Darren Bent

[TrentVilla]

Not really, we were playing 4231

Yesterday was more of a 4141

And you think Gabby wouldn't be able to play as the front man in those formations? Some of Gabby's best performances have come when playing up front on his own.

[VillaForever1970]

If Bent doesn't score he's pretty useless, it's like playin with 10men.

[daggy_333]

Not really, we were playing 4231

Yesterday was more of a 4141

Yesterday was not a 4141 at all, sat on the half way line of the Doug Ellis Stand i get a pretty good view of the formation and yesterday was definitely a 4231.

[CI]

Fair enough, who played deep with Westwood in your opinion ? Bannan ?

[CI]

And you think Gabby wouldn't be able to play as the front man in those formations? Some of Gabby's best performances have come when playing up front on his own.

Of course Gabby could play there, he's so strong now and his ability to hold the ball up is excellent, I think he learned a lot off Heskey in that respect

I rate him more out wide though

[VillaGoMarching]

Even If he cost £50m it still wouldn't alter the fact he does less on the pitch, than all the other strikers.

[CI]

Yet his goal scoring record is one of the best

[Mendi]

He should be playing but looks like he will be sold.

[VillanousOne]

It does seem like there is an agenda here, why make bent captain then strip him of that captaincy and drop him, apart from one game Bent has hardly been any worse than anyone else, obviously he has spat the dummy out about being dropped and Lambert is showing him who is boss but really the two of them need to sack off their **** egos for the good of the team, my mates cannot believe bent isn't playing, how they see it is we lack quality yet drop on paper our best player and yet don't win matches.

Maybe lambert knows he needs new players and randy has said only if you flog off the last remaining quality and high earners we have, begs the question why in the hell did we sign bent in the first place, we are are a laughing stock!

What will Lambert do if we flog bent and Zog in January sign some more league one players?? Yes I do rate Westwood and Lowton but we do need some experience and quality somewhere in the team.

[AvfcRigo82]

The fact of the matter is, we have alienated our best player. You can try an put as much positive spin on it as you like but Bent is the only genuine talent we have in the squad and he can't get on the bench, meanwhile we are sitting in the relegation places.

If we were flying and things were going well then you would have to say fair enough, Lambert's handling of this is spot on. As things are going terribly then Lambert's approach must be called into question surely?

Nope.

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[AvfcRigo82]

Let's not kid ourselves here. we pretty much gather what has gone on here with this whole saga.

Ok Lambert came in and gave Bent the captaincy but then changed his mind. As much of a kick in the bollocks it might appear to be Bent is still paid a good wage to rise above it and act professionally and get his head back down and get on with his job which is performing to the best of his abilities and scoring goals.

He has not done this all season and the biggest **** up of all is running to the press moaning about not playing.

Now whether you agree with me or not the fact of the matter is this.

Going running to the press about not playing or in house affairs whatever, it undermines any Manager of any football team.

Lambert is the manager and what he says goes and how he picks the team is up to him because at the end of the day if results don't happen it is his arse thats on the line!

If any players cannot accept this then they know where the door is!

Paul lambert is making a point here to the whole team and a very good one at that!

So **** if he's our best striker, tough shit if he can score goals or whatever fairy light fact there is about him he needs to learn that this behaviour is not acceptable and by keeping him out of the team also shows what will happen if anyone else tries the same stunt further down the line. It is old school no nonsense policy.

Now what sort of example would it set and show the rest of the squad if PL just put him straight back into the starting XI "just because we are 18th in November". Not a very positive one I tell you.

That kind of behaviour can lose you the dressing room and eventually your job. It does not wave good signs and would show that Lambert is a push over.

We have had too many managers here over the years 'playing there favourites' and its about time we have now got a better manager in PL who is not biased towards anyone.

Everyones all got a chance and its down to those to show how hard they work in training and how well they perform in games that earns them there place - not by running to the press!.

I agree with Lambert totally on what he is doing and a good example it instills to the younger players and any future signings of what he is trying to do here.

If this has been Bents attitude at previous clubs then it's no wonder he has had his arse booted out the door from them too.

Great managerial dictatorship by Paul Lambert.

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[LondonLax]

You seem to be under the impression I'm trying to defend it or put a positive spin on it in some way I'm not. I'm struggling if I'm honest to see what you've read in my post that makes you think I'm either satisfied with how things are going or the fact Lambert has taken this course of action. I'm neither.

I personally would have preferred that we sort to get the best out of Bent by signing players to compliment him in the summer.

But we didn't and we are where we are, there is little point in my view thinking Lambert is going to focus much time and effort trying to get the best out of Bent.

Bent is a poacher, a very good one but not much more and to say that isn't really being disparaging about him but rather just being factual. As I said in the right team he would score plenty as he has done in the past, I just don't see that team being here under Lambert.

My post wasn't directed entirely at you (dispite being posted after yours). It was more a reflection of the attiture of the whole thread and the fickleness of football fans in general.

There was massive excitement when Bent was signed and just about everyone was thrilled (Woodytom excepted ) He has gone on to justify that excitement and scored a good number of goals in his time here.

The new manager has come in and dropped him as he is unable to fit him into his system (a system that has us as the lowest goal scorers in the league!). Now we are told by some on here that the manager should not be questioned, Bent should be shown the door instead.

It's just madness IMO. Lambert has handled this one wrong.

[SikhInTrinity]

Will be astounded if he's not in squad tomorrow.

[Stevo985]

If Bent doesn't score he's pretty useless, it's like playin with 10men.

I'm struggling to figure out if this makes any sense

[rodigan]

the more i think about it, the only way I could see DB9 staying is if PL planned to buy a winger or two in January and then persuaded him that there is future for him at villa with strong distribution coming in from the wings a la young / downing / milner days. with our current team and the way it sets up, I simply don't think that PL would start DB9 if benteke is fit.

I fully respect that PL has the right to say that our best starting XI includes benteke as our main striker with two other players playing wide and a midfield four behind him. As such, i can understand that in PL's current thinking, DB9 does not start.

Now, the question then is whether Bent is prepared to sit on the bench and wait for his opportunity. If he is, there is no way in a million years, that Bowery should be on the bench ahead of him, even if he has a great attitude, unless PL is trying to prove a point. If he is, i think he's in danger of simply coming across as churlish with bent. he's already done it with warnock and hutton, both of whom represented a far less risky line in the sand to draw - bent will score goals and is proven... if PL is genuinely trying to exile him, he better be pretty sure that he can take the moral high ground ie bent had an attitude that was disruptive to the squad as a whole and was not prepared to put in.

Both bent and lambert need to remember that at the end of the day they represent AVFC and they have a duty to rise above their egos for the club - if bent wants to play, and is prepared to wait for his chances, then PL should be man enough to give him the spot on the bench ahead of bowery. to be clear, i have nothing against bowery - i'm sure he's a great young lad with a great attitude, but at this stage, he's no more proven than any of our other academy kids, and noone's suggesting that they deserve a start ahead of benty.

if bent doesn't want to come off the bench or PL is not prepared to put him on it when fit ahead of bowery, then one of them has to go, and i'm afraid i can see only one winner in that situation.

[brummybloke]

bent needs to be put back in, no point playing with the 3 we have been playing with and not getting any points because we cant score

strikers are there to score, i dont know where people get this idea that every forward to be good needs to be able to dribble around half a team and fire it into the net from 30 yards, needs to jump for every header, needs to track back each time we dont have the ball, needs to tackle needs to run none stop?

we have a striker who scores goals but because he doesnt do all the above people are turning on him, the same player 99.9% of fans were delighted with when we signed him, knowing what we were getting.

the same player who has had games where he has not touched the ball for 75 minutes but then scores the winner

if we want to keep drawing and losing then by all means, keep not picking him.

im sure Lambert will be pleased if his reason for not playing bent is personal ( which it is looking more likely every game that goes by) as he is getting what HE wants, unfortunately it is at the expense of the clubs league position and also no doubt affecting bents value

weiman, gabby and benteke may be looking great at doing various things, they are not looking that great at scoring goals, which is their job.

if lambert wants players running and 'putting in effort' then pick midfielders who can offer that support, if you want someone to score goals then pick the player who does it, not who ever can run around the longest.

lee hendrie was a decent player for villa, every now and then he would put in top performances, but then follow it up with some poor performances, he was the same level as lampard at the time

hendrie concentrated on running around everywhere, lampard instead decided to pick and choose when he ran and his runs. one of them burned out and faded badly, the other became one of the best midfielders in the country league wise

either play bent or sell him and watch him hammer the goals in week in week out for a team like west ham or QPR , clubs who will spunk 10 million on someone who will score, he wont go to city ,man utd or chelsea because they can afford to spunk 35 million on a player who scores but also can pass it to a better standard than any of our players.

this current policy reminds me of graham taylor as england manager picking players like carlton palmer and geoff thomas because they run around and 'put the effort in' rather than garry lineker who scored for fun but couldnt pass for shit.

[TezzRexx]

Reading between the lines in PL's press conference, I reckon DB's negotiating a move and PL knows it and doesn't want it to disrupt the team..

"Listen, it's my choice and I've 26, 27 lads that I have to look after. Everybody's in it together and I need everybody in it together.

"I know the disappointment when you don't play. I was dropped about five million times as a player, but that's the nature of the game.

"If you could pick everybody you would. Darren's still part of it but Ive got 25, 26 guys to take care of and think of."

Lambert reiterated that there is no rift with Bent but did not say whether he will be involved in some capacity for Tuesday's home game with Reading.

He added: "Darren is fine. There's nothing at all. The most important thing is Aston Villa Football Club."

[Villaboy69]

Unfortunately for DB our Midfield simply isn't good enough to be able to control play and create the kind of chances he thrives on. To try and make us more competative we have had to adopt this system of 4 2 3 1 and to a certain extent (with the exception of Man C) it has been pretty successful. I can certainly see why PL would leave DB out whilst adopting this approach.

I also agree that if PL it trying to make a point to the rest of the squad then to leave DB out is also fine.

What I can't understand is leaving him out of the squad entirely. If DB is fit then he has to be part of the squad. To leave him out entirely to prove a point is IMO bad management.

[smetrov]

Let's not kid ourselves here. we pretty much gather what has gone on here with this whole saga.

Ok Lambert came in and gave Bent the captaincy but then changed his mind. As much of a kick in the bollocks it might appear to be Bent is still paid a good wage to rise above it and act professionally and get his head back down and get on with his job which is performing to the best of his abilities and scoring goals.

He has not done this all season and the biggest **** up of all is running to the press moaning about not playing.

Now whether you agree with me or not the fact of the matter is this.

Going running to the press about not playing or in house affairs whatever, it undermines any Manager of any football team.

Lambert is the manager and what he says goes and how he picks the team is up to him because at the end of the day if results don't happen it is his arse thats on the line!

If any players cannot accept this then they know where the door is!

Paul lambert is making a point here to the whole team and a very good one at that!

So **** if he's our best striker, tough shit if he can score goals or whatever fairy light fact there is about him he needs to learn that this behaviour is not acceptable and by keeping him out of the team also shows what will happen if anyone else tries the same stunt further down the line. It is old school no nonsense policy.

Now what sort of example would it set and show the rest of the squad if PL just put him straight back into the starting XI "just because we are 18th in November". Not a very positive one I tell you.

That kind of behaviour can lose you the dressing room and eventually your job. It does not wave good signs and would show that Lambert is a push over.

We have had too many managers here over the years 'playing there favourites' and its about time we have now got a better manager in PL who is not biased towards anyone.

Everyones all got a chance and its down to those to show how hard they work in training and how well they perform in games that earns them there place - not by running to the press!.

I agree with Lambert totally on what he is doing and a good example it instills to the younger players and any future signings of what he is trying to do here.

If this has been Bents attitude at previous clubs then it's no wonder he has had his arse booted out the door from them too.

Great managerial dictatorship by Paul Lambert.

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.

Lets assume youre correct.

There is player power in the game and what you suggest above is the way we would all like it to be dealt with.

However thats not how it works today, Fergie hasn't drummed Rooney out despite several flashpoints, for example.

The modern manager has deal with players ego's, not easy I know, but that his lot - he has to keep the players in line yes - but he has to do this without the detriment to the team.

We must be the only club not selecting a striker who scores 1 goal in 2 - I expect him to go to Liverpool or Fulham - where he will probably score a hat ful of goals ....whatever his work rate.

[smetrov]

bent needs to be put back in, no point playing with the 3 we have been playing with and not getting any points because we cant score

strikers are there to score, i dont know where people get this idea that every forward to be good needs to be able to dribble around half a team and fire it into the net from 30 yards, needs to jump for every header, needs to track back each time we dont have the ball, needs to tackle needs to run none stop?

we have a striker who scores goals but because he doesnt do all the above people are turning on him, the same player 99.9% of fans were delighted with when we signed him, knowing what we were getting.

the same player who has had games where he has not touched the ball for 75 minutes but then scores the winner

if we want to keep drawing and losing then by all means, keep not picking him.

im sure Lambert will be pleased if his reason for not playing bent is personal ( which it is looking more likely every game that goes by) as he is getting what HE wants, unfortunately it is at the expense of the clubs league position and also no doubt affecting bents value

weiman, gabby and benteke may be looking great at doing various things, they are not looking that great at scoring goals, which is their job.

if lambert wants players running and 'putting in effort' then pick midfielders who can offer that support, if you want someone to score goals then pick the player who does it, not who ever can run around the longest.

lee hendrie was a decent player for villa, every now and then he would put in top performances, but then follow it up with some poor performances, he was the same level as lampard at the time

hendrie concentrated on running around everywhere, lampard instead decided to pick and choose when he ran and his runs. one of them burned out and faded badly, the other became one of the best midfielders in the country league wise

either play bent or sell him and watch him hammer the goals in week in week out for a team like west ham or QPR , clubs who will spunk 10 million on someone who will score, he wont go to city ,man utd or chelsea because they can afford to spunk 35 million on a player who scores but also can pass it to a better standard than any of our players.

this current policy reminds me of graham taylor as england manager picking players like carlton palmer and geoff thomas because they run around and 'put the effort in' rather than garry lineker who scored for fun but couldnt pass for shit.

Agreed.

It reminds me on when Liverpool sold us Dean Saunders because he didn't fit the 'Liverpool Style' - came to us and scored shed loads.

All 3 of our current forwards carry nominal goal threat - hence we are not scoring many, and winning even less