Darren Bent

[OutByEaster?]

Ultimately, the problem I have with the quotes is that there's no introspection, he's missed the important question.

 

Are the bomb squad being treated unfairly? Yes - if all other things are equal - the thing is that all other things aren't equal - Darren should be asking himself why he's in the bomb squad. For me it's three things, his performances, his attitude and his wage - and only one of those isn't his fault. 

 

In my opinion, we paid too much for him, we paid him too much, he lost interest pretty quickly and he's just not that good.

[TrentVilla]

I like Lambert a lot but that is poor treatment of a player. Bent didn't deserve that.

 

You have reached that conclusion based upon one side of a story, I'm fairly certain there is another side.

[Richard]

I like bent the player. Bent the person? Not so much

[ozvillafan]

Ultimately, the problem I have with the quotes is that there's no introspection, he's missed the important question.

 

Are the bomb squad being treated unfairly? Yes - if all other things are equal - the thing is that all other things aren't equal - Darren should be asking himself why he's in the bomb squad. For me it's three things, his performances, his attitude and his wage - and only one of those isn't his fault. 

 

In my opinion, we paid too much for him, we paid him too much, he lost interest pretty quickly and he's just not that good.

 

Aye. This part in particular is worrying:

 

I understand that not every player can be every manager’s cup of tea, but to be alienated like that, to be kicked out of the first-team dressing-room, when I’ve played a long time, when I’m an international, just felt a bit disappointing.

 

That smacks of "I have nothing to prove and should be chosen by default". If that is true, then that may be why you were on the bomb squad, Darren.

[Woody1000]

He's just being honest. We have had it hard to sell these players as Lambert has not played the, and devalued them. New strategy needed tog get did of deadwood in future

So from what I can just about understand from that, you think Lambert should select and play footballers that he doesn't rate so doesn't want at the club? That is genius!

[bose]

I like Lambert a lot but that is poor treatment of a player. Bent didn't deserve that.

You have reached that conclusion based upon one side of a story, I'm fairly certain there is another side.

Of course there is. I'm sure Lambert had his reasons but Bent has, as far as I know, always been pretty professional.

It doesn't diminish my opinion of Lambert though, maybe poorly executed but Villa's interests were at heart.

[TrentVilla]

 

 

I like Lambert a lot but that is poor treatment of a player. Bent didn't deserve that.

You have reached that conclusion based upon one side of a story, I'm fairly certain there is another side.

Of course there is. I'm sure Lambert had his reasons but Bent has, as far as I know, always been pretty professional.

It doesn't diminish my opinion of Lambert though, maybe poorly executed but Villa's interests were at heart.

 

 

Yet you feel confident to conclude "Bent didn't deserve that".

 

We don't know what has gone on, we don't know if he has been professional or not we don't know what has happened. What we do know is that at one stage of the season Bent was made captain and by the end he couldn't get a kick.

 

As for Bent's exit being poorly executed by Lambert I really don't agree.

[DJ_Villain]

 

Ultimately, the problem I have with the quotes is that there's no introspection, he's missed the important question.

 

Are the bomb squad being treated unfairly? Yes - if all other things are equal - the thing is that all other things aren't equal - Darren should be asking himself why he's in the bomb squad. For me it's three things, his performances, his attitude and his wage - and only one of those isn't his fault. 

 

In my opinion, we paid too much for him, we paid him too much, he lost interest pretty quickly and he's just not that good.

 

Aye. This part in particular is worrying:

 

 

 

I understand that not every player can be every manager’s cup of tea, but to be alienated like that, to be kicked out of the first-team dressing-room, when I’ve played a long time, when I’m an international, just felt a bit disappointing.

 

That smacks of "I have nothing to prove and should be chosen by default". If that is true, then that may be why you were on the bomb squad, Darren.

 

^^^^^This all the way!

That interview stinks of 'woe is me, I deserve to be treated better because my name is Darren Bent and I earn a lot and people know who I am'

If he had worked harder to prove his worth to the team as a whole instead of just being the 'fox in the box' (that to be honest we needed but not as much as an all round team player) then he might have a point... but he was made captain at the start of the season and lost it... Something happened and my bet is that Bents ego had something to do with it...

Edited August 20, 2013 by DJ_Villain

[bose]

I like Lambert a lot but that is poor treatment of a player. Bent didn't deserve that.

You have reached that conclusion based upon one side of a story, I'm fairly certain there is another side.

Of course there is. I'm sure Lambert had his reasons but Bent has, as far as I know, always been pretty professional.

It doesn't diminish my opinion of Lambert though, maybe poorly executed but Villa's interests were at heart.

Yet you feel confident to conclude "Bent didn't deserve that".

We don't know what has gone on, we don't know if he has been professional or not we don't know what has happened. What we do know is that at one stage of the season Bent was made captain and by the end he couldn't get a kick.

As for Bent's exit being poorly executed by Lambert I really don't agree.

On the surface given the quotes the exit was poorly executed.

Lambert has his reasons but we don't know them. I can only go on with what I know and those are the quotes from Bent.

[TrentVilla]

On the surface given the quotes the exit was poorly executed.

Lambert has his reasons but we don't know them. I can only go on with what I know and those are the quotes from Bent.

 

 

Only the quotes don't really talk about his exit, they talk about not being selected last season.

 

I would expect Bent to be disappointed at not being involved, I'm also not surprised that he doesn't seem to attach any blame to himself and talks as if he just wasn't the managers cup of tea seemingly forgetting the same manager made him captain at one stage.

 

As for his exit, I can't really see anything in those quotes that suggests Lambert handled it poorly. Bent like a number of other players would have been told in the summer that they weren't part of our plans and that they or there agents were free to look for a new club and I'm sure told what price we had put on them.

 

These players were then not included in the pre-season training for pre-season games that they weren't going to feature in, instead they were training as separate group so Lambert and the coaches could focus on our squad.

 

Now no doubt, doing this was also a way of giving these players on very comfortable contracts a taste of the season ahead and some gentle encouragement to move on and to put pressure on their agents to secure a move. I don't really see anything wrong with that personally.

 

So no I don't think Lambert has done anything wrong, handled anything badly or treated Bent unfairly in any way and I see nothing in those quotes from Bent to make me question that view.

[SikhInTrinity]

Hang on whats more important, Aston Villa or Darren Bent. Nice bloke an all however the manager has put the interests of AVFC first and foremost.

[SikhInTrinity]

It is no coincidence that our form picked up when a certain bald headed individual (not Hutton) was bombed out, that our form started to improve.

[Demitri_C]

agree with sikhlntrinity

[Morpheus]

Ultimately, the problem I have with the quotes is that there's no introspection, he's missed the important question.

 

Are the bomb squad being treated unfairly? Yes - if all other things are equal - the thing is that all other things aren't equal - Darren should be asking himself why he's in the bomb squad. For me it's three things, his performances, his attitude and his wage - and only one of those isn't his fault. 

 

In my opinion, we paid too much for him, we paid him too much, he lost interest pretty quickly and he's just not that good.

Disagree on two point there OBE.

 

I'm not sure that it was Bent who lost interest. Bent has always stated he wanted to play hence his loan to Fulham rather than just earning very nice wages doing nothing with us. It might have been the manager losing interest in the player for something that has gone on behind closed doors at the club which would explain Bent being stripped of the captaincy and Bowery preferred on the bench.

 

I'm also not so sure that Bent's 'not that good.' He really hasn't been given the chance to prove otherwise with his situation at our club. It is in my very humble opinion that when he gets his match fitness back he will start knocking them in again on a regular basis at fulham and Jol will get the best out of him.

 

You could be right of course and he could end up back at our club again at the end of this season due to being 'not that good' but its going to be interesting to see what his performance levels are like at Fulham?

[peterms]

As for his exit, I can't really see anything in those quotes that suggests Lambert handled it poorly. Bent like a number of other players would have been told in the summer that they weren't part of our plans and that they or there agents were free to look for a new club and I'm sure told what price we had put on them.

 

These players were then not included in the pre-season training for pre-season games that they weren't going to feature in, instead they were training as separate group so Lambert and the coaches could focus on our squad.

 

Now no doubt, doing this was also a way of giving these players on very comfortable contracts a taste of the season ahead and some gentle encouragement to move on and to put pressure on their agents to secure a move. I don't really see anything wrong with that personally.

 

So no I don't think Lambert has done anything wrong, handled anything badly or treated Bent unfairly in any way and I see nothing in those quotes from Bent to make me question that view.

I agree.  Some of the things I read are on the lines that it's "unfair" that he and others aren't training with the first team squad.

 

It's very simple.  If a player isn't part of the manager's plans for the future, should he nevertheless be training with the squad in order to bolster his self-esteem until he moves on, or should the manager get on with building team spirit, working on tactics, trying combinations among those who actually will be part of the squad?

 

I can understand Bent, from a purely personal perspective, preferring to be with the main squad.  I can understand people feeling sympathy with him on a purely personal level.  But as for a sensible approach to managing the squad, it really is a no-brainer.

[KSV]

 

He's just being honest. We have had it hard to sell these players as Lambert has not played the, and devalued them. New strategy needed tog get did of deadwood in future

So from what I can just about understand from that, you think Lambert should select and play footballers that he doesn't rate so doesn't want at the club? That is genius!

 

No but the fact of the matter is.. we couldnt sell him. They are happy to pay his wages but not a fee? Parker is older and Tottenham have sold him.

 

I think it appears to other clubs that they are problem players by making them play with the kids.. I never said play them. Dont play them but to alienate them and make them play with the kids is a bit harsh.. especially if some of them didnt do anything.

 

Simply do what we did with Stephen Ireland a few years back and just send them out on loan.. dont freeze them out.. let them play in the reserves.. they have lost fitness and match sharpness now so noone wants to gamble on them. I think hutton will find a club as he played matches and still was in the shop window. Good luck with the rest.

 

Thats ofcourse if we want to get some sort of fee for them. If we dont.. well then this is what we get.. they rot and collect their wages to say 'stuff you' to the club.

Edited August 20, 2013 by KSV

[Philosopher]

Darren Bent stated at the end of the season that if he was going to be on the bench and not in the team he would have to leave.  Lambert made it clear to Bent he wasn't in his plans! Whats the point of having a dis-satisfied player in and around our first team squad its hardley going to help the atmosphere and comradery of the group.  Lamberts priority is to build a winning team so why waste time and money on a player that to incorporate means weakening the team!

 

Obviously Bent isn't ging to be happy because he want to be in the team and scoring goals and he's been doing neither for a while now! DB is in a fortunate position compared to the rest of the bomb squad in that he's a proven performer at this level so finding teams willing to sign him up was never going to be a problem.

[Stevo985]

Maybe Bent didn't deserve that.

And maybe he's done no wrong in running his mouth.

 

But will this hurt us in the long run? I don't think so.

If players know this is what happens when you fall out of favour, will it motivate them to never be in the "bomb squad"?

 

Also, is this not just a way of motivating players to leave the club? Making it less comfortable to sit around earning thousands and sitting on the bench. If they dont' like it here then they seek a move, which is what we want.

 

If they'r eloving it, even though they're not playing, then we'd never get them out.

[Philosopher]

 

 

He's just being honest. We have had it hard to sell these players as Lambert has not played the, and devalued them. New strategy needed tog get did of deadwood in future

So from what I can just about understand from that, you think Lambert should select and play footballers that he doesn't rate so doesn't want at the club? That is genius!

 

No but the fact of the matter is.. we couldnt sell him. They are happy to pay his wages but not a fee? Parker is older and Tottenham have sold him.

 

I think it appears to other clubs that they are problem players by making them play with the kids.. I never said play them. Dont play them but to alienate them and make them play with the kids is a bit harsh.. especially if some of them didnt do anything.

 

Simply do what we did with Stephen Ireland a few years back and just send them out on loan.. dont freeze them out.. let them play in the reserves.. they have lost fitness and match sharpness now so noone wants to gamble on them. I think hutton will find a club as he played matches and still was in the shop window. Good luck with the rest.

 

Thats ofcourse if we want to get some sort of fee for them. If we dont.. well then this is what we get.. they rot and collect their wages to say 'stuff you' to the club.

 

Its all about squad harmony and DB that is upset about not being first choice won't help nurture a tight knit mentality.  Also by putting them in with the kids it benefits the kids, as they see that no matter what your reputation or ability if your not working hard and doing you best for the team you won't get anywhere.

[SikhInTrinity]

 

Ultimately, the problem I have with the quotes is that there's no introspection, he's missed the important question.

 

Are the bomb squad being treated unfairly? Yes - if all other things are equal - the thing is that all other things aren't equal - Darren should be asking himself why he's in the bomb squad. For me it's three things, his performances, his attitude and his wage - and only one of those isn't his fault. 

 

In my opinion, we paid too much for him, we paid him too much, he lost interest pretty quickly and he's just not that good.

Disagree on two point there OBE.

 

I'm not sure that it was Bent who lost interest. Bent has always stated he wanted to play hence his loan to Fulham rather than just earning very nice wages doing nothing with us. It might have been the manager losing interest in the player for something that has gone on behind closed doors at the club which would explain Bent being stripped of the captaincy and Bowery preferred on the bench.

 

I'm also not so sure that Bent's 'not that good.' He really hasn't been given the chance to prove otherwise with his situation at our club. It is in my very humble opinion that when he gets his match fitness back he will start knocking them in again on a regular basis at fulham and Jol will get the best out of him.

 

You could be right of course and he could end up back at our club again at the end of this season due to being 'not that good' but its going to be interesting to see what his performance levels are like at Fulham?

 

 

You obviously missed the first 3 games then, when he was atrocious. Which will then be deemed that he didn't have the service. Against Wigan bar the goal he did nothing, couldn't hold the ball up, couldn't win a header, link up play was non-existent. I have nothing personal against Darren Bent, just think the money he was on can be used better elsewhere.