Benners wasted at Swine-Town?

[Gulliball]

Is Stanley, Lathrope, Zebroski, Robinson, Tomlin, Murray (as we lined up against Lincoln last week) any better than Stanley, Lathrope, Zebroski, Robinson, Tomlin, Benyon?

Personally I don't think it is. Benyon was great in his time here and is a 20+ a season striker in L2, and we haven't had an awful lot of those in recent times (ONE in the last 20 years, and that was David Graham in 2003/04 - the previous one was Paul Dobson in 1987/88) - so why on earth are people so hard on him now? Because he's left I'm assuming.

He's not hit it off at Swindon yet, but that doesn't make him any worse a player than he was two months ago. At the time everyone said it was a good move for him, and it was at the time, but it hasn't worked out that way yet.

Fortunately we haven't missed him, but as Fonda's been trying to say, that's because we replaced him with Stanley, Robinson, Tomlin, Murray and a lot of other very good players, and have been playing a very attacking 442 instead of 451. Nothing we've done since he left should worsen our impression of Benyon, he's a L1/L2 player.

[Dave]

Is it not the case,that Stanley,Robinson and Tomlin were only brought in because of the Benyon sale,the club will be paying part ,or maybe all of there wages,would funds for these loan signings been availble had Benyon not been sold?

[northharrowgull]

I believe Benyon was a quick,if lightweight, opportunist who pounced on the slightest chance to score, and he did, but in terms of skill and creativity both Robinson and Tomlin are a class apart imo. The question is, of course, are we likely to keep either of them? Well if we do gain promotion then the answer maybe yes, but in all honesty I dont think we will be able to afford either. Having said that, all credit must go to Bucks for two ( amongst several) superb loan signings who have turned our season around. Most importantly, Stanley, who picks a pass sublimely and could be the bedrock of a very successful Div 1 campaign should we be so lucky..........

[ferrarilover]

Hmmm, ok, perhaps I'm coming across more harsh on Benners than I mean to. He was fine while he was here and he is a talented enough young man, I'd certainly never wish to suggest he is without ability. However, my abiding memories of him (not through selection, I NEVER set out to dislike or belittle any of our players) are a lot of fairly aimless movement upfront and spending more of his time trying to win fouls than actually win the ball.
If presented with a virtually unmissable, opportunist strike, he was great, but ask him to go on, beat a man and find a finish past the keeper, time and again he was found wanting. Go back to the Billy Kee goal at Northampton, can anyone honestly tell me they can imagine Elliot using the dummy runner, cutting inside for half a yard and rifling a shot into the net at the far post?
He is excellent at this level at what he does, poach goals and finish off the good work of others, but, for me, his strength does not lie in creating his own chances, which is what I much prefer in a striker at this level or the one above.
I hold nothing against him for leaving, not even slightly, I'd never stand in the way of a player wishing to leave a club to go anywhere he liked. We have done exceptionally well without him, and that, for me, is down in part to not having to have him in the team because he is our leading scorer and it would be madness not to include him. For all the goals he scored, he cost us possession 20 times where a Billy Kee type may not have done and that will,inevitably have cost us goals in the long run.

Matt.

[Fonda]

In Benyon and Kee you are not comparing like for like. They are both strikers, but that is pretty much where the similarity ends, and it s far too simplistic to compare them on those terms. Billy Kee is a Rooney type – he s got power & skill and yes, a greater ability to beat a player & make a goal for himself than Benyon has got. Elliot Benyon is more in the Robbie Fowler mould. He s a goalscorer, with the inate ability of knowing where the space is in and around the penalty area, and one who ll take a high percentage of the chances presented to him. From what I ve seen, he has a much better scoring instinct than Kee has it this stage.

So who is best really depends what it is you re looking for. I personally think the pair of them in tandem could have been dynamite – in a team playing as offensively as we do now. Benyon scored plenty for us when playing up front on his own. With a partner doing some of the work, better delivery from the wings, and someone like Stanley behind, he d have scored more. And if we re comparing EB to what we have now, when his work-rate and willingness to chase lost causes is taken into consideration as well as his goals, I d still take him over Tomlin and Murray. But it s all about opinions.

[Southampton Gull]

In Benyon and Kee you are not comparing like for like. They are both strikers, but that is pretty much where the similarity ends, and it s far too simplistic to compare them on those terms. Billy Kee is a Rooney type – he s got power & skill and yes, a greater ability to beat a player & make a goal for himself than Benyon has got. Elliot Benyon is more in the Robbie Fowler mould. He s a goalscorer, with the inate ability of knowing where the space is in and around the penalty area, and one who ll take a high percentage of the chances presented to him. From what I ve seen, he has a much better scoring instinct than Kee has it this stage.

So who is best really depends what it is you re looking for. I personally think the pair of them in tandem could have been dynamite – in a team playing as offensively as we do now. Benyon scored plenty for us when playing up front on his own. With a partner doing some of the work, better delivery from the wings, and someone like Stanley behind, he d have scored more. And if we re comparing EB to what we have now, when his work-rate and willingness to chase lost causes is taken into consideration as well as his goals, I d still take him over Tomlin and Murray. But it s all about opinions.

That did make me laugh. Benyon wasted so many chances it's inconceivable how you can make that claim.

[Fonda]

Because he's a lower-league striker Dave. If he didn't miss chances, he'd be at the top of the game. I meant for a player of his level, he takes a decent percentage of his chances. Sorry, i thought that was obvious.

[Southampton Gull]

Because he's a lower-league striker Dave. If he didn't miss chances, he'd be at the top of the game. I meant for a player of his level, he takes a decent percentage of his chances. Sorry, i thought that was obvious.

You clearly said "high percentage", now conveniently you change it to "decent percentage". Personally I would say "low percentage".

Still, it did make me laugh.

[Fonda]

Very much like the 'agree a deal with player, then club' misunderstanding Dave. We must both be clearer in future.

[Southampton Gull]

Very much like the 'agree a deal with player, then club' misunderstanding Dave. We must both be clearer in future.

Nothing like it, I'm afraid.

[Fonda]

Identical Dave. This is getting tiresome. For everyone i imagine.

[tommyg]

I might tag in and give Fonda a break.

Benyon may miss the odd chance, but no more than any of our other strikers. The fact he's still our top scorer after netting 14 in 28 this season (the best goals-to-game ratio of any player we have) speaks volumes. He was on course to score 25 before leaving, which would have seen him finish as one of the division's top scorers. Last season, he got 15 for a side that was struggling for most of the campaign. He won't get you goals from outside of the box, nor will he run rings around the defence, but his movement is exceptional and he's probably the best 'fox in a box' we've had for a long time.

We're certainly a stronger side now, but that isn't because Benyon has gone. That's due to the additions of Stanley and Robinson and Buckle's gung-ho attitude which didn't exist pre-February. He could quite easily play the Tomlin role (I've been impressed with him by the way), and he would score goals regularly. Probably even more due to having better, and more attacking players around him. While Benyon was here, we were a far more cautious side. We certainly never left three up for corners. We wouldn't be in a play-off position if it wasn't for his contribution earlier in the season and I'm surprised that some have quickly forgotten what a key player he was.

Things haven't worked out at Swindon, but he's been hampered by injuries and a change of manager, as well as joining a team low on confidence and staring relegation in the face. I'd welcome him back with open arms, but I can't see that happening in the near future.

[Southampton Gull]

Totally different. Clubs agree a price (thought that would be obvious), deal agreed with player then deal agreed between clubs.

High percentage - decent percentage, stop trying to move the goalposts.

At the end of the day you think Benyon is a better finisher than Kee, I disagree. Given the same chances I think Kee would convert more and I also think he is more capable of creating chances for himself. Benyon works harder but has to if he wants to justify his inclusion in the side. For a forward he has one of the worst shots I've seen, you couldn't say the same of Kee.

[Fonda]

I'm not 'moving any goalposts. Perhaps you ought to stop talking in such a condascending manner. Just a thought. We disagree, lets leave it there.

[Southampton Gull]

I'm not 'moving any goalposts. Perhaps you ought to stop talking in such a condascending manner. Just a thought. We disagree, lets leave it there.

I'm not being condescending at all. I'm expressing a different opinion, one you disagree with which is fine by me.

I agree with certain aspects of what Tom has just written and have already made the point on this thread that Benyon's move might not look so bad next season if we don't get promoted and find ourselves in the same division as Swindon.