Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert denies rift with Darren Bent

[kippaxvilla2]

All I know is, I am suddenly starting to see a stark reality of a monumental struggle to survive this season given the all round quality and/or experience we have on the pitch.  Whether his overall contribution is in question or not, the fact is he can finish, we don't have anyone of his like in the club.  To alienate him unecessarily is therefore entirely counter productive and will only end one way, us losing him and struggling even more than we already are.  These are worrying times indeed.

Just to wanted to add for those who think I am a serial miserablist on these matters.  I do think PL will get it right here.  And the players he has bought will probably kick on next season.  My worry is whether that will be in this league or the next league down.

[danlanza]

I've always thought that the wages issue was more to do with what we're getting for our money.  So with Bent, who is a first team regular and scores goals, there can be value argued into his high wages.  With the likes of Warnock, etc. we could get just as good for less, hence wanting him out. 

I think Lerner wants every high earner off the wage bill wether they contribute of not. Bent is the last of these. The consequences of this is obvious, and we're looking like relegation fodder. Lerner really hasn't got a clue about football.

No, he just wants a total wagebill that is sustainable.  This doesn't mean we'll be relegation fodder, just that we have to me smarter and less wasteful in how we spend our money.

Trimming the wage bill is understandable but we surely still need to be competitive.
If these players are to be slowly pushed out and others brought in then what sort of quality are we looking at ? I understand tha PL wants to mould his own team, this may mean a few departures but we also have to be careful that we get quality to replace them.
I do not think we will be worrying to much by Christmas time if the players at the club step up to the mark, if they do not then Lambert will have to act very sharpish. I really think things will go our way soon. That Man City game was no fluke and showed us what we can do when things click. Positive still and will remain so for the forseable future. Not a time for panic. IMV.

[pauliewalnuts]

I've always thought that the wages issue was more to do with what we're getting for our money.  So with Bent, who is a first team regular and scores goals, there can be value argued into his high wages.  With the likes of Warnock, etc. we could get just as good for less, hence wanting him out. 

I think Lerner wants every high earner off the wage bill wether they contribute of not. Bent is the last of these. The consequences of this is obvious, and we're looking like relegation fodder. Lerner really hasn't got a clue about football.

I don't think that's the case at all.

Everything they have said seems to point at it being players who take big money AND contribute next to nothing that they need to be shot of, and who can blame them?

If we wanted to sell Darren Bent, we'd have done it in the summer.

I can't tell if you're suggesting Bent is being dropped as Lerner wants him off the wage bill, but if you are, then do you really think Lambert would stand for interference like that?

[pauliewalnuts]

All I know is, I am suddenly starting to see a stark reality of a monumental struggle to survive this season given the all round quality and/or experience we have on the pitch.  Whether his overall contribution is in question or not, the fact is he can finish, we don't have anyone of his like in the club.  To alienate him unecessarily is therefore entirely counter productive and will only end one way, us losing him and struggling even more than we already are.  These are worrying times indeed.

I keep going on about this, but I just do not get the happiness a lot of people seem to have for a squad of "hungry, young players". A squad entirely consisting of players of that ilk would ultimately result in one thing - relegation.

For every Man United of 15 years ago with probably the best crop of young players ever produced in this country, there are tens of squads full of young players who produced nothing like the standard needed to do well in the Premier League.

Look how weak the squad is right now. The best players have been sold and not replaced properly. How many players do we currently have who would be coveted by other clubs? One. Bent.

Selling him would not only weaken the club masively, it would be the ultimate message that we really had totally given up trying.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I'm quite depressed after yesterday - don't know why because I didn't expect to get anything at Spurs. I can't seem to find the same enthusiasm for our current plight that many people on here do.

I think we have a decent manager but I wonder what he can realistically achieve with the squad he's got? mid-table?

I can only see a long hard season ahead. Maybe it's my hangover after a session in the Irish Centre before yesterday's game ( 3 of my mates came down for the match and were refused entry by some jobsworth steward who decided that they were too pissed to enter the ground) but I'm a bit worried. We really do have to beat Fulham and Norwich

[Steve kirk]

With so few seasoned premier league players in the current squad Darren Bent when fit should always play because he is a true goal poacher who can sniff out a chance and get us a result, with his England chances diminishing by the week I think he will push for a move in January and if we cash in and let him go we will be very close to the drop come next May, we must make full use of our most prized asset.     

[saunders_heroes]

I've always thought that the wages issue was more to do with what we're getting for our money.  So with Bent, who is a first team regular and scores goals, there can be value argued into his high wages.  With the likes of Warnock, etc. we could get just as good for less, hence wanting him out. 

I think Lerner wants every high earner off the wage bill wether they contribute of not. Bent is the last of these. The consequences of this is obvious, and we're looking like relegation fodder. Lerner really hasn't got a clue about football.

I don't think that's the case at all.

Everything they have said seems to point at it being players who take big money AND contribute next to nothing that they need to be shot of, and who can blame them?

If we wanted to sell Darren Bent, we'd have done it in the summer.

I can't tell if you're suggesting Bent is being dropped as Lerner wants him off the wage bill, but if you are, then do you really think Lambert would stand for interference like that?

Perhaps Lambert bought into when he took the job? We've sold all our other high earners so why keep the last one? This has been an absolutely diabolical start to the season and to cap it all off we leave our best striker on the bench. I hope I'm wrong, but I get the feeling Lambert/Lerner are trying to piss off Bent into asking for a move. Then we can go out and spunk the money on nobodies, (sorry, young and hungry) players from the lower leagues.

[Dante Lavelli]

I'm quite depressed after yesterday - don't know why because I didn't expect to get anything at Spurs. I can't seem to find the same enthusiasm for our current plight that many people on here do.

I think we have a decent manager but I wonder what he can realistically achieve with the squad he's got? mid-table?

I can only see a long hard season ahead. Maybe it's my hangover after a session in the Irish Centre before yesterday's game ( 3 of my mates came down for the match and were refused entry by some jobsworth steward who decided that they were too pissed to enter the ground) but I'm a bit worried. We really do have to beat Fulham and Norwich

I guess your enthusiasm will be dictated by your original expectations Chico.  I think we can realistically expect to survive, I’d be delighted to get mid table.  The green shoots for me though is the fact that I think we can grow from here.  The aggregate wages will have been trimmed to the point that we can sign players again, whereas before the manager’s hands were tied due to highly paid players who were arguably not providing the benefits on the pitch (i.e. the wastage/value for money mentioned before).

[pauliewalnuts]

Perhaps Lambert bought into when he took the job? We've sold all our other high earners so why keep the last one? This has been an absolutely diabolical start to the season and to cap it all off we leave our best striker on the bench. I hope I'm wrong, but I get the feeling Lambert/Lerner are trying to piss off Bent into asking for a move. Then we can go out and spunk the money on nobodies, (sorry, young and hungry) players from the lower leagues.

I don't believe for a minute that Lambert would have taken the job on those conditions.

Ultimately, if they wanted to sell Bent, they'd just do it when the timing suited them. Just like they did with Downing. They're not going to mess around dropping him until he gets pissed off. I also don't know how that squares with Lambert making him captain for a match recently.

On a wider point, isn't all this somewhat over the top? He's started two games on the bench, he's hardly been sent to train with Hutton and the kids.

[danlanza]

Perhaps Lambert bought into when he took the job? We've sold all our other high earners so why keep the last one? This has been an absolutely diabolical start to the season and to cap it all off we leave our best striker on the bench. I hope I'm wrong, but I get the feeling Lambert/Lerner are trying to piss off Bent into asking for a move. Then we can go out and spunk the money on nobodies, (sorry, young and hungry) players from the lower leagues.

I don't believe for a minute that Lambert would have taken the job on those conditions.

Ultimately, if they wanted to sell Bent, they'd just do it when the timing suited them. Just like they did with Downing. They're not going to mess around dropping him until he gets pissed off. I also don't know how that squares with Lambert making him captain for a match recently.

On a wider point, isn't all this somewhat over the top? He's started two games on the bench, he's hardly been sent to train with Hutton and the kids.

Hope there is no more stupid paper talk about Bent and Lambert falling out cause we do not need any of that nonsense running through the club.

[PeterWithesShin]

If they wanted to sell him why would they drop him which is likely to devalue him?

[Ads]

I don't think Lambert has an issue with Bent at all. Bent might not be happy about Lambert, but then so what?

I have to say though, that if Bent had been on the pitch yesterday, we'd have been two up in that second half and goals change games.

Gabby looked decent again, so for me, given that we need at least 5 points (have to beat Norwich) from Fulham, Norwich and Sunderland, Bent has to start.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't believe we're planning on selling him. We need to get him in the side and scoring goals it's as simple as that.

[nick harper]

I don't believe we're planning on selling him. We need to get him in the side and scoring goals it's as simple as that.

As important as that is, I think the key is getting our two most talented and creative players, Ireland and N'Zogbia, in roles that suit them and give them the confidence to play. They are both top, experienced Premier League players but we've barely seen it from them yet. Lambert has to unlock that key otherwise it's going to be a long season.

[Aston Villa]

My take on it is that Bent probably would have started yesterday were it not for his outbursts in the media. And if my theory is correct, then I wouldn't blame PL at all for that decision.