kasabian21

Unsure, but Lambert definitely read my post in the formation thread as Herd is playing DM/holding mid.

1) Grealish looks so natural on the ball. 2) Herd is the new Roy Keane.

Impressed by Stevens so far.

Both half's 4-3-3? It'll be a season of frustration with regards to Joe Cole.

The lineup according to sportsworldnews.com: Guzman; Richardson, Okore, Vlaar, Bacuna; Delph, Westwood, Yueng; Weimann, Cole, Weimann LOL.

Going with our current available squad. Guzan Hutton Vlaar Okore Richardson Herd Bacuna Westwood Delph Cole/Nzog Bent Defensive minded, sure, but could transform to the following without the need for subs: Guzan Hutton Vlaar Okore Herd Bacuna Westwood Delph Richardson Cole/Nzog Bent Yes, people may scoff at Herd but I like him and I think he'd do a job at DM and would have no problem covering LB position. If you wanted to make it more attacking then replace Cole with Weimann or Gabby and play two up top, or simply replace Cole with N'zog if you want to keep either of the above formations. You could start with N'zog and replace with Cole later on in the game - neither will give 90 minutes (personally, I'd start with Cole). Bacuna looks ok down a wing, so if he goes off on a run then Herd can slot into the midfield three. It is light on attackers, but having a DM gives you the option to sub him for any position required later on in a game when you may need to attack and score goals (by playing a 4-3-1-2 formation for example, Herd off Weimann or Gabby on). Plus, you can switch positions with relative ease. Herd can play DM, CM, CB and can cover RB and LB. Richardson can play LB or LM. Bacuna RCM, RM or RB.

What kind of signings were people expecting? Too much FM for sure. Players with experience + very tight budget = Senderos, Cole and Richardson. We're adding to the squad with players no worse than we've got now - an improvement I'd say, so I'm not grumbling.

We've still got Bent. Can Cole and N'Zogbia actually provide chances for him? That's been the biggest problem under Lambert, a lack of craft in attacking positions. If we create then I have a feeling Bent could still score goals. A few seasons ago Bent up top with Cole and Nzog behind him would have been a goal-fest. Sadly, it is not a few seasons ago.

Surprised at this to be honest as I thought he'd stay for a few year yet and get loaned out. Can't help but think if Randy wasn't selling up then he wouldn't have been sold.

Very happy with this in light of our current situation. Experienced and still has the ability. I'd be happy with 4/5 signings of the same ilk to be honest and add these to the players returning from injury and from the 'bomb squad' and our squad is half decent and has enough depth.

People we crying out for experience and we've got it. I don't see what the issue is. It's blatantly obvious we are/were never going to make any signings that we'd all agree were very good whilst the club is up for sale. We are only doing what most promoted teams do anyway, i.e. sign (old) supposedly past their best players for nothing. I think we'll be surprised by Senderos. I think he'll do a job and add some experience into the mix.

Sorry, what is actually happening here? Is he being released/allowed to go? Makes no sense at all. Must be things going on behind the scenes we don't know about. Shame really as I had high hopes for him.

I reckon Lerner will authorise a few new contracts and several loan deals, then in the January window the new owners will open their wallets. We'll probably flirt with relegation until that point but then we'll do just fine.

Lerner has to invest because if he doesn't and no-one buys us then he'll be left with a club that will probably be playing Championship football the season after...which will be worth sod all.

Is anyone bothered who takes us over as long as we have money to spend?

"Telegraph Sport understands there were extensive talks held with an American consortium earlier this year but negotiations collapsed and there are currently no interested parties".

I very much doubt that is true. Several reports of Lerner making funds available until the sale has gone through.

Surely Lambert going over indicates there is an interested party who will meet with Lerner and Lambert. A meeting between just Lerner and Lambert doesn't make much sense. Lerner won't be the owner soon enough so he isn't really in a position to sack Lambert as the new owner(s) may want to keep him (plus he'll have to pay out if he does sack him). And Lerner isn't exactly going to say, "Yes, Paul, you're staying", as it the new owners may want to bin him off straight away. My best guess would be that a deal is close to being done and that Lerner, Lambert and the new proposed owner(s) are meeting to discuss exactly what will happen.

The only reason he played such a defensive formation is because we have an abundance of (fit and/or experienced) defenders, unlike our midfield and attack. How way, way over the top would people on here have gone if he'd have started players like tonev, sylla and holt? There was no way he was going to start with Grealish or Robinson - be realistic. The only other alternative in my opinion was a 4-4-2 of: Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Clark; Bacuna, Westwood, Delph, Bertrand; Weimann, Bowery. Would have given us more width and the two wide midfielders in Bacuna and Bertrand could have helped defensively. What are people really expecting? Villa are a huge club in a historical and traditional sense, but now we're a low to mid-table team. It's time people also realised that this isn't Football Manager. People calling for Mancini as manager?! Harping on about players that are way, way out of our league etc..get a grip.

I still think Lambert needs to be given a chance to spend big(ger) money on players. All his biggest signings have been good, it's the cheaper 'punts' he's had to make to ensure we had enough players to fill the match day squad that have cost us/him. He's mainly purchased players from lower leagues (because he has had no other choice due to the financial constraints placed on him), so what are people really expecting? Injuries haven't helped the cause one bit - Okore out all season and Benteke & Kozak out for half of it - would we be where we are today if they'd have all been fit, in my opinion no, we'd have had at least another 8/9/10 points I think, which would put us mid-table. For me the last two seasons haven't been a true reflection of Lambert's ability as a Premiership manager; all it has showed us is that he can kept a team in the premiership within the confines of a ridiculously small budget. Yes, this isn't something I'm celebrating, but nor does it make me want to call for Lambert's head either. My ideal scenario would be Randy selling to someone with a lot of cash, all the 'bomb-squad' being cleared out and a decent sized lump for Lambert to spend in the summer. Even 30-35m would do, with a slightly more relaxed view on wage structure. I genuinely think we'd see the true Lambert if this happened and I'd put a lot of money on us finishing in the top half if he were given more money to spend.

Without financial constraints any manager could do a decent job with us. There is absolutely no excuse given the money/wages he's been allowed to spend for us to be in this position, again. I like the bloke and would like him to succeed with us for that reason as well as the obvious. But would I trust him with £50m? No chance. Just to make it clear, when I said with 'without the financial constraints', I meant simply not having the current ones imposed upon him, not total freedom to splash cash willy nilly.

Since O'Neill, Lambert is the first manager I've actually liked and 'felt a connection' with (yes, LOL). I felt genuinely sorry for him during that interview yesterday; you could see it in his eyes and tone of voice that he knew he hadn't been good enough and was on his way out. It is a shame as I think without the financial constraints he'd be a top class manager, I really do. I kind of don't want to see him go. I'd love to see him given money by new owners and another season to prove himself.

Inconsistent. That is the word that best describes Aston Villa. This place really is fickle. So fickle. But at least we get consistency here...

Lamber comedy genius!!! About Jose, "He reminds me of myself"..hahahahahahahaha.

In terms of our current best team: GK - Same RB - Same (Bacuna, for me, is no better than Lowton at his peak last season) LB - Improved CB's - Same CM's - Regressed. Although Westwood and Delph are doing OK, El Ahmadi and Sylla are worse. FW - Regressed. Benteke nowhere near as good. Weimann nowhere near as good. Gabby - same. So, yeah, we've regressed. Only area of the pitch we've improved on in at LB with Bertrand coming in.