Great Expectations

[Rabbit 0]

Before i start, this is`nt a dig, i just want to know if your feelings have changed.

Cast your minds back to the summer and the arrival of Bentley.

There were great expectations at the time.

Well we`re not far off half the season now, do you still think he is the class act ?

Has he lived up to those expectations ? and if you could, would you send him back in January ?

[ZLF 271]

To be fair he has lived up to my expectations. He is a player with loads of potential who is still learning the game and getting better for it. He was never going to be THE player to save us from relegation. I have been impressed with his work rate as he covers defensively very well and his oprion selection has improved as the season goes on


However the fact that he is a novice is the very reason I said he was not the right player at the right time for us. However I have been proved wrong in that while he is not the saviour most hoped for I think he has performed well enough to merit a starting place.

OTBC

[Worthy Nigelton<br><br><br><br><br>Evening News Sports Page Headline 8th August 2007:<br><br>Henderson joins Dereham Town. 0]

I would say overall that he has been a bit disappointing. However, I feel that the majority of people (me included) were slightly unrealistic about how good he would be (I thought we had a future Zidane on our books).

I would say the Soton game just gone was his best so far, he worked so hard and it looks like the bust-up was the best thing that could happen to him, as he''ll hopefully now knuckle down. He has undoubted potential, but thats all it is at the moment, potential. I also think he''s only going to get better as the season progresses.

[bananaman 0]

I would just like to chime in there.

If "the bust up was the best thing for him" then can those people who made a huge fuss about how Worthy can''t man-manage, and always falls out with players for no reason, please come on this board and take it back.

Thanks.

[Worthy Nigelton<br><br><br><br><br>Evening News Sports Page Headline 8th August 2007:<br><br>Henderson joins Dereham Town. 0]

I wasn''t one of those people...

[DumbleDelia is Magic 0]

Looking back, if I''m honest, my expectations for the lad were too high.  I had "the next Dennis Bergkamp", "top, top, top" and "Norwich win the race to sign startlet" ringing in my ears.  I forget that we were actually signing a kid who''d never been away from his family and friends and never played competitive, top level football on a regular basis.

He''s learning at the moment.  Hopefully he''ll get better for us

[Super Shaun Carey 0]

Overall, I feel a little short changed, but then hype is a marvellous thing.

This "bust up" thing is so over egged as well, it is unbelievable. This sort of thing goes on everywhere on a regular basis, so to term it "bust-up" is a little strong I feel.

At the end of the day though, I am glad he came here, and he is still the best corner taker

[shropshire canary 0]

You raise a good point on corners there Shaun - why is it that we are generally incapable of getting past the man at the near post? That is if we haven''t already played a short one anyway!

When we manage to play a sensible ball to the centre of the box it''s amazing what can happen - 2 of Francis''s goals at FCR this season come from knock downs like this!

Bentley is generally better than Hucks, but surely professional footballers can cross a dead ball more consistently than ours do the majority of the time?

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

Potential has a shelf life.

It''s a hard world out there, and I fear Bentley won''t make it - and we are the guinea pigs.

Send him back in exchange for Pennant I say - at least he works hard to complement his potential.

OTBC.

[Tumbleweed 106]

Bentley better than Huckerby? No way. Bentley is nothing more than a lightweight peripheral figure. I have tried very hard to see quality in his play and have seen just a few fleeting glimpses. The lad does look to have potential, but that''s it- we need actual not potential. I just don''t see what he has and someone like Paul McVeigh doesn''t.

[shropshire canary 0]

Think you misunderstood me there Tumblewed - I mean Bentley is better than Hucks AT TAKING CORNERS: not in any other respect where i generally agree with you that the potential can be seen, but it''s going to need more time than just this season to polish it off. You can see why Wenger was happy to do a season long loan now can''t you?!

[Tumbleweed 106]

Sorry, I did misunderstand what you were saying. I think you are right about the corners- another problem is that we don''t have anyone tall enough to get on the end whoever takes them!! Wenger must be laughing getting us to do his training for him...............