VillanousOne

Lambert will just say 'we go again.' 'we've no signings planned as Randy and I wouldn't want to in anyway encourage the potential for team/squad improvements'

In the first half we performed at times the best we have all season, i've never seen the players so up for it. Then the goal happened and we just fade away and die. The way we played with no shape and so many forwards was exactly how we played under McCleish only the defence was shit but not as shit as now. Bennett may have **** up for the corner but only he and Delph really tried to make things happen, although in the second half no-one stepped up to lead or direct play. Did anyone notice how for the first 20 mins no-one wanted to pass to Ireland, obviously you can see why after the performance but i def got a vibe that the other players don't like him!

no man of the match, they can all **** off!

why do any of us bother? what total bollocks will Lambert come out with to defend this?

can we buy their entire defence please?

we are such utter shit

delfouneso is heading back from Blackpool to play as we need more strikers on!

who said conceding a corner was like losing a penalty....................

if we lose to Bradford there will be a furore about needing to strengthen, some press reports will dredge up old quotes and spin making us think Lambert will sign someone or wants to. Then Lambert will relase another statement saying we definitely probably will never sign someone unless we sign someone style vague non-commital tinged comment. Everyone will rightly bleat and moan and then we'll sign a player out right or on loan come deadline day. just an opinion but i think we'll sign 'a player' this window but no more than that.

i know it's been said before but i agree that Lambert is playing a cat and mouse game with the press and agents. on one hand he could be managing our expectations by claiming there is little chance of signings - especially if any they are working on don't come off but in the main I think he knows it would be stupid to show his hand to other clubs, he may have even been told off for making the Lescott comments. January is the time that clubs and agents play hardball and do their best to fleece other clubs. I hate this window. In the summer many players are naturally coming out of contract or are seeking a move and clubs are prepared to do business, in January no-one really wants to sell the want to strengthen. Usually it is when one or two clubs finally decide to sell and have to buy that the market starts a carousel of nonsense and players begin to move. The merry go round hasn't started yet i don't think.

if we can't sell them then Lambert should give Hutton and Warnock a try. We are putting far too much pressure on Clark and Lowton, i know Clark should be able to handle it but this is his first real run in the side. We need Dunne and Hutton to come in to relieve the pressure. also Warnock wouldn't do a bad job in midfield. I'm not saying Dunne, Hutton or Warnock are the future, but if they keep us up i don't care what has gone before. We pay them to do a job, not train with the kids. Lambert will get more kudos and respect for saying 'hey it was the right thing to push these players out and give new blood a chance but that hasn't worked out, now i need to do what is best for the club and sacrifice my own pride and ego for the greater good, if i am such a good manager then i should be able to get the best out of even the highest paid player with the poorest attitude as i am paid to do this.'

Because they come from lower divisions? Ok fair play that is a good point.

maybe the issue in part is perception we still look at Bannan, Herd, Clark, Lichaj and co as youngsters, but as you rightly point out they have had enough experience to be judged the same as others. Maybe unlike Guzan, Bannan doesn't have much in the sympathy tank to tide him over for when he plays rubbish, and no Guzan conceding a corner leading to a goal doesn't put him in the same league of crapness as Bannan. Guzan has been one of our best players. But if we survive and get a few more players in then Lowton and Westwood will get far more stick than they do now, i'm not saying they deserve more stick it's just that they get far less criticism than others. I just don't hate Bannan or think he is as rubbish as he is made out to be, he's played ok at times, even had a few good games, i'm entitled to have that opinion. Doesn't mean i want him in the team every week. oh and i am a believer that players do need a long run in the starting eleven to be fully judged and that means standing by them when they are crap, Bannan, Lichaj, Stevens, Herd have never had that so it's hard to dismiss them all as crap when their careers are so stop start. Same with Ireland, he gets two starts - if he is decent in one and crap in the other he gets dropped. Maybe managers don't like his attitude and maybe he doesn't train well, but it's hard to know what he can produce without a run of more than three games. Last season he started a fair few and most thought he was doing ok. I find it hard to believe that the manager thinks so little of him that he can't even play him from the bench or in the cup! Maybe if Bannan started week in and week out we could judge him more evenly, but..........please god no!

Guzan has been great but yesterday he cost us a needless corner and some of his distribution has been poor, I rate Lowton but again of late he has made a fair few errors in possession and not being able to stop anyone from getting crosses in. Westwood has done ok also, but again he's far from perfect - not saying anyone is saying he is. Just saying there are players that people seem to have a lot more patience with and players like Bannan, Ireland, Zog, Bent that people just go over the top about sometimes. We only seem to judge players on how bad they are not on how good they have been, we completely forget any performances that were good. and i don't think Bannan should be starting at all, or even playing asa sub regularly, I think Ireland needs to play more, even if it just means us putting him in the spotlight so we can sell him.

I don't think his corners are any good, something like one in 5 pose a threat. But I do think we are harsh on him. We seem far more forgiving to Lowton, Baker, Guzan, Westwood all of whom have had made bad errors recently. Most seem to dislike and not rate Delph at all - but I think many can see he's looking half decent since given a run in the side (hoping he's no badly injured). Bannan does need a strong ball winner next to him as he is too lightweight to be winning 50/50s and putting tackles in, which brings me to the issue with Bannan..... i don't know his best position.... neither does Lambert. At a guess i'd say behind the strikers, but Lambert has chosen Zog for that. I look at Bannan and Ireland as similar types of players, tidy can pass well and capable of creating through balls, but neither can tackle or do the basics that well. I don't know why Lambert hates Ireland so much as out of the two Ireland tends to have more impact, even if he doesn't do enough. Bannan is one of many players in my opinion that need to operate in a team that is stable and confident, which we are not, which is why we are so screwed at the moment - as ever player on the pitch is hoping that someone else digs them out of trouble rather than them believing they could do it.

we looked so much better with Vlaar in the side but it wasn't enough as our luck and injuries is still a big problem. If Delph is injured and he is the only player who seems capable of tackling and passing forward - then who do we bring on? Bannan? Please god no. Westwood is tidy but he is never going to really stamp his authority on any match. Dunne might help the defence a little on his return, but there is no-one that can patch up our wafer thin midfield.

I thought Bennett did ok today but agree he probably is better as wide midfielder. Lichaj actually did ok also, linked up well with Zog. Delph was playing well till he went off. I thought Lowton, Clark and Guzan seemed to have bad days and we lost shape when Bannan came on. Benteke was unstoppable at times and really knocked down their players like skittles, it's just a shame we don't have someone like that in midfield! Until we have players able to defend crosses down the flanks, and players that can defend corners - we will continue to struggle. I really felt for Gabby and Benteke - they really did a number on their defence only to watch ours crumble and undo all their good work. It must be like baking an elaborate and expensive cake only to watch someone to drop it just before it reaches the table. ok yeah watching the replays Benteke did help murder that cake, but agree he shouldn't be marking from corners in place of other more capable players (if we have any) guess he's there for his height!

also why can't we defend corners or score from them? Neither Westwood or Bannan can take corners, Zog is better but not great. Baker, Clark, Lichaj, Vlaar, Bennett...... in fact the whole team can't defend corners...... it's mindboggling!

Vlaar's return made a difference but it still papers over the fact we lack depth and quality. I am a big fan of Lowton but both he and Bennett are too easy to get past, even if Bennett played better today. We have started to look better in attack but nothing has really changed in terms of spine to the team. We have improved since the Bradford game and were unlucky re Southampton, but it is hard to look anywhere but down at the moment.

can we get Beetlejuice and Candyman playing for us based on that principle

if saints sign him i'd be really annoyed although i think there is more chance of Arsene Wenger having issues with his coat than us signing him

i know, i think there was irony in what i posted too.......... (and i found your posts funny)

Fan hits back at Skeptics By Hugh Gerection Today Villa fan Mazrim posted a highly charged and ironic piece aping other fan's negativity, on popular Villa forum Villa Talk. It is presumed on baseless fact that the fan in question might be indirectly mocking fed up and negative fans by hiding behind hilarious prose. Funny as he thought he was (and indeed was.....) some fans were known to have rolled their eyes and questioned why people can't just respect each others opinions negative or otherwise rather than take the rise and try and put them down (if that indeed was what he was doing).

Sky Sports have linked us to Leeds defender Tom Lees, although we are behind Celtic in the pecking order or so claim this website i've never heard of

fair play, you're right Levy is a mercenary, although every Spurs fan moans about how many players they have on the books that are rubbish or injured, just look at the Bentley thing. I know we have Warnock, Hutton and Makoun but Spurs have there fair share of turkeys, so maybe they could be desperate to sell us one of their overcooked birds.... you never know