AntrimBlack

Well, I am out of here now, so to all my fellow VTers - have a great 2015. I love the debates on here, but remember, there are more important things in life.

I would not be surprised if he signs a new contract, and I have no problem with that. There is, and was in the summer, a complete lack of interest from any big club which would encourage him to leave.

I don't think we would. The problem with our squad overall is that it's pretty... average. Delph has the potential to be a good player, but doesn't really do much for us due to his lack of end product. Vlaar is a good leader and good defender, but isn't so outstanding that he'd be hard to replace (unlike, say, Laursen) - indeed, Okore and Clark showed that during their period of being in the team together. Ideally, we'd keep hold of both of them and add to the team with more quality. Either that or we'd replace them with better players if we got rid of them in January. The worst case scenario would be letting them go in January and not replacing them or adding to the team at all. Even then, a big enough fall to see us get relegated? Unless we pick up a whole heap more injuries/suspensions, I'm not convinced it is. Better results against teams we really should have beaten would have put us in a position where we could have afforded to lose both of them and survive. Vlaar I thought we had cover for, and Delph I do not think has a great impact on any game. But with recent results, I am not so sure we could afford to lose them both. We looked to be safe at one point last season and then dropped alarmingly quickly down the table.

He will have to bulk up a bit.

Errr, if it makes goals yeah! If this possession football don't work and we still can't score goals Lambert will have no choice but to change it anyway, he will have to. Well, it needs to be a mix of both. Why is so difficult to comprehend this. It is all very well to tell them to play out from the back, but look at the number of times recently it has nearly got us in trouble. Do our players not even have the brains to know when to play it long, I was embarrassed for them.

As I have said before, Sanchez is a proper midfielder who makes an impression in the game. Get a couple more like him and forget about Westwood and Cleverly who `do the unseen stuff'.

I wasn't aware that we had to judge Lambert the same way our owner does. well thats the indication whether he has failed in his job not mine or your opinion Well, I have an opinion, and in my opinion Lambert and Lerner have both failed me.

Albrighton really was a one trick pony. I am convinced Grealish is so much more than that.

We are so bereft of energy and ideas up front, I think he should also be looking at Robinson, though I guess two youngsters on the pitch at the same time might be detrimental when it comes to tracking back. I can easily think of two front players they could replace.

36 goals in 77 games in a largely average side? Poor goal-scoring? If he was the finished article by now he would not be at Villa. I believe he was trying to be thesicious, but I could be wrong. Crikey, is that the first time this word has been used on Villatalk? Yes, I have certainly never heard it before. You learn something every day. And the post has made it onto Google!

Seriously? I think he's one of the hardest working players in the side, defensively he's absolutely excellent for a striker. I'd prefer goals, but his workmate and tracking back is exemplary. A speedy Emile Heskey, then.

What? Someone is having a go at Sanchez?

This.^^^^^

He definitely has something about him. Creates that buzz in the supporters when he comes on. How many front players have to get injured, do you think, before he gets to start a game?

If he is not going to sign a new contract he should be sold. Definitely replaceable.

Sanchez was fantastic. Grealish and Bacuna must surely start next match. Cleverly and Nzogbia are pointless. A fan of Weimann, but he was rubbish today and should be replaced. Agbonlahor is not much better, should perhaps be bringing on Robinson instead of either in a sub role at least at first. Benteke was also very poor. Too good to drop, but not sure he got involved enough today. Cannot really complain about that red card, but at least got a point. Defence was good and held out well, though Sunderland are pretty poor in their final third. 21 points now and halfway through, same again required second half of the season. Boring but acceptable, hoping for better things. Always stupidly optimistic.

Is that the best you can do? You, I am sure, know very well that the criticism is about being unable to do anything with the possession. The `new' possession game is clearly the way forward and everyone welcomes the change.

Vlaar, Okore and Clark, as Bobsy said, are all comfortable on the ball, but Guzan is the problem. He is putting the defence under pressure numerous times with his short passes, often too strong or bouncing. It will cost us goals unless he improves this. And there are times when he must consider that hoofing is the better option, to stop the opposition closing us down when they know what we are going to do and see how poor his distribution is.

One would also suggest that playing in the team with the worst goal scoring record in the English football league, does not say much for our top striker, never mind the back up players.

The issue is in the present, not the past. I'd assume Bacuna was smiling because he knew he'd made the right decision - irrespective of Benteke being a bellend. He displayed similar petulance when Grealish failed to find him against Swansea by the way. It's an issue because it's current - not in the past. It looks like he's starting to think he's too good for the club... To be fair, he is too good for the club.. Benteke will move on shortly as he has always said he will, and you will move on with him. Out of order to make that comment.

no apologies needed. I understand the point you guys are making. the only thing i didn't agree was the thing about him not giving his full 100% i do understand that he sometimes unrightly is mad on his mates but i'm sure that wen they are in the dressing room ther just laughing about it and do not have a problem. And I am just as sure that they are not. It really does not work that way. And particularly inexcusable when it is a young player like Grealish.

The team mate remembers it, and not in a good way.

What he was doing to Bacuna was the very definition of `berating'.

In my opinion, Benteke is overrated by many on here as well as many in the media. He has missed a lot of decent chances this season and last, collected a lot of offsides, and any amount of misplaced passes. He was amazing his first season with us, and has lived off that ever since. And his arrogance recently is a result of this early acclaim. He needs to sort himself out and start doing what he is supposed to do, score goals, because sure as hell he is not doing that. He has talent, no doubt about that, but he still has a way to go, and berating his team mates so publicly is hardly going to help him or them. Even his media darlings did not like it.

And to convince us doubters that Lambert can take us forward.