Enda

We're okay. I'm not saying we're 100% safe, but we're 90% safe. Cardiff need 6 points in 3 matches to overtake us. Fulham need 6 points in 3 matches to overtake us. Norwich need 4 points in 3 matches (against Man Utd, Chelsea, and Arsenal) to overtake us. You could see maybe one of those happening, but probably not two or three. And that's before you consider that we have four matches to pick up some more points.

Swansea.

You're welcome. The issue here might be add-ons. If we sign Kozak for £4m but will owe another £3m e.g. if he scores 20 goals next season, how should the club's accountants record that liability?

The biggest newspaper in Italy is La Gazzeta dello Sport. Google "kozak lazio aston villa site:gazzetta.it". The first result, with a crappy Google translation, says "Lazio Libor Kozak leaves and arrives to the British Aston Villa. It is still waiting for the official biancoceleste but the company would find an agreement with the English club (something like € 6 million) for the transfer of striker of the last edition of the Europa League. The Czech player is then just a step from the Adda, five years after his arrival in biancoceleste."

The Club had to have stacked the audience for these types of questions to be asked. Not one question about football. Roughly speaking, there are two types of fans: people who are there for football, and people who are there for "the experience". I don't have much of a problem with the "experience" crowd, especially if it's a family day out or the like. But those sorts shouldn't be the fans invited for a Q&A. Inviting people who are going to ask about WiFi or cup-holders is a completely opportunity.

He's been useless today.

http://shop.avfc.co.uk/ Some very good value in there. Got myself the long-sleeve away for 25 pounds.

It is already, and has been for a few days. Personally I think it's to clear the old loan notes, but there's no way to know at present. It won't make any difference overall in any case, as we'd just be swapping interest free debt for equity, which as it's all Lerner, wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to the club itself. It would just be Lerner circulating cash around his various interests. It could be a brand new investor of course, but somehow I doubt that too. This is strange. Assuming Villa has to pay taxes to HM Revenue, debt should be preferred to equity. Was it always an interest free loan? I thought we were paying interest of a few million each year on it. That's much better for Villa than paying a dividend to an equity holder. So moving from debt to equity seems like something is up.

No problem. the magic sponge would come out and he'd be miraculously cured.

Lowton on? Vlaar off? Going 4-4-2?

You mean... like Benteke?

2-1 to the Villa. Have a good feeling about this one. 4-1 are mental odds.

I started that thread. I'm happy that the problems didn't persist. Lambo must have read that thread and taken note

Yeah for home matches I think we should try 4-4-2. Put Albrighton or Tonev on the wing, Delph in the centre, and KEA on the bench.

Today was really poor. No doubt about that. But a bit of perspective is needed. Clean sheet. More generally, didn't look like a massive liability at the back like we have a few times this season. Unbeaten in four matches. Respectably mid-table. Right about on target for what was expected at the start of the season, in fairness. We're unlucky that all of Gabby, Weimann and Benteke are struggling for a goal. I'm glad we're "short of goals" instead of "useless at the back". It's harder to fix a crap defence. We had a few players coming back from injuries. Hopefully they'll get better with more match fitness. Today was fairly dismal. Wouldn't change the team too much for the Southampton game though. Maybe put Lowton in at the back.

Very good point. Another thought: it doesn't matter if we lose say, £1m on Vlaar, if we make it that loss from everyone else. Even excluding Benteke, Lambert's signings so far would be very profitable. Probably make about £15m on Lowton, Okore, Westwood, Sylla, El Ahmadi, and Helenius if we sold them tomorrow.

Good news (for us): Brady's out for a month.

Got done by a pants decision. But that's only covering the buttcracks, we were piss poor.

Who played that suicide pass that led to the goal? Bowery?

"There's only Jordan Bowery in the middle." Damning with feint praise, that.

Every game. Every game we play ends up like schoolboy stuff.

Good man, Tonev!

Halsey said on BT Sport that the keeper is entitled to make one forward movement, so no problem. Norwich complaining about Guzan's half-yard movement looks small time. http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3260315/Guzan_Save_1a.gif Ciaran Clark however was about two meters inside the box when the penalty was struck. That gave him the chance to clear it easily. That would be a more reasonable complaint, but still fairly petty.

Guzan and Clark were great. Special mention to Bacuna, Vlaar, and Delph. Poor Andi needs a goal. That said, Lowton got my MOTM vote. Didn't put a foot wrong.

I think we'll win. And I'd put money on it at 2/1 Paddy Power are offering, if I could remember my password.