cicottrell

So who would play in the Sanchez position next weekend? If Westwood is not fit, it would mean playing Bacuna, Cole or N'Zogbia. This would disrupt a successful formation, as none of these of the same type of player. Could Delph drop back? or Richardson?

Frank De Boar would be my choice…. fantastic achievements at Ajax, understands how to manage injuries, world wide influence, great at bringing on potential in a young players, massively respected…. Granted he might think Villa was too small for him (and he'd be right), but hopefully Fox can persuade him it would be a great leg up for when the Liverpool or Arsenal jobs come up in the next couple of years...

I think our biggest problem is procession and movement. And scoring. And defending. We can't keep the ball, we don't move off the ball, we don't play high enough up the pitch and we don't track runners when the opposition attack. I can not think of a single thing we are good at. Not a single Villa player would be on any watch list of the top 15 in the premier league. They are all average Championship players. Remember the "you don't villa anything with Kids" game in 1995? Man U still had Parker, Irwin, Keane, McClair, Pallister and Schmeichel in that team. We have 27 year old Gabby as our senior man. Not the man to look up to is he?

Watched every game for the last month or so and this was obviously coming…. Bacuna is no right back (found myself even thinking about Hutton… OMG!). Westwoods set pieces were terrible. El Amhadi and Tonev invisible. Baker gives away too many fouls. Thought considering it was his first game for a year, Herd was great (relatively speaking obviously). Looked more solid than a Clark - Baker partnership. Tactically again were were clueless. Hoof ball to Benteke who can't control a hoof ball.

I'm not going to bed until I hear Lambert explain himself....

Was Randy there? Also, I only listened to the second half, but I've just read that Ireland was playing! I honestly don't think he was mentioned by 5 live once in the second half. As someone earlier said, to be fair, full backs apart, most of our best players are Lambert signings.

I've been away this week so have only seen the Chelsea and Liverpool games on Match of the Day but I'm very concerned about the form of Agbonlahor. He is our only fit experienced attacking player (maybe Ireland as well) but I can't remember his last good game. We need him to lead by example but it's not happening. I can forgive the kids for a poor run of form, but senior players like Gabby should be averaging much better.

interesting how lots of media/commentators were surprised with how much city celebrated the goal, given there was still half an hour left. Thats because they knew one goal would be enough. We never had any intention of scoring. City knew that, as did Man U, Liverpool, Spurs and even Swansea. In terms of performance we should have lost all those games 10-0. But why would the opposition waste energy battering us when they can jog about in 2nd gear and still win. We are so unimportant to them. 3 points, minimum effort and if we're lucky, the kit will still be clean enough for the next game without a wash. Dull.

Just seen the 'Eck interview on BBC website. Interviewer talking about his Blues connections as a reason the fans don't like him. When will the media realise its him and his 'tactics', not the blue connection. Want proof? Hands up who would gladly take Chris Hughton? Exactly. We all would. Maybe even Steve Bruce! ;-)

Yet Carlos is the man who missed Barry at the back post. Harsh. Collins followed the ball to the back post and left Lescott all on his own. Amateur.

Randy? 'Eck... although I'm not impressed with Falconer either. Got no issues with Randy...

I'm so angry. We either have no tactics or hoof it tactics. We need the midfield to put their foot on the ball and play it. Bannan, Ireland and N'Zogbia can do that. Petrov can't cope with any team that plays 3 in the middle, let alone the league leaders. I blame 'Eck 100%. He picks the team, he (presumably) sets them up to play a certain way. We play the wrong players in the wrong positions with the wrong tactics. I would love to manage the team. Petrov, Collins, Heskey, Warnock, Hutton, Dunne would be out on the streets within 5 minutes. They don't offer anything to the team, other than to bleed the accounts dry. If say, a Jose Mourinho team was 1-0 down, but on top 4 minutes into injury time.... would he have put Baker on, or would he have put Weimann or Bannan on. Sums 'Eck up perfectly. Don't lose, even at1-0 down in the 94th minute. Whats the worse that would have happened? 2-0? Shocker? or maybe an equaliser? Get Out Of My Club.

Absloutely this. I'm missing the excitement of last season'e relegation scare. Funny you should say that. If I'm correct we've played 24 games this season and got 28 points. Last season we had the exact same number of points after the same number of games. The only reason why we're not in a relegation battle (yet) is because the teams below us are poorer this season. The big difference however is that Houiller had a plan. He was building a team with a shape. AMcL doesn't seem to have a plan.... team selections, substitutions and formations might as well be plucked out of thin air....

Anyone got Houllier's number?

no fight, no talent. Its the older players who are letting the side down. Make me manager and Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Hutton, Petrov and Heskey will never play for the club again. I'd prefer young enthusiastic players like Lichaj, Baker, Gardener, Bannan and Clark. Mode the team around a core of potential then coach them properly. Add N'Zog, Ireland, Bent and Given and you get a starting point.

surely bannan on now to exploit some space in the middle?

exactly. What he needs (as demonstrated last year for us AND this year for England) is attacking Wingers either side of him, like Young & Downing or Walcott & Milner. Not a traditional winger (i.e. Albrighton) or an attacking midfielder (like Ireland) or a converted striker (like Agbonlahor). So we either need to line up 433 and buy another attacking winger to mirror N'Zogbia GK LB CB CB RB Petrov Clark/Herd Bannan N'Zogbia Bent ***** Pro's: Squad has better depth, with Albrighton, Ireland, Fonz, Heskey, Weimann, Gardener, Delph and either Herd or Clark on the bench. Con's: Chances of finding a quality winger limited, chances of us affording him, less so, chances of him wanting to come: minimal if at all. Would probably result in a few sales. or we sell/drop Bent, and work with the players we have available. GK LB CB CB RB Albrighton Petrov Clark/Herd N'Zogbia Ireland Gabby Pro's: Cash to buy replacement for Petrov or two, allowing Clark to play as a footballing CB, rather than the hoofing CB Collins is. Con's: Gabby will never score as many as Bent could.

just seen the league table. 3 teams below us within 3 points... and they all have a game in hand. Could be in real deep shit before we even kick off v Everton....

GUZAN 7/10 - the ball should never have been passed back for him to make the mistake in the first place. Collins had time and space to pass forward. WARNOCK 1/10 - terrible player. never seen him play well, even under MON. Positioning awful and passing awful. When I'm manger he'd be the first one out the door. Houiller was right. DUNNE 6/10 - solid, experienced enough to know that giving Dyer a good wack was the only way to deal with him. COLLINS 4/10 - like Warnock. Positioning terrible and long balls a constant source of balls for the opposition. Needs to learn to play the short pass to midfield. 2nd man out the door when I'm boss. CUELLAR 6/10 - love him, pity he's not in central defence. Ice Cool. N'ZOGBIA 7/10 - when he has the ball, he plays well. Needs the ball more often, although this may not be his fault directly. PETROV 5/10 - the guy was knackered. Shouldn't have started. Ironically both our best midfielder but also the one we need to replace soonest. We can't afford passengers after 60 mins. Also needs to drop captain's arm band. Not enough passion or voice to keep the troops ticking over. CLARK 5/10 - quiet game. Probably needed the rest. IRELAND 7/10 - quality player. Needs games (in the same position). Will come good. AGBONLAHOR 5/10 - wrong position. Pointless playing out of position. BENT 3/10 - no service = no touches = no goals. calling for his head is stupid. We need to either provide him with better service (e.g. buy better players) or drop him for a striker with a better all round game until we get better service. MCLEISH 1/10 - hasn't got a clue. has played 442,451,433,4231 this season and the players look totally confused. Needs to settle on a formation and a starting 11 quickly. Then he must only make like for like changes. The players need consistently and they're not getting it. Needs to start taking the game by its bollocks and being ruthless. Warnock should be punished with several games out of the squad. He should have been subbed in the first half, both as punishment and to counter the Swansea threat. Bannan coming on with 5 mins to go was a joke.

Totally Collins's fault. Had loads of time and space, yet choose to pass back to the keeper ON THIS WRONG FOOT WHILST A PLAYER WAS CLOSING HIM DOWN. clearing in the woods.

spot on. 1 up front, 2 wingers, and a linking man between midfield and the front man. Z'Zogbia - Clark - Petrov - Albrighton Ireland Bent

need more presence in the middle. Thought Warnock was awful v Arsenal and today he is worse. Stephens could be playing sooner than he thought... Houllier was many things but he realised Warnock was shite pretty quickly....

Probably our best performance of the season. Guzan: played well, 7 Hutton: a complete waste of space. His positioning and decision making is awful. Watch the 'tackle' that got him his 2nd yellow. Out of position, not aware of the attackers, by the time he's realised he has no choice but to dive in. Herd at right back next time and every time please. 2 Dunne: much better but still gets turned too easily for me. 7 Cueller: brilliant. Always in the right place at the right time. Must be a first teamer for the rest of the season for me. 8 Warnock. Similar to hutton in that he's simply not good enough. But he tries hard so i'll give him credit for that. Screwed up two great chances to cross. 5 Albrighton. Excellent. Ran his bollocks off, great goal. 8 Clark. Very solid, nothing spectular. Exactly what a DM should be. Wouldn't mind him playing there permenantly. 7 Petrov. Good in pocessionn but slows the game down too much for my liking. 6 Ireland. Excellent. A little rusty but he worked hard so pleased with him. 8 Bannan. Great energy. Will soon be the heartbeat of the team. 8 N'Zogbia. Brilliant game. Showed what he can do. Will be a great player if he keeps it up. 8 Gabby. Not sure. Played well in patches but didn't seem to know what position he should be in. I'm sure had bent played he would of had 3..... 6 Crowd. Excellent. 9 Manager. Should have seen the need for a central striker, even if Gabby would of had to be the man to give way. But otherwise i can't complain. 7

does anyone know what our plan is? what our tactics are? no seems to have a clue? Hoof it? Pass it? hold shape? fluid movement? its just a bunch of headless chickens running around. I've seen more organisation on the school playground....

i can't see us ever scoring again with hoof it tactics.... if we're gonna hoof it, get Heskey back on (i feel dirty typing that)