Dbonne10

So immensely proud of the boys today. Mcginn what can I say, a superstar today and I think frankly we need to find the next mcginn, the next Benteke, the next Martin Laursen etc. 

The market is so inflated it is incredible we need to be smart, we need to do our homework and scout properly. 

These players I mentioned were non entities but became amazing signings for us at very modest prices. Fulham is a warning that you could spend a 100 million and still look foolish in the Premier league. 

David Turnbull is ripping it up in Scotland, goal scoring midfielder, John mcginn didn't get anywhere near those figures up here as an example. 

Dean Smith has had to find players on a budget in his previous managerial roles, albeit this is a bigger scale to his Walsall and Brentford days but the same rules apply. Do your homework, get the right characters in and find quality that compliments what we already have. 

Probably an unpopular opinion but I would be  going for Chris Wilder at Sheffield United. I think he has a good blend of decent football and being hard to beat, knows the league, is getting the best out of what he has had at every club he has been at  and doing well at United  

I don’t want Big Sam, I don’t want Henry. 

Everyone out! Absolute shambles.

I agree with everything apart from the refs name which is mike dean :-)

Even sidwell looked like a superstar. I just find it baffling that alot of our so called 'flair' players did not influence the game once. Weimann anonymous for the whole game, Westwood was poor, Delph wasnt his usual self, Agbonlahor showed glimpses of an attacking threat and Benteke looked as if he strolled through the game without breaking sweat.

Never got going today at all. Parker and karagounis totally dominated the midfield. We were shocking in possession. Made so many stray passes, first touches and control of the football were terrible. It looked as if we hadnt played football with each other before.

In Lambert's (slight) defence injuries are kinda costing us here. Baker is never a left back, vlaar has been excellent all season. We were on a decent run but the style of football so far can only get you so far.

Im a huge fan of Lambert but we got everything we deserved today.... **** all

Best-

Laursen

Barry

Yorke

Platt

Mellberg

Milner

Worst-

Given

Balaban

Ireland

Collymore

Curic

Davies

Makoun

Purely for money spent Curtis Davies for 10 million quid was an absolute stinker. Zat Knight gave you everything he had but he was a poor centre half. I always thought Jlloyd Samuel was worse than useless (even though we didnt sign him) I was shocked the amount of games he racked up for us. Stephen Ireland I strangely enough believe he has something but his attitude stinks and that was a horrible bit of business.

Mellberg, Laursen, Benteke, Yorke, McGrath, Barry were super bits of business.

Jlloyd Samuel had a cracking season the year we finished 6th under Dolly the Pignosed Numpty.

am sure he even got an England call up at one stage. was garbage after that though. playing in Iran the last

Seems like an England call up screwed him up and it went to his head!

Best-

Laursen

Barry

Yorke

Platt

Mellberg

Milner

Worst-

Given

Balaban

Ireland

Collymore

Curic

Davies

Makoun

Purely for money spent Curtis Davies for 10 million quid was an absolute stinker. Zat Knight gave you everything he had but he was a poor centre half. I always thought Jlloyd Samuel was worse than useless (even though we didnt sign him) I was shocked the amount of games he racked up for us. Stephen Ireland I strangely enough believe he has something but his attitude stinks and that was a horrible bit of business.

Mellberg, Laursen, Benteke, Yorke, McGrath, Barry were super bits of business.

westwood has lost his place as far as im concerned, players should have to earn it back including tekkers and gabby

This

If we keep winning games without him he wont get back in the side simples.

I felt his own game was hampered by trying to cover the other inexperienced central defender (Baker, Clark). He needs to focus on his own game more and we will see him thrive this season... Hopefully!

Pleased with the business so far, I would like some cover for RB and an attacking mid which is what we are cleary craving for. It is a position that probably none of our current players are suited to. When we got Ireland I thought he would be a fantastic attacking mid that Martin O'neill would get the best out of.

He has been abysmal

Haven't been impressed with him at all since he has arrived. From last season's viewing he seemed very fragile but looking at the game tonight he looks a lot bigger and some of the link up play was very good, especially the goals. The wee flick pass over to Benteke was like WOOAH!

Promising...

If Andy Carroll is a world class player he would be first name on the team sheet for England. He is decent but nothing special.

Delighted Benteke has signed on again, I think he is a good player but has more to improve on this season for sure but he has some serious amount of potential in comparison to Carroll

We are more likely to sign Belhanda as he fits the current recruitment policy (and even that is unlikely).

I do admire Gareth Barry. A solid player and professional and he was a good player for us but we as a club are changing with our ideals, way of playing, recruitment and finances. This signing would upset the apple cart and send the wrong message so I would decline a return for Barry.

We need to find the next Gareth Barry, that is what we should be identifying ourselves as.

As previous posters have mentioned we hold all the cards. If he won't take doubling his wages then he is an idiot. His agent has been dodgy ever since he started talking to the media through the season. He is not bigger than the club and we wont be held to ransom.

Superb news!!!

Agreed. I would like to see the deadwood leaving now though, its not happening quick enough for my liking. Every week we are throwing money away on their wages.

Problem is you need to find a buyer and that isn't easy if the deadwood is on silly money.

Well the Toon are light up front so I think he would be a good signing for them

Fantastic news that he has signed. I think it was only a matter of time of him signing after securing our top flight status. He clearly has villa in his heart.

A hypothetical choice for you:

Benteke for another year

OR

Weimann for another 4 years?

Without a shadow of a doubt Benteke

He has what it takes to go to the very top, Andi works his socks off but you can unearth others like him from somewhere else. Benteke has the ability to be world class and he kept us up with his 19 goals last season.

If Paul Lambert thinks Jay Spearing is a good fit for our team then i trust him completly. Although he can be over enthusiastic in a tackle, seen him getting sent off for Liverpool a few times for really rash and stupid tackles.

Agreed pompeyvillian

With reference to Paul Lambert's comments i dont think he is someone you should get on the wrong side of. He can make your life a very uncomfortable one, just ask Darren Bent. It is clear that Villa are not impressed by the comments made but I do think he will be here next season anyway. Although I think 25-30 million is silly money for a player that has had one good season in the premier league. I Would be happy enough to sell at that sort of price.

Personally i don't care a jot how much a player costs & whether he is known or unknown, what nationality he is, team or division he comes from... If Paul Lambert thinks he is good enough to be part of a successful squad then i am all for it. In fact sometimes it is more interesting than buying established players who may or my not fit in with our style. In most cases it appears these types are too set in their ways through being established & are simply "unmouldable" perhaps.

 

Paul Merson stated yesterday on SSN when quizzed about whether "Villa would be able to hold onto Benteke", that sometimes a player just doesn't "fit" at a club no matter how good they are & that Benteke/Villa was a perfect fit & if he moves to a top 4 side this may not be the case & he could flop.

 

I believe we have witnessed this ourselves with the like of N'Zogbia, Stevie Ireland & many others over the years. Stan Collymore was another perfect example of that & he is a huge Villa fan!

 

So likewise for me if Paul Lambert thinks some unknown young star of the future will fit here then all power to him & i would rather watch a young player grow into a fantastic player at the club than watch some overpaid, couldn't give a toss, "name" come in & flop here... we have done that route & last season was a direct result of following that policy... If you need more evidence watch a re run of Sunderland's season.

 

It appears the "big name" (although "Big Ego" is possibly more apt in this day & age) players only give a stuff if they are playing for a top 4 side.. they look down their noses at clubs like ours & when here many treat the club & us fans with contempt. They couldn't give a monkeys. we are a nothing club to them, a stepping stone nothing more. There are the occasional exceptions of course but that was in the main many years ago when we still were remembered for winning cups & titles. We are now viewed differently & until we can change that we will suffer this kind of attitude.

 

Put it another way... name the players in the last few years who have signed for us & actually performed that had a big reputation prior to coming here.

 

I can think of only Darren Bent actually but then he came from Sunderland so could arguably have seen it as a step up in coming here... No other names will come near the place & the ones who have just look like they don't want to be here.

Agree wholeheartedly with this.

Fabian Delph can be a really good defensive midfielder. He may not be the most talented in terms of ability or technique but he puts in a shift and does his best to protect the back 4 and has made the position his own. At the moment he is certainly the number 2nd midfielder that you would automatically put on the team sheet each week (behind Westy). Let's see who we bring in during the Summer for the midfield.