Bentley leaves Fleet to join Dagenham

[Matt (GNFC)]

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/sport/default.asp?article_id=10015

 

 

 

Its all going wrong.....................

[Stu B]

Im gutted.Absolutely gutted.He's a great player, so was Jimmy and we've lost the both. I cant believe this is happening!i suppose the only consilation is that we've got tos,a good player,but not as good as benno <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[MK James]

 

It's no consilation, but when Mark was playing for us he looked Football League quality, shame that he feels it necessary to switch to another Conference club to achieve this.

 

We're still attempting to sign Aaron Barnett by the way.

 

 

[Matt (GNFC)]

If Francis goes i will be devastated. We need to get both Jimmy and Bennos wages and give it all to Francis and put him on a 2yr contract. This man is key to the clubs survival next yr. By the way, thanks for your loyalty Mark.

[Stu M]

I'm going straight home to check Dagenham haven't nicked my telly as well, the b*stards! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[Matt (GNFC)]

Dave, if u get any info. abt who is going to sign/leave please post it on this messageboard..All rumours so far have come true !!

[David Holden]

I can only post what I am told I am allowed to post. I have a lot of things told to me "in confidence" only to find that someone else in the club has gone and told the papers.

 

The good news is that the new Chief Executive has this odd idea that the website should be told before the papers.

[Sideliner]

I wonder how our sponsors feel about the Messenger getting this news before them.

[Matt (GNFC)]

Forget the sponsors, its Andy i feel sorry for. He tries to build a side only to find that the majority of them are out of contract in the summer. I mentioned it before but its the clubs fault we have got ourselves in this mess...Yes we may have tried to get players to sign contracts last season but they knew at the start of the season how many players potentially could leave. I think its crazy that the contracts were not staggered better....Andy had been chasing Benno all last season, gets his man and only has him on a 1yr contract. Most other players at other clubs are being signed on 2yr deals so at least the clubs get a bit of continuity. Im really annoyed with a lot of things at the moment.

[David Holden]

You can only get the players to sign the contracts that they want to sign. Mark, Jacko and Francis could all have had longer contracts if they wanted, but none of them did.

 

No doubt they all wanted to see what the market would be like once they had a year's conference experience (Well 8 matches in Francis' case)

 

Sorry Matt but this time you cannot blame the club, it is down to the players.

[Matt (GNFC)]

Do u think Francis will leave Dave?

[David Holden]

Hmm difficult one to answer, he was the last to sign last year, and seeing the others go may not help.

 

On the other hand he may feel that he owes us a season after taking a years money for 8 games.

 

I suppose it depends on how much he is offered elsewhere.

 

With luck we will know by the weekend.

[jc]

Dreadful news - Bentley certainly looked our most capable outfield player last season. But if we're honest, with such skill we can't be surprised he wanted to leave, especially given the weak look to the team after Jacko's departure. As mentioned on another thread, doubtless the pair of them discussed possible moves away from the club together on the Wanderers' tour.

 

As Dave says on another thread, we should wait to examine Andy's signings to fill the voids in our team before condemning the club to relegation, but at the moment it looks grim.

 

Therefore: PLEASE STAY FRANCIS!

[Gordon T]

Sad to see him go, good player. I cant say I blame him for leaving, he probably gets a much higher wage then we could have given him also he gets a chance at getting into the Football league. where he and Jacko deserve to be playing.

 

[Wobbly Wayne rides again]

It certainly has been bad news this week. I remember coming away after last seasons pre seasons games , thinking that we would struggle in the conference because we would let in too many goals ( I was right ) and not score enough ( I was wrong ) but thinking we would survive purely on the strength of our midfield.

 

This year I still think that we will let in goals, I still think that we will struggle to score, and without Jacko and Benno, I am now worried about the midfield !! Looks like a long hard season ahead, but lets keep faith with Andy, and lets all hope that he attracts a few decent players in as replacements.

 

C'mon you rip roaring reds.....

[Alan ( GNFC )]

If Benno , Che and Jacko were amongst the better paid players then maybe there is a bit of spare salary available to attract a couple of good players

( he says optimistically )

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Lets not panic - there was always this possibility - its just a shame that players are now prepared to go for short term, 1 year contract, taking the chance on getting a new contract at the end of that time.

 

Players who have the ability of Benno, or loyalty of Jacko, are taking very little chance with only a 1 year conteract - the chances are always that they would be offered new contracts at Fleet, and not having a contract makes it far more likely that another club will come in for them. Only if they had a catastrophic season at Fleet would their position have been jeopardised.

 

On the other hand, it does also make it easier for us to sign quality players without paying a fee, so its not all bad.

 

Andy always seems to pull a rabbit out of the bag - after all, he managed to get Benno last year, when he had strong competition elsewhere. Already this close season, Andy has persuaded Robin Trott to join us & he, no doubt, had other options.

 

Although we're bound to pick up other midfielders, the situation as it stands would no doubt give Rob Owen a much more prominent role next season - and whilst he may not be quite the quality player that Benno is, he wont be a bad replacement. Tostao will also probably get a greater role, and greater opportunity may be just what he needs to produce his best on a more regular basis.

 

Lets be positive & stand by Andy's judgement - it wont take much to give us a side quite capable of a mid table finish at worst. (After all, if sides like Welling and Leigh can survive year on year in the Conference on their limited squads and budgets, I'm sure we can , even with the current squad of players).

 

UP THE FLEET !

[Matt (GNFC)]

Nice balanced opinion as usual Alan W....Ive had some dinner and reading Alan's response i have some hope!! Id even say lets try and get Steve Heffer on board as he was/is still held in high regard by Dagenham but he plays in the holding role where Mckimm and Strouts both play so whats the point in another player in that position..

[Gordon T]

Quote:

lets all hope that he attracts a few decent players in as replacements.

Even though Andy can spot talent because of our financial position he can't attract all the quality players he would like.
Teams like dagennham however can afford to chuck out half the squad and rebuild an almost new team.

Still after what Andy has done for the club I have complete faith that he will make sure we stay up and if we do go down it is due to Goal differnce, or we miss out by one point. Not because we were the worst team in the league , Like Kettering were last season.

[Matt (GNFC)]

Kettering took 4 pts off us last yr