roadoftrinity

This thread, at well over 400 pages long, will probably go down in history as the biggest waste of time thread ever to appear on VT.

The Generals thread?

Maybe Everton can take guarantee getting the extra revenue from the Premier League next season, and are prepared to spend some of that now to try and get Champions League, if they don't get Champions League, they just have less to spend next season.

Villa can't guarantee anything. Not that I dont think we should spend the money, just Everton are in a more stable position to take a risk on money they are guaranteed, ours would be a gamble.

I was thinking about this as I typed my message; we did need a striker and it was quite rightly our number 1 priority in the summer, along with signing a decent centre back. Both of which, we did. 

If money was so tight, central midfield was more important than signing 2 full backs, yes, Hutton and Warnock were shite, but it's the centre of the park that is most important so that would have been 5 million? to spend.

Paul Scharner is available on loan from Germany, could do a job in the centre of midfield for the rest of the season? Also might help us not conceed of corners.

He has though hasn't he? We're crying out for any kind of professional to take control of our midfield. The loss of Stan has possibly been our biggest lost during the whole Premier League era, because we simply haven't replaced him, and have been left with a bunch of youngsters trying to run our team.

I blame Lambert for not replacing Petrov. We needed some experience in the centre. I guess he hoped KEA would replace him, but we need somebody there.

Maybe Danny Murphy isn't such a bad shout.

I am pretty desperate for anyone to come in, even if it's someone like Danny Murphy on a short term deal. 

Lerner has a lot to answer for if he has driven us to this.

This is one of the funniest things I have read in a LONG time.

Anyone who won't go on a forum because of a fear of what mean little words someone might reply with is pathetic.

Thank you for the amusement.

You need to get out more. Seriously.

Why was it such a misake to take off N'Zogbia? He was brilliant in the first half but 2nd half his main contribution was giving the ball away before the first goal. He was taken off after 67 minutes after we had been under the kosh for most the 2nd half.

As for Bannan coming on, shame Herd was injured as think he would have been more suited to how the game was going. Shows how badly we need a new midfielder.

Parker and Lescott were the two players mentioned, it's not just the cost of them, but wages they would both be on 60k a week plus, and agents fees with no sell on value. Are we not look to get rid of ageing players on long term deals?

Think he will start, if he is in full training then he just needs match fitness.

Someone like Christopher Samba would be ideal, i know he's probably on huge wages in Russia but surely worth a loan enquiry with the racisum issue's he's had out there. Could want to come back to the Premier League and would be exactly what we need.

Maybe slightly better than Bannan today, but still no where near good enough. Kills a lot of attacking moves by taking too long on the ball when we need him to shift it forwards quickly. Neither him or Bannan support the attack and neither get within 10 yards of the opposition box.

I think after how we have had teams cut us open through the middle every attack for the last 4 games, Lambert probably told out midfield to side in front of our back four. Think we will see of that and the front four attacking.

If Lescott took a pay cut and left the champions of England to help us fight relegation I think that would prove he still is hungry enough.

It would be a massive signing for the club.

How often do footballers take paycut's? Lescott's a regular in the England squad as well. If he is leaving Man City and prepared to take a massive paycut, then there will be teams above us in the league that are after him.

I'm not saying he's a poor player but comparing him to Drogba is silly.

Agree completely, same way it is silly to compare him to Carlton Cole.

You could also compare him to Drogba if you are looking for a player that came from abroad and was poor when he first played, in fact he only poor for one game, Drogba was poor for a season.

Didier Drogba played 41 competitive matches his first season. He had 26 games in the Premier League, netting 10 times as well as getting 5 assists. 5 goals in 9 games in Europe as well. I would not exactly call that poor, and I doubt Benteke will (ever) have such a good season from the first signs on him. Not bigging him down of course, but Didier Drodba when he came here was a great signing and he then turned out to be world-class. Thus, Chelsea paid over 20M for him I think and he ended his career there by scoring the winner in the Champions League.

Drogba looked shite when he first came, I don't care about the full season stats, certainly at the start of the season and was considered a waste of money by a lot of Chelsea fans.

I'm not saying that Benteke will be anything like him, I was just saying that you may as well compare him with Drogba as compare him with Carlton Cole as people were doing.

Both are ridiculous comparisons after so little time in English football.

From what I've seen I think Carlton Cole is probably quite a good comparison. Not necessarily the really bad Carlton Cole who played for us (although he was on Saturday) but the average, inconsistent big centre forward who is occasionally really rather good. Not a bad option to have in the squad but not a starter for me.

You could also compare him to Drogba if you are looking for a player that came from abroad and was poor when he first played, in fact he only poor for one game, Drogba was poor for a season.

It's ridiculous to try and compare him to anyone at the moment. One premier league start and you are labelling him inconsistent etc.

Will never forgive this prick for QPR & everton

word removed

Ah, your conspiracy theory that Warnock meant that own goal resurfaces.

Considering Warnock tried to do the same thing the week before, you can see why people might think that.

Even on Soccer Saturday said that Warnock had been trying to score an own goal for a few weeks and finally succeeded.

I think it's just because he is useless, but it was very bizzare that he tried one week and give pulled of a fantastic save, then managed to do it next home game.

I really, REALLY doubt that the club would be stupid enough to sign him if there was any chance of him being convicted.

Coriolanus.

we signed zat knight just hours after he and his gang member brother were arrested for drug and firearm offences at the house zat bought

Did Knight get convicted?

No, Knight just happened to be visiting his brother at the time of a pre-planned police raid. He only happened to be in Birmingham as he was signing for us.

Lambert said that Lerner would have given him more money if required. So either Lambert is lying or he is happy with his signings and backing.

Adam Williams‏@AdzW90

RT @BBCSport: Aston Villa have begun negotiations over a deal to sign Joey Barton from QPR #AVFC

Why not check @BBCsport before posting the cr@p here?

NRC hasn't really played in a team like ours before - he can do short sideways passing and he'll be surrounded by players who take the ball off him. His strength lies in his ability to limit the opposition and break up what they're trying to do - he's not perfect but we only have Herd who can do that and he is still relatively inexperienced. Anyone remember when NRC took Cristiano Ronaldo out of the game when we played Man U at VP a few years back? He started RB but basically man-marked him the whole game and gave him nothing, Cronaldo sulked off as he was getting subbed, milking the boos from the crowd.

I do, then the game after he had absolute stinker against Liverpool and Albert Riera tore him another arsehole.

NRC can't pass the ball 10 yards, he never lifts his head up to look around. Also, he can't play in a passing team as he never makes himself available for the ball, he always stands with his back to the defenders when they have it, same when people have a throw in, he never wants the ball because he doesn't have the ability to do anything with it.

I'd definitely take NRC back on a free - we need someone who can hassle the opposition from midfield.

We are not that desperate. I wouldn't even want him if he offer to play for free. We are looking to keep the ball better, NRC is certainly not the player for that.

Now if the Jones thing isnt happening does that mean that he has someone else lined up?

Based on Lambert being at wolves the other night, Ward & or Doyle ?

I would be happy with Doyle but think Wolves would want to much money for him. If he was around £5 million I think he could be the ideal forward to work with Bent. Holds the ball up well and would run the channels.

Mat Kendrick's denied this on Twitter.

Where? I can't see it.

I am fully behind Lambert BUT, if we do sell Dunne and we don't bring in another centre half then it is a huge mistake! Having Vlaar, Clark, Baker and apparently Herd to cover the centre is not good enough. From what I've seen of Baker I'm not impressed. He should be out on loan. I'm not the biggest fan of Clark either. He seems far too lightweight, especially if him and Vlaar are going to be the number one pairing. As for Herd, I know he's a natural right back but can he even play centre half? I have my doubts! Very big risk to sell Dunne and not replace him. Imagine if Vlaar gets injured! Would you be confident seeing Clark and Baker as our centre half partnership? I definitely wouldn't.

I wasn't confident watching Dunne and Collins as centre half partnership either, in fact most the time last season after watching them to clowns play I was fuming.