Woody1000

I groaned to myself when he came on, and he did nothing to change my opinion.

He's a 'try-hard', and unfortunately that's all he'll ever be.

If he's still a Villa player come August 2014, I'll be very disappointed!

Pleased with a point after the first half performance, WBA are a decent side.

I'm impressed by the improvement in tenacity, would we have come back from 2-0 down against them last season?

I've got to say that I'm quite pleased with the respect shown to us by Wilmots to not use Benteke yesterday, as it was a dead rubber game.

I did have my concerns due to us not being one of the 'Big Boys'.

Maybe he has already offered to terminate his contract but we didn't want to pay it in full?

It is a strange way to treat players when due to a possible injury crisis you might have to bring them back into the team.

Why should we pay it in full if we don't have to?

This seems like just another opportunity for you to criticise again.....

I'm sorry, but I never buy this 'poor footballer' stuff. Like said above, if he's that desperate to play regular football then cancel your contract. If I'm honest, I'd rather the club did pay him off or at least make him an offer.

At the end of the day, it comes down to Hutton's reluctance to leave for nothing that is holding him back!

When you have a player who is 'too good' for your team, then he is always going to be linked to 'better' sides. It's quite funny really, as I wondered how long it would be before United went back to their old transfer policy of bullying teams beneath them for their players, as they can't attract them from the big teams.

This of course could be mere tabloid bulls***, but this is not all that unlikely IMO, especially now with a relatively unknown manager World football-wise like Moyes in charge.

Lets just hope that CB has a great season for us, and a storming WC next summer, then goes to Madrid for £60m

Well done yet again to PF.

He's been doing a really top job this last 12 months or so!

I just don't understand some of the negative comments regarding our net spend.

Sure, I would've loved to see us spending big money on players/wages, but we've only just got ourselves to a point of not haemorrhaging money - lets not start taking backward steps just yet.

As long as we're competitive on the pitch, then I don't care how cheap they are. All I care about is if they can do a good job, which by and large all PL's signings have done.

If we are in a relegation fight again this season then perhaps the method should be re-assessed, but I see no reason why we can't finish in the top half based on our end-of-season form last season and our start this year.

I'm not saying he's the messiah, but in Paul Lambert I trust!

UTV!!!

If we don't sign anybody else this window, I think we'll be fine.

I would be interested to know how our finances are looking now, and if the fact that we've still got high earners in Given, Ireland and Hutton on the books is actually preventing any further signings?

Great start to the season in general, neutral goal difference after 3 tough games.

But the main positive for me is the fact that Benteke, Lowton, Weimann and Westwood have barely got out of the blocks yet this season. (I appreciate that Benteke has scored a few, but for me his level of all-round performance has been lower than last season).

I feel that once the players mentioned above can find their stride, we will be more than a match for any team in this league.

Really pleased with the continued improvement of Delph, but still find his touch a little heavy at times when running with the ball.

Most importantly, we are starting to re-gain some credibility as a side - teams not just seeing us as an easy 3 points!

UTV

Pleased we're still in this, but if we carry on giving the ball away cheaply then Chelsea are going to pick us off in the 2nd half. Hopefully that equaliser will settle our nerves a bit, and give Benteke a lift as other than the goal he's been pretty shite. Come on Villa, we can do this!

He's just being honest. We have had it hard to sell these players as Lambert has not played the, and devalued them. New strategy needed tog get did of deadwood in future

So from what I can just about understand from that, you think Lambert should select and play footballers that he doesn't rate so doesn't want at the club? That is genius!

I see Darren's been running his mouth in the papers. Why can't players just keep their mouths shut?

I have a feeling that he is going to be a very important player for us, came on leaps and bounds as the season went on (from Jan onwards).

I'm a little bit sad that he's leaving, but understand that we can't afford a substitute on his wages!

I will always be grateful for his goals in 2010/2011 that helped keep us up, but realise that he has lost his place in our side to a superior player.

We can debate about systems to suit players, but I personally think this 4-3-3 that we had for the last 12 games or so last year really suits us, and for me DB isn't taking any of those front 3 roles unless there is an injury.

Best of luck DB, you'll always get a warm reception from me at VP!

It's not the transfer fee per se.

But, if you sign a youngish hungryish player on 2-4M what do you think his expectations of a salary are likely to be?

If you sign a player on 10M plus what do you think his expectations of a salary are likely to be?

Exactly Richard. This was my big concern about replacing Benteke. There were people already knocking RL over how much of the Benteke 'money' he would be given to replace him, but if we spent say £15m on a striker then he'd surely want £50k+ pw? Unfortunately big fees and big wages go hand in hand!

I'm sure that if Lambert wanted him, it would happen (from a financial standpoint).

I don't understand why some of you are still having a pop about Lerner not 'backing the manager'. We are still pissing away wages, nearly £250k pw just on Bent, Ireland, Given and Hutton!

We (as Richard already mentioned) have also given out a lot of new deals to the current squad this summer, and if I'm honest then I much prefer this set-up of rewarding players who have performed well for you to that of 4/5 years ago of bringing in players on inflated contracts - at least this way is sustainable!

We are playing things sensibly, and I am not going to criticise Randy for finally getting his s*** together. Sure he might have 'slammed on the brakes' somewhat financially, but we've survived it with out top-flight status intact, and hopefully he's learnt a lot from it.

On topic, Kiyo is a good player who would really fit in with the way we play, especially on the counter.

I'm going to go for 10th. I'm really excited about the squad, and the way that we play.

I do feel that we are still going to be a little fragile at the back, but I also feel that it is down to tactics rather than personnel - Lambert doesn't do 'cautious', and while it might see us take a couple of hidings against some of the better sides, I do like the way that we 'give it a go'.

It's more exciting to win 3-2 than 1-0 anyway!

Really pleased about this. Probably the best new deal of the summer!

If he can carry on performing at the level that he was the last 10 or so games of last season, then we will have a top right back on our hands.

As Trent mentioned above, difficult to believe we picked him up for under £1m!

Is it possible that his agent is just playing a blinder to squeeze another £20k-£40k pw on Benteke's new contract?

Old Man Said, the only reliable 'ITK' who actually gets bits of info, says that his agent is demanding £100k a week.

His agent is going to ruin Benteke's image and in turn his career, greedy tosspot.

The problem is that players valued as highly as we value him earn that sort of money.

We were dreaming if we thought he was going to be happy with the rumored £40k pw!

One thing that myself and a few mates were discussing in the pub the other night - as far as his wages go, shouldn't we be offering him at least £60k/£70k per week if we are valuing him at £25m+?

Surely it's not right for us to value him so highly that we demand that sort of transfer fee, if we are only going to offer £40k per week for example?

I think he will sign an improved deal in the next couple of weeks, and then he'll be off this time next year.

I think this would be a different case if we hadn't got our finances in order, but I honestly think that we don't need to sell - it would take a silly offer of £30m+ for us to even consider it this summer IMO.

I just think that as things stand that Benteke will be too much of a gamble for what he would cost to buy - he's only had one season after all! That suits us just fine!

I am waiting for the thing that always seems to get trotted out in these circumstances when linked with an older player - "I wouldn't want Player X to come in, and stall the development of Player Y or Z".

I try not to get too sentimental about players, if we can get in someone better then I am happy for ANY of of team to be replaced, including Benteke and Guzan!

Gareth Barry would improve our team without a shadow of a doubt, and dare I say he would be the first midfielder on the team sheet!

I'd hazard a guess you haven't watched him play recently.

Yes, I have seen him play thank you.

I apologise that I didn't put IMO at the end of my post, you clearly don't share the same opinion as myself.

So, he'd struggle to get into our side Stefan?

Just don't see the need to split up a 3 who have a great understanding for the sake of a bloke, who while obviously could still ply his trade at a high enough level, is past it to an extent. I'd much rather focus on the here and now, rather than go back.

I just think if he hadn't have played for us before, this link would be laughed off.

That's a fair point Stefan, and much better than the patronising one from the post before.

I still believe that we should have the strongest team available to us, and if Barry were to re-join and be part of that best eleven, then it should be so.

I'm calling it now that this thread has a rather different tone in 12 months time.

What, it'll be in Off Topic?!