AVFCAM

Premier League teams including Tottenham, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are all believed to be interested in signing striker Christian Benteke from struggling Aston Villa. The 22-year-old has scored 11 goals this season. According to the Sunday Mirror. If we let this happen, we deserve to go down, unless we triple our money perhaps. He is a good prospect who is playing very well while developing!

StefanAVFC I'm pretty sure that is actually what he said in the interview. He also apparently refused to speak to local journos. Micky Quinn on talksport, who I know many people don't like, called it perfectly last night. The kids give the ball away under no pressure, we have no composure, we have no width, we have no service to our forwards, the defence seem incapable of marking people, Bannan tries too many Hollywood balls when there is a simple pass on, we have no decent corner taker. He was spot on. Bannan was shit again. If I was the manager I would fine him for every shit ball he played. I suppose we pick ourselves up and we go again...but surely now, surely, Lambert must see that these boys, cannot do it. Maybe the Chelsea an Spurs games came at the worst possible time and back to back...either way, things look bleak, they can't get any worse, so I fully expect to get thrashed on Tuesday.

We need an entire overhaul of the team...the only players worth keeping are Guzan, Vlaar(?), Westwood, Weimann and Benteke. Gabby doesn't score enough, Bent doesn't offer anything without wingers. The young lads aren't up to it, Westwood apart. I also have lost pretty much all faith in Lambert being the man to change things, although making a change is hardly going to improve things. I don't blame Lerner for not investing more, it's all been wasted so far

In all honesty? No, I don't think we will.

What did Houllier and Mcleish do? Bent saved us from relegation and we probably would've been a lot higher up the table had he not got injured against Wigan last year. Fair enough, McLeish bought Hutton but he wasn't exactly backed in the transfer market, something that caused further outrage towards the General!

Spurs are a bit of a bad comparison...as a London club things are a bit different. The lure of London over Birmingham is massive to both players and investors/sponsors. They also seem to have a bigger following than we do. Being London, ticket prices are higher as is the case with most things in London, although if they own their ground (which I think they do) it means they have more money per game coming in as revenue (as the 'higher prices' argument doesn't hit them, as they don't really have to 'pay' anything to host the game), aided by the better transport links and locality of a lot more of their supporters. Although yes, they spent smart, on foreign players with potential, O'Neil spent badly on British players with high fees/wages and more candles on their birthday cakes. Oh an they have Daniel Levy, a bit of a cut throat bastard when it comes to transfers as opposed to 'nice guy' Paul Faulkner'

I think it's a disgrace that they make us play on Friday night after Tuesday and then don't even televise the game

I think the fact that Randy put up the £8m for Dempsey, who would've commanded high wages, shows that he is genuinely happy to stump up the money when a player is worth it, as Dempsey was worth a lot more. In all honesty, not many of the players who have been purchased by our rivals have been playing well of late or haven't had issues with their previous clubs...some may come good, but some may just end up like the mega money signings QPR made in the summer...

Moose from talksport (sometimes right, sometimes wrong) just tweeted: @BroadcastMoose: Alan Hutton set to leave A Villa for Mallorca ? @radio1mallorca

Can't really argue with him, it does seen that we are just going through the motions now

Lambert pretty much says nothing's happening and we all come to terms with it (some better than others) and then says 'I would like someone in' almost keeping a little glimmer of hope...and then Warnock gets sniffed by the Wulfs! Could it be?

Does that mean Lerner has said 'well mate, you did have £20m off me before and they're not doing too well' or 'mate, the ex wife has robbed me blind I haven't got a pot to piss in! That jet I have? You know, the one I picked you up in?! That thing ay cheap me mon!' Lerner slips into a bit of Black Country from his time spent in the midlands

HH you're a bit behind with that post fella...I've been corrected and we've all moved forwards towards a shared understanding... Sorry, although your post did make sense, albeit a little late. Also...how many people have come back and apologised for the crap you were given when you were one of the first to provide ITK knowledge that transfers were not happening? Turns out they were wrong and you we're absolutely correct!

I agree that sacking him would be a huge waste of time, I think the crest of media jism that 'Arry is currently riding on will at some point collapse, I also think Southampton's mix of average and expensive players will combust at some point before May...I just hope we can get a win in the league soon, as we may all be made to look like idiots as our fortunes post future win (and confidence boost/pressure lift it would bring) may change for the better as quickly as they took a nose dive post Liverpool win...after which we thought we were going to storm up the table...

VillaCas See above, I think we got that post about Henry Winter at the exact same time!

In a message to VillaCas...I stand corrected. Although I would like him to explain why we may not get players...if you get me...

Oh and if someone can correct me, I'm pretty sure Lambert said 'if I have to go with what I've got, I'm ok with that' he may have said 'happy' I don't know... To me, that's him saying he believes they have what it takes and that he doesn't think reinforcements are needed. Sure he may want players, but he isn't worried about not having any more...I do, I think what we have are a few diamonds mixed in with a whole lot of poo!

I agree with Nabby. If he is being denied the tools to do the job, he should resign. If it is his team (and not his tactics etc) that are the problem then he should hold his hands up and say 'I can't do this, the chairmen makes it impossible (if that is indeed the case), rather than struggle on, destroying his reputation and ours as he goes. I pay £600 a year on my season ticket, that's not to mention the other money spent on the club, so I feel I am entitled to vent my frustration, as any fan, regardless of money spent should be able to do. I watch the same bullshit PR stunt of leaked stories about transfers, managers talking about deals behind the scenes, to boost tickets sales and the story to then change as te window closes...I guess I really didn't expect this to happen when we really do look in a bad way. This isn't meant as a 'I'm a bigger fan than you are' post, so please don't take it that way. My mention is money spent is more my own desperation of trying to justify this spend to myself now. I don't enjoy supporting Villa anymore, I'm falling out of love with one of my first and longest loves...these are the rambling a of a desperate man. Plus, as people who know me will know, I find it hard to grasp when people who can make changes to an issue, fail to see what is staring them in the face... I hope Lambert is a success, I really do, I still like the idea of what he is trying to achieve, he seems like he cares for our club too. I didn't want him as our manager if truth be told, but I really want him to prove me wrong, I just don't see that happening and I worry about how much worse things can get.

Although I do appreciate that telling the world that the boys aren't up to it will do little for confidence...but saying that he think things will be fine and they are up to the fight just makes us, him, the players and the club look like idiots

My point being, I have seen Lerner spend money, a lot. Right now, I see LAMBERT saying HE would be happy to go forward with what he has. HE doesn't feel the need to bring players in. If it isn't his decision, then that is fine, come out an say that, tell the fans that you don't think our boys are up to it, we won't judge you, we all agree, tell us that you have pleaded with the chairman for reinforcements but have been denied... But as I say, right now, Lambert is the one saying he is happy with it all...until he tells me otherwise, I will hold him accountable to that...last time we looked like this, we bought Bent...Lerner, for me, has history of backing managers to an extent, so I go with the evidence I have. Granted, we know little about Lerner, but still, I have to go with the information I have, rather than suggestion and rumour that Lerner won't spend (as opposed to lambert not wanting to)... If that makes more sense

In not about the throwing around of money, I'm even happy with Lerner as our owner, I think he has spent huge amounts on us as a club. My issue is with Lambert. If he is not prepared to give an experience pro like Warnock a chance ahead of a defence that has conceded about 30 goals in 6 games, he needs to give better excuses than 'we get up an we go again'. If he genuinely thinks they are up to it, he is mad. If he wants to buy players and can't, he needs to cut the crap and be honest and say 'I think we need some more players, but the Chairman isn't having any of it'...we are not idiots, well, most of us aren't, we can all see that our problem is at the back, so why try and pretend it's not a problem. I get the feeling that because he knows his job is safe, he doesn't want to anger the chairman, even though he is making the job impossible... No matter how many goals we score, we will concede more because our defence isn't up to it. My main issue is with the constant leaked stories to the press about transfer links while the club are trying to sell tickets/half season tickets and then the predictable u-turn when the tickets are sold. As soon as the Bradford game had sold 40,000 tickets, Lambert suddenly says (even though he has been saying he has been looking to bring players in) 'if I have to go with what I've got, I'm ok with that.' (Even though they have conceded nearly 30 goals recently) Rant over. I genuinely worry about how much worse it can actually get...

(Posted this in the Millwall match thread) Lambert persevering with our current back line is like someone insisting on trying to use their newly built Caterham in the snow, even though they have the old land rover that clunks a bit and sometimes loses electrical power, but still runs, sat in the garage. Actually, maybe the Land Rover has a tendency to break down and the wheel sometimes comes off...but even so, there's a good chance that it could brave the current 'storm' better than the younger, faster Caterham.. Warnock and even Hutton to an extent are still players of at least some ability and are both experienced full backs, Warnock especially. Surely they cannot do much worse than what we're doing now...ok, maybe not Hutton as he was bloody awful last year. Even if the Land Rover isn't reliable enough, why not check the Auto Trader for a cheap 4x4 that can tide you over until the weather picks up. I've become so disillusioned I'be resorted to stupid metaphors to try and plead the case to the club. Down like the City, we're going down like the City...

Actually, maybe the Land Rover has a tendency to break down and the wheel sometimes comes off...but even so, there's a good chance that it could brave the current 'storm' better than the younger, faster Caterham...

Lamber persevering with our current back line is like someone insisting on trying to use their Caterham in the snow, even though they have the old land rover that clunks a bit and sometimes loses electrical power, but still runs ok, sat in the garage.

I can imagine a deadline deal for Bent but there won't be enough time to spend the money we get for hin