Someone said it best on Twitter the other day, when referring to something Paul Lambert has claimed a few times this season about picking the team he thinks can win. And by suggesting, when having won three of 15 games, that maybe what he thinks, isn't actually right. I'm fairly confident that the tweet was in reference to the likes of Bent and Ireland not playing.
I'm also fairly sure that the likes of Bent and Ireland will be back soon, but I'm also worried that Lambert has taken it too far with Bent and that Bent has lost heart. Since the falling out, he has hardly tweeted and Bent used to love tweeting.
His last tweet simply said 'Trained again today feeling sharp and ready. Looking forward to the weekend' and that was on November 20th. That was his way of saying I'm fit and available and for us to know that he was and that despite what the manager says publicly, there clearly does seem to be an issue.
And that might be about appearances and fees, we don't know and the club are not going to confirm it and the manager will laugh it off if asked.
And the manager has to back who he brings in, even if that is replacing players that deserve a proper chance. But Bent and Ireland, I'm not so sure. Whatever way you want to spin it, one has proven himself time after time in front of goal and the other has the qualities and needs to prove himself and surely he'd want to do that for a new manager.
Stoke at the weekend
Which is why Stoke is a big game this weekend even if we did move up a place last night because Wigan got spanked by Newcastle. You see, if we win and win convincingly, the manager is a step closer to saying 'I told you so' but if we lose or don't win, then more of the same questions are going to get asked and it may very force him into playing Bent and Ireland, if they don't play this weekend.
I mean, we must have a game or two left with Bent before he hits his 50 right? Yes, I'm playing, I don't know, but I do suspect he will play those two games before he goes.
FA Cup
And before I go and in case you didn't know, we got Ipswich in the FA Cup at home.