Walking in a Bentley Wonderland - Generation A

[Adam]

On the available evidence, Bentley has more potential than Aliadiere. People within the club seem to rate him higher - they have been making the Bergkamp comparison for ages, whereas they only talk about Aliadiere as someone who could end up as a very good striker, rather than an adequate replacement for one of our existing stars. In terms of pure footballing technique, Bentley has the edge. Aliadiere is older than Bentley but isn't any more advanced than him physically (it is true that he missed time through injury but so did Bentley - he broke his leg only 9 months ago!).

I don't think Bentley has an attitude problem either. He is confident, but that is an attribute. According to people with access to the club (dixon, alan smith, etc) he is eager to learn and always absorbs advice. He has never done anything similar to Pennant’s various misdemeanours. No arrogant quotes, no lateness, no laziness in training sessions, no off-field or on-field misbehavior. The few quotes we hear from him are masterworks of humility and deference (he even called Danny Mills one of the best right backs in the country and said that he would be thrilled to be half as good as Franny Jeffers!).

Adidas are already very excited about him and he is being earmarked as a future “brand” by marketing people, but he seems focused on the football. Apparently, he struggles to sleep at night because he is so excited about going training with the first team in the morning.

Great resourcefull information. Cheers.

You are right about Bentley - he is a unique talent. When have we ever seen an English player with his qualities this decade?

He is the most un-English player you will get. And it's all the more gratifying that Wenger is going to be the one to develop him.

 

[lewdikris]

Bentley's marketability is going to be interesting.

Henry has, to all intents and purposes, inherited Beckham's mantle as the most marketable 'brand' in British football, not because he makes any public appearances, but because he's good looking, and fronts up well in ads. O, and he's a genius, which helps!

Freddie, of course, is Mr Calvin Klein, so surreptitiously Arsenal are building up quite a group of commercial products who happen to be top, top players.

I can imagine Adidas might be very interested in Bentley. Not that he's particularly good looking (he's a bit ratty really), but, well, he has stoopid hair which stylists will think is fashionable (although it's not particularly.

Wenger's quite happy with any commercial commitments the players have - as long as they do it in their own time. The club structure's strong enough not to be effected by it.

And Bentley will be advised by Wenger and co to play it just like Thierry and Freddie - have your face on the poster, but keep it out of the papers...

 

[JGooner]

the fact that he had an Icons personal website at the age of 16 says a lot about the people he has behind him.

the commercial potential lies is helped by the fact that he is english, which will make him more attractive to the UK market. it is difficult to be a true icon in any country if you are foreign, simply because the masses find it harder to identify with you. i think Adidas want him to inherit Beckham's role of flamboyant English hero. But again, I don't doubt that he will be made to understand - by both the club and his agents - that the off-field rewards will only come after on-field achievement.