Bentley>Gerrard>Cole>Flumps

I've watched Bentley this season put in performance after performance. He has a fantastic engine and work ethic, which when coupled with his obvious ability and pace, potentially makes him our best midfielder. Gerrard shares these same traits, but doesn't possess the football brain to utilise them fully.

England's midfield should be:

----------Hargreaves--------
Bentley---Gerrard-----Cole

Against the likes of Andorra, we should oust Hargreaves who looks lost in such games, and change it to the following:

Lennon--Bentley--Gerrard--Cole

No natural left footer, but the only real alternatives are Barry/Downing, neither of whom I think are good enough. Cole played well in the WC, so he should keep the position.

Kitson should also be in the squad.

i agree bentley should be in the squad but i'm not sure bentley, gerrard and joe cole could all be incorporated in the same midfield, could be a bit unbalanced. it might work, but we'd have to see it in action.

kitson, i haven't seen enough of.

Bentley>>> gerrard >>> cole


nice way to start a thread to grab the headlines mate

Lennon--Bentley--Gerrard--Cole


Id be willing to put my house on this midfield never ever happening

I really rate Bentley, had a smashing season, though he does have to improve on his consistency.

I'd certainly have him in the squad however I'd like to give the following midfield some games now they are all fit and see how they fair....

Lennon..Gerrard..Hargreaves..J Cole

He was the worst player on the pitch I thought in the Cup semi v Chelsea - who's he done it against ?

Pennant should be ahead of him for England.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:He was the worst player on the pitch I thought in the Cup semi v Chelsea - who's he done it against ?

Pennant should be ahead of him for England.

pennant's surely behind lennon and swp (and ashley young, by this time next season ).

bentley i'd see as competing with joe cole, in terms of style of play. he scored a hattrick again utd last season, which is something, i guess. had a good season this time by all accounts (although i have seen very few full blackburn games)

Another product to role off Arsenal's youth system

It was a tough (and wrong) decision to let him leave, but he may never have become the player that he has if he'd stayed

read somewhere arsene refused to let him go on a number of occasions but he had to stand firm on his decision and leave arsenal for the good of his career. He was just impatient imo.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:He was the worst player on the pitch I thought in the Cup semi v Chelsea - who's he done it against ?

Pennant should be ahead of him for England.

But the best player alongside Piazzini when England u 21's opened new Wembley against Italy u 21's.

Only a friendly yes, but a very significant one against excellent opposition.

Bentley is the type of player who can excel at international level where the pace is slower than in the Prem. Vs Chelsea they were at him at a phenomenal rate,

he is a more continental type player than a traditional english one- excellent technique, vision, passing ability, tactical awareness; we need more players like this to balance the qualities of say a Gerrard at international level.

I agree with Calidad- get him in there NOW!

If you're looking at wide men, he really is in the top 4/5.

Only Gerrard (if played wide), J Cole are in front. I'd certainly say he's on a par with Lennon and the others.

I was very impressed with him in the U21 game... looks like you have yourselves another Gerrard

But it would be stupid to start Bentley now, he is best left as a replacement for gerrard... give him some more time to mature.

Agree with your midfield lineup below

Parks lives wrote:I really rate Bentley, had a smashing season, though he does have to improve on his consistency.

I'd certainly have him in the squad however I'd like to give the following midfield some games now they are all fit and see how they fair....

Lennon..Gerrard..Hargreaves..J Cole