Bennett deserves chance

[pete 318]

If the rumours about Benno getting the cold shoulder is because of comments he made about Russel Martin are true. Neil is cutting off his nose to spite his face. Remember all the chances he gave to Grabban the sending off, refusing to play, going AWOL. If true Klose left sided CB Benno best right sided CB and fewer mistakes than Bassong

Get him back in the side might even need thre CB''s against Leicester and rest of season to see more solidity.

[Tim Dawson 0]

Spot on Pete my thoughts exactly, get that accident waiting to happen Bassong out of the team

[wcorkcanary 4,329]

What comments?_ can''t disagree with the football side of your post though Pete.

[JF 694]

Considering they are neighbours and mates I highly doubt that there were any comments made by Bennett about Russ.

[wcorkcanary 4,329]

What comments?

[GJP 79]

Hasn''t Bennett just had a chance?

[ZLF 271]

Bennett has had his chance, 12 starts is a good runout. And the manager clearly things bassong and klose are the best option. Its not as if having Ryan in the back four stopped the flow of goals is it - 22 in 12 games with him starting about the same rate as 50 in 26 overall. So where is he so much better than the others? Limited stopper at best.

The time to keep tinkering with the defence is over; we have shipped goals at about two goals a game irrespective of which defenders play and whether the midfield is sat deep to protect or set higher to attack. The 10(?) defenders and multiple combinations attempted show that none are good enough, although its too soon to fully assess klose and pinto.

[Chip20 69]

Why give any credence at all to rumours? Is there anything at all to suggest there is any substance behind them?

[Lessingham Canary 99]

No credence to the rumours whatsoever.

Bennett will get his chance when the manager picks him.

[Lewis DW 11]

Yeah i think Bennett should be given a chance, I also think we should be playing the same starting 11 week-in-week-out... just like Leicester???

There is only one thing worst than an armchair football fan.. one with a keyboard.

People on hear all think they can do better! or have better ideas.

The pink''un message board is such dross these days. We lose a game and therefore we have to change something... we lose, we must find a scapegoat... we lose Alex Neil clearly has no idea... We lose and the board didn''t spend enough....

Clueless deluded football fans.

[canarydan23 4,060]

I think you''ve got your stats a little bit wrong there ZippersLeftFoot old boy.

Bennett has indeed started 12 Premier League games this season but I believe that we''ve only conceded 17 goals in that time.

Bournemouth(3), Stoke(3), Southampton(0), Villa(0), Spurs(3), Man Utd(1), Watford(2), Arsenal(1), Chelsea(1), Swansea(0), Man City(2), West Brom(1)

You will note that our only three clean sheets are included in this this. You could technically given him 12.5 games and 17 goals conceded as he came on at half-time versus Everton and we did not concede.

So, we''ve conceded 17 goals in the 12 games that Bennett has started.

We''ve conceded 33 goals in the 14 that he hasn''t. Our goals conceded per game record is significantly better with Bennett in the starting lineup (1.42 per game) than when he isn''t (2.36).

We haven''t kept a clean sheet WITHOUT Bennett in the starting lineup. We managed one in the League Cup as well. Bennett started, in case you were wondering.

He is not this world-class centre-half that some people are making out. In fact, I think he is bang ordinary. Sadly, bang ordinary makes him the best one on our books.

His continual selection of Bassong over Bennett make no footballing sense in my humble opinion. Managers in relegation scraps do not have the luxury of picking their favourites. I hope it doesn''t take a relegation for Neil to learn that lesson.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Great one eyed stats. To get a fuller picture how many goals have we scored with Bennett at cb? How many of our Norwich nils have been with Bennett at cb?

Klose and Bassong is showing great promise. Hopefully they will keep getting better and we can build from a firmer but positive back line.

[damn that Ralph Coates! 47]

I don''t think Bennett would be any better than Martin/Pinto/Whitts at right back either......

[Duncan Edwards 2,220]

The stats are interesting but fail to take into account any number of other variables that might have contributed, not least the obvious change in approach after Newcastle.

Klose/Bassong are our best centre halves, playing them at centre half seems a decent enough ploy to me.

Ryan Bennett has been a "promising" player for too long. He couldn''t force his way into our championship squad ahead of the apparently hapless Martin, the notion that he should NOW start ahead of him, Bassong and/or Klose against superior opposition doesn''t make sense to me.

Of course is just my opinion but I''d stick with Klose and Bassong. Bennett wouldn''t get a sniff unless it was okay him or play with 10.

[Duncan Edwards 2,220]

*play him or play with 10

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

Bennett has had his chance in the team.  And it coincided with the only spell this season when we looked defensively decent.  We closed out home wins against Swansea, Soton and Villa with clean sheets and scoring 1 or 2 goals.  We got a win at Old Trafford, 2-1.  Not as if it was an easy run either - during his run in the team we also lost at Man City and Chelsea by 1 goal, and drew with Arsenal and Everton. Overall, a pretty average set of Prem fixtures I''d say.

We''ve now played 26 games and we have 24 points.  Let''s ignore the Everton game when RB came on and we came back to get a draw.  From the remaining 25 games, he played 12 and we got 13 points from them; from the other 13 games, we got 10 points.  So basically when he was in the team, we reached the just-over-a-point-a-game level you need to survive; without him, we''ve got relegation form.

 

Now we have lost at Villa and couldn''t close out the game against West Ham at home at 2-0 up, and most of us are resigned to the fact that we''re struggling to win a game no matter how many goals we score.  I wonder if it''s just me that thinks - duh ?  Yes it''s the manager''s call ,but we all know with AN sometimes a player falls out of favour and it''s hard to explain in playing terms.  I wouldn''t be surprised if Bennett is wondering why he''s not in the team.  Or has something gone off - in which case we probably won''t get to know the truth for years if ever.  But if so, I seriously worry that it could undermine our survival chances.

 

The comment about goals scored made me smile - it''s not exactly the first thing I''d worry about for the CB position when we''re leaking goals, but there you go.  But I think RB is much more of an attacking threat that Basso from set pieces - he actually wins contested headers at the other end of the pitch and has got at least 1 assist this season; this is certainly not a strength for Basso.

[GJP 79]

What amuses me about the Bennett thing is that people always used to talk him up as a "Composed, ball playing defender with pace". Now we''ve signed a supposed footballing defender in Klose all of a sudden people are talking Bennett up as a "Good, old fashioned blocker".

[nutty nigel 7,509]

The comment about goals scored may well make you smile ICF. And your reaction to that by stating Bennett''s value at set pieces also made me smile. Because although that''s true we have to win corners before we can be dangerous from them. The point about goals scored is directly relevant to how deep Bennett likes to defend. Which in turn makes our attacking midfielders receive the ball that much deeper making them less dangerous and isolating the front man.

I think Ryan Bennett is an excellent stopper defender but not such a good proactive defender. I think Martin was the opposite and I''m hoping Klose is both.

But if you don''t think a CB is relevant to the way the whole team play how do you explain Liverpool and West Ham?

[jaemae2 0]

[quote user="GJP"]What amuses me about the Bennett thing is that people always used to talk him up as a "Composed, ball playing defender with pace". Now we''ve signed a supposed footballing defender in Klose all of a sudden people are talking Bennett up as a "Good, old fashioned blocker".[/quote]

Yes, that is highly amusing.

The other thing that amuses me is PEOPLE THINK HE HASN''T HAD A CHANCE. Which is just hilarious, or PEOPLE THINK HE''S GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY IN THE PL; also hilarious.

[Ketts Rebel 0]

Bennett deserves chance... I said this to a fellow supporter last Saturday - whilst queuing for a pre-match pint in the Queen of the Iceni.

His reply; " He won''t play... You know why?...cause there is a pay per play deal with his ex club Peterborough "

Seems a bizzare thought considering how much TV money is at stake, but do you think there is any truth in it?

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]The comment about goals scored may well make you smile ICF. And your reaction to that by stating Bennett''s value at set pieces also made me smile. Because although that''s true we have to win corners before we can be dangerous from them. The point about goals scored is directly relevant to how deep Bennett likes to defend. Which in turn makes our attacking midfielders receive the ball that much deeper making them less dangerous and isolating the front man. I think Ryan Bennett is an excellent stopper defender but not such a good proactive defender. I think Martin was the opposite and I''m hoping Klose is both. But if you don''t think a CB is relevant to the way the whole team play how do you explain Liverpool and West Ham?[/quote]

 

Hmmm interesting.  Defensively we were a shambles against Liverpool.  To be fair, against West Ham we were ok until we self-destructed.  But I''m struggling either game as an argument against Bennett being played ?

I would not argue that Bennett is somehow a magical solution to all our problems.  Nor have I said that I "don''t think a CB is relevant to the way the whole team play".  What I did say is that given our defensive problems over quite a few games now, we should be looking at our CBs primarily for their defensive qualities.  I find it odd that people don''t agree.  I''d say Bennett is a decent defensive CB, at the weaker end of Prem CBs, but I think his record this season shows if we bring him in, it would probably tighten us up defensively, which is definitely what we need if we''re going to survive.  Klose is (hopefully and what I''ve seen from him so far) an upgrade.  I''ve not got a downer on Basso particularly, I just think our defence would be better with Bennett.

Do we create less going forward when he''s in the team ?  Maybe - although that should largely be up to how the manager sets up the team.  During Bennett''s run in the team, we did have some games such as Swansea or Villa at home when we didn''t create too many chances, many people thought they were a bit dull - but because we kept clean sheets we only needed to score the one or two we did score.  Having been to the Villa games, home and away, I know which I prefer !

And the fact is that Bennett did win a header from a corner which led to a goal (I think it was Wes that scrambled it over the line - can''t remember which game it was).  It''s better to be solid defensively and create fewer chances, but be able to score 1 or 2 more than the opposition, than to be able to score 4 at home and still lose.

 

Maybe others are happy with a cavalier approach but it seems to me we''re heading with relegation with it.  I''d rather have a few games where we win 2-0 or 1-0 right now.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

[quote user="Its Character Forming"]

[quote user="nutty nigel"]The comment about goals scored may well make you smile ICF. And your reaction to that by stating Bennett''s value at set pieces also made me smile. Because although that''s true we have to win corners before we can be dangerous from them. The point about goals scored is directly relevant to how deep Bennett likes to defend. Which in turn makes our attacking midfielders receive the ball that much deeper making them less dangerous and isolating the front man. I think Ryan Bennett is an excellent stopper defender but not such a good proactive defender. I think Martin was the opposite and I''m hoping Klose is both. But if you don''t think a CB is relevant to the way the whole team play how do you explain Liverpool and West Ham?[/quote]

 

Hmmm interesting.  Defensively we were a shambles against Liverpool.  To be fair, against West Ham we were ok until we self-destructed.  But I''m struggling either game as an argument against Bennett being played ?

I would not argue that Bennett is somehow a magical solution to all our problems.  Nor have I said that I "don''t think a CB is relevant to the way the whole team play".  What I did say is that given our defensive problems over quite a few games now, we should be looking at our CBs primarily for their defensive qualities.  I find it odd that people don''t agree.  I''d say Bennett is a decent defensive CB, at the weaker end of Prem CBs, but I think his record this season shows if we bring him in, it would probably tighten us up defensively, which is definitely what we need if we''re going to survive.  Klose is (hopefully and what I''ve seen from him so far) an upgrade.  I''ve not got a downer on Basso particularly, I just think our defence would be better with Bennett.

Do we create less going forward when he''s in the team ?  Maybe - although that should largely be up to how the manager sets up the team.  During Bennett''s run in the team, we did have some games such as Swansea or Villa at home when we didn''t create too many chances, many people thought they were a bit dull - but because we kept clean sheets we only needed to score the one or two we did score.  Having been to the Villa games, home and away, I know which I prefer !

And the fact is that Bennett did win a header from a corner which led to a goal (I think it was Wes that scrambled it over the line - can''t remember which game it was).  It''s better to be solid defensively and create fewer chances, but be able to score 1 or 2 more than the opposition, than to be able to score 4 at home and still lose.

 

Maybe others are happy with a cavalier approach but it seems to me we''re heading with relegation with it.  I''d rather have a few games where we win 2-0 or 1-0 right now.

[/quote]

 

You''re right it is more about how we set up. But how we set up is also about who plays. Bennett seems to naturally play deeper and seems more confident with the play building further ahead of him. When he partners Bassong they both do. Although Bassong plays a higher line with Martin and on Saturday with Klose. I''m not sure if Bennett is comfortable defending higher. So for me if we defend deeper like that then we have to play Mbokani up front because although less mobile than Jerome and Bamford he has the strength to hold the ball up to wait for support. It would be no use isolating either Jerome or Bamford like that. They seem to be more comfortable with the ball in front of them.

 

Anyway, thanks for addressing the points I was making and not trying to make out I didn''t rate Bennett or wanted Martin back at cb. From my seat in the blankets I see things I didn''t used to see from the Barclay. I could marvel at Grant Holt leading the line. And I can see how deep we defend. I miss out on a lot though. It''s ok to disagree if we''re on the same page and you''re my new favourite poster now[;)] 

 

[quote user="Ketts Rebel"]Bennett deserves chance... I said this to a fellow supporter last Saturday - whilst queuing for a pre-match pint in the Queen of the Iceni.

His reply;  " He won''t play... You know why?...cause there is a pay per play deal with his ex club Peterborough "

Seems a bizzare thought considering how much TV money is at stake, but do you think there is any truth in it?[/quote]

 

Although he''s been here a long time it''s possible there is such a deal related to how many PL games he plays. But this wouldn''t be a restriction that would have suddenly been put on the manager. This would have been part of this season''s budget where surely Alex Neil would have had to allow that add on if he intended on playing Bennett those amount of games. So either way it''s the managers decision. Even in football you can only spend the money once.

[Ray 111]

Nutty,

But is it the managers decision?

Just a thought.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

I guess so Ray. As I understand it the manager doesn''t set the budget but does decide how it''s spent. But I could be wrong.

I could see it another way if the add on hadn''t been remembered when the budget was spent. That would be a different thing entirely because we''d have to find extra money for the add on. Possibly a heads will roll type of mistake!

But then Bowkett''s did......

JUST KIDDING :)

[Ray 111]

Nutty,

Re the budget, you''d like to think so wouldn''t you!

[Donkey dangler 0]

Bennett is better than Bassong and a fit Wisdom (based on his last couple of games) is a better right back than Martin.

[Alan 0]

They could include Bennett in a back three against Leicester.

[It's Character Forming 1,160]

Against Leicester it is definitely wise to play a deep defence, I''d go with a back 4, but 5 genuine midfielders including Wes, not worry about them having possession in their half, and see how it goes.  If we try to control possession and push up high, it could be a nightmare.

Got my ticket !

[Mooney 0]

Totally agree.

Bassong is a 3/10 when the ball is on the ground. Decent in the air though.