Darren Bent

[PeterWithesShin]

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert insists it is "pure fabrication" to suggest Darren Bent is not featuring because of financial reasons.

The £24m forward was left in the stands for the club's last two games despite being passed fit after an ankle injury.
Rumours have grown that the club record signing is missing out because of a clause stating more money has to be be paid if he makes 50 league appearances.
"It is nowhere near anything of that whatsoever," said Lambert.

"You get knocks in football, but it is how you bounce back from them."
Bent, 28, has scored twice in nine league games for the Midlanders this term.
He joined Villa in January 2011 and remains stuck on 47 top flight appearances, with Lambert preferring to use summer signing Christian Benteke as a lone frontman since the 4-1 defeat by Southampton in September when the strikers were paired together.
"The system at the minute is definitely suiting us," Lambert told BBC Radio 5 live. "Gabriel Agbonlahor, I think, is playing at the top of his game, Andreas Weimann has energy to burn and Benteke, I do not want to say he is the complete player because he is not, but he has been absolutely brilliant.
"His goal ratio is frightening from the national team to coming here, and he is leading the line exceptionally well."

Villa, who moved out of the Premier League bottom three thanks to Benteke's late goal against Reading on Tuesday, travel to bottom-placed Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Lambert, 43, said: "If you look at the middle of the table and down, it is very, very tight. Another win can take you up there and that is what we are going to try and do.
"I have a young team that is doing well at the minute, and they are giving everything they have got. For me, that is the main thing and we keep going as a group."

[Boz]

I wonder why PL in the following answered two questions with a definte NO but one with It's not true.

Does this indicate he's not sure of the position regarding this alleged clause?

"Have there been any enquiries for Bent? No. Has he asked to be put on the transfer list? No," said Lambert. "Is there a clause? That's not true. I'm not sure where that came from."

[Toronto Villa]

I wonder why PL in the following answered two questions with a definte NO but one with It's not true.

Does this indicate he's not sure of the position regarding this alleged clause?

"Have there been any enquiries for Bent? No. Has he asked to be put on the transfer list? No," said Lambert. "Is there a clause? That's not true. I'm not sure where that came from."

maybe he just got bored of saying no

[LeeS]

I wonder why PL in the following answered two questions with a definte NO but one with It's not true.

Does this indicate he's not sure of the position regarding this alleged clause?

"Have there been any enquiries for Bent? No. Has he asked to be put on the transfer list? No," said Lambert. "Is there a clause? That's not true. I'm not sure where that came from."

"That's not true" is unequivocal

[Ron Manager]

So Lambert is quoted as saying"Gabriel Agbonlahor,I think,is playing at the top of his game."

Good job he only thinks that because Gabriel Agbonlahor in the league has scored I in the last 31.... and Arrys wife could put that one in.

I worry about Mr Lambert mumbling things like that.

Perhaps it was lost in translation and he said Benteke!

[Risso]

I wonder why PL in the following answered two questions with a definte NO but one with It's not true.

Does this indicate he's not sure of the position regarding this alleged clause?

"Have there been any enquiries for Bent? No. Has he asked to be put on the transfer list? No," said Lambert. "Is there a clause? That's not true. I'm not sure where that came from."

"That's not true" is unequivocal

And also wrong.  There IS a clause (although we don't know what it is).  It might not be the reason for his non-selecion, but a clause does exist.

[ozzjim]

I wonder why PL in the following answered two questions with a definte NO but one with It's not true.

Does this indicate he's not sure of the position regarding this alleged clause?

"Have there been any enquiries for Bent? No. Has he asked to be put on the transfer list? No," said Lambert. "Is there a clause? That's not true. I'm not sure where that came from."

"That's not true" is unequivocal

And also wrong.  There IS a clause (although we don't know what it is).  It might not be the reason for his non-selecion, but a clause does exist.

Unless we have paid in full already.

[Mister E]

I wonder why PL in the following answered two questions with a definte NO but one with It's not true.

Does this indicate he's not sure of the position regarding this alleged clause?

"Have there been any enquiries for Bent? No. Has he asked to be put on the transfer list? No," said Lambert. "Is there a clause? That's not true. I'm not sure where that came from."

"That's not true" is unequivocal

And that's exactly hoew it sounded when I heard it on the radio earlier; non-committal.

[Risso]

I wonder why PL in the following answered two questions with a definte NO but one with It's not true.

Does this indicate he's not sure of the position regarding this alleged clause?

"Have there been any enquiries for Bent? No. Has he asked to be put on the transfer list? No," said Lambert. "Is there a clause? That's not true. I'm not sure where that came from."

"That's not true" is unequivocal

And also wrong.  There IS a clause (although we don't know what it is).  It might not be the reason for his non-selecion, but a clause does exist.

Unless we have paid in full already.

Which we haven't.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Eric B & Rakim would have.

[Chris Smith]

Has there ever been such a keen discussion on the line up of our subs bench?

[ozzjim]

I wonder why PL in the following answered two questions with a definte NO but one with It's not true.

Does this indicate he's not sure of the position regarding this alleged clause?

"Have there been any enquiries for Bent? No. Has he asked to be put on the transfer list? No," said Lambert. "Is there a clause? That's not true. I'm not sure where that came from."

"That's not true" is unequivocal

And also wrong.  There IS a clause (although we don't know what it is).  It might not be the reason for his non-selecion, but a clause does exist.

Unless we have paid in full already.

Which we haven't.

How do we know for certain?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Has there ever been such a keen discussion on the line up of our subs bench?

We've never had a player that cost £24m before.

[ozzjim]

Has there ever been such a keen discussion on the line up of our subs bench?

We've never had a player that cost £24m before.

Or yet it would appear.

Whatever fee he is sold for though, he will always be a good value signing purely based on keeping us up that season. We could lose 8-10 million on his fee and be up on his fee with what we gained by not going down by miles.

[Chris Smith]

Has there ever been such a keen discussion on the line up of our subs bench?

We've never had a player that cost £24m before.

Surely it's a good thing that the manager doesn't take that into account.