Benners wasted at Swine-Town?

[ferrarilover]

I don't want to start an unwinnable fight with you Shane, but it is clear that you have some sort of love affair with Elliot for no reason I can see. Equally, it seems you will make ANY excuse as to why we it was anyone's fault but Benners when things didn't go exactly to plan for him. Face it, he was an alright L2 striker who was never going to make the step up in class to L1. The effort and movement to which you so frequently allude was, in truth, mostly just aimless jogging about with no clear purpose or genuine outcome. We are a more threatening outfit now because we have better strikers than Benyon up front, it's that simple. It's got bugger all to do with a change of attitude from the board or the management, or anyone else, it's that we have better players than Benyon who are actually capable of putting the ball in the net.
At the end of the season when Swindon are relegated and looking to clear out anything they can, Benyon will find himself back where he will shine, in the Conference.

Matt.

[Southampton Gull]

Well that's where we differ yet again then Dave. I really rate Kee, and Tomlin has come in and done a decent job for us, but i don't consider either of them 'miles ahead of Benyon' as a finisher.

I'd also be very surprised if the club allowed Swindon to talk to Benyon before a deal between the clubs had been agreed in principle. In that scenario, what if Benyon was keen on the move, but the two clubs had failed to agree on a fee? We've suddenly got an unhappy player where once we had a contented one. Very strange way to do things.

If you rate the finishing of Benyon as the equal of Kee and Tomlin then I'm more than happy to disagree

Of course a valuation had to be agreed before allowing Swindon to approach Benyon, I thought that much would be obvious, I was referring to an offer of how to pay for it, deposit, installments, timeframe etc, my apologies for not making that much clearer.

[Fonda]

I'm not really sure why appreciation of a player with an excellent scoring record and a fantastic work ethic for our club is so foreign to some people? Evidently people feel the need to belittle what he did for the club, in some kind of point scoring exercise.

He is a decent lower-league goal-scorer. Nothing more, nothing less. He has limitations, as all players at this level do, but anyone that's been watching Torquay for as long as i have will know he's better than the 'average' TUFC striker.

And i'm very surprised someone such as yourself is so completely unable to recognise the change in our teams attacking intent.

Tell me Matt, now that Mark Ellis is no longer in the side, and we're defending so well in his absence, were you wrong to think him so good previously? Or is it merely that the team is playing better and more confidently at present? Is he still an excellent defender, or has the teams growth in his absence proven him to be completely over-rated?

[Fonda]

If you rate the finishing of Benyon as the equal of Kee and Tomlin then I'm more than happy to disagree

Of course a valuation had to be agreed before allowing Swindon to approach Benyon, I thought that much would be obvious, I was referring to an offer of how to pay for it, deposit, installments, timeframe etc, my apologies for not making that much clearer.

You clearly suggested that Swindon would have been allowed to agree a deal with the player before agreeing one with the club Dave. It's just back a few posts.

[Jerry]

Kee probably will become a better player than Benyon but I don't think he is there yet. Tomlin's finishing has so far been absolutely outstanding, his first 2 goals were the coolest finishes you will ever see. He doesn't have the energy or work rate of Benyon though. I rated (and still do) Benyon, but we are definitely a better side now, thanks to the signings which his fee helped us make.

[Southampton Gull]

Yes Shane a "Deal" not the price, sorry you misunderstood.

[Fonda]

Yes Shane a "Deal" not the price, sorry you misunderstood.

No problem, it happens.

[Enzo]

Wow......poor old EB coming in for a bit of stick. Some of it a little harsh in my opinion.

I said at the time of his move that I thought this was a strange move for Eliott. I have a lot of respect for the progress that he made over the last couple of years, but just felt that he was still very much work in progress and could have done with at least another 6 months at TUFC. Benyon will need time to make the further step up - with Swindon in the position they are he does not get that. To say that Benners will find himself back in the Conference if all goes wrong at Swindon is very harsh - Depsite his limitations he has turned enough heads in League Two for a club to snap him up. Dario Gradi absolutely raves about the fella - If he were released, I'd be willing to wager a decent sum on him going to a league club. I also wish some of our other forwards over the last few years were as good at "aimless jogging with no clear purpose"!

I do agree that we look a far more dangerous side in the post Benyon era. PB, or whoever advises him, have really done well with recent signings. That said, I don't think it was Benyon insisting to be played alone up front in a side with little creation. I think the Manager should be held to account for this style of play rather than the poor bugger who was asked to chase aimless balls week in week out. I imagine he'd love some of the service that our present strikers are getting. Do we really have better strikers? Is it really that simple? Robinson is a decent player and a great signing - Kee was always here and remains stupidly out of shape for a professional sportsman. I remain unimpressed with Tomlin and have not seen Murray. One change that has occured I think is the re-emergence of Zebs as a threat....... I think his efforts throughout the second half of the season have been great.

Benners is still work in progress and, in my opinion Swindon was the wong move for him. He's struggling at the moment in a struggling side. Lets not kick a man when he is down!

[gullsflyinghigh]

Elliot who?

I joke, give the lad time. He might come good.

[Fonda]

Nicely put Enzo. Pretty much exactly sums up my feelings, but put far more eloquently.

[Bigman]

I don't think anyone's to blame for the transfer - the club were offered good money for a player whose contract was running out, Benyon was offered a higher wage and the chance to ply his trade at a higher level. Everybody wins. Admittedly at the time we would rather have kept him, but we've carried on as best we can, brought in other players and done well. Benyon has fared somewhat poorer, but I expect his attitude will be to work hard and try to improve things. While he wouldn't walk into our current team he hasn't turned into an awful player in 3 months, and I have no ill feeling towards him for leaving, so if he would improve our squad I wouldn't be opposed to him returning at some point in the future.

I agree that without him our style has become more attacking and probably more effective, but in my opinion, in a like-for-like comparison I'd say his poaching and hold up play is better than (what I have seen of) Tomlin and Kee.

[Scott Brehaut]

Genuine question - wasn't it Elliot that was stalling on signing a new deal? I am sure the club had offered him another contract, but he was weighing up his options. Could be wrong!!

[Jerry]

Unfortunately for Benners he suffered something of "a perfect storm" at Swindon. He scored on his debut but then was injured in his next game. By the time he was fit the man who signed him had gone and the new manager had brought in 2 new forwards from a higher division (Grella and Andrews), add to that the fact that the club were in freefall and it's no surprise he struggled to make an impact. I'd expect him to have a much better time of it next season whatever division they are in.

[Fonda]

Genuine question - wasn't it Elliot that was stalling on signing a new deal? I am sure the club had offered him another contract, but he was weighing up his options. Could be wrong!!

I wouldn't be surprised by that at all Scott. And as Dave said earlier, it's quite reasonable for a player to do that. It's understandable that he'd be reluctant to sign a new deal at that stage of the season, and might have wanted to keep his options open.

The decision the club had (as discussed to death at the time), was whether to accept a deal for him at the time, or reject it, allow his contract to run down, and go to tribunal in the summer. Chances are the value of any tribunal deal would have been similar in value to what we got at the time.

The deal worked for everyone in fairness (well, apart from the player seemingly!) I'm just surprised people are so quick to disregard a player that performed tirelessly for us in his time at the club.

[Trojan 67]

This thread isn't going to turn into a Fonda v SG boxing match, is it ? :devil: :no: