Darren Bent, The new Clive Allen?

[basskadet]

Its still a little early to tell but there may soon be comparisons being made between Darren Bent of 2008/9 & Clive Allen of 1986/7. I'm not getting carried away with Bent's recent form but more pointing out the correlation between the 2 strikers success at playing the lone striker. Clive scored an awesome 49 goals that season, the majority of them playing without a strike partner. We've been cursing the 4-5-1 system Spurs have been utilizing recently, myself included, arguing that it is a negative formation that does not encourage attacking football. It relies too heavily on 1 man to get you goals & if that main man gets isolated or taken out the game, the rest of the team sit further & further back.

However, the team of 86/87 proved the system can work if you have a striker on form. Clive Allen was a genius at sticking the ball in the net but he did it with the help of a 5 man midfield with massive skill & vision. Hoddle, Waddle, Paul Allen, Hodge & Ardiles gave us immense threat going forwards with Waddle & Allen providing the width. In fact there are many similarities in that midfield with the current one also, a little more experienced & talented but if you use your imagination. That 5 are legendary but, given time, our midfield of Huddlestone, Modric, Lennon, Bentley & Jenas could yet live up to it. Huddlestone taking up Hoddle's role, spraying clever passes around midfield & possessive of a fearsome long-range shot, Modric has the skill to emulate Ossie while JJ, although a right footer, is not unlike Hodge, getting plenty of goals from midfield. Finally, there are definite comparisons between Lennon & Bentley with Waddle & Allen.

This comparison had 1st been suggested in a Guardian Pre-Season review of Spurs but it looked way off the mark once the season proper had got underway. However, now in Harry's charge, the article is more accurate than it ever meant to be. We have a midfield of similar players lining up in a similar way providing a striker in similar form. If Bent continues his current scoring rate he could actually reach Clive's milestone 49. Bent has scored 8 times in the last 7 games which is easily good enough to achieve that should he be able to maintain it. They are a long way off yet but they are going in the right direction.

Despite not actually winning anything, that Spurs team of 86/87 is possibly one of the best teams of the modern era & came within a whisker of winning all domestic competitions, finishing second in the league, runners-up in the FA cup & reaching the semi's of the Milk Cup (now the League Cup, losing to Arsenal!). If the present team could even come close to the delights of that one I think we would all be very happy but I don't think it is as fantastical as it first sounds.

I guess the lone striker can work & Clive proved that. Darren is starting to also. Under Juande our midfield seemed to sit so deep & there was nobody looking to get the ball forward. I remember watching Pav running one way trying to break only to stop, come back onside, then run the other. He did it all day long but out 'midfield' didn't even look at him & just passed the ball side to side between each other. I felt very sorry for Pav that day cos he was working so hard for nothing. We have skillful, creative midfielders who need to be able to play higher up the pitch & properly express themselves. That's what our 86/87 midfield did & it is what we're starting to do now under Harry.

If I had compared Hoddle to Huddlestone & Bent to Allen a week or 2 ago I would have checked myself in to my local clinic but now I can definitely see their potential in emulating those famous Spurs legends. I just hope they can keep it up, they've got along way to go still before they are even close to that achievement.

... and if Bent gets 49 goals I'll eat my shoes!

[mangobus24]

That was as supberb line-up bass. Arguably the best to ever grace the field at White Hart Lane and I must agree with you that this line-up has the possibility to replicate the success of the 86/87 season. Under Harry we've been in tremendous form and are well on our way and doing so sporting the same system.

It's a great point which you make, and I'll definitely be interested to see how it all pans out.

[Mini-Thudd22]

... and if Bent gets 49 goals I'll eat my shoes!

I will eat your shoes and your week -old socks if he scores 49 and if he scores 50 then, well, you can come up with the ideas

[Turkoes]

I hope he does score 50+ just to see what sodded idea people come up with (sorry)! lol and if Bent does cast a careful eye over this forum, then if that isn't motivation - then what is!!! Lol

[Essex Spurs]

I will eat your shoes and your week -old socks if he scores 49 and if he scores 50 then, well, you can come up with the ideas

Listen buddy, if he does score 49, I've just got to see you eat these socks.

[LLOYDY]

i do think d bent plays in simular fashion to how c.allen did.. both are quick and master finshers in the penalty box lets hope d.bent can reach the same goal margin as c.allen did in 86/87 season

[grimsby yidds]

enjoyed that basskadet,

i saw most of that season home and away, Clive wasn't even first choice at the start of the season Nico claesen was the guy who played up front and the system was set up to get the best out of him, Belgium had used this formation during the recent world cup (1986) , it suited spurs, but as i say it was only when Nico got injured that Clive came in,Clive adapted his game and it worked we had stumbled on a system that suited the club, the football was sparkling, but as all ways we were fragile at the back. as far as the Daren bent comparison, oh behave !!!!!!!!!!
seriously though i see no comparison at all Clive was good at holding the ball up and was a box player bit like lineker, bents a runner who can at times finish, but cant knock the kid, if he goes on to be half as big a legend as Clive then he will be one hell of a player

[basskadet]

I agree with you Grimsby, that DB & Clive aren't actually that similar in style at all, just the fact that they both have an uncanny ability to find the back of the net. It was more meant as an observation on the system that I've been knocking this whole time & that it can work if you've got a striker on form, knocking ;em in. Clive was for us back then & DB seems to be making the system work for him now also.

However, I disagree with you about 'stumbling' across this system working for Clive because we meant it for Claesen. We were already playing it before Nico signed for us.
We didn't sign Nico until October 1986, so we had already started that season without him. We started the season with Falco & Allen as our main 2 strikers but Mark was used mainly as a sub & played his last game for us in September 86. So we were already playing with Allen as the lone striker before we got Claesen, who was bought to replace Falco. We then played Nico & Clive as a pair for a bit before Nico got injured.

Strangely I happened to be watching the game against Luton where we introduced Claesen before the game just as I was reading your post! how weird is that! Anyway, we played with a 5 man midfield behind Allen already in that game.

Nico 'Classy' Claesen, what a great player. Such a shame he never really settled at Spurs. He did OK tho but was just completely outshined by Clive. I always thought that there was the makings of a good partnership there &, when I was a kid, I really used to enjoy watching Claesen play.

[Dan444]

0 Goals in 6 games and 5 goals in 2 games... He's being controlled!