HalfTimePost

Grealish is almost 18 already? Bloody hell. Carruthers is a good player and I honestly think he would have been involved in the first team this year if it wasnt for his attitude. Interesting to see if Lambert keeps him or sells him, first impressions make a huge difference and it looks as though Samir made a bad one. I would like to see him push on. Murphy [if signed as expected], Carruthers, Grealish would be enough players to have some good rotation in the CAM role next season, possibly with NZogbia to put there every now and then too.

Yeah I would but like you say, wouldnt happen because of his contract. I think id rather keep him though and see how he progresses

I think Lambert will be a godsend for the youngsters about to come through too. Not only is he willing to give them a chance but the system we are now playing should suit a lot of them very well. Grealish and Carruthers (if him and Lambert make up that is) could both fit in at the free role behind Benteke where Nzog has been a lot lately. Graham, Robinson and Burke could all play the wide forward role where Gabby and Weimann have been.

Hard to say as he hasnt got enough game time under his belt. Before his initial injury, Gardner had all the makings to be the next Gerrard / Lampard. Potentially that good. Rumours of Madrid and Inter looking at him. At the same age of about 16/17 Gardner was as good as, possibly better than Wilshere at the same age. Then he did his knee in, was gone for a year and a knee injury, especially one as bad as he took, can really put a spanner in the works of any player, especially a young player at such a vital time of his career. However, he came back, made an OK appearance vs Chelsea in preseason and then got a loan to Coventry, performed quite well for a month for them, got himself a goal within about 20 minutes of his debut for them too. His prem appearances after coming back from Coventry weren't that great but he was being played very deep in midfield, which isn't really his entire game. However, for the youth side, he absolutely tore apart a very good Ajax side in the Next Gen, scoring a hatrick, and scored 2 goals in as many minutes for England U21 (2 glorious goals too). So the kid still has the talent, he can still make the step up, but he then did his other knee in. Again out for 8 months. So he's now had two very big injuries for a young player and theres no telling where he will come out of it and whether or not he will be able to come past these injury issues. If he can come through them we have a very, very special player on our hands. It's also possible we have a injury prone midfielder who wont live up to his potential because of those very injuries. I imagine that the reality will lie somewhere in the middle, a useful first team player who will be a good player for us. Hopefully better than his brother Craig but not quite up to the Gerrard/Lampard potential that he has.

Love it mate Dont suppose theres been any hint of a loan for him or something to get him some first team football? Or any talking from Lambert as to whether he could appear in a Capitol One Cup game next season? Think I saw a tweet from him a while back about him being really excited for next season? Personally think him, Graham and possibly Drennan should get a loan to get some first team football under their belts ready for 14/15.

For me Lamberts signings rate: Brilliant Benteke, Guzan Very Good Westwood, Lowton Decent Vlaar, Sylla Possibly decent but so far not good enough Bennett, Bowery Not good enough El Ahmadi (although he did show something vs United after coming on) Think he's earned our trust but I would still question Spearing, I haven't seen him play for Bolton but he just never looked talented for Liverpool. If Lambert brings him in, so be it, i'll support him and give him a chance but I would rather look for a younger player who has the potential to improve more.

Not sure "money grabbing rapist*" quite fits in with Lamberts transfer philosophies. *allegedly

Very much doubt we will spend any more than 25m even if Benteke leaves. 15m without him leaving I reckon

Hold on, I'm no fan of Bannan but that is no where near his best pass. Bannans best pass (Give it a second to load to the right time) :

Is he the one thats been relegated in something like his last 4 seasons? Or is that Roger Johnson? Either way, no. It looked as though the two of them were creating a great partnership at blues under Eck, right up until they won the final and Dann got injured and Blues fell apart. So obviously Dann looked the better player, was linked with Arsenal at times I think! But was always obvious he was never that good and started making very very basic errors when he left for Blackburn and looked a shadow of the player he was being made out to be. I assume it was down to Ecks style of play.

I guess another way to look at it is that with all the new money in the Premier League the wages will undoubtedly climb again throughout the league. Last season's 30k could very easily be this seasons 40k.

I think for most people (well for me anyway). It's just quite refreshing to have a team build their way up instead of buy it. There aren't many clubs that take their league and Europe by storm anymore without spending massive massive sums of money, it simply doesn't happen anymore. When you add in to that that their fans are utterly brilliant, the style of football they play and the talent on show in their team it is, for me anyway, a club to aspire to. They have done things in very much the right way. As a Villa fan it is also a great, for lack of a better word, role model. In 2007 this club was on the verge of relegation to 2. Bundesliga and on the verge of bankruptcy due to over spending and over paying for players. They have since restructured, bought young, hungry and talented players from around Germany and the world and built this great team for a relative pittance, whilst also blooding a lot of their own youngsters into their squad. I think a lot of it is it's just a great story. Perhaps 20 years ago this story wouldn't have been so great. Building a club up was perhaps the norm but it doesn't happen very often anymore.

Robert Lewandowski is currently on about 40k at Dortmund. Im not sure I would be pushing 40k for Weimann, as much as I like him he is not in that bracket of player.

I've put off getting a Dortmund shirt all season, kind of wish I'd got one at the start now before the mass-bandwagoning started (not moaning about it, think its great fans en mass are looking up to Dortmund rather than the likes of Man City/PSG etc). Like the rest of you. Heart says Dortmund. Head says Bayern. Really, really want Dortmund to win this, liked them since 10/11. Echte Liebe.

Oh dear. Sky News Newsdesk @SkyNewsBreak Reuters: French soldier on patrol in Paris has been stabbed in the neck by a man of North-African origin

I just think this 'Lets be the new Dortmund' mentality has gone too far now. What with Lamberts new music video and everything.

In 28 Starts (+ 2 appearances from the bench.) this season, Westwood has had (in 2457 minutes of football): 2 Yellow Cards 0 Red Cards If we include Cup games and his games for Crewe (35 starts and 2 sub appearances), he has had: 2 Yellow Cards 0 Red Cards Definitely a walking red card.

...Bayern. However in Germany I guess they just have the one. Where as over here the money is a glass ceiling for a lot of clubs. United, City, Chelsea will outspend everybody and then Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool are in a group well above the rest of the league. So I do kind of agree with where you are coming from.

Agreed. If we're going to sign a Belgian wide attacker, it is more likely to be that Lestienne than Mertens, it would fit in better with Lamberts philosophy. Mertens is just an absolute non-starter.

Plus the guy who started this Mertens rumour was also adamant that we were signing Kelvin Leerdam and/or William Kvist in January.

It would take about £10m to get Mertens. Cannot see it, he will have more successful clubs than us in for him if he is for sale. Think he would work well in our system mind and maybe help keep Benteke. Maybe possible as a 'right, lets show Benteke we need business' move. But I can't really see that being Lamberts style.

I'm just going to assume we dont have a 'The Groundsman Thread'. Mat Kendrick @MatKendrick Congrats to #avfc groundsman Jonathon Calderwood on his move to PSG. I'd say the grass isn't always greener, but with Jon it always is We can't even keep our groundsman from wanting to join Champions League clubs! /s.

You should apply for a job with the diplomatic service. Haha, probably not the best worded bit, just think that when we get going our passing is superb. But then sometimes we are just a calamity and make very poor decisions. Can definitely be improved but we have a good starting basis.

Theres no chance Benteke will strike. He may throw his toys out of his pram a bit in preseason, at worst he may not turn up to some preseason games but I don't see that happening. He wont strike during the actual season though. No chance. Lukaku will be getting a much more important role at Chelsea next year and Benteke will need another season similar to this one to compete with that and be first choice for the world cup. Benteke will be going to the world cup pretty much whatever happens next season imo. It's that starting place he needs to compete for.