Dan Bentley to Wolves - Confirmed

[Leveller]

5 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I don't think it was either. 

I just think we didn't think he provided us with the value. 

If he was on the same wages as Max, you'd choose him over Max. But he's on significantly more and I personally don't think that's justified when Max has shown he's more than capable. 

So then, you’re agreeing it’s part of a cost cutting exercise, no?

[Garland-sweden]

Still think Bentley is better then Max. 

[old_eastender]

7 hours ago, The Bard said:

I seem to remember Pearson saying that we may look to move forward some targets so to speak. You would guess this means getting players in who are probably out of contract in the summer.  3 and half year deals rather than 3 year deals etc.  It just needs a few players due to leave in the summer to go out the door.  Bentley, Martin and Klose are clearly the leading candidates.  If Bentley is sold for a fee covering his amortisation and we save on wages for the other 2 then we will have reduced our outgoings for the rest of this season by about £1 million.  That would create space for 2 decent signings on decent wages and with smallish fees.  Something like £1 to £2 million in fees spread over 3 and a half years,  2 lots of £12k per week. And all without having to sell Semenyo this January.  

 

Any idea what that would be?  Reports from Wolves quote him signing for a "nominal fee".

[Son of Fred]

3 hours ago, Garland-sweden said:

Still think Bentley is better then Max. 

.....

Personally I'm hoping he passes the medical.....

If there was a test involving commanding his box,, concentration & dealing with crosses he'd fail it.

[GrahamC]

3 hours ago, Garland-sweden said:

Still think Bentley is better then Max. 

He possibly is, but if he won’t sign a new contract it is academic.

[robinforlife2]

Good move all round, gets his wages off the bill and we get a little bit of money. Does leave us short on the keeper front, but we can always loan in someone until end of season and I would not be surprised to see Max get a one year deal as cover, and Bajic assessed with a view to be our main keeper in 24/25 season. But do think we'll sign an established number one in the summer.

[The Bard]

4 hours ago, Garland-sweden said:

Still think Bentley is better then Max. 

And?

[SecretSam]

4 hours ago, Garland-sweden said:

Still think Bentley is better then Max. 

Bentley will leave in the summer. Max won't. Pointless putting Bentley in.

And I'm not sure I agree.

[SecretSam]

11 hours ago, Coombsy said:

My son a goal keeper he is six foot five

and said he would play for fee if Max get injured 

over to you Nigel 

My lad's a keeper, too. Mind you, he's only 5'11", and probably not very good. But he'd be cheap!

[GrahamC]

36 minutes ago, SecretSam said:

Bentley will leave in the summer. Max won't. Pointless putting Bentley in.

And I'm not sure I agree.

He’s leaving today.

[petehinton]

5 hours ago, Garland-sweden said:

Still think Bentley is better then Max. 

He is, but when he’s refusing to sign a new contract as he wants even more money than he’s on now, all the club can do is exactly what they’ve done imo. 

[Silvio Dante]

51 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

He’s leaving today.

Start spreading the news.

[Silvio Dante]

This is a deal that feels right to me for everyone, notwithstanding Bajic going on loan.

Wether you think Max or Bents are better, Max has the shirt and Nige shows no sign of taking it off him. As a result Bentley is an expensive sub, absent injury.

By selling (and getting a fee) we get more than we anticipated a couple of weeks ago when the Stoke loan was mooted. A fee and wages off bill for a reserve has to be good.

For Dan, he goes to the prem and probably gets an equal or better contract. Reading the Wolves forums they’re unconvinced by the current keeper so may be an unexpected opportunity to get in a premier league side and establish himself.

Long term, I remain unconvinced by Max. I don’t think he’s the answer at this level and would like a new number 1 in the summer, but in the here and now, the deal makes all round sense.

[Port Said Red]

Dave alluded to it in an earlier post, but the relative merits of the two keepers are not that far apart, the difference is how the defenders feel in front of him. 

Often the problem with Bents was he was a bit of a "dice thrower" when it comes to taking command of crosses etc, O'Leary is consistent and the players know when he is coming and when he isn't.

The change in him during this little run is evident, two things stood out in particular on Saturday.

I heard him call for a ball at the Atyeo end, from the South Stand! 

And that little period of play where he had the confidence to come so far forward to play a pass, that there were defenders behind him.

Financially it's a given, but I think it makes sense from a football perspective too. 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Port Said Red

[Super]

5 hours ago, Garland-sweden said:

Still think Bentley is better then Max. 

it's irrelevant.

[1960maaan]

3 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Dave alluded to it in an earlier post, but the relative merits of the two keepers are not that far apart, the difference is how the defenders feel in front of him. 

Often the problem with Bents was he was a bit of a "dice thrower" when it comes to taking command of crosses etc, O'Leary is consistent and the players know when he is coming and when he isn't.

The change on him during this little run is evident, two things stood out in particular on Saturday.

I heard him call for a ball at the Atyeo end, from the South Stand! 

And that little period of play where he had the confidence to come so far forward to play a pass, that there were defenders behind him.

Financially it's a given, but I think it makes sense from a football perspective too. 

Totally agree. Bentley is always slow coming for balls, backs away from back passes and rarely comes for crosses. It puts doubts in defenders minds. As you say , Max is consistent and clear, makes a big difference and I think it's shown. There have been times later in games, where Max has come and claimed crosses near the edge of the box. We get possession and control of the game when we need it. Plus Max can improve Bents' won't. 

Just need cover now.

[Calculus]

6 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

This is a deal that feels right to me for everyone, notwithstanding Bajic going on loan.

Wether you think Max or Bents are better, Max has the shirt and Nige shows no sign of taking it off him. As a result Bentley is an expensive sub, absent injury.

By selling (and getting a fee) we get more than we anticipated a couple of weeks ago when the Stoke loan was mooted. A fee and wages off bill for a reserve has to be good.

For Dan, he goes to the prem and probably gets an equal or better contract. Reading the Wolves forums they’re unconvinced by the current keeper so may be an unexpected opportunity to get in a premier league side and establish himself.

Long term, I remain unconvinced by Max. I don’t think he’s the answer at this level and would like a new number 1 in the summer, but in the here and now, the deal makes all round sense.

Good luck to Dan if he goes - as you say right for everybody.

I share your reservations on Max and curse the day we let Maenpaa go. Hope we've got a loan keeper lined up as back up.

[Super]

11 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

This is a deal that feels right to me for everyone, notwithstanding Bajic going on loan.

Wether you think Max or Bents are better, Max has the shirt and Nige shows no sign of taking it off him. As a result Bentley is an expensive sub, absent injury.

By selling (and getting a fee) we get more than we anticipated a couple of weeks ago when the Stoke loan was mooted. A fee and wages off bill for a reserve has to be good.

For Dan, he goes to the prem and probably gets an equal or better contract. Reading the Wolves forums they’re unconvinced by the current keeper so may be an unexpected opportunity to get in a premier league side and establish himself.

Long term, I remain unconvinced by Max. I don’t think he’s the answer at this level and would like a new number 1 in the summer, but in the here and now, the deal makes all round sense.

Totally agree with the last bit. I'm not sure Max would get into many other teams in this league. A new keeper has to be a priority in the summer.

[Scrumpty]

So who will be Bents replacement. Ben Hamer seems a logical choice. Not currently a No. 1, previously signed by Pearson (so he must rate him) and a local lad.

Likely to be on a good wedge at Watford, but may be willing to fit into our budget given his love of the club?

[cidered abroad]

8 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

This is a deal that feels right to me for everyone, notwithstanding Bajic going on loan.

Wether you think Max or Bents are better, Max has the shirt and Nige shows no sign of taking it off him. As a result Bentley is an expensive sub, absent injury.

By selling (and getting a fee) we get more than we anticipated a couple of weeks ago when the Stoke loan was mooted. A fee and wages off bill for a reserve has to be good.

For Dan, he goes to the prem and probably gets an equal or better contract. Reading the Wolves forums they’re unconvinced by the current keeper so may be an unexpected opportunity to get in a premier league side and establish himself.

Long term, I remain unconvinced by Max. I don’t think he’s the answer at this level and would like a new number 1 in the summer, but in the here and now, the deal makes all round sense.

Last paragraph.

As a shot saver he isn't as good as Bentley. As a distributor of the ball, he is much better.

Every goalkeeper since the beginning of football, has conceded a couple of horrors per season. In the old days a goalkeeper just put the ball in hands and kicked it as far as he could. So a very small number of clangers per season.

Now keepers are shot stoppers, defence organisers, short passing to and from defenders. Thus the complexity of their things to do means that there are more chances of mistakes that concede a goal. Look at the opposition keepers who have gifted us goals in the past season or two.

So all round, I consider that Max is more beneficial to the team than Bentley.

[Simon bristol]

1 minute ago, Super said:

Totally agree with the last bit. I'm not sure Max would get into many other teams in this league. A new keeper has to be a priority in the summer.

Thing is I’m sure that when they were talking about a young keeper comjng in from france, it was with a view to becoming number 1.. unless that strategy has changed since having seen bajic for the last 6 months, i think it was always the intention for one of the existing  keepers to go and he comes in gradually to compete for the shirt? I guess that strategy can change if things dont work out but you would hope with tinnion overseeing things that it wouldnt be that knee jerk

[GrahamC]

27 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Start spreading the news.

Obviously does not want to “be a part of it”..

Edited January 25, 2023 by GrahamC

[Silvio Dante]

13 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

Last paragraph.

As a shot saver he isn't as good as Bentley. As a distributor of the ball, he is much better.

Every goalkeeper since the beginning of football, has conceded a couple of horrors per season. In the old days a goalkeeper just put the ball in hands and kicked it as far as he could. So a very small number of clangers per season.

Now keepers are shot stoppers, defence organisers, short passing to and from defenders. Thus the complexity of their things to do means that there are more chances of mistakes that concede a goal. Look at the opposition keepers who have gifted us goals in the past season or two.

So all round, I consider that Max is more beneficial to the team than Bentley.

Just on the distribution piece, I’m far from sure that’s a strength of Max’s. 
 

Whether by instruction or otherwise, 2-3 times a game minimum he’ll hit a floaty ball towards the touchline. The closest parallel I can remember is when we moved Flint wide on goal kicks and aim for him. Max’s kicks are far more “airy” (and easier to attack) and also aimed to a Sykes or Tanner. He finds touch or the opposition very often from those. It’s almost like he’s trying to play like Ramsdale, but doesn’t have the same ability with his feet.

He’s a better distributor than Bents but is still short of being “good” at it.

[LondonBristolian]

46 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

This is a deal that feels right to me for everyone, notwithstanding Bajic going on loan.

Wether you think Max or Bents are better, Max has the shirt and Nige shows no sign of taking it off him. As a result Bentley is an expensive sub, absent injury.

By selling (and getting a fee) we get more than we anticipated a couple of weeks ago when the Stoke loan was mooted. A fee and wages off bill for a reserve has to be good.

For Dan, he goes to the prem and probably gets an equal or better contract. Reading the Wolves forums they’re unconvinced by the current keeper so may be an unexpected opportunity to get in a premier league side and establish himself.

Long term, I remain unconvinced by Max. I don’t think he’s the answer at this level and would like a new number 1 in the summer, but in the here and now, the deal makes all round sense.

Even Bajic going on loan could make sense. If he does well and is happy to come back and compete next season, we'll go into next season with two goalkeepers who've had a period of first team football competing for a place and both believing they are in a reasonable shot of establishing themselves. 

I agree that I'm not convinced by Max but I would say he has taken his opportunity far better than I expected. In all honesty, I think someone - be it Bajic or someone not at the club - will depose him either next season or the one after but he is looking better than last season and we've seen how a player like Vyner can come on leaps and bounds so I wouldn't be shocked to be proven wrong. 

[ray savino]

Part of the cost cutting exercise.

If we were in a stable position we would probably be considering upping our offer to him and he ’d be part of our long term planning. Move him now instead of him leaving in the summer for nothing. Every little helps, etc. I like Bentley, decent keeper, more experienced and overall a better keeper on his day than Max (at this stage of his career), but he ain’t going to keep us up on his own. He isn’t going to make a Peter Shilton difference to our team (if I remember correctly, Cloughie inferred that spending big money on the goalie was as important as on a striker). If we go down it will be because of loads of problems unless Max resorts to throwing the ball in the net every game. Max isn’t the best goalie in the league, but he isn’t that bad and I think we need to free up space to get in extra bodies that will have an influence on the game and try preventing the ball getting anywhere near Max.

Cover is the big question undoubtedly. I can only assume we will get in adequate cover until the end of the season. If not then then I think we will be taking a crazy risk, so there must be cover lined up.

Meanwhile, good luck to Bents, good move for him, like most at this level he’s made mistakes but has also been outstanding in some performances. He also appears to have conducted himself well in representing the club off the field so wish him well. 

We should get behind Max, he’s been pretty good and consistently solid in most games. The biggest thing is to get to the summer and stay in this league, to sort out the last of the contracts and start to build again.

Just a reminder, we’re skint as far as FFP rules are concerned. It breaks my heart when I see clubs perceived smaller and poorer than us taking on players of a seemingly decent calibre. We’re in this mess because the club have been reckless in it’s use of recuitment funds trying to chase the dream. It failed. Now we’ve got to start again, hence getting rid of a very good Championship keeper who we can no longer fit into our new wage structure. Sad but that’s the reality. Something I’ve had to get my head around and a lot of our fellow fans have difficulty with too. I just hope that our owners have learned the lesson of the McGinnis and SOD era and we don’t end up going down again obviously.

 

[hinsleburg]

17 minutes ago, Percy Pig said:

To be fair, we don't have anyone to aim for when we go long. There's nobody decent in the air at all!

Kicking it into the wide area means you've got a good chance of the opposition full back heading it out for a throw in and technically retaining possession.

It's not ideal and looks shite, but sometimes you've got to find a weird solution to an otherwise unsolvable problem. 

I can remember when we used to put Flint left wing for goal kicks to try something different.

Sadly Fielding was in goal and whilst Flint was tall the header was often won in Dolman row E... Not applying too much blame to the keepers here though, better to go too long and give a throw in on halfway than short and gives the opposition team an opportunity to counter.

I posted on the Bajic thread that it would be an interesting summer in terms of Goalkeepers, do we go out and get somebody to challenge for Number 1 or do we go with Max/Bajic next season. Looks like we will get an indication on that in the next week! Seems a sensible move this for all parties, hopefully we can get decent cover in cheap and source a signing elsewhere with the funds be it loan or cheap OOC player

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, Port Said Red said:

Dave alluded to it in an earlier post, but the relative merits of the two keepers are not that far apart, the difference is how the defenders feel in front of him. 

Often the problem with Bents was he was a bit of a "dice thrower" when it comes to taking command of crosses etc, O'Leary is consistent and the players know when he is coming and when he isn't.

The change in him during this little run is evident, two things stood out in particular on Saturday.

I heard him call for a ball at the Atyeo end, from the South Stand! 

And that little period of play where he had the confidence to come so far forward to play a pass, that there were defenders behind him.

Financially it's a given, but I think it makes sense from a football perspective too. 

Yep, I said something along the lines of (on OSIB pod this week) - I think Bents is probably the better keeper technically, but Max is the best keeper (currently) for the defenders in front of him / the team.

The best players don’t always form the best team.

25 minutes ago, Silvio Dante said:

Just on the distribution piece, I’m far from sure that’s a strength of Max’s. 
 

Whether by instruction or otherwise, 2-3 times a game minimum he’ll hit a floaty ball towards the touchline. The closest parallel I can remember is when we moved Flint wide on goal kicks and aim for him. Max’s kicks are far more “airy” (and easier to attack) and also aimed to a Sykes or Tanner. He finds touch or the opposition very often from those. It’s almost like he’s trying to play like Ramsdale, but doesn’t have the same ability with his feet.

He’s a better distributor than Bents but is still short of being “good” at it.

Max is no better than Bents with his kicking at a simplistic level.

What he does do is have a higher starting position, to allow him to play more as a sweeper-keeper, allow our back line to play higher.  He also moves towards back passes rather than backwards, meaning less danger of being blocked by an onrushing forward.  Bents takes so long when he backpedals.  Max probably sees the pass quicker than Bents, but he doesn’t always execute as well.

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

24 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Yep, I said something along the lines of (on OSIB pod this week) - I think Bents is probably the better keeper technically, but Max is the best keeper (currently) for the defenders in front of him / the team.

The best players don’t always form the best team.

Max is no better than Bents with his kicking at a simplistic level.

What he does do is have a higher starting position, to allow him to play more as a sweeper-keeper, allow our back line to play higher.  He also moves towards back passes rather than backwards, meaning less danger of being blocked by an onrushing forward.  Bents takes so long when he backpedals.  Max probably sees the pass quicker than Bents, but he doesn’t always execute as well.

Who was it who used to take goal kicks for Phillips for a while.  Was it Tinnion? 

[alexukhc]

So 4th choice Harvey is currently in Dubai on his holidays

[GrahamC]

2 minutes ago, alexukhc said:

So 4th choice Harvey is currently in Dubai on his holidays

I wonder if he’s picked up an injury?

He went on loan to Hereford a couple of months ago & after his debut he didn’t feature again.

Unless he’s already been told he’s being let go at the end of the season the only other logical explanation for him being there is an injury.

U21s are playing Newcastle today, Mac Boyd is apparently in goal.