Butterfingers

Think out of the bottom 7 teams, everyone of them (including us) would want to be in our position. It would be very hard for us to be relegated from this position & I still expect a minimum of 3, maybe 4 points between now & the end of the season. The time for the inquest is, as someone rightly stated, at the end of the season however, I'm now past the point of frustration. Apart from a fantastic run from Everton away to Wigan away last season, we've hit no form at all. We've had back to back wins once, maybe twice & never won 3 on the trot. Just as we see a glimmer of hope (Liverpool away, Chelsea at home) we go on & disappoint. To get 0 points from Fulham, Stoke & Palace tells me all I need to know. If you keep playing this dangerous gamble of trying to survive on a shoestring, one season it will backfire-It always does. If the Benteke sale really was going to fund next years transfer budget then I despair. I've never felt so flat in the 2 years Lambert has been here.

I said weeks ago that Falkner had delusions of grandeur with the FA-Lerner wants out 7 Falkner is bailing out. Sooner the better for both of them.

I said last night 34 would probably be enough. I was under the impression that Cardiff & Fulham were on 25 whereas they're on 27. In light of this, 34 is too close for comfort and another 3 points is vital.

I wouldn't advise anyone to put money on us being relegated. I'd wager this unique season will see 34 points being enough. Cardiff need 9 points out of the next 6 games to match us & I can't see that happening. We've lost 3 on the trot, we won't loose 9 on the trot which means we'll get points from somewhere anyway. More concerning is the fact that we will end up with less points than last season-Hardly progress.

Did very well today, as did Albrighton-Who cares who was MOTM out of the two? I found it frustrating how much Holt has to endure in order to gain a foul. He is clearly hard work to play against Could turn out to be one of the most crucial signings of the season given the circumstances.

Think the flak Bennett took last season papered over the cracks for Lowton. I like them both & would stick with them. Not saying they'd start if I was picking the team but would definitely keep hold of them.

Can't believe there is so much focus on our supposed "lucky" wins still. For me, it is an indication that we're half way there 7 can compete. One lucky win I'll give you but our performances against the top 4 are more than coincidence. Interestingly, nobody mentions our "unlucky" defeats such as Chelsea. Just think where we'd be if we could find more consistency against the teams around us? I think last weeks win has more or less put us safe. We now have a bit of a platform to play without relegation pressure between now & May. Instead of looking for 2 wins to keep us up, we can now look for 4 wins that will see us finish 10th.

It doesn't matter how much was spent on signings, we were never going to get anything decent in with the money we were offering in wages. When you have teams such as Stoke paying more than we do, it gives you an indication of the market we were in. According to HH, Kozak cost £4.5 mil. I would be more inclined to believe HH than Matt Kendrick for instance. Moving forward, there is talk of a more substantial budget in the summer. With delph putting himself in the spotlight on Saturday & Benteke hitting a bit of form, you have to be careful that the summer won't be one step forwards, two steps backwards

"the cross was a poor one" It was actually the only place the ball could have gone for a realistic chance of a Villa player getting on the end of it.

There is no right or wrong decision here. I am of the opinion the "if its not broke, don't fix it" regardless of Bertrams future. Think its wrong to pick a side on the strength of future decisions regarding players. Bennett played a blinder-What kind of a signal does it send out if you're dropped after a performance like that. My only reservation would be that Stoke mix it a little more heavily than Chelsea do but I'd still go with Bennett. I would never change a winning team other than exceptional circumstances-I appreciate football has moved on from this mentality but for me, its Bennetts place to loose.

2 wins & a draw or 2 from the remaining games will be more than enough Albion need 4 wins out of 9 games to match us if we only get another 6 points.

Can anyone blame Lambert for having a go back occasionally? he's busting a gut for the cause & has to endure this almost non-stop criticism. We've been 10th/11th for a good while. Surely this is about right after 1.5 seasons? Yes, he is a paid employee but if you receive stick at close range, you should be entitled to your pound of flesh now & again.

The Lambert seasons (off the top of my head) Swansea & Everton away last season Palace at home, Newcastle away this season. Theres another 4 conceded in injury time

The list that I posted concerns results mainly from seasons when we were finishing top 6. I accept under Lambert & McCleish could be down to the team being poor but the MON side certainly wasn't.

Not out of context as I see it. I don't recall us conceding as regularly pre- MON. I included the Chelsea game, as well as the Everton game in which we also scored the last goal as further examples of conceding at the death. All other games saw us concede 1 or 2 points. If you want me to put it into context, how about I compare the list to our own ability to score at the death? Its probably running at 50% of that list & don't forget, I've excluded the McCleish & Lambert seasons which would make the gap even bigger, if included.

How about this for a monopoly/ from MON in 2006 until the end of the Houlier season, all 90th min goals; Stoke home (2-2) 01.03.09 Liverpool Home (0-1) 29.12.09 WHU away (1-2) 04.11.09 Charlton away (1-2) 30.12.06 Spurs away (4-4) Arsenal away (1-1) 17.03.08 Stoke away (2-3) 02.08.08 Man U away (2-3) Marcheda goals 05.04.09 Everton away (3-2) Lescott Chelsea away (4-4) Stoke away (1-2) 30.09.10 & I'm not saying I've covered them all A few other happy memories: Bolton away (2-3) 88th min winner, Houlier season Fulham away Bullard winner 86mins 03.02.08 WHU away Ashton winner 88mins Blackburn away Dunne winner 88mins Liverpool away (2-2 when Harewood scored) Crouch equaliser 88mins Gerrard winner the same season at VP 87mins

Since the MON era, I don't think theres any Premier league team who hasn't scored against us in the last minute. On the flip side, I can only think of Weimans goal at home to Fulham & Young away at Everton where we've won games at the death. I thought we'd combatted this but still it continues. Why can't we see games out? Its not down to the manager because we've had several since 2006

The one time Bent & Benteke played together was Southampton away. I thought it looked good for 45 mins & Bent actually put us ahead. The pair started the 2nd half well & linked up early to create another good chance which was missed. This would have put us 2 up & probably out of sight. We then folded further back down the field & the 2 strikers hardly touched the ball for the last half hour or so. One of the many things that baffled me was why the pair weren't given a run together. Even Kozac has been paired with Benteke more times.

So it was nothing to do with career prospects & everything to do with money-What a surprise. I wouldn't mind betting that a big lump sum was paid out as well. I've no problem with this as it business but lets cut the crap that youngsters leave Villa because their prospects are better elsewhere or that they are forced to go out on loan.

Its called "chasing the game" BJ All teams do it when trailing.

My opinion is where the root of this bad feeling stems from & I don't believe it is helpful to AVFC I remember your brother when he was 7 or 8 & playing for Highgate. He was an exceptional talent then as I'm sure he is now. There is no right or wrong way to do this-Can you imagine the flak Lambert would get if he played a couple of kids & then we went down? Get behind the team & the club & stop all this bickering

I take it that it is all down to Lambert why these kids haven't had a "chance" We are a professional football club. We do not exist to give kids a "chance" Gabby had a chance & is still here. to put things into perspective, there is more chance of winning the lottery than there is of following Gabbys path.

Who is arguing? Are we not allowed a differing opinion on here either? I support Villa & I support Lambert. I don't hold the youth set up in the same esteem as you seem to & I certainly am not drowning in my sorrows over a 16 year old moving clubs.

So why mention it then/ & what is the problem you all have with loaning young players out? it didn't do David Beckham much harm did it?

Rubbish There seems to be an undercurrent at present between the U21's & the 1st team squads. I have my opinion of why this partly is We don't have kids currently good enough to play in our 1st team (sorry Kev) To claim Wilshere wouldn't have got a game here is hypothetical & imo incorrect.