VILLAMARV

Think I read someone saying that the main difference between watching him in Holland was that he used to press much higher up the pitch and being asked to sit deeper doesnt suit him. Im not a watcher of Dutch footie though. Ive said before I'm a big believer in foreign players being given time to settle - look at begkamp at Arsenal. hopefully Sylla might bring the best out of him as the only real problems with him I could see when he was playing were being caught out by the physicality and pace of it all (which hopefully he'll get to grips with like Petrov) and the crab like passing he's famed for. I would agree with the poster that said he's the one central midfielder we've played this year that moves into good positions after releasing the ball too.

He has definately been shit this year, no doubt about it. The thing I dont get is wasnt he a left midfielder at some point? he runs about alot, and can cross the ball. thats a winger isnt it? or is that me remembering him before his head got turned by Arsenal and he started getting arrested on drink driving charges? I dunno

Yeah, wasn't saying it must be anything. just reminding people that while it's entirely fair to criticuse Lambert for things on and off the pitch we ultimately dont know why Bent's on the bench, stripped of the captaincy, we dont know why Ireland doesn't perform unless he's advertised on Twitter the previous night. In Irelands case his whole career looks like a missed opportunity & I dont think we can blame lambert for that, for example.

YAY POSITIVITY!!! Beat West Ham, QPR, Fulham and Sunderland at home and get 6-8 points from Reading, Stoke, Norwich and Wigan away. UTV

Totally agree with the sentiment, just feel more confident when watching us this season that we are gonna score when Gabby, Weimann and Benteke are on the pitch and Bent is on the bench. If we go to a 442 at all he may yet well score the goals that keep us up though. totally!!

Wasn't attacking Collymore - just using it as an example that ability as a player and the way you're managed by individual managers aren't the only factors that can affect what happens on the pitch. Some people dont want to accept that Lambert isnt the SOLE reason the players aren't performing. Ireland is indeed a conundrum. If conundrum means you only get a performance out of him after his mrs posts pictures of him smoking pipes on the internet. I think the Bent thing is going to go down in history with half our fans as dropping an underperforming player and the other half as the thing that cost us / nearly cost us premiership staus. delete as applicable come May.

This is a point fast forgotten here I think. well said. I agree Bent and Ireland COULD be 2 very important players over the next few weeks we all know the ability is there. But are they really interested? Lambert might have alot to do with that. Whoever said he mismanaged the captaincy issue may have a point regarding Bent's apllication since being dropped.Personally I'd rather a manager who doesn't just play the big names come hell or high water. If lambert was this we would have been watching Gabby - Bent upfront all season instead of Benteke - weimann and I know which I prefer to watch.

I just couldnt agree more with the start of this. I think McMuppet was well out of his depth to be honest but there's no doubt in my mind that the somewhere in our group of players there is something very rotten indeed. The fact that some players are paid alot adds fuel to the fire of criticism but ultimately it is about performance and application. The idea of buying "young, hungry players" might say alot about the finances at our club but also says alot about the application and desire of some of the old heads IMO. Think back to Collymore for instance - undoubtedly talented, showed great application at forest and early Liverpool career and was a REAL player. Did he lack desire for us? well as a fan the obvious answer is no, but by his own admission his head was never really right when he came here. We had a great player at the wrong time in his life. Brett Holman is a great example to back up the point of trying for a new manager. If our "more talented players" (the ones who can actually pass!) could show the same determination on the pitch as him I doubt we'd be in the bottom 3 Tough to defend Lerner though no matter how much money he's spent. Many feel after disposing of Steve Stride and never replacing him he deserves everything he gets. I do feel that we are only part way through the costcutting process. I suspect Lambert is quite sensible and thought he could go down / stay up with villa or norwich this year. I dont think its a bad decision on his part to join a club with a bigger stadium, fan base, and if you can clear the books then budget.

and con, if you could find a stat for "player that makes the crowd groan with disappointment most" in a game I assure you this season Bannan is waaaaaaaaaay out front

not saying Sylla's gonna be mint coz ive never heard of him either but does anyone remember that young kid we signed who never went on to do anything in his career here or elsewhere that graham taylor took a punt on even though he played for some shit part time club on trinidad somewhere. Talk about a nowhere club in a nowhere league. Hadnt even scouted him just saw him play against us in a friendly I believe. Nightmare. Never played in a top league and he was like 15 or something!! what a stupid idea that was. much rather we signed players with prem league experience like Djemba Djemba - Beye - Heskey - Warnock - Hutton - Shorey - Jenas - Ireland......zzzzzzzzzz

so we all know Lerner is ultimately to blame along with Faulkner et al for the financial mess we're in. as ever some people say Lambert in some people say Lambert out some say shake it all about Im gonna hit the hay but I'll be back tomorrow when we can all pick ourselves up and go again!! UTV and welcome to Sylla and Dawkins

If you'd have asked me at the start of Jan if I wanted to get rid of Warnock, sign a DMC, Loan out Hutton and Loan some guy in or do nothing I know which I'd have gone for. UTV

yeah I know, but someone asked what the Guardian had said so I posted it is all.

thats all folks

they also chose to add this inciteful comment to their feed: 10.27pm GMT "I'm starting to think Paul Lambert is using Champ Manager to search players and doesn't know quite how to work the filter," muses Ben Bennett.

not alot just more sneering sarcastic tones coursing through all the media about villa today Good news for Aston Villa! Nah, only messing: it's more bad news. Well, not news as such, rather rumours which could be entirely baseless but are worth mentioning for, um, the sake of heaping despair on already-suffering supporters. Sorry about that. Anyway, here it is: whispers in Belgium claim Manchester City are contemplating making a late bid to take Christian Benteke away from Villa and seal the struggling club's relegation. and Aston Villa's plan to propel themselves out of the relegation zone has just got a boost as they have completed the loan capture of ... Simon Dawkins. It was that chap off the BBC was the one that got my goat earlier though

This was pretty much what I was trying to say. What did I just say? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

why if he comes and is ok is it a given he would re-sign for spurs again anyway? More worried that he'll head back to San Jose whatever where they love him and he has a nice lifestyle in positive thinking California. he's had loads of injuries so probably just another Delph. but on the off chance he's any good and starts getting a game for us why would he sack it off to go back to warm the bench at a club that obviously dont have room in the first team for him? If that's all we're doing then so be it. like someone just said we weren't looking at ANY signings yesterday tea time and now look at us signing players from all over the place. If nothing else they've taught me a few new places I'll probably never go to. Saw that Guardian thing too - BBC's been a sarcastic child born out of wedlock most of the day. Hopefully Lambert has seen it too and posts it to the dressing room walls as motivation for all the fighting and wheel turning we've got to look forward to till May.

2201: DONE DEAL - Simon Dawkins - Tottenham to Aston Villa 2200: THE TRANSFER WINDOW CLOSES IN ONE HOUR BBC say confirmed Funny just now on radio 5 Pleat: Good player, impressed everyone at spurs, resigned him after injuries sent him off to USA where hes done really well, good player. Savage: Will he keep Villa up? Pleat: Errr not neccessarily

hours ahead of you on the shitfaced - goes well with a big shot of hope I find. Which is literally all we got to cling to till after the stoke game!

getting silly now ! everyone's tired. I guess everyone's keeping up with the odemingie saga unravelling tonight........quick loan bid? cant see much of a future for him in the baggies dressing room!! Also this made me laugh on the BBC site : Simon in Norwich, via text: "Just heard Darren Bent coming to NCFC as a last resort to Gary Hooper not signing. Oh my oh my." That cant be right for so many reasons but about the only club we could ask for £30m from with a straight face!! Go on Delia you know you want to!!

LENNY KRAVITZ - IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER Here we are Still together We are one So much time wasted Playing games with love So many tears I've cried So much pain inside But Baby it ain't over 'til it's over So many years we've tried To keep our love alive But Baby it ain't over 'til it's over How many times Did we give up? But we've always worked things out But all my doubts and fears Have kept me wondering, yeah If I'd always, always be in love

thanks for that I like laughter

the twitter statement is also being quoted in the news feed on the OS although that is obviously full of shit half the time

Blatantly off topic but yeah damn nails. On topic. we will ulimately find out who cares about the club I suppose. Fans, Managers, Owners, Players the lot. and if the unthinkable happens (again) then we WILL rise like a phoenix from the flames and that bit will be more fun than this bit. Even if it takes a few years. Once the shock, anger, denial, anger, resentment, anger, sadness and tears subside we will pick ourselves up and go again