Magath's argument for the youth is unconvincing

[Two Ton Ted]

Yeah, Darren Bent, remind me how well he's played this season?

[Arthur]

Had Magath brought on Bent for the last 10 minutes rather than Roberts, I don't think it would have made an ounce of difference. Bent, like Roberts, would have had a couple of inconsequential touches, we would still have lost and we'd all be contributing to a 'Why did Magath waste the final substitution bringing on Bent?' thread instead.

[alfie]

Ole Gunnar Solsjaer, played Championship Manager and won something in Norway.
Tim Sherwood given a £100million team as a rookie manager.
Felix Magath, no experience in the Premier League, something he claimed Mitroglou did not have.
Fulham are bottom - nobody can do any worse!

And do not mention the vastly experienced David Moyes....

Mourino had no premier league experience when he came to Chelsea
Wenger had no Division 1 experience when he came to Arsenal
even Alex Ferguson came direct from the scottish league with no top flight English experience

and Fulham were bottom before he came here so hardly his fault.

[alfie]

Haven't you claimed your love and admiration for Bent & Meulensteen enough already? Magath is doing the best he can with a poor team. We looked better against Everton. He's right playing young players ahead of Bent.

I assume you were not addressing your comments to me.
But in case you were,
I am happy and impressed Felix played the youngsters it was just the last substitution against everton I felt was very wrong.
I would also be playing Tank (see post somewhere else) in preference to one of the more experieinced midfielders.
As far as rene was concerned, i thought he was a daft choice, but I did take to him even though it wasn't quite happening, i did think it was entirely the wrong time for the change especially after two very good performances where he was more radical with his team selection.

Felix has been dropped in it for sure and i am not certain he has the capability to turn this round. we shall see.

I think he has the capability but just not enough games.

[alfie]

Basically yes, he does.  Looks so similar to what Sherwood is doing at Spurs.

A question for you Mr Bateman
Why did you automatically believe Bent over Magath, when Magath had already said that Bent had left training earlier because of a problem, if he thinks a player is not fit/ready for the a game then he has to make that call.

[Lighthouse]

Blah di blah di blah blah

The fact is that having kids lead the line in a relegation dog fight is madness. Bent and I presume Rodders must have done something bad behind the scenes to be second fiddle to untried kids.

Still at least the kids are having experience at the top level and if they stay will be able to play for us next season with this experience behind them.

However nobody can pretend that they are happy we have no forwards. In January if we were told this was going to happen, nobody would believe the incompetence of those in charge.

[shnlwswlkr]

Bent and Rodders are rubbish. Simple. The youngsters put more into a match than either of them two have all season.

[Burt]

The young Moussa showed more vision, creativity, energy, ideas and threat up front than I have seen for some time. He did everything but score. He deserves to start again.

[Logicalman]

I am not convinced of the argument " I would always select a proven Premier League player over an unproven kid.", as we saw from berbatov this past season, he is lazy, uncompromising, and apart from a few very deft touches, he has nothing of true value to add to a team like Fulham.

As for Bent, he was provided opportunities under the previous two managers, and in both cases he was found wanting when it came to putting the ball in the net. For a seasoned and experienced professional, I found him wasteful of the majority of opportunities he had. He did try, there is not getting away from that, but his resultant play belied the expected from his wealth of experience, and proven record elsewhere.

I believe the article was not directed at individual players and their worth to a side, more so it was directed at how managers appear to leave experienced fit players out and the excuses they use to do so.

[Fulham Phil]

Bent does nothing if & when he does play! Yeah he has scored a couple of goals but has fluffed many a chance!
I doubt he would have put any of the 20 odd shots we had away but you never know!
We are in a mess and I think Felix must by now realise we are so deep in the brown and smelly stuff it is going to be extremely hard to get us out of it in at the very deep end with little time to change things for the better.............
but until the fat lady sings we must believe!
COYW

[MasterHaynes]

Ole Gunnar Solsjaer, played Championship Manager and won something in Norway.
Tim Sherwood given a £100million team as a rookie manager.
Felix Magath, no experience in the Premier League, something he claimed Mitroglou did not have.
Fulham are bottom - nobody can do any worse!

And do not mention the vastly experienced David Moyes....

AH I understand now , your still miffed that UTD appointed Moyes and not you

[LBNo11]

...Bent started the falsehoods by selling his professional wares under the premise that he was a quality striker.

On that basis I'd believe Felix over Bent any day, and he was probably only being kind by saying he wasn't fit to be a striker - but it was lost in translation...

[Logicalman]

#######  The thread "Darren Bent waiting to fire Fulham to safety" is running alongside another thread of exactly the same topic, so they will be merged #######

[Logicalman]

#######  The thread "Bent basically calls Felix a liar" is running alongside another thread of exactly the same topic, so they will be merged #######