samjp26

But as you say at the end there, at least we have options! I think if we play Kozak and Benteke together up front then we need wingers to provide service to them, if they aren't playing together then we can go 4-3-3 with Gabby, Benteke and Weimann or even 5-3-2 with Benteke and Gabby/Weimann. Options are always good though, but it seems like Lambert does want to persist with Benteke and Kozak together so he might want somebody who can put a good cross in. Guess we'll see soon enough anyway!

Yet last season you were at pains to excuse our poor start by premature judgement and now at the same stage this season you've already made a definitive judgement. I guess some are placated whenever it suits. What is with all the personal vendettas/arguments on here lately?

Hyppia doing a good job with Leverkusen, hope they go for it against United tonight.

Albrighton will probably get games for us if we're playing 4-4-2 with Kozak and Benteke up top. I personally don't know why we don't go with Bacuna at right wing and Lowton at right back but either way we have very few wingers if any at all so having Albrighton back makes sense if we're going ahead with the 2 big lads.

Given is currently sitting in a Sky Sports studio making even more money. I hate you Alex McLeish.

I'm nearly 100% certain that we won't be letting in 18 goals this time around so don't worry mate

I reckon the best time to look at things will be at the start of January. Our December fixtures are: Southampton (A) Fulham (A) Man Utd (H) Stoke (A) Crystal Palace (H) Swansea (H) Last seasons were: QPR (A) Stoke (H) Liverpool (A) Chelsea (A) Tottenham (H) Wigan (H) We gained 8 points from the December fixtures last season, scoring 8 goals and conceding 18 goals. If it's common sense that 'playing hoof ball' with a young team will mean we score more, concede less and also gain more points then keep it quiet as the entire league will begin to play route one. I think we should continue our improvement over last season by the new year and we should hopefully all agree then that Lambert is improving us.

I can't.

On this exact date last season we had scored 11 goals, conceded 22 goals and gained 13 points. This year we've scored 13 goals, conceded only 14 goals and have 15 points. So we're 2 points up and our goal difference is up by +10 from this point last season. We've scored more goals, conceded FAR less and we have gained more points. We've improved and whether our football has been pleasing to the eye or not is subjective, in terms of facts our defence and attack are both actually better than they were before.

Back in 3 to 4 weeks

Yeah Coyle is gutted as far as I know, 100% recalled.

If he needs our most outright winger back at the club he must be adamant about having Benteke and Kozak up top together.

Lambert has recalled him back from his loan after just 3 games. Must have plans to use him.

I agree, unless I'm playing against a friend I find many of the online players trying to play the exact same way as one another. Offline however the new engine has improved gameplay drastically, hopefully they go back and work on more offline stuff for next year so we have more to do.

Anybody tried editing video yet?

Missus got Zoo Tycoon and I just noticed that there are 'community achievements' that can be completed by the entire online community, such as adopting 1000 Komodo Dragons into Zoos in-game. When the achievement is complete, Microsoft will donate $10,000 of real money to charity programs relevant to the achievement. Thought that was pretty cool considering everybody is slating MS for DLC and such, in-game achievements actually making an achievement happen in the real world.

Yup I'm definitely interested in doing that. I'm thinking i'll either get one spur of the moment on Friday, or wait til January. Either way, I'll have one within a few months. Blowing stuff up sounds like good fun Same boat as you, to sail or not to sail is the question

"Aston Villa FC competes with CSKA Moscow, Lokomotiv Moscow and Dinamo Moscow for the signature of Ivelin Popov." According to Bulgarian news.

We've shown progression in our results over last season and as long as things don't go tits up in the next month we should be around mid-table pushing for the top half come January. For me, that means Lambert is doing a good job.

At home against the worst team in the league, we really have to take 3 points at the weekend. I expect us to do this and in turn expect us to go 10th, with Swansea and WBA both probable to lose in tough away games. Fingers crossed ey!

Eternally benched I think Injured for the entire of last season unfortunately as he could be a great player. Feyenoord want him back I read a few days ago, permanently.

We got two goals and got a good result. Why should benteke have gone off? We got two goals and got a good result. Why should Kozak have gone off?

It's actually a lot different. How? It may have cost a lot more but look at when Lambo brought in all the new players last season, our form was hit and miss until the second half of the season because the players were still (and probably still are) getting to know each other as well as learning to play with each other. There is also the fact that individual players take differing time periods to settle in new places, learn new languages and adapt to new playing styles. Some of that even goes for players that were already there who aren't looking for Bale making runs any more or trying to put the ball over the top for Defoe. Until their team gels together it's going to be very bumpy, but it is understandable and I'd assume they wouldn't sack AVB so early on in the season. Doing that would probably make things even worse, they should stick it out in my opinion because they have some really good talents in their team.

Just had a go at the new Kinect Sports demo and I have to say it plays remarkably well. You have to position your arms as if they're on a jet ski and it senses when you're pulling the throttle and when also you're turning. Didn't ever use the first Kinect but this one really works well.