sharkyvilla

Sagbos website is hilarious.

dafuq!?

Theres a video on there of him scoring a whacking volley tho

It was an absolute belter

Unfortunately I think our media relations department would make him change the music on his website to a song without the N word in the first line and it would lose its subtle charm

Gouffran & Sagbo could be Papisse Cisse and Demba Ba 'esq

I'm sure that those kinds of deals are more likely than blowing 9m on the likes of Dawson. Judging from the Vlaar and El Ahmadi deals, Lambert's knowledge of European football is pretty decent and would have a list of players he likes that present good value of money.

I just don't understand how someone can have no problem with their team getting relegated and have no problem with the owner who causes it.

I know you don't understand, have a read, it's not that people are happy or have no problem with how we are, it's just the ways in which they choose to react.

For some people, it's less about blame and more about sympathy, for some it's the idea of what support is and isn't, for others it's about pinpointing the cause of problems and either trying to find fixes or pointing fingers, but I don't think there's anyone on here who has no problem with our present situation, or who thinks it's good.

People are different, your opinion is your opinion, other peoples opinions are theirs, none are exactly right or wrong, although there are themes that are likely to run through all of them.

I wouldn't be happy if we were relegated, I've not given up on us staying in the division just yet though, I recognise that the owner, board and chief exec haven't done well and have made some serious errors over the past two years, but I'm not looking for a night of the long knives, I think they're naive and at times foolish, but they're paying for those lessons and I still hope they'll learn them, that belief in them doesn't make me an idiot I hope (although they do seem to be trying) and your belief that their incompetence should lead to their immediate removal doesn't make you one either - but your belief that anyone who disagrees with you is a fool probably says more about you than them.

That is exactly how I feel as well. I am disappointed that things have drifted over the last couple of years but there are reasons why, some that are Lerner's fault and a fair few that aren't. He has my sympathy for the amount of his own money that has got written off but still recognise that he himself has to carry the can for a lot of it. The important thing is how he rectifies it and in my post on the previous page I said that it will take time and a fair amount of pain but the decisions indicate to me recovery is on its way, despite how inadequate the squad is at this moment in time. It's the incessant slagging off that I really dislike but if that's the way people view it it's up to them I guess, and little will change their mind in the immediate future either way.

If 18 months ago we knew we'd be signing him this summer for say £8m everyone on this board would have jumped at it.

Not sure why you think this but I certainly would question why we would spend £8m on Henderson.

We have already shown we can find better players for better price; KEA for £2m or w/e it was much better player than Henderson in my opinion.

True, I'm sure Lambert has other players around Europe in his sights that are similar to KEA and Vlaar in terms of value. It's just a case of identifying the weak parts of the team (it turns out to be all of it) and finally being given the go-ahead to sign them.

Can I just make the point about Newcastle and relegation. They went down for one reason and one reason alone. They appointed the strangest managerial choice since Wilkinson rocked up at Sunderland. Joe ‘F’ Kinnear.

Whether Lerner is good or bad is not really borne out in the current manager; he has appointed a manager in Lambert who is in no way comparable to JFK...

McLeish is comparable though. Lambert is the Hughton character ready to get the club moving forward again

I think Downing's as unlikely as Milner. Unless the two of them have got their heads together and decided they wanted to save the Villa

The squad reminds me a lot of Newcastle when they went down. Loads of awful journeymen players on over-inflated wages due to poor management, and poor managerial appointments. I can also start to see the same antipathy (verging on hatred it seems from some people) towards Lerner as there was for Mike Ashley. Ashley had enough, cut back and tried to sell the club, but finding a buyer for a Premier League football club is incredibly hard, especially when the current owner is already a billionaire. Finding someone richer is nigh on impossible. It leaves the owner very little option other than to stick it out, put up with the abuse and try to find the best way of getting the club back on its feet. It's going to be a slow process.

With Newcastle, I think that tough period is all but forgotten. Even renaming St James' Park doesn't seem to bother them that much whilst they are flirting with Champions League football. Their turnaround has been utterly remarkable and the decisions by Ashley to change the managers at the right time and revamp the scouting system have paid huge dividends. McLeish's appointment was a massive PR gamble by Lerner that failed horribly, although I am sure he would be grateful for the job he did in cutting a lot of the wage bill whilst keeping us in the division. The damage to Randy's reputation amongst the fans though is at an all-time low because of it, much like Ashley's was during the relegation.

The key is backing a manager with the quality to rebuild a club on a sound financial footing. He needs all the help he can get through scouting which has obviously been identified by Lerner and co and we seem to have made encouraging movements on that front. Lerner has clearly seen the approach Ashley has taken at Newcastle and its medium-term success, for all its short-term pain. Our problem is can we really afford to go down a division, which is the way we are heading with this playing squad? I'm pretty sure that all contracts have clauses where they get reduced if relegated, which makes players easier to move on, plus with parachute payments and hopefully immediate promotion back to the Premier League, it isn't the financial nightmare it perhaps looks on paper.

But nobody wants to get relegated, ever, fact. So Lerner will hopefully see the need to dig into his pocket now but for the right players. No players approaching 30 on over 50 grand a week for 4 years and no sell-on value just for the short-term boost to keep us in the division. At most we can afford to bring one of these players in if they have the right mentality to lift a club. If we get too many of these players we will just end up at square one. I trust Lambert over the long-run to get this club back into shape but it has to be done in the right way. I genuinely think we can turn a corner next season if we hold our nerve. Unless Lerner can find somebody richer than him to spend a fortune on getting us back into contention with the other big English clubs, this is the best way forward.

I disagree with the myth that Berbatov is really lazy. I don't think he's that lazy at all, he's just very casual in his body language. He's incredibly intelligent and will be looking for the second ball rather then making a huge noise to get to the first in a 50-50 situation. I think he does come across as lazy, but imo, he's just class.

Far too good for us, mind.

True, his game has never been about pace and running, a bit like Bergkamp. He can score or create a goal in half a yard whereas someone like Gabby would run around like a blue arse fly and not achieve the same output, as much as I like Gabby. Bent is mobile enough to play up alongside him imo, they would be a great partnership.

Michael Owen in today's Guardian -

"A lot of things happen later on in the window when people are refreshing their squads," Owen told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I have been in contact with quite a few teams and it's a case of picking the best which is going to suit me and my family. I've said before I'd prefer that to be in the Premier League and that remains the case. Different things will form the basis of making the right choice: location, the quality of the team, the manager – everything really."

Sounds like us. We could do worse.

Could we ?, worse than an ageing permanently injured Owen ?. Maybe Doyle granted but i can't think of many worse ideas

I could see how a team like Arsenal, or even a Spurs could take the risk on someone like him but not us

It would only make sense on a pay-as-you-play deal. Then there's nothiing for the club to lose and Owen has everything to prove. He will score goals if he plays but Lambert said that 'he wasn't for us' earlier in the summer

Why does a target man have to be a non-scoring plank? Plenty of target men over the years have been absurdly dangerous goalscorers.

We basically need a striker who can bring others into the game. Now whether thats your number 10 style man, or a big bloke who can hold it up, that's upto Lambert and what he wants to do. But we definitely need someone a bit different up front and, preferably, someone who pitches in a fair few goals as well.

Berbatov would fit quite nicely. Even if he hasn't got the legs any more, his intelligence and quality would be a great addition to the club a bit like Keane last winter. He could teach a few of the young lads a thing or two as well. The problem is structuring a deal for him. His contract runs out next summer and I guess he would have been banking on earning himself a last lucrative contract somewhere.

Twitter a buzz with the story that Dempsey isn't off to Liverpool because Fulham won't sell to them...

Some say he's due a medical at Sunderland...

If they get Dempsey and we don't try, I'll be disappointed. Dempsey is the kind of player we need and should be trying to sign!

Again he's a 29 year old who is probably getting his last big 4-year contract on over 50k a week for about £7m transfer fee. That's the kind of signing that O'Neill loves but got us into trouble. There needs to be some value for money.

If a panic buy means us spending £20m on a striker again I'm all for it! Seriously Randy has to put his hand in his pocket. I can kind of understand why we've been slow and I'm sure Lambert would have expected us to be stronger than we have been in the first two games so may have wanted to bide his time but it's in black and white now that we need 3 quality players, plus Dunne, Gabby and Albrighton back sharpish.

So Real lost, a 5 point gap in La Liga already

If investment on players turns out to be quite small then I do wonder what motivated Lambert to take the job. Surely he would have been told how much is available to spend and also would have known the squad was lacking serious quality. He might get a great pay job from this job but he's reputation as a manager could be severely dented if things don't improve significantly.

I'd also question his sanity for spending £3m on Lowton if he knew money was so tight. There's just something really odd about what's going on. I still think logically there is money to spend but my confidence is waning.

Does anyone think part of the deal of getting Lambert was he couldn't sign any of their players.

Only saying that as someone who really impressed me last season was Anthony Pilkington. Wide player but can also come inside. Scores goals and has a decent cross.

I'd say he's a realistic signing who'd improve us, would say he'd cost 5-6m.

I think he said in one of his interviews that if he went back to Norwich for players they would quote him ridiculous prices, so basically it's a no-go.

We really need to go out and get Carroll in. If it means playing hoofball until we settle into the season then so be it.

Hopefully we can flog him back to Wigan to replace Moses. Free up some wages to get Carroll or Sturridge in

Is a lb and probably 1 attacking player going to really change that much? I just can't see us bringing in the quality or quantity needed.

It's clear all summer that we required some serious investment.

A left-back would help correct the lack of balance and make us a better side pretty much instantly. Whether that alone would make us good enough to stay up is another matter, as the XI we put out today was shit beyond belief. Another two or three players, even if on loan, plus Gabby, Albrighton and Dunne back then I think we'll be comfortable. Even then there is still a lot of work to do. Despite the cost cutting we are still left with players that need shifting like N'Zogbia.

El Ahmadi man of the match by far. The second goal was avoidable and who knows if we could have held on until half-time at 1-0 down but I suspect we would still have got raped. Everton are a hotchpotch of quality Premiership footballers brought in from all over the place over a number of years. We just couldn't compete as we're basically a reserve team plus a few decent players thrown in. Worrying.

Lambert got the selection wrong but Baker, Clark and Bannan simply aren't good enough.

I don't see the logic of completely discarding Warnock this early. You can still use him even if you are looking to sell. We have no other left-backs in the squad ffs. There are so many other holes in the squad too it's a massive reality check for Lambert and hopefully Lerner too. Depressing. Another goal and we may just be able to take something into next week but it has been a shocker.

Can't disagree with that switters. Lambert was nuts to take this job on

****'s sake this is getting ridiculous

Yeah good luck to the Fonz, there's an opportunity to get a run in the team if he plays well today. Looking at the side I hope we're going 3-5-2 with Lowton and N'Zogbia as wing backs. Where's Ireland?

Isnt Sturridge a Villa fan?

I think he's a Sturridge fan. He used to be on our books as a young lad I think. I would definitely take him but I can just see him sitting on Chelsea's bench for most of the season unfortunately.

I fancy a brace for Bent today. 2-0 to Villa.

I saw Jay Spearing linked with a £3m move to Bolton. He likes a tackle and his work-rate is great, is young and hungry. At first I thought he was a bit of a joke basically because he's a Scouser but he grew on me a bit the more I saw him play and he could be a good partner for El Ahmadi. Also what do people think of Ruben Rochina at Blackburn? He might be a nice foil for Bent from the limited amount I've seen of him.