Bent backs Agbonlahor pairing

03 October 2011 07:19
Darren Bent insists his partnership Gabriel Agbonlahor can silence the doubters - including previous Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier.[LNB] Bent had few chances to play alongside Agbonlahor after his club record £18 million move from Sunderland to Villa last season, with Houllier preferring to partner him with Emile Heskey.[LNB]Agbonlahor was often restricted to a wide role - if selected at all - and had his least productive campaign goal-wise for Villa.[LNB]But new manager Alex McLeish has more faith in the duo as a combination and on Saturday they gelled during the 2-0 home win over Wigan.[LNB]Agbonlahor scored the first goal - his fourth of the campaign - and then created the second for Bent as Villa maintained their unbeaten league start.[LNB]Bent said: "There were people who said myself and Gabby couldn't play together because we are too similar.[LNB]"But we compliment each other well and give each other chances. Hopefully it will continue and Villa can have a good season.[LNB]"Last season when I came I didn't really play with Gabby upfront. He played wide left.[LNB]"Did the previous manager feel we could not work together? Maybe. I know he never said it - but you could tell by the team shape last season.[LNB]"We only played one striker at times, and when we did play two, it tended to be myself and Heskey. It answers itself really."[LNB]Bent believes Agbonlahor's pace will cause problems to most defences and that he will eventually regain an England spot if he maintains his current form.[LNB]He said: "I don't think there are too many strikers playing better than Gabby. He looks strong and fast and dangerous.[LNB]"The goals he has been scoring this season have been fantastic so there is no reason why he shouldn't called up by England.[LNB]"When you have someone with that kind of pace upfront it makes the job easier because Gabby is always going to get past people and expose people with his pace.[LNB]"It is going to help both of us and the team. I don't think anyone in the league who could keep up with Gabby. He is up there with the quickest of them.[LNB]"He can get from point A to point B very quickly and in this league people say the league is about pace - and he has that in abundance."[LNB]Agbonlahor appears to have regained the hunger and zest for the game after last season's barren spell.[LNB]Bent said: "It happens to strikers and it happens to all of us.[LNB]"You go through periods when you are not scoring goals and think the world is against you.[LNB]"But he has come back this season and I am sure he is not even thinking about what happened before."

Source: Team_Talk