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I’m always amused that when a good quality kid comes through our youth set up that some fans immediately confuse “he could play at a higher level” with “he’ll play for England one day”. I’ve only seen 1 Southend player in my time as a fan that I thought was SO clearly out of place at our level that he could ‘go all the way’ and I’ll be lucky to see another Stan Collymore in my lifetime.
Bentley has lots of potential and an ego so big that he’ll get over any setbacks - not a bad thing to have. He’s comfortable in the championship at a lower club but he needs to eradicate mistakes from his game if he’s going much higher. Even if he does manage this, he’s facing an up hill battle because he’s a goalkeeper - there’s very few opportunities at the highest level and plenty of top quality keepers warming the bench at premier league level - Tim Krul is an example. You need luck to get a game and then you need to not get injured so your place gets nicked. Tom Heaton and Nick Pope are good examples - both really good keepers but there’s only room for one of them.
Jack Payne is a crowd pleaser and has done the right thing by ensuring he’s playing every week rather than sitting in Huddersfields stand. He’s good at this level, but was in and out of the team in the championship. The question is whether he can get himself up to that level and play regularly. He’s certainly not premier league standard.
The thing to remember is that we argue about Bentley and Payne but it could be someone else who makes it to the top of the tree. There was general agreement on these forums that Simon Francis couldn’t defend - who would have thought he’d be holding his own as a premier league centre half and captaining his side? There’s hope for them all!
 
I thought Nick Pope was absolutely top class when he played at Roots Hall. I'm a fan of Bentley's but I'd take Pope over him.

Thought he stood out in a way few have - Fabian Delph at Leeds, that Southampton left-back and maybe that Shrewsbury ginger midfielder (Ryan Woods? - how's he doing now?).

And to a lesser extent maybe Charlie Mulgrew for us.

Obviously Stan back in the day, but he was so good he stood out in a team containing another future international.
 
i have to agree and say I was more excited about Kightly than any of the other signings and am quite disappointed in his form so far.

He still has moments in a game when he looks pure class but I would still hope for far more impact in terms of goals and assists - I am sure it will come but currently would have him behind Lenny, McLaugh, Wordsworth and Wright in terms of my first choice midfield if all available.

That's how I feel 'Tampa'.

I hadn't seen Kightly play until the Bury game the other week and he didn't stand out, which was a disappointment.

If the oppo had him in their side, I would be worried, but for the moment, there are glimpses of class, but not a huge amount more.

If anything, I think he tries to be too clever on the ball. Tries to hard to impress, rather than simply playing the easier and earlier ball or just having a strike on goal.
 
I thought Nick Pope was absolutely top class when he played at Roots Hall. I'm a fan of Bentley's but I'd take Pope over him.

Thought he stood out in a way few have - Fabian Delph at Leeds, that Southampton left-back and maybe that Shrewsbury ginger midfielder (Ryan Woods? - how's he doing now?).

And to a lesser extent maybe Charlie Mulgrew for us.

Obviously Stan back in the day, but he was so good he stood out in a team containing another future international.

Funny you mention him on this thread because JP had a really good game away at Shrewsbury in our promotion year. Mainly by keeping Woods quiet.

At the time Shrewsbury had a very impressive good home record. Not often JP got credit for stopping another player and yet he still found time to lose him and score our goal.

At the same game Kevin ball had come to watch a Shrewsbury player but put his pad down and started to watch Bentley instead.
 
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