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This whole 'protecting his investment' epithet is nonsense. It's like saying - 'he's just doing his job'. What else is he supposed to do? Why is this put out in a negative light? (that's the yawn part) The 'lol' part is this idea of 'the bare minimum'. We signed loads of players, hired new back-room staff to reinvigorate our scouting and approach to signing players and we obviously did a lot more than 'the bare minimum'. The bare minimum is an awfully vague phrase anyway. It's just such an awful post. Makes me embarrassed to be a Villa fan.

That post is a mixture of 'yawn' and 'lol', Ash.

I'd say it's fairly certain - we're not really able to compete with Liverpool.

On this very page - 'I hate this man so much'.

This is the cut and shut of it. All I really care about is where we are and where we could go in the future. We've bought well this window, got an exciting team together - not everyone we wanted but then how often does that happen to any team? I find all this hatred and bile for Lerner, funny and pathetic in equal measures, truth being told.

He probably won't want to go back to a side that finished below us in the league anyway. Awwwwwwwwwww snap. That'd be hilarious.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE

Sound terrible to say it but I kind of get why players lose their motivation once they get a big fat long term contract. This wont reflect well on me but I know that I am an inherently lazy person. If I am to put myself into a footballers shoe, playing for a club that I have zero emotional attachment to, whose fans hold no love for me, whose cash allows me to never work again in my life, and I have no realistic international aspirations, what exactly is my motivation? That's one of the reasons you aren't a professional sportsman, I would imagine. I'm pretty lazy too, so I get it. As for forms of motivation - another fat long term contract after it, glory and adulation or maybe a sense of beloning and being part of a team?

I'd be surprised if Rodgers is still there to have a say one way or the other to be honest. Which would probably make him more likely to go back.

Well surely he can decide whether or not to accept a contract from us? He could reject us after impressing, thinking he could prove himself back at Liverpool.

Yeah it probably would be but I think it's natural to want the players we've developed to come good and turn a blind eye now and then. Clark has received a lot of abuse over the years too though. And deserved it. Had we had a decent side these last few years he wouldn't have been playing. It is natural but its frustrating when players aren't subject to the same conditions or judgements. Maybe - maybe if he'd had decent defenders around him we would have kicked on more. All what ifs, though. Whatever the case, let's just hope he plays well for us in the future, same with Ilori.

What does this actually mean? I think I already know the answer and it's sweet F.A. Football's not a statistical game. It's not cricket, it's not American Football, it's not baseball. Just because the media spout stats incessantly and there's a Prozone/Stats craze at the moment doesn't make them valid. If you want to judge a player, watch him play. Don't look at his stats. You seemingly just missed the other things I wrote. I very clearly stated that I based my opinion on him from watching him play football. Seriously, how much were you spoiling for an argument you actually just missed that?

Yeah it probably would be but I think it's natural to want the players we've developed to come good and turn a blind eye now and then. Clark has received a lot of abuse over the years too though.

That's why I think it's harsh to say that Clark played badly because of one mistake. These exceptions make football discussion interesting, though.

I agree to a point but I think that's a slightly simplistic way of looking at things. Some examples: - Defender makes 2 goal line clearances but one glaring error. - Striker scores a goal but misses 2 tap ins and the team lose 2-1.

I do too but I'm basing my opinion on what I saw - the stats just back it up.

I don't think it's that strange because it's certainly inside the realms of possibility. SBS - if you go back and watch Clark throughout the game, he really did play well. To reinforce this with some stats for this season, he's 7th in Europe's top leagues in terms of clearances, which is pretty damn good and he did make Whoscored's team of the week too, despite the error.

Ha - love that gif.

To that I'd say that N'Zogbia cost more and is on much bigger money. Plus, only a few games from Balaban, so you could argue he didn't get much of a chance - whereas N'Zogbia has let us down time and time again. He hasn't been available for him to give him a chance. Seems to be conflicting info RE: that. Do you know that for a fact? Because I don't remember reading anything conclusive about that (might easily have missed something tbf).

To Omariqy - I'm not saying it will happen mate, hence 'if'. I hope he doesn't. Trent - Clark, despite a pretty bad error for the goal actually played really well against Sunderland. Goes to show how costly mistakes at CB are, I suppose.

Biggest waste of money we've ever had, surely.

I still think Senderos has been treated unfairly here - Sherwood's never given him a chance and we may not have needed to sign so many defenders, as a result. I'm not sure that Lescott is that much better than him.

If Sherwood just chucks him in, in front of Clark, I'll be very disappointed.

But Baker was originally given the number 2 shirt. And Bennett was given number 3. Means sod all.

I guess not. Disappointed with Sherwood here.