Darren Bent: Villa need ‘fresh approach’

Darren Bent believes Aston Villa will benefit from a fresh approach after Paul Lambert’s sacking and backed the club to stay up.

Manager Lambert was axed on Wednesday night with Villa third from bottom in the Premier League and winless in 10 games.

The striker and Lambert fell out at Villa and was loaned to Fulham and Brighton before he joined Derby on a season-long loan last month. The ex-England man believes a new manager can now lift the club.

Bent said: “Aston Villa are a massive club, a fantastic club, and it is a shame where they are in the table. I’m sure whoever comes in will do a good job and get them out of there because they have good enough players to do that. Maybe they just they need a fresh approach.”

Bent has scored four goals in just five substitute appearances for Derby in the Championship with the Rams third, a point behind leaders Middlesbrough. He is unsure about whether he can be recalled by Villa now Lambert has left but is enjoying his spell.

“I’m not sure the details of the agreement but, for now, I am still a Derby player and we have got a big FA Cup game this weekend which I am concentrating on,” he told talkSPORT. Derby face Reading tomorrow.