Darren Bent

[robbo1874]

I voted for nope ship him out in January. It's a shame as his goals per goal ratio throughout his career are excellent and he is still very dependable within 12 yards of the goal. If he gets 2 chances in a match, you'd put your house on him to score one. Personally I'd keep him.

However, he clearly doesn't feature in lambert's plans at the moment and whilst it might be true what lambert says about not having any issues with his attitude or work rate in training, if he's not going to feature as a consequence of how we're currently set up, then it does seem as if he may be a luxury we can't afford to keep. This is where Lerner may have come in and said: righto we're up for another x mil to Sunderland in a few more games and Darren's wages will also go up another x grand a week, what do you want to do Paul, play him or sell him?

It would be madness to sell him to qpr though as he could quite feasibly do for redknapp what he did for houllier here, that is score the goals that keep us up. And that could be at our expense. Big gamble, but I'd back lambert to make the right call in this situation.

At the end of the day, he didn't sign bent and therefore there's no real loyalty required toward the other by either of them and as such it probably makes the decision to sell him that much easier to take.

The gamble is also reduced to a degree as it does look like we'll survive without him and the money we get could net us a top class midfielder, which if we got one might steady the young lads and improve further and result in more chances and goals for benteke gabby and weimann.

[VillaAlways]

I'm gutted about the prospect of him going in January,and Im pretty sure it will come back and bite us on the arse. I think it's a lot to expect for Benteke to perform at the level he is now for a whole season given his age, a new striker would also have to bed in. Lambert is clearly a risk taker,let's hope it pays off

[olaftab]

So he s off in January...really? Where is he going to go? QPR no Harry does not want him especially after the mother in law comment. Liverpool no they don't ave money and Rodgers plays a different style where Bent would not fit in. That leaves no one really as the other two mentioned, Fulham and Wet Ham can't afford him.. So I don't think he is going anywhere.

[VillaAlways]

So he s off in January...really? Where is he going to go? QPR no Harry does not want him especially after the mother in law comment. Liverpool no they don't ave money and Rodgers plays a different style where Bent would not fit in. That leaves no one really as the other two mentioned, Fulham and Wet Ham can't afford him.. So I don't think he is going anywhere.

There will be teams queueing up for him. Don't discount him going abroad either.

[paul_e]

I don't really see any confusion in this.

The simple answer is PL has decided Bent doesn't fit into his best side, has probably spoken to his agent and has an idea of who will bid in january.  In the meantime he doesn't want him to get an injury (his fitness record hasn't been great in 2012 so a perfectly reasonable caution in my opinion) and wants the players he'll have all season to be the ones around the dressing room on matchdays.

Is there a value to Bent being on the bench, of course, it's a role he could be great at, but if Bent isn't happy with that, Lambert wants to build a group mentality and Bent is already on his way then it makes sense from a footballing point of view.

I don't necessarily agree but My vision of the side in 12-18 months isn't the same as PL's, I find it odd how many people seem certain we'd be better if Bent was playing when the form and stats from the start of the season don't back that up.

[Karl Bridges]

So he s off in January...really? Where is he going to go? QPR no Harry does not want him especially after the mother in law comment. Liverpool no they don't ave money and Rodgers plays a different style where Bent would not fit in. That leaves no one really as the other two mentioned, Fulham and Wet Ham can't afford him.. So I don't think he is going anywhere.

ahem

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/nov/28/darren-bent-qpr-aston-villa

[VillaAlways]

Christ, he's been injured for months and has not been given any time to get fully match fit and sharp.He was showing evidence of working much harder against Newcastle and Swansea and came on and saved our bacon against WBA but obviously this counts for nothing

[kippaxvilla2]

Barry was off the pitch, Milner doesn't look happy and we'd be fifth.

Hahaha.

[kippaxvilla2]

Maybe we could try Bent at right back and introduce zonal marking.

Anyone know why Bent has been left out recently?

[Herman]

What the hell would we want with a proven goalscorer in the team?
Our prolific forward line are scoring for fun and the midfield are rattling them in so we obviously don't need him. Get rid

[Risso]

Maybe we could try Bent at right back and introduce zonal marking.

Anyone know why Bent has been left out recently?

Bent's been left out?!  Shit!

[VillaAlways]

Maybe we could try Bent at right back and introduce zonal marking.

Anyone know why Bent has been left out recently?

Bent's been left out?!  Shit!

Do you think it could be anything to do with the add-ons?

[VillaAlways]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/aston-villas-darren-bent-still-1464313



Gabby Agbonlahor is confident Darren Bent has not played his last game for Aston Villa.

Bent, Villa’s £24million club record signing, last appeared for Villa a month ago - as a substitute against League One side Swindon in the Capital One Cup.

He has even failed to make Paul Lambert’s bench in their last two games despite being declared fit by the boss.

QPR, who entertain Villa in a Saturday six-pointer, and Fulham could both be willing to offer Bent a January escape route.

But Agbonlahor insists his fellow England ­international can force his way back into the ­manager’s plans.

The Brummie forward said: “Darren is a great pro and he’s got on with it.

“Everyone has got a big part to play. We’ve got a long season and a lot of games coming around Christmas.

“He is still working hard in training and everyone is just fighting for places.

“There is not a player in the squad who has not gone through the stage where they’ve had to sit on the bench or not play.”

* STEPHEN WARNOCK wants Aston Villa to sell him to Bolton in January.

[Percy McCarthy]

Sell? SELL? We're gonna get money? Like, real money, not Euros?

[maidstonevillain]

The gamble is also reduced to a degree as it does look like we'll survive without him and the money we get could net us a top class midfielder, which if we got one might steady the young lads and improve further and result in more chances and goals for benteke gabby and weimann.

The irony is that it is a lack of a top class midfielder that prevents us from properly utilising Darren Bent, and benefitting from his strengths.