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- Sep 26, 2003
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Much has been made of Kent, particularly in recent weeks, though the general arguments both in favour and in defense of him remain the same.
Now, I'll confess I'm not an avid fan of his, but at the same time I'd like to think I'm reasonably level-headed enough to see that he does have some worth to the team. He has talent, I don't think many can argue otherwise, though it is evidently clear his flaws shadow the better part of him. Some call that a hack, I like to think of it more as a 'flawed footballer who's deficiencies significantly hinder his ability to maximise his strengths moreso than many others'. A spin, I know, but I suspect those who ignorantly label him a hack fail to recognise the worth (however little) he brings.
I think it's hardly a secret that Kent has limited bows to his game, though the bows he does possess are particularly strong. A leading forward if ever, blessed with more than adequate speed and hands for such a role. Thrives in space, and when he's on song, he's good enough to warrant the role as our focal point. His goal average ain't half too bad either.
And perhaps Kent defenders/supporters have a point when they shift the blame from being solely Kent to a shared load with the midfield. On that note, I somewhat agree with their point. Alot of Kent will be dependent on the delivery to him. Whilst he has shown in the past a capacity to do so (minimal, though), I think it's more than fair to say he's unlikely to ever conjure up his bag of goals by himself. So the argument that the recent delivery to him has played a part on his form has some merit, if very little. Let's face it, delivery's to Kent over the head or by any other means but on the chest is simply unlikely to work.
That being said though, I also agree that much more must be done on Kent's behalf. Calling for long kicks when he's one-out in the goalsquare is borderline ridiculous. His contested marking has improved over the years, however marginal, but that's not enough to justify such actions. Call it a complete lack of a football brain of what, but he must realise the situation he's in. He's not a well-rounded player, but the strengths he does possess are well founded enough for him to contribute as good as any other on the field. The midfield has an obligation to play to his strengths when he becomes the focus of an attack, but he likewise as that obligation to instigate the correct means of attack in the first place. He has to realise as well as everyone else out there, supporters included, that trying to be something he's not (a contested-grabbing star forward) will only end in frustration.
Contrary to what many will say, he has talent. He has the capacity to be consistent (on a certain level) in his contribution to the team. It may not be 3-4 goal bags (and on that note it is the fans who need to realise this as well as anybody else), but certainly 1-2 goals a game is a feasible return. Some may write home that he has the potential to be even greater but for those woeful kicking skills. To that I say 'yes', the potential is there, but let's be realistic. Let's look at the situation. Let's accept the fact that such a wish is...well, a wish. It's frustrating, certainly, but it's the reality of the situation. Accept it not on the basis of accepting mediocrity, but on the basis that wishing and hoping for more serves as nothing less than ammo for that frustration. It's reality, move on.
The past few weeks have certainly raised the legitimate prospect of Kent being dropped for form. Now, I'm personally still undecided if that's a move I want to make. Not because I don't think he doesn't deserve to be dropped, but because I'd simply like to trial him in positions other than his customary 'full-forward'. Perhaps on a flank, where his strengths are still played to (an essential if he's to contribute to this team). Yeah, injuries and conditions have hurt his performances (though the latter argument I don't really subscribe to), and some of that must be taken into account (particularly the fact that he shouldn't have played at least 2 of those games). Contrary to some here, I can't blame him for last night's loss, but I do acknowledge that he is running on low brownie points now.
Now, I'll confess I'm not an avid fan of his, but at the same time I'd like to think I'm reasonably level-headed enough to see that he does have some worth to the team. He has talent, I don't think many can argue otherwise, though it is evidently clear his flaws shadow the better part of him. Some call that a hack, I like to think of it more as a 'flawed footballer who's deficiencies significantly hinder his ability to maximise his strengths moreso than many others'. A spin, I know, but I suspect those who ignorantly label him a hack fail to recognise the worth (however little) he brings.
I think it's hardly a secret that Kent has limited bows to his game, though the bows he does possess are particularly strong. A leading forward if ever, blessed with more than adequate speed and hands for such a role. Thrives in space, and when he's on song, he's good enough to warrant the role as our focal point. His goal average ain't half too bad either.
And perhaps Kent defenders/supporters have a point when they shift the blame from being solely Kent to a shared load with the midfield. On that note, I somewhat agree with their point. Alot of Kent will be dependent on the delivery to him. Whilst he has shown in the past a capacity to do so (minimal, though), I think it's more than fair to say he's unlikely to ever conjure up his bag of goals by himself. So the argument that the recent delivery to him has played a part on his form has some merit, if very little. Let's face it, delivery's to Kent over the head or by any other means but on the chest is simply unlikely to work.
That being said though, I also agree that much more must be done on Kent's behalf. Calling for long kicks when he's one-out in the goalsquare is borderline ridiculous. His contested marking has improved over the years, however marginal, but that's not enough to justify such actions. Call it a complete lack of a football brain of what, but he must realise the situation he's in. He's not a well-rounded player, but the strengths he does possess are well founded enough for him to contribute as good as any other on the field. The midfield has an obligation to play to his strengths when he becomes the focus of an attack, but he likewise as that obligation to instigate the correct means of attack in the first place. He has to realise as well as everyone else out there, supporters included, that trying to be something he's not (a contested-grabbing star forward) will only end in frustration.
Contrary to what many will say, he has talent. He has the capacity to be consistent (on a certain level) in his contribution to the team. It may not be 3-4 goal bags (and on that note it is the fans who need to realise this as well as anybody else), but certainly 1-2 goals a game is a feasible return. Some may write home that he has the potential to be even greater but for those woeful kicking skills. To that I say 'yes', the potential is there, but let's be realistic. Let's look at the situation. Let's accept the fact that such a wish is...well, a wish. It's frustrating, certainly, but it's the reality of the situation. Accept it not on the basis of accepting mediocrity, but on the basis that wishing and hoping for more serves as nothing less than ammo for that frustration. It's reality, move on.
The past few weeks have certainly raised the legitimate prospect of Kent being dropped for form. Now, I'm personally still undecided if that's a move I want to make. Not because I don't think he doesn't deserve to be dropped, but because I'd simply like to trial him in positions other than his customary 'full-forward'. Perhaps on a flank, where his strengths are still played to (an essential if he's to contribute to this team). Yeah, injuries and conditions have hurt his performances (though the latter argument I don't really subscribe to), and some of that must be taken into account (particularly the fact that he shouldn't have played at least 2 of those games). Contrary to some here, I can't blame him for last night's loss, but I do acknowledge that he is running on low brownie points now.
