VillanousOne

I though both KEA and Holman were meant to be able chase down players and give our defence some protection, Holman seems to have lost it and KEA couldn't get near his reflection let alone another player anymore.

well judging by the way Lowton bombs fwd at the moment and the better defensive performance of Bennett maybe we should go with: Guzan Vlaar - Baker - Clark Lowton - Delph - Westwood - Bennett Zog - Gabby Benteke Lord knows if that would work, but I def think we need one less attacking player - I would bring on Weimann and go three up top if Zog is having a poor game. I would prefer to just play Sylla (if fit) or Kea instead of Weimann though.

Is it driving anyone else nuts the fact we offer our defence so little protection - and concede some many set pieces because we play such a dumb formation? Does any other team play 4 strikers? Ok Nzogbia may not be an out and out striker but he certainly is an attacker. Playing fwds as midfielders is no excuse. Weimann may have scored but he lost the ball in some really stupid areas, neither him Zog or Gabby can track back effectively, all we did vs Arsenal was break at pace lose the ball really easily at the last moment and then watch as our defence was routed. For god's sake we signed Sylla why aren't we playing him?

and yet Lambert still refused to sub him.

Couldn't believe the marking out wide, especially on the right (our left). Seemed like they always had a player in space with no one around. we didn't mark closely at all, we gave them fair too much room in the final third. Bennett actually played ok in the end but losing Vlaar hurt us. Benteke's was poor beyond belief, no idea why Lambert didn't take him off.

goal aside, we were terrible in the second half. not getting turned over is s hollow bonus

erm er........ who else can i say is shit to get them to score? Zog has been shit...............

weimann has been shit also

need to make som,e changes

To be honest Lichaj\Bennett isn't a game changer for me. at least Lichaj can tackle

But Lambert bought Bennett not Lichaj therefore form and talent goes out the window.

i doubt it Lichaj or more nan playing there would be a better option

bollocks or not they are still at it: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/9888753/Stephen-Ireland-kept-out-of-sight-and-out-of-mind-at-Aston-Villa-as-player-is-overlooked-for-Arsenal-game.html they've said he's not in the squad for Arsenal.

i hope we reverse the trend of being the stepping stone to end other teams poor form! Arsenal will be hurting but there is no reason why we can't come away with a point

we need a pretty negative set up for this one - if we try and out play Arsenal over 90mins we will get murdered. i hope we don't score early as that seems to guarantee a loss with us. I hope we play one less forward and one more midfielder. Guzan Lowton - Vlaar - Clark - Baker Delph - Sylla - Westwood Zog -- Gabby Benteke

considering where he has come from he has done well, but that alone is not enough. He does the basics well and covers a lot of ground, but he needs to develop. Also he looks good because most of the players round him look awful. Obviously I hope he develops and thrives - and there is no reason to say he won't, but he still has a long way to go.

You know, we would've qualified for the CL had we signed nobody at all, rather than Heskey. Nothing against the guy at all, he tried his best whenever he played, but we inexplicably changed a system that had been working to fit him in, and it failed miserably I know it's off topic but it's worth saying I completely agree with this. Comfortably the biggest mistake O'Neill made, even more so than Habib Beye. He signed Heskey when we didn't need another striker - well not the priority, he signed Downing when we already had Young and Milner. But it can be argued that we didn't need Benteke, ok he has been brilliant - but his rise has been Bent's downfall and that shouldn't have been the case. If we lose Benteke and inevitably lose Bent then what have we left? Lerner won't put all that money back into the club.

how old is he, haven't seen his name repeated anywhere since?

been a long time since he played as an out and out striker, all i know is that we look better when he plays as he causes defences problems. he may not be a natural winger but he certainly can cross and he finishes well. I think if we stay up a lot of players will benefit from a settled side, as long as half of them don't get sold regardless.

or why is he branded a rotten apple in the dressing room? I know it's fun to hate - but a lot of people seem to just pull stuff about him from thin air. I think he has issues trying to get his head right, possibly in a Collymore way, maybe hard to motivate. Lambert said at first that Ireland worked hard in training - i'm now guessing Ireland has got disillusioned and has not put in a good shift or turned up late, and Lambert is trying to motivate him with tough love. Although i cant see that working on Ireland. Now all the above is baseless conjecture, a gut feeling, but at least it's more constructive than saying he's a lazy tosser who doesn't care about the team. Everyone is entitled an opinion though, I just don't get the levels of hate on here. If any player did come on this forum they would be utterly destroyed by what they read.

I hope he gives us another season after this one at the very least, but if he does leave then I just hope he goes to Arsenal or abroad - anywhere but Spurs who I **** can't stand. If we sell him any less than 20mil it would be criminal, in my 25+ years of supporting Villa he is one of the most gifted strikers I have seen at Villa and obviously that takes his age into account. My top strikers list below. 1) Dwight Yorke 2) Dean Saunders 3) Christian Benteke 4) Gabby 5) Dalian Atkinson 6) John Carew 7) Darius Vassell 8) John Fashanu (only kidding folks!)

The pointless floated corners alone are just maddeningly crap. Comparisons to Westwood are unfair as Westwood can actually tackle and do the basics well, Bannan tries too hard to be something he isn't but it's not all his fault - Lambert wants workhorses in midfield not creativity. He has four forwards for that. But I do agree that Bannan has some talent, but in the current side there is no place for him just like there is no place for Ireland. Maybe in a settled confident Villa side he could do a job - even if only off the bench, but right now he is one of many players we just can't carry.

There is this expectation that everytime he plays if he doesn't other score, lay on a goal or rush around like a headless chicken - he is 'not good enough' my only issue is most people seem to just go overboard on the hatred of him. one of my biggest criticisms of MON (when manager) was the way he froze players out of the team. Lambert so far has done this with Warnock, Hutton, Bent and Ireland, plus dumping Delfouenso out on loan all season. And you can't tell me the Makoun thing was out of his hands - we pay Makoun's wages if Lambert had thrown his toys out of the pram (which he seems to be able to do with any other player) than Makoun would have had to come back unless there really was some kind or permit issue - but if there was then why not tell us that. If he is such an amazing manager then he should have been able to get the best out of at least one of the above.

totally agree.

and as if by magic: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/9863551/Aston-Villa-midfielder-Stephen-Ireland-frozen-out-by-manager-Paul-Lambert.html