe very early on in the summer. Do you honestly expect a player to play almost non-stop for several seasons and then expect them to be in contention for a spot in the Euro 2008 squad and perform? He was already fatigued and took the correct decision to take a well deserved break to refresh before the next season and trying to force his way into the national setup.
     
  6. Skizz

    Skizz Guest

    Fair enough, but he allowed the list to be submitted to FIFA before crying off. If he had said earlier that would be different, but he said it after the squad was submitted, therefore making it impossible to replace him and sending the team over to Holland one man short. That is my main qualm with it.
     
  7. Teso Dos Bichos

    Teso Dos Bichos Red Card

    Sep 2, 2004
    Purged by RvN
    As CaptVimes stated above, I was under the impression that England ignored Blackburn and Bentley's request and included him regardless. Which makes the various outburts and booing pretty poor.
     
  8. BobanFan

    BobanFan Member+

    Jun 28, 2007
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Yeah, that was my problem with him, but I don't understand what McClaren then did which was to not call him up for the friendly against Germany but to call him up for a competitive match.
     
  9. Skizz

    Skizz Guest

    Well he may have said in the press that he wanted Bentley withdrawn, but saying that in the press and actually asking him to not be considered are two different things.

    And besides, it's not the manager who should be saying it to him. Bentley should have spoken to Pearce before the squad was near submission, he didn't do this otherwise he would have defended himself more vigorously rather than basically saying "i'm not playing".
     
  10. sinner78

    sinner78 BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 7, 2001
    the point has been made.
    it would be a waste of time to boo him in future games.
    counter productive for the whole squad.
    Boo-boys aint welcome in the stadium.
     
  11. CaptVimes

    CaptVimes New Member

    Jun 12, 2006
    I suppose so but wouldn't it be a bit presumptuous and arrogant to call Pearce and say I don't want to play before even knowing if he wanted you to. I would have thought reading the news in a paper would give Pearce reason enough to check with him to see if he would drop back down to the U21 at his age and stage of career. The whole squad selection does seem to have been a bit unprofessional as he had to drop Agbonlahor because he didn't answer any of his calls. Seems like he left it all a bit to the last minute and ended up with egg on his face and the result is the demonising of a player.

    edit was in reply to bigskizz
     
  12. lanman

    lanman BigSoccer Supporter

    Aug 30, 2002
    Spot on. Personally I think he should have been left out for all of this season and I don't see how he can justify going to Euro 08 if we qualify (even more so if Blackburn are in the Intertoto again), but the decision has been made that he played a part and the crowd made it known their feelings. A line should now be drawn under the whole affair.
     
  13. Skizz

    Skizz Guest

    CaptVimes, then again, can you expect Pearce to believe everything he reads in the papers?
     
  14. Teso Dos Bichos

    Teso Dos Bichos Red Card

    Sep 2, 2004
    Purged by RvN
    There was obviously a breakdown in communication at some point and who is to blame will never be known. It makes little sense for the management to blame Bentley and vice-versa.
     
  15. revelationx

    revelationx Member+

    Jun 5, 2006
    London
    The boo-boys made their point to Bentley and everyone that they disapproved of him missing the summer tournament. He should have gone if he was not injured. However now that the point has been made, just move on and support him if he plays for England again.

    About this week holiday excuse. What rubbish! Other players featured in tournaments over the summer - Heinze, Babel, Tevez and Derbyshire for example. It is up to the clubs to make allowances and for the players to join pre-season later than other players. It was the same last summer when players who played in the World Cup were allowed to come back from holiday later than other players. If Bentley thought that Hughes would not allow him to have an extra week or so holiday then it is Hughes who he has a dispute with. Intertoto or not Bentley should have played in the tournament and then joined Blackburn later than other players.

    I understand that Bentley may have been tired as he made 36 Prem starts (along with Pedersen and McCarthy). That's a lot for a player especially a young one so he probably was fatigued. The whole situation has arisen due to Blackburn's lack of depth in attack. Hughes would not or could not rest players in attack and seemingly could not spare Bentley for a couple of weeks in the Intertoto. However Bentley made the choice and was booed.

    England fans should now just move on. I am sure they will as they are often notoriously fickle.
     
  16. sendorange

    sendorange Member+

    Jun 7, 2003
    Bigsoccer.com
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Bentley could have turned the U-21 callup down when it was received on the 30th May, or announced his withdrawal then. This would have given time for a replacement.

    He didn't, not because of "miscommunication", but because he was in the senior squad (which funnily enough after his long season he had no problem being a part of) and there was still a chance of him playing in either the Brazil game or the final season game against Estonia on June 6th. He waited until the day after that last game before suddenly telling Pearce, over a week after the squad announcement, that he was dropping out.

    It was a cynical act. He knew he would have been replaced in the senior squad at that time or not used in the games if he had dropped out of the U-21s already or turned the callup down on 30th May.
     
  17. CaptVimes

    CaptVimes New Member

    Jun 12, 2006
    I am pretty sure he couldn't be replaced before then either, otherwise it would have been easy to swap Abonglahor in too. Only chance is if the player has an injury or is sick. It is cynical that he would wait till after the Estonia game though.
     
  18. BlackburnRover

    BlackburnRover New Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    M6
    Can I just ask question, obviously I'm biased and glad to have Bentley back at Ewood looking sharp, but will there be the same response to Carragher if he decides to make himself available again? Or Scholes for that matter. Or will they be welcomed back as returning heroes? I persoanlly agree with Carragher and think he's far too good to play a bit part for England, but what's the difference between him and Bentley?

    Bentley turned down the U21s after making the step up to the full squad. Carragher, a player at the top of his form told England where they could go when we're in need of results.

    McLaren's trying to talk him back round but do you think he'll convince him to come back then drop him for a game for being a bad lad? Don't think so.

    Let's face it, the press are lazy, formerly gobby, unfashionable Bentley was an easy target and a lot of people jumped on the band wagon.
     
  19. BlackburnRover

    BlackburnRover New Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    M6
    Oh and don't forget that Pearce was told before he picked the squad, whether it's down to a lack of communication or whatever. The national press tend to gloss over that.
     
  20. revelationx

    revelationx Member+

    Jun 5, 2006
    London
    I don't know what reaction Carra might get. However the situations are different. Carra has retired from international football. He has been convinced by team selections that McClaren does not rate him as a CB. When a player is widely acclaimed for having a standout personal season, and plays successfuly against great players in the Champions League later stages and is then subsequently overlooked in favour of King, who had missed virtually the entire season, it is clear the manager does not rate you. Carra has made himself available for England selection (including U-21s) for the past decade. He now has an England manager he feels will not pick him on form and so has decided to retire from international football. He has made this decision public. He has not been selected for a tournament squad and then pulled out leaving England no chance of selecting a replacement. There is a difference between Carra's circumstances and Bentley's. Carra has retired, like Scholes and Shearer before him. This is allowed you know. I am pretty sure Lineker has done it.

    I think most England fans will move on from the Bentley issue.
     
  21. BlackburnRover

    BlackburnRover New Member

    Sep 10, 2007
    M6
    Yeah thanks for the retirement explanation, I'm sure I heard that somewhere before :) and I realise that the circumstances are different. Like I said earlier I understand Carragher's decision and think he should have been played, so don't get too defensive. Maybe Scholes was stretching the point a bit. But let's be honest, Carragher is not getting too old to play for club and country, he basically told them to shove their selection because he felt he wasn't getting a fair chance, not because of age or ability. If we're getting down to it he's more than capable of playing but he just threw his toys out of the cot because McLaren's being an arse ... again! Fair play to him I say, but no reaction from the press, just McLaren trying to talk him round.

    What got me is the way that the press whipped up a frenzy about Bentley. They constantly seem to forget that he said he wouldn't be available before selection as your reaction shows. But that wouldn't have made a story would it.

    But yeah, we will move on, Beckham went through it and Lampard is too. We get over it. I'll shut up now I made my point.
     
  22. white riot

    white riot Member+

    England
    Apr 27, 2005
    Southampton, England
    Club:
    Southampton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    I had a go at Matthew Hoggard once, for bowling a negative line, but apart from that I've never booed anyone playing for England, however that doesn't mean others can't boo, they've paid their money, thay can say what they like.
     
  23. fernb8

    fernb8 Member+
    Staff Member

    Aug 12, 2002
    good points all around. Sounds like a cock up on either Pearce, Bentley or both. I could give a feck if Hughes didnt want him picked, as Fergie and others have learned- they dont pick the National team sides, unless you are Wenger and somehow get an inexperienced teenager into the WC squad ;).

    I think this will die down and as most have stated it was the usual muck racking from the press. If it sells papers and gets a reaction they will print/broadcast it. Sometimes you have to read between the lines to get the real story, although the whole incident was quite disapointing.
     
  24. Mikey10

    Mikey10 Member

    Sep 20, 2003
    Netherlands
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    They were right to boo him for that game, and that game only. If they continue to do it, then they'll be wrong. The fans let him know what he did was wrong, and that should be the end of it.
     
  25. england66

    england66 Member+

    Jan 6, 2004
    dallas, texas

    Bingo. Repped
     

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