Jeremain Lens - Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

Lens said:

"It’s definitely annoying. I am not playing and I did not come to the Premier League to sit on the bench. Something will have to change. What, we will see though. A transfer in the winter? That could happen. Once the window is open, we will see."

Michael Graham (@Capt_Fishpaste) says:

The quotes from Lens certainly don't make for great reading, do they? They are never particularly helpful either.

However, there is surely a case to be made that Sunderland are a little too nice? Players are constantly saying the right thing and nowt ever seems to change there.

We often complain about mercenaries in football - players who sign up and then couldn't care less if they are playing or now as long as they are picking up the wages.

Have we the right to complain about players clearly frustrated and angered by not playing too? Is that not an either/or situation?

It appears that frustration has got the better of Lens and he's said a few things to the press he probably wishes he hadn't.

It's unfortunate but he's not the first person to let his frustrations rule his tongue for a moment and he won't be the last. It's all a bit of a storm in a teacup for me.

@GHSAFC91 says:

When Jeremain Lens signed for Sunderland I'd hazard he didn't expect to be going into Christmas Dick-less and completely out of the manager's plans, but that's the fact of the matter and he has to deal with it.

I'm not one for bleating on about player's wages but when I read the club were planning on fining him ONE HUNDRED THOUSANDS POUNDS I just couldn't believe it. He's earning fifty grand a week.

For him to be on that kind of money and have both Advocaat and Allardyce publicly lament his lack of effort really annoys me.

In the situation we're in we need people that want to play. It's been seen many times before where a club - QPR, for example - have spent fortunes on imports who just do not care enough and aren't bothered if they see the club relegated and I feel that with Lens you can put him in that bracket.

Personally, I'd cash in. I don't think Lens will be short of suitors and we may have to take a hit on the wages and fee we paid for him but at the end of the day having players with awful attitudes around the club is helpful to nobody and Allardyce will know this.

Sometimes the relationship between a player and his club just doesn't work out. It happens. Lets shake hands and part ways and forget about this awful mess, eh?

Where do you side - do you think it's worth persisting with Lens, or do you think the club should look to move him on? Vote in the poll below and leave your comments on the situation at the bottom of this article.