Matt1874

He's not that good

Yep that wasn't enough to stop Bowery getting a game. Ability doesn't seem to be important to Lambert when picking the team

He isn't number 2 then?

Very underrated player who is Villa through and through. Gutted to see him go.

He was the Danish league player of the season before he joined us. He can't be that bad. I hope we keep him

Hopefully we'll get a new manager and Helenius can impress in pre season and be given a clean slate. Same with N'Zogbia.

Guzan Bacuna Vlaar Baker/Clark Bertrand KEA Delph Lowton Tonev Albrighton Holt Tonev can shoot at will with either foot. One will go in eventually. Lowton and Albrighton are our best crossers/creative hope and i'd fancy Holt to get a lot of decent delivery. KEA and Delph can keep it tight in the middle.

What a goal by Dorrans

I'd love to see us sign Johnson. But then I'd also like us to keep hold of N'Zogbia and give him a run in the team

I'd be gutted if Marc left. He's been one of our standout performers in the majority of games he's been involved in

I like them both and think that they should both be starting. Bacuna is a better defender, mainly down to his pace and strength. Lowton is an excellent footballer who offers a lot creatively. I would have been pretty confident seeing Lowton and Albrighton coming on yesterday.

The guy doesn't have a football brain. He doesn't really have a clue what to do with the ball at his feet. He is not good enough and should be sold/loaned out/given away

I just don't believe for a second that he didn't know it was his girlfriend behind the door/that she didn't make a sound before he shot her dead.

Bertrand should start. I'd like to think that for Joe, the Chelsea game - his performance and fans reaction - will do him the world of good regardless of whether he plays against Stoke.

Oh yes he has

When Vlaar's out i'd rather see Herd come in than a CB pairing of Clark and Baker.

id throw him in centre midfield, the guy can pass and except Westwood nobody else can. not on the same level at all but watching Lahm do it the other night I dont see why Lowton couldnt be tried Only issue I have with this is his lack of discipline, his positional sense at RB is ridiculous could you imagine him in midfield. The only problem I have is that he's rubbish, and if he isn't good enough to command a place as right back, why then shift him into midfield? Has there ever been an occasion when a right back has successfully reinvented himself as a central midfielder? Whether it's been done before x number of times is irrelevent. If he has the attributes to play there then try him there. We're hardly blessed with options in midfield. Sylla being the obvious example. I think he offers an awful lot creatively and would love to see him given a chance in midfield.

From BBC. Mel sounds just what we need! "Senior players have expressed their concerns to Mel after struggling to adapt to the 50-year-old's preference for a high-tempo pressing game... It is understood the players' preference is to adopt West Brom's usual counter-attacking style, which helped them finish eighth last season and 10th the previous term." Straght swap!?

Not proud of myself but just put £20 on us to get relegated at 10/1. The way I see it is that i'd happily pay £20 right now for us to survive! And if we don't then I won't have to go to the cashpoint to fund me drowning my sorrows!

Not proud of myself but just put £20 on us to get relegated at 10/1. The way I see it is that i'd happily pay £20 right now for us to survive! And if we don't then I won't have to go to the cashpoint to fund me drowning my sorrows!

Agree with this. His perfomances last season are massively over-rated by many. He's maybe even worse this season but has never looked anywhere near good enough

Can't we just pay Sylla to take him to and from training and to play golf and FIFA with him? If I was Benteke and cared about Villa I think I'd struggle to stay friends with a team mate who is such a liability on the pitch!

You'd have thought that a place up front for his country in the World Cup would be enough motivation for him though

Benteke is definitely performing way below his best. Last season he was an absolute beast, a battering ram that defenders couldn't compete with. He doesn't like anything like that now. He's lost his fight/motivation. He was only behind Messi and Ronaldo in goals scored in European football in the 2nd half of last season. Playing for us! He's got the talent but sadly doesn't look like he has the fight this season.

Agreed. If Westwood can learn to impose himself more physically he'll be a top player for us. And yes him going off, our best player on the day for (in my opinion) one of if not the worst players we've ever had had an inevitable outcome.