This is why bookies are universally hated..

[Seen]

...6/4 for Steve Bruce to be the next Prem manager to resign/be sacked.

Of course, they don't allow punters to lay at, say, 2/1 do they? Taking the piss big time - so Bent leaves and Bruce says how he's let the club and fans down massively by doing so, some moron starts an internet rumour that Bruce is about to quit....

No doubt plenty of mongs will have given the bookies some free money there, also read this morning that another book is offering 500/1 that Miliband is the next Sland manager ffs I bet a few imbeciles threw a fiver at that too.

[Seen]

Bent has said his move wasn't about money, it was because Villa are a "massive club" going places.

LOL

[Colbro]

Originally Posted by Seen

Bent has said his move wasn't about money, it was because Villa are a "massive club" going places.

LOL

I killed myself laughing at that too

But probably not as much as Bent is laughing now

[Tricky]

yeah down into the championship, while sunderland are "Top 6" and will be playing in europe next season as things stand... If villa had given O'Neil 25 million to spend at the start of the season then villa would have finished the season no worse than 6th, & challenging the top 5!

[7HEGR1MR3AP3R]

Theyre both poor teams who`ll never do any good - average player at an average club imvho

[Kiko]

If I was Bent I would have moved from Sunderland to Villa also. Quite surprised by the abuse he is receiving over it - Villa definitely the better club to go to IMO.

[Seen]

Care to explain why, Kiko?

[beamer]

500/1 that Miliband is the next Sland manager ffs I bet a few imbeciles threw a fiver at that too.

Yeah, total knobheads


I got 750/1.

On a serious note, you can't blame a bookie for offering a short price on a market, especially one were they take very little.

As you say, someone creates a market for their own benefit on betfair and the snowball effect comes into action. How many times through the years have Bobby Robson (RIP), Venables, O'Neill, etc, gone odds on in the next manager betting, simply based on market manipulation.

January last year was the best example, when Benitez was 1.33 to leave before the end of the transfer window. Total rumour out of control, but how often do we see manipulated betting on mainstream sports.

[Kiko]

I just think they are a bigger club Seen, simple as that. Villa are a bigger deal to me than Sunderland - different folks will have different opinions, obviously.

[slick]

Don't want to get embroiled in an argument but I've always seen Villa 'bigger' than Sunderland, mainly because they have been in the top flight for as long as i can remember whilst Sunderland have been a bit of a yoyo side, thats just in my lifetime and seeing Villa win the league and every cup at domestic level including the European cup.
Then again I've been in this argument a thousands times over with City as to what makes 'a big club'.

Anyhow I think Sunderland have done well to get so much money for Bent, I've never viewwd him as a prolific goal scorer even though he has a decent record, and i think Gyan is a lot better prospect, I think Bruce is more pissed off with now being short in the Striker department and only a couple of weeks left to try and find a replacement at such a crucial stage of the season for Sunderland .

Edit, I see Kiko said better club, in that case then at the moment Sunderland are pissing that argument.

[lance]

I'd play for f*cking anyone with their wages...

[yorkieacermark2000]

Originally Posted by lance

I'd play for f*cking anyone with their wages...

Really

[rcgills]

The Guardian has an article with the heading "Darren Bent gets death threats as Aston Villa reject Sunderland claims. Have to say, death threats just ain't what they used to be, sound more like death requests to me.

The move has taken a more sinister twist with the threats Bent has received for leaving Sunderland. One tweet said: "Hope you die painfully, remember what we did for you." Another stated: "Judas. Go and die." And a third said: "Hope you break your neck." Bent had said he would avoid Twitter because he expected to be "annihilated" by Sunderland fans.

[Seen]

I wasn't trying to say Sunderland were a bigger club than Villa, Villa's recent history is obviously far better even though Sunderland have bigger crowds, but Bent said they are a massive club going places.....really?

Sunderland have (I think) the youngest squad in the premier league, a billionaire owner and a chairman who is actually a good egg (not many of them around). Currently in 6th place 4 points clear of 7th, enjoying a very good season (bar the two embarrassing performances v Newcastle where our players totally failed to handle the occasion), so if any of the two clubs are 'going places' it's Sunderland.

Hard to believe he went there because of the size of the clubs, it's not like he was at Wigan or Blackburn.

He's been shit recently (scored 1 goal from open play since end of Nov) and now we know why.

Yes he scores goals but boy does he miss sitters too. And guess how many assists he had in his 18 months on Wearside?

One.

Personally I'm glad he's gone but the timing is terrible as he has left us with just one fit striker (Gyan) with Welbeck out for another 6 weeks.

[Seen]

With the 'one assist' thing, people will obviously say that doesn't matter as long as he's banging them in, but for £24 million I think I'd want a player offering a little more.

How much did Spurs pay for van der Vaart again?

£8 million