SiDanger

He's the new Tony Adams!

For me he is more of an attacking midfielder or winger. His best asset is taking players on which he isn't really free to do in his current role. I'd rotate him with Gabby, N'Zogbia and Albrighton on the wing and with Ireland and Bannan as the attacking midfielder.

What he did in the past is now irrelevant as he has been appointed, what he is doing now at Villa is how we should judge him. It's not really a debate as to whether he has done well enough in the past as I doubt he was anybody's choice for the job but he is here like it or not.

Maybe he does get box to box warming up on the sideline and therefore now is being employed in this role as a sub.

We lost 4-1 away against a team with pretty much unlimited funds for both transfers and wages which is to be expected. Unfortunately this is how football is at the moment and if the new fairplay rules are not enforced properly it's going to get even worse. The start overall has been pretty much as expected with the squad we have, wouldn't say we have done particularly poorly or well.

He is going through a rough patch, I don't think he is being used in his most effective position. Time for Bannan to play there instead I think, it's just a shame we don't have a proper DM to play alongside him, bit lightweight with Petrov, Bannan and Ireland in midfield although passing should be good.

We can't spell?

What does Levy know, he appointed Ramos, Graham, Hoddle, Pleat and Santini. To be fair he thought he was getting Santini but they switched in Tackleberry from Police Academy.

I didn't realise Bent was untouchable and you weren't allowed a negative opinion about any part of his game. I think anyone that has said his link up play and hold up play could improve still thinks his movement and goals add a lot to the team. It's not moaning to state that a player could be even better by improving certain aspects of his game. He can do the harder things like finish and get into good positions, imagine how good he could be if he did some of the more simple things better. Having said that he must have worked on these throughout his career and we'd find it hard to find anyone better how he is now. I just think it is ok to state that he would be even better if he contributed to the game on top of his goals.

Surely it's up to the chairman and board members to give the manager a transfer and wage budget to work with. Every manager out there would pay the wages to get the players they want if they were made available.

Rubbish IMO. He is not a limited player. He is an excellent goal scorer or he wouldn't be alongside Rooney and Drogba in the scoring charts for the last 5 years (and that playing at lower level clubs than both of them). Is Given limited because he is just a good goal keeper? We just have to recognise Darren for what he is - a specialist goal scorer - and work hard to get the team to focus on that and provide the service for him. I disagree on this as if he could improve his link up play and hold up play it would be of great benefit to both himself and the team. To compare an outfield player's limitations to a goalkeeper being a good goalkeeper doesn't make any sense. If you said something like Given is just a good shot stopper like Bent is just a good finisher then you may have had a point (incidently I don't think Given is just a good shot stopper). I do rate Bent, his movement is top class and he will always get and take chances but if he made some minor improvements to his game he could go from being a very good striker to a great striker. I agree with this. He needs to improve his link up play and improve his conversion of easy chances into goals. I've no doubt the coaches are working with him on this. Yes me too although the worrying thing about that is I've no doubt coaches throughout his career will have worked on it too. It doesn't make sense how uncomforable he is with his back to goal as his touch when the ball is played in front of him is good. All he needs is the ability to drop off the defender, hold up the ball and lay off a simple pass and he would be a far better player for it.

Rubbish IMO. He is not a limited player. He is an excellent goal scorer or he wouldn't be alongside Rooney and Drogba in the scoring charts for the last 5 years (and that playing at lower level clubs than both of them). Is Given limited because he is just a good goal keeper? We just have to recognise Darren for what he is - a specialist goal scorer - and work hard to get the team to focus on that and provide the service for him. I disagree on this as if he could improve his link up play and hold up play it would be of great benefit to both himself and the team. To compare an outfield player's limitations to a goalkeeper being a good goalkeeper doesn't make any sense. If you said something like Given is just a good shot stopper like Bent is just a good finisher then you may have had a point (incidently I don't think Given is just a good shot stopper). I do rate Bent, his movement is top class and he will always get and take chances but if he made some minor improvements to his game he could go from being a very good striker to a great striker.

I don't get this, as his form starts to improve you get less and less convinced?

I'm sure he's come back on it with a few birds after clubbing in Wolves. Just another form of dogging. Forgot our Ronaldo, he's our new Stan Collymore.

and this!

Share this opinion.

Was his best game of the season so far against Wigan. Won the ball back so many times and used it well.

Out of interest, do you think he didn't add anything to the side against Wigan?

I couldn't agree more mate. I agree also. He was ok yet some seem to think he is now gonna go on and be brilliant. Look I like the slow improvement, I certainly think McLeish is better for him than Houllier, but I think we need to see a lot more before I'm convinced. I'm not one of these fans who moan at the ground, but this is a message board, if you can't voice your concerns here where can you? I don't think anyone is convinced he is going to go on and be brilliant but I think most people think he's one of the few players we have who could be brilliant and is therefore worth persevering with.

One thing Bannan has that sets him apart from our other youngsters is that there absolutely no self doubt at all in his own ability.

Like who? Albrighton, N'Zogbia, Hleb but other talented players like Gabby, Bannan and perhaps now Ireland seem to be doing better under him. Easy to blame AM for the under performers if you have your own agenda. He's slowly beginning to learn that he has players who can dominate games a little more than he was used to at Blues in my opinion.

Could switching his and Bannan's roles in the current formation suit them both? Bannan looks better in central areas whereas Delph would have more license to get forward on the right wing.

If you thought he was shite today you're just blinkered in your opinions of him. His touch was good, his passing was good and his workrate was good. I don't think we should let prejudices we have with this guy rob us of a potentially good player. Fair enough if he plays shite say he was shite but today he wasn't.

I think he is the one player we have who is on the same wavelength as Stephen Ireland and therefore makes him look a far better player too. He played very well today although Hutton was very isolated at times but I think this is a problem with the formation rather than Bannan. He needs to influence the game in a central position and therefore drifts into the middle leaving Hutton on his own defending, this will cause problems in tougher games. We passed the ball much better today than I have seen all season due to him and Ireland playing in my opinion.

He played well today, his confidence is slowly coming back and his workrate was good. Real plus for us and seems to have a good understanding with Bannan.