Lambert Out?

[eastie]

Kendrick has tweeted that villa have said such claims are total rubbish and no such clause exists.

I know, I've seen the tweet.

So what is the trigger that means Bent's fee goes up from the £18m(?) to the £24m(?) which was reported when we signed him.

There wouldn't be one clause but several, each costing us a bit extra. Staying up that first season would certainly have been one and I would guess  things like caps and a certain number of goals would also be included, plus maybe trophies (!) and playing in international tournaments. Appearances would probably be in there as well, although how many and how much is open to debate.

I think having paid that much for him we would have expected him to play a lot more than 50 games before any appearance add on fee.

[dave.woodhall]

Bent has never seemed part of the furniture at Villa has he?

That's a phrase which sums him up. I've said all along that he's never been the big hero he should have been, for whatever reason. Older readers might recall Tony Hateley was the same.

That really sums up his career, especially at Spurs, Mackems, us and England.  Great scoring record over his whole career but lots of doubters regardless.

It goes beyond that. You can have outsiders looking at your record and thinking "Yes, but he couldn't do it at a big club/higher level." When it's your own supporters and their club is all they care about, it's something strange. 

[garyshawsknee]

He's been unfortunate due to changes in what's popular,hardly anyone plays with two up top at the minute,and the one who is has to run his nuts off.

It's a real head scratcher,as the two games I've been to when he featured(Swansea,West Brom)he's done pretty well,and more importantly,the team played well.

[glasses]

Kendrick has tweeted that villa have said such claims are total rubbish and no such clause exists.

I know, I've seen the tweet.

So what is the trigger that means Bent's fee goes up from the £18m(?) to the £24m(?) which was reported when we signed him.

There wouldn't be one clause but several, each costing us a bit extra. Staying up that first season would certainly have been one and I would guess  things like caps and a certain number of goals would also be included, plus maybe trophies (!) and playing in international tournaments. Appearances would probably be in there as well, although how many and how much is open to debate.

I think having paid that much for him we would have expected him to play a lot more than 50 games before any appearance add on fee.

Expected to play more than 50 games, yes, totally. But having the clause gives you the option of paying the extra, say if he turned out to be pants (which he hasn't). Or at the very least delays paying that sum up-front

[QBVILLA]

Bent was a big favourite at his previous clubs. At Spurs he was up against it with Berbatov,Defoe and Keane in the same squad, but even so his record still stands up. At Villa his goals pretty much kept us up. Was it something like 9 in 15? Anyway last season he was doing well in a poor side and once we lost him to injury our form plummeted. I honestly believe that had he not sustained that injury we would have finished up in mid table. This however could well have seen McLeish still in charge this season.
As for the clauses, i'm hoping that £6m difference was purely based on CL qualification 

[Irish villain]

Bent has never seemed part of the furniture at Villa has he?

That's a phrase which sums him up. I've said all along that he's never been the big hero he should have been, for whatever reason. Older readers might recall Tony Hateley was the same.

I have always wanted to take to him but haven't. I was so excited the day he signed but just never saw him as a 'villan', as much as I have wanted to. Interesting too that he hasn't many votes on the favourite player thread. Funny, even if it was this time last year I don't think he'd have been out in front in any similar poll.

[saunders_heroes]

Bent has never seemed part of the furniture at Villa has he?

That's a phrase which sums him up. I've said all along that he's never been the big hero he should have been, for whatever reason. Older readers might recall Tony Hateley was the same.

Bent has never played in a decent Villa team and we've been pretty awful since he joined so it's hardly surprising he's not got the praise his goals deserve. If he had been signed in the early days of Lerner's reign I'm sure the fans would by now have hailed him as a hero.

[Risso]

I obviously enjoy watching him score, but he isn't an 'exciting' player, ie he'll never score a 30 yard scorcher or dribble round three players before slotting home.  But we need goals at this stage more than anything else, and we should be making sure we get the ball to him in the box.

[dave.woodhall]

Surely being the only bright spark in a sea of awfulness should mean he was even more popular?

[saunders_heroes]

Surely being the only bright spark in a sea of awfulness should mean he was even more popular?

Not really. I don't remember too many heroes in the team the last time we were this bad back in the mid 80s.

[dave.woodhall]

Surely being the only bright spark in a sea of awfulness should mean he was even more popular?

Not really. I don't remember too many heroes in the team the last time we were this bad back in the mid 80s.

I can remember plenty in 1989, '91 & '95.

[Concrete John]

Bent has never seemed part of the furniture at Villa has he?

That's a phrase which sums him up. I've said all along that he's never been the big hero he should have been, for whatever reason. Older readers might recall Tony Hateley was the same.

Bent has never played in a decent Villa team and we've been pretty awful since he joined so it's hardly surprising he's not got the praise his goals deserve. If he had been signed in the early days of Lerner's reign I'm sure the fans would by now have hailed him as a hero.

When he first signed we went on a really good run and our form was top 6 level until the end of the season.

[Chico Hamilton III]

When he first signed we went on a really good run and our form was top 6 level until the end of the season

Yep, we signed him in January and he scored 9 goals in the remaining 15 games that season.

The entire team have only scored 10 goals so far in 13 games this season.

[PeterWithe]

I'll say one thing for Lambert, he's got strength of mind. If we go down and he's not picked and then sold the most prolific forward we've had in years then I don't think the history books will be kind.

[saunders_heroes]

Bent has never seemed part of the furniture at Villa has he?

That's a phrase which sums him up. I've said all along that he's never been the big hero he should have been, for whatever reason. Older readers might recall Tony Hateley was the same.

Bent has never played in a decent Villa team and we've been pretty awful since he joined so it's hardly surprising he's not got the praise his goals deserve. If he had been signed in the early days of Lerner's reign I'm sure the fans would by now have hailed him as a hero.

When he first signed we went on a really good run and our form was top 6 level until the end of the season.

He was signed to keep us in the league. There's no way on earth that was a decent team.