Reading manager Paul Clement has hit back at Darren Bent after the striker criticised his former boss on Sky Sports.
The 34-year-old Bent dished the dirt on his time at Derby under Clement ahead of the Rams’ Championship clash with Reading, saying:
It was inevitable he was going to crumble (at Derby).
Training had changed and his philosophy from pre-season had gone out the window because we weren’t getting the right results. And ultimately he didn’t really like confrontation.
However, Clement, who was sacked by Derby in February after just eight months in charge, hit back on Twitter, claiming the much-traveled striker had been “overweight and lazy”…
I sense some bitterness here, which is normal if a player does not play much.
It is never a difficult decision to leave out a player who is over weight and lazy.— Paul Clement (@PaulClement1972) August 4, 2018
Ouch!
Having made just a handful of appearances under Clement at Derby, mostly as a substitute, Bent was understandably frustrated at his treatment. However, his former boss is in no doubt as to why the striker failed to flourish.
We love a good spat!
Alas for Clement, his saw his Reading side lose their season opener to Derby, losing 2-1 after being 1-0 up.