Big_John_10

Well hopefully only one more half of this guy now.

Lowton and vlaar impressive then.

This is fun

Its so easy.

Sherwood not mentioned in the programme and levy critical of the football. Be interesting to see if any spurs players want to play for Sherwood today.

4-3-3 Bowery as main striker? Or 4-4-2 with bacuna and gabby out wide. Albrighton injured?

I think the combo of spurs being in a mess in regards to Sherwood and how some players view him and them maybe not too thrilled about Europa league could help us out today.

I agree he's put attackers out there but I think our style of play IMO hasn't been very attacking.

Do spurs want Europa league?

He can get the best out of himself, I think we all know that. To state that he wouldn't of made much difference is a bit ridiculous to be honest made, of course he would have and any team who loses their star striker would feel it. How many times did he do that though? He's not ronaldo and he's not going to consistently just make a goal out of nothing. With benteke this season we haven't looked great. We rely on hoofball up to him and IMO for most of the season wasted having such a quality player. I think with a different approach benteke could have made a big difference but the stats show with him wasn't that much different this season. How has he tried? What's he done?

Although we didn't go through the athletico Madrid game always stands out in my memory. I've never experienced villa park go as mad as when Stan scored.

I couldn't disagree more. Delph is a must in my opinion. I think we'll be a stronger team with quality players around delph than around Westwood.

TBH I'm not sure a fit benteke would have made much difference. Our approach to football this season wouldn't have got the best out of him.

No and I think that's the major issue. Look at the amount of goals we've let in over tbe last two years. Its not all down to baker and Clark. That's a fair observation. Personally I think a fair chunk of our goals conceded are due to an inability to retain possession, leading to extended pressure on the defenders and midfield when defending. But Ashley Westwood keeps the ball more often than not. IN other words part of the solution to leting in too many goals is to keep hold of the ball better, both up front and in midfield and defence. The goals conceded is a symptom of the problem of lackof ball retention. Better to treat the cause, than the symptoms, perhaps? I think you need a balance. You need to be able to keep the ball but also I think the midfield needs to have the ability to win the ball back. I think we need a strong DM and a good AM. I guess Westwood could play with those 2 but I'd rather delph. I think Westwood has a role as a squad player.

Hiring McLeish and gambling with our premiership status 3 years in a row. That's why I don't like him. How many current teams can say their 3 worst ever prem years are the last 3 in a row?

No and I think that's the major issue. Look at the amount of goals we've let in over tbe last two years. Its not all down to baker and Clark.

What's your point exactly ? What is your point? I say Villa bought League 1 players last season, you say Hull went up to the premier league with league one players. I say Hull spent close to £30M this season, you say Lambert spent £40M over two seasons, but fail to mention that Hull spent more THIS season than Villa. And still Hull are placed behind Villa in the league. Whoever the manager is, Villa can't afford proven Premier League quality players. Hull can, but still they are behind Villa on the table. Stoke HAVE a premier league team that need no rebuilding, just tweaking. Have you seen the Stoke City Team sheet ?http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/stoke-city/kader/verein_512.html I don't look at that team and think they are class. Hughes signed 7 players (including Stephen Ireland), plus 2 loans for a total of £6.2Mhttp://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/stoke-city/transfers/verein_512_2013_default_default_alle_a_default.html He's overhauled that team, and changed their style of play on peanuts But look what he did before with QPR. Nobody knows would could happened with a different manager. The fact is we stayed up and is all we could ask for. Lose tomorrow and it's our worst ever premiership season. Surely we can ask for more than that?

. MON still gets the odd mention so we'll get a few more years out of him yet.

Didn't you earlier say that Lambert had built a better squad than the one McLeish left?

Read your post and the responses, which seem perfectly reasonable. Why bother posting if it touches such a nerve when people try and debate, isn't that what a forum is for?I would like to think I am reasonable and am happy to debate, I wouldnt post otherwise! What I was unwilling to do is argue with people who hadnt either read the post, or understood it, or selected bits in isolation which changed the context. A example being where I state "tried to do" which is then somehow construed as "did do" and stated as a ridiculous claim! That is creating an an argument to argue against which is symptomatic of people who are blinded by their own views! If we were all still like that we would still think the earth was flat! :-) How has he tried to get us to play good attacking, passing football? We play more long balls than any team in the league and only 3 teams have a lower average possession per game than us. I think that's been his big problem, he was unable to build on such a strong end to last season. He had another pre season, signed more players and for some reason has been unable to get us playing good football and for the most part we don't even look like a team that wants to play attacking, passing football.

But didn't the man city takeover come completly out of nowhere? Exactly. I'm sure one minute their Thai owner was being investigated and the next they were buying Robinho! Yep. Transfer deadline day. No one knew anything then bam! They're putting ridiculous bids in left, right and centre.

But didn't the man city takeover come completly out of nowhere?

I've read about scripting before but does it happen against the computer? As my career mode has gone mad!! I'm in my 3rd season with villa and in my first 2 finished 5th and then 3rd. I can now no longer win a game. My players can't pass, I've missed one on ones, I've put it wide with an empty goal and if I do manage to get a goal the opposition then turn into 1970's Brazil and almost always equalise straight away. Its really ruining the game and if it is scripting I have no idea why they'd put that in when you're playing against the computer.

I'm not sure how you can say I'm blinded and at the same time try to claim we've played good attacking, passing football. There are no stats to back that argument up at all.

Lambert hasn't changed styles much at all, that's why we've been so bad most of the time. And changing formations and not getting results doesn't mean your not tactically limited. Who cares if he changes formation a few times if the result is the same? How can you say this and then later say Either he had constraints or he didn't if he did therefore he couldn't spunk a lot of wages on journeymen footballers. Good attacking, passing football? We've barely seen that.