Pez1974

That. And Okore out in front by some margin. Both of these. I think Okore will end up being world class, and that we will simply be a major step in his evolution, like with Benteke. My hope is that we can take massive strides as a club over the next couple of seasons, and we can keep hold of these guys as they realise their ambitions with us and become legends.

Welcome. Here's to another dozen pages of puns!

This for me, although perhaps Sylla for Delph. IMO we will sign a quality ACM.

I have always thought (and I am a bit older than you!) that too few of our ex-players go onto our caoching staff. Obviously Brian Little (he who uses a lake as a running track) and John Gregory have been managers in the not too distant past, and we now have Sid and Stan on the staff, but I agree - surely there are those who want a career in coaching and we can help them out. However, it is one thing to give them a chance but they have to come or to scratch - we are not a charity!

Tough start. The headlines will all be about needing more experience before the and of August! Seriosuly, a few clubs in the past have got off trhe bad starts with a tough fixture list and haven't really recovered all season. At least Lambert has shown he can turn thhis around!

Although I think we should get rid of Albrighton, Bannan, Holman, Delfouneso and Stevens, these guys won't cost a lot and do make an effort. The priorities must be Ireland, Bent and Given, followed by Hutton and N'Zogbia. For what they offer the team (albeit for differing reasons), these guys must go to keep the clubs move towards financial stability going. I reckon this is why there are the unattributed quotes of "they are free to find a new club", which probably eminate from the club, about the 'big 3', with any noise about the others usually coming from the players themselves (like with Holman). IMO Bent and Given will eventually go as they want to play football will still command good wages; Hutton will go as he has shown willingness to play, and is still a regularl international. I think Ireland and N'Zogbia will be the problems.

Great news. Hungry and proud.....can't ask for me.

I am perfectly happy with what we have done so far. My guess is that there will be 2 or 3 more to come after Helenius and Luna, and these will be shaped by who goes and what Lambert see's in pre-season. I also suspect that these could be more obvious first starters than some of the others who have arrived so far. The club have backed Lambert in getting in some younger players who appear to have differing levels of potential, which is no doubt reflected in in the transfer fees paid and wages they are on. If we weren't doing this, I would be very unhappy.

I also think that Stan's issues have made the club better. I find that Villa fans were not generally popular with other fans, but our support for our captain over the past 18 months has shown us to be the thoroughly decent people that we (and most football fans) are. His issues have brought a sense of proportion to many of our views on football, and given us a commonality of cause during this period. Hoping (and assuming) that the worst is now behind our captain, I think that Villa Park is a better place for the journey he went through, and we supported him on.

We have a front 3 which most clubs in the premier league envy. And we have (and are) adding to it. And they are all young. We have a manager and a philosophy which almost everyone connected with the clubs appears to buy into - that is rare. We have a defense which let in too many goals, but that was with inexperienced players. It was improved upon late season, they players have more experience and we have signed a young monster to replace an old hippo. We do our business right, with respect and on the quiet. This meant that Everton got told to piss off when they enquired about Okore at the last minute (if reprts are to be believed). We are a club people want to come to, rather than being a pay-day as we were under MON. And we are getting rid of the chaff. Genuinely, I see nothing to feel down about. We probably won't challenge for a Champs League spot this season. Or the next. Or the next. But we will play exciting football, with players giving their all, without putitng the future of the club in jeopardy. And I think we will be in the Champs League in 5 years - with Bentekers leading the line!

Wow, being a Villa fan right now is great! Even those (fairly) not gushing in priase are only being cautious! For me, I think PL knows who he wants and is going out and getting them whenever he can. Last season Ireland, Hutton, Warnock, Dunne, Makoun, Petrov, Delfouneso and to a lesser degree Given and Bent played no part in our squad, whilst the likes of KEA, Holman, Zog and Bannan had limited roles. Losing them does not affect the team; adding those we have already strengtens the team as it creates a baseline of performance that the current players cannot drop below without being dropped. This in itself will help. Also, as has been pointed out by many, the likes of Westwood, Lowton, Guzan, Benteke, Weimann, Clark, Baker, Vlaar, Bennett and even Sylla now have the fabled premier league experience, and will be better for it. I do think that Bennett will improve vastly next season, as he has some more experience and (hopefully) will have a full pre-season behind him, which he didn't have last year because he was injured. And remeber, our form in the last couple of month of last season was not relegation form - it was top 8 form. With additions, why should that not continue? The 'news' today that Ireland is free to leave, whilst obviously not being news, shows that someone related tro the club is trying to shift him, and the others presumably. The club needs to keep an eye on finances, but Lerner clearly trusts Lambert, and the players who have left so far have freed up enough money to allow purchases to be made. I suspect that once (if) the likes of Bent, Ireland and Given have gone, plus a few others who are surplus to requirments, we will see more signings, probably with one or two 'marquee' signings in there. I am so positive about the next few years right now, more than I have been since MON first joined. Top 10 for me already next season

A lot fo the family were WBA. My uncle Barry was a Villa fan, and he took my older cousin, brother and them me to stand on the Holte. And from there, it's in your blood.....

Vlaar. No need to change it for next season. However, he will have to step up again if he wants to keep it for 14/15.

Close. Getting money for Ireland would more impressive. Getting rid of Bent, Ireland, Hutton and Given (on top of Warnock, Dunne and Makoun) would be unbelievable.

Even if they are just rumours, it's nice to hear that a few clubs may be interested - increases the liklihood of his departure and perhaps means we will get a reasonable fee. For me, the guy has done nothing wrong, but is taking up way too much wages for his role in the squad and we should offload. If he is on the reported £80k per week, saving £4m in wages next season (perhaps offset by £1m wages to his replacement) would mean that £6m+ would be decent business for us.

Lazy journo link, or an agent trying it on for me. Reading would ask way too much for this guy, and his wages would be relatively high too. Lambert is getting in quality and value from all over Europe - why would he bother with this guy?

I love this link. Not being Danish, nor a player of compuer games I know nothing of the guy. However, I have banged on in the past about the clubs lack of footballing strategy (i.e. buying Bent after we sold the best wingers in the country; changing the style of player from wingers to 4-3-3, via Houllier and MacLeish; etc. Having 2 similar players in the squad figting for the same place makes perfect sense.

Great news. This summer is so un-Villa like! Signing up the better players to longer contracts; getting rid of the shite; signing promising younger players.......

That's about it for me.

I doubt he would be interested in Sinclair. He represents everything that got us into the mess we are just getting out of - expensive; high wages; somewhat inconsistent; lack of committment (preferred wages to playing); etc. I love the way we are going with Lambert - Tonev would cost much less than Sinclair, probably be on less than half what he would want in wages, international etc. The current England problems are easily put down to a lack of English players in the Premier League, but the transfer fees and wages being demanded result in clubs looking abroad for cheaper and better players. Scott Sinclair (amongst many others) are a perfect example of this issue.

Good plan Mikey. Stick the academy ones in for me, just after the 1st team squad - don't try and do in chrona chroni in date order. IMO Lichaj, Marshall and Dawkins are way too high. Probably less then £20k per week between them.

Agreed. We don't want him; PL won't want him' he won't want to come here.

He did say something like that, but I think he was just being polite in reponse to a question about possible signings. He isn't going to say "Defoe? Jones? Nah, they're shite." Unless something unimaginable happens, I would gladly put my house on us not signing someone like Defoe - wrong type of player, in the wrong position, on the wrong wages, at the wrong age, with the wrong lifestyle. The only caveat to that is that a 30 year old central defender may be considered as a short term option if the main targets weren't available. But I wouldn't expect it.

This is a serious point, so please bear with me..... If we sell Bannan. And Ireland. And Hutton. And Bent. And with Dunne, Makoun and Warnock now gone. Who the **** are we going to argue about?

The Defoe link just makes me smile! In the past I would have been worried, but I just don't think that PL would be interested. However, there does seem to be a few clubs interested in Benteke, so at least we should be able to force the price up to silly levels if we do sell. As for Capoue, I would love him here. There are always links to bigger clubs, bu that is probably just agents stirring things up. Will we get him? Nah! McGeady? I thought MON had left!