Darren Bent

[glasses]

There is something wrong. There just must be. Despite me not being his biggest fan, not being at least on the bench is odd.

I personally just think he's off in January, and Lambert doesn't see the point in playing him for the games in between. He would rather try and build momentum with what he will have for the remainder of the campaign.

[sirlordbaltimore]

I've looked into my crystal balls and I see the following happening.

Bent will be sold, probably for a trivial 10-12m in January. Lambert will spend about 5m of it on another striker, lesser quality than Bent but of the same type and will cause much scratching of heads by doing so. The rest of the money will stay in the bank.

Bent will go and score 8-10 goals for his new club.

We'll flirt with relegation until the end. The supporters will be on Lambert's back and the atmosphere will be the familiar frosty one.

Benteke will announce during the summer he wants off to a better side after becoming disillusioned with life at a struggling side.

And so on and so on

[JJ-AV]

He could end up at any number of clubs, tbf. Depends who's desperate enough to spend big in January.

It's the wages that'll be the issue though, he's our highest earner. It'll be tough to find a club that'll take on 60k+ for 4 years on a 29 year old who has barely played in the last year.

[Pete3206]

Alternatively, he could just buckle down and win his place back.

[sirlordbaltimore]

Alternatively, he could just buckle down and win his place back.

Not sure what he's supposed to do that he isn't already ?. Lambert said he's training well and is fit. And the team Lambert's picking are banging in goals left right and centre

[cdward]

I heard from a reliable inside source, there is something written in his contract that doesn't allow him to be played during the run up to, or just after Christmas.
It's the Santa Clause.

[Risso]

But we've all heard rumours of those other things being a part of add-ons for players. My point is I can't think of any rumour i've ever heard of for a big money player that's included 50 appearances, and neither it seems has anyone else. Which to me puts it in the highly unlikely file.

Maybe because it's not been a problem for other clubs paying it?  I've never heard of it in a player's case like Curtis Davies either, but it happened.

[N'ZMAV]

For a senior player to go from Captain to not even included in the squad in the space of a month suggests to me something is going on.

[Gareth]

We should all be very grateful to Lambert (sorry, should i now be referring to him as the Dour Scot...oh how we chuckled!!) and Bent for giving us a reason to focus on conspiracy theories and negativity as the last thing we want to do is remember that long lost feeling of winning a game :-)

Putting the flippancy aside for a minute & focussing on the discussion it does completely beat me how Bent is not in the 18, starting XI yes but the bench is hardly littered with game changing players - including KEA and Delph who essentially do the same thing.

[LeeB]

There is something wrong. There just must be. Despite me not being his biggest fan, not being at least on the bench is odd.

I personally just think he's off in January, and Lambert doesn't see the point in playing him for the games in between. He would rather try and build momentum with what he will have for the remainder of the campaign.

Sometimes the simplest explanations are closest to the truth.

[Dave]

All I'm disagreeing with is the fact that it's "total nonsense" that there might be a portion payable based on games played.

Which would be fine, were that what I said.

It's total nonsense that a signing that cost £18m would have a trigger payment of £4-6m payable once the first 50 games had happened. Which is what the daft rumour was.

[ozzjim]

The daft rumour now being peddled by Matt Holland on Talk Sport. Seriously, 4-6 million on 50 appearances? 500k maybe, but not that sort of money.


I think LeeB is right the more I think about it. Lambert wants this group to get and bond and create a very together attitude. As such, if he is off in January and has already requested a transfer some weeks back which is rumoured, then I can see the logic in pushing on without him.

[LeeB]

The daft rumour now being peddled by Matt Holland on Talk Sport. Seriously, 4-6 million on 50 appearances? 500k maybe, but not that sort of money.


I think LeeB is right the more I think about it. Lambert wants this group to get and bond and create a very together attitude. As such, if he is off in January and has already requested a transfer some weeks back which is rumoured, then I can see the logic in pushing on without him.

The credit must go to glasses for that.

[eastie]

The daft rumour now being peddled by Matt Holland on Talk Sport. Seriously, 4-6 million on 50 appearances? 500k maybe, but not that sort of money.


I think LeeB is right the more I think about it. Lambert wants this group to get and bond and create a very together attitude. As such, if he is off in January and has already requested a transfer some weeks back which is rumoured, then I can see the logic in pushing on without him.

Maybe so, but he could still be useful from the bench if chasing a game or in case of an injury to benteke.

Where is this rumour of a transfer request coming from?

[ozzjim]

The daft rumour now being peddled by Matt Holland on Talk Sport. Seriously, 4-6 million on 50 appearances? 500k maybe, but not that sort of money.


I think LeeB is right the more I think about it. Lambert wants this group to get and bond and create a very together attitude. As such, if he is off in January and has already requested a transfer some weeks back which is rumoured, then I can see the logic in pushing on without him.

The credit must go to glasses for that.

I know, allowed me to read your post?