THE LEGENDS: How will Darren Bent’s departure affect Sunderland

MICKY HORSWILL:

“Its a little bit worrying because if we had Fraizer Campbell and Danny Welbeck fit it would not have been such a wrench.

But with only Asamoah Gyan, there it’s a little bit of a worry.

“The only one above him is Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney, so you’re not going to get anyone of that standard. What we should try to do after losing one, is get two or three in and strengthen the team that way. Then we can get goals from other positions instead of relying on him all the time.

“He had only just signed a four-year contract and he wanted a new contract this year, it’s just pure greed and it’s out of order. He’s only been here a year-and-ahalf and he’s wanting to be away. He’s obviously had things on his mind and if you have that sort of player in your team you can’t afford to carry them in the Premier League.

“The club have paid him and got him in to the England team, he’s been happy here and been a good ambassador for the club and a sniff of the money and he is gone, its diabolical. Now they have to bring somebody to fill the gap in the next ten days and I’m confident that they will find a player in the short term that will be able to do the job.”

BERNIE SLAVEN:

“Its no real surprise he has left and people are saying it is a surprise but modernday players move after a couple of years.

“Middlesbrough had Fabrizio Ravanelli, Juninho, Emerson, Christian Ziege and Paul Merson, they signed big contracts but none of them saw those contracts out.

“Steve Bruce is the guy whose head will be on the block now if things don’t go to plan because if he doesn’t get a player in who is successful then Sunderland could be fighting relegation. With Bent in your team you have a great chance of maintaining that but there seems to be a bit of unsettlement behind the scenes.

“Bruce must know on his heart of hearts that Bent leaving is a massive blow, losing your top scorer who is the third top scorer in the Premier League in the past five years, that is one hell of a hole to fill.

“They have lost two of their star strikers in a year, Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent. It is like Manchester United losing Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, if Ferguson let them two go you would have to question his sanity.

So I think that it is bizarre that two top strikers who compliment each other have gone in the space of a year.

“I will be quoted in saying that I will throw myself into the Tyne if Sunderland find someone who will score more goals than Bent.”

MALCOLM MACDONALD:

“The way that Aston Villa and Darren Bent handled the situation was unsavoury and poor.

Everyone involved with Sunderland have every right to feel upset by his decision to leave.

“Darren Bent strikes me as a strange fish, Sunderland was meant to be his spiritual home upon his arrival and he had only been there for a year and he wanted to go to Turkey (Fenerbache).

“Under the circumstances, Sunderland have done very well off the deal and having done the deal both Niall Quinn and Steve Bruce can now say OK we do have money in the bank to look for a goalscorer in the summer, perhaps Sunderland will be better off without him.

“Sunderland will now find it a rather troublesome in the latter half of the season without a player who has been up there with Drogba and Rooney for goals scored in recent seasons. I don’t think that they will end up in a relegation battle but their aspirations of Europe are going to take a serious knock with Bent’s exit.”

* The Legends were talking to Tom Page.

Listen to The Legends weekdays 6-8pm and Saturdays from 1pm on 100-102FM Real Radio.

Read their views every Saturday in Northern Echo Sport.