Alex McLeish’s first foray into the January transfer market begins with the acquisition of Tottenham’s David Bentley on loan until the end of the season. Big Eck recently expressed his desire to swell the Birmingham ranks by two or three players and the arrival of Bentley may counter the possible departure of Sebastian Larsson, as City look to reinforce the right hand side of midfield.
Whether it’s through attitude or application, Bentley has never quite reached the heights his ability has sometimes threatened to scale and, given that Tottenham paid Blackburn Rovers a staggering £15m for his services, a loan move away from White Hart Lane illustrates just how much his stock has fallen over the last two years.
McLeish has wasted no time in laying down the gauntlet to Bentley, as Birmingham look to climb the table. Including him in this Sunday’s squad against Aston Villa, the Blues boss stated:
He has great quality and he is at an age where he has taken stock and it is time for him to show the quality which led to him playing for England. It is time for his boots to do the talking.
The Statistics
Bentley has been around the Premier League for eight seasons now, but, aside from his spell at Ewood Park, has never really nailed down a first-team spot, which shows in the fact he has made just 171 appearances over that period of time, grabbing 18 goals and 31 assists.
However, his time at Blackburn certainly highlights the winger’s capabilities if given a slot in the starting XI. In particular, Bentley’s final two seasons for the Lancashire outfit saw him miss just three league games in total and it showed in his returns: 10 goals, 20 assists and 58 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Bonus Points meant he accumulated 314 Fantasy Points over just a couple of campaigns.
Having participated in just two games for Spurs this term, his time under Harry Redknapp has been a less-than-successful one and a move to a smaller club like Birmingham may result in an about-turn in fortunes.
Bentley acknowledged this upon completion of the deal, saying:
It has been a difficult time for me the last couple of years.I found it hard not being involved as much as I wanted at Tottenham. They have got some great players and you can find yourself the wrong side of the fence. But there was no fall-out with Harry Redknapp and it is time to put things aside, move on – and hopefully I can have a positive effect on Birmingham.
The aim is to resurrect my career and I love football and just want to have the chance to be playing.
The Prospects
A recent morale-boosting win at Bloomfield Road allowed Birmingham to climb out of the relegation zone but there’s no denying the club have a battle on their hands to stay up. McLeish’s team are the league’s second-lowest scorers, finding the net just twenty times this season and a new face up front could help in their quest to beat the drop.
The fact that midfielder Craig Gardner is Birmingham’s top scorer -with four goals- says everything about their ineptitude in front of goal so far and McLeish is looking to rectify that, saying:
“We are working actively, the board and myself, to try and enhance the striking positions. There are a few names we have talked about that could enhance the team.
They are trying to help me to bring those players in. You are trying to bring in a bit of quality to make sure it can improve the team. We’ve got to be bringing someone in who can go straight into the team. That is the type of player we are looking for.”
Bentley’s delivery from the right flank and set-pieces will undoubtedly give the team an added threat and if McLeish can add someone with the ability to put away the chances he creates, Bentley could find his way onto some Fantasy Manager’s radars, given that his price, £5.7m, is relatively budget-friendly. Much, though, will depend on who walks through the St Andrews “In” door between now and the end of the transfer window.
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