Darren Bent

[Risso]

Whatever he has or hasn't done, he has to be worth a spot on the bench ahead of bloody Albrighton.

[Clampy]

We have a manager who tells us it's all about picking the right team and it probably is but he's gone from putting Bent on the pitch when we were down to 10 men against norwich to not thinking he's good enough to be on the bench for a match versus Reading.

[SoccerHQ]

Lambert got away with it tonight as 0-0 and there would've been big questions not just from reporters but from the crowd. Such are the margins of being a manager.

Whatever the fall out (and there certainly has been) Bent should be on the bench as we're still paying him until January and I don't think it's worth it just to freeze him out until the window opens.

[Nastylee]

It's getting silly now. While PL is adamant that it's his decision, we fans deserve to know why a £20m striker, with a track record, is fit but not making the squad.

[myf]

especially when our strikers are missing exactly the kind if chances that bent thrives on

[hawkeye]

Bent is not fit, that is why he was not involved

[Dave]

Bent is not fit, that is why he was not involved

Even though he himself has said that he's been fit and ready to play for the past two matches?

[hawkeye]

Bent is not fit, that is why he was not involved

Even though he himself has said that he's been fit and ready to play for the past two matches?

which means absoloutely nothing.

[Dave]

Bent is not fit, that is why he was not involved

Even though he himself has said that he's been fit and ready to play for the past two matches?

which means absoloutely nothing.

Except meaning that he's fit. Rather than not fit.

Or, to put it another way - the player himself has said that he is fit to play. Umpteen journalists have asked why Bent isn't playing and Lambert hasn't once taken the easy way out and just said 'he's not fit' (like he did when he y'know, wasn't fit).

What new insight are you basing your assertion on?

[Dave Cooper please]

How about....

...he's not actually fully fit despite one tweet telling us otherwise and the physios have suggested he rest for another game or two to avoid aggravating a niggly injury?

 Just a thought, surely better than conspiracy theories about clauses and arguments?

[Ross]

I think it's time for Lambert to stop the bullshit and just be honest. The rumour that suggests we're not playing him as the add ons clause will kick in to the tune of a few million sounds extremely plausible, and frankly if true then i'm appalled

The most depressing thing in all that is the fact that, regardless of whether it is actually true or not, it is all so totally plausible.

Didn't something similar happen with Curtis Davies and his contract improvement if he played any more games? When the selection decisions are not made for footballing reasons is a time to worry. It does have a hint of credibility about it.  Bent is almost certainly off in Jan, and a couple of appearances before then may cost us a few million.

[hawkeye]

How about....

...he's not actually fully fit despite one tweet telling us otherwise and the physios have suggested he rest for another game or two to avoid aggravating a niggly injury?

 Just a thought, surely better than conspiracy theories about clauses and arguments?

how about his agent telling him to tell every one he is fit and putting himself in the shop window for a January sale? He is not fit!

[sirlordbaltimore]

that would carry more weight if Lambert himself hadn't said he WAS fit and was training as normal, and then by not saying 'but now he's injured' when leaving him out of the last 2 match day squads.

he's fit. of that there is no question

[Dave Clark Five]

I'd be fascinated to hear the reasons of the 22 people (at the time of posting) who wouldn't even want him on the bench.

I can understand the logic of those who wouldn't want him starting (although I disagree with them), but I genuinely can't imagine there was anyone in the stadium on 78 minutes tonight who was glad that he wasn't an option to bring on.

Sorry, but I will be glad when he has gone from the club. He is lazy and disruptive. Putting in a transfer request so early in the season was a bad move for him. The trouble at Bodymoor Heath for reasons, so far undisclosed but believed to involve him shagging Herd's missus and getting dotted for it, can hardly help his cause. Doing a bunk from the ground tonight, if it is true, is really the tin hat.

[PeterWithesShin]

He was at the match.