Stevomanila

Would love the PM too as off to bed soon as I shall be getting up at 4 am here to watch the arsenal game. Hoping for a gritty 0-0!

One of my best mates out here is a big Norwich fan, here's how he responded to my text about this possible signing this morning; "Keep your filthy brummy hands off him! Better than anything you've got IMO. Started the last 2 for us and was class against UTD. If we sell him we're **** idiots." I hope it happens and agree it would be a good signing.

I think we should go fairly strong with the hope of having a positive home win with a mix of players who need either need an opportunity to shine, those needing a confidence boost and those needing either match fitness or simply to hit a scoring run such as Gabby (3 in 3 would be great) so I hope we go 4-3-3 as follows; Guzan Lowton Clark Donacien Luna Bacuna Gardner Tonev Gabby Benteke Helenius Then bring on the likes of Weimann, Graham, Kozak with an hour gone assuming we are coasting by then! Prediction 3-0 Villa! I think we should go fairly strong with the hope of having a positive home win with a mix of players who need either need an opportunity to shine, those needing a confidence boost and those needing either match fitness or simply to hit a scoring run such as Gabby (3 in 3 would be great) so I hope we go 4-3-3 as follows; Guzan Lowton Clark Donacien Luna Bacuna Gardner Tonev Gabby Benteke Helenius Then bring on the likes of Weimann, Graham, Kozak with an hour gone assuming we are coasting by then! Prediction 3-0 Villa!

Happy New Year to you all too, may it be the best one yet! While we are on the subject of New Year and all that, how about this year we try pulling some strings through fellow VT'ers ( you know someones neighbour's cousin, 6 degrees of separation and all that malarky) and get the likes of Ian Taylor, McGrath, Mellberg, Angel, Laursen, Tony Daley, Shaun Teale, Super Tommy Johnson! etc etc etc creating VT accounts on here too and posting their views on all things Villa! ( or are some of them already among us?) Wouldn't we all love getting their match predictions, hearing their ratings and reactions from the matches and telling us all what a tosser they think Lawro and Trevor Francis are! Come on Mods, HH etc, make it happen!...

I think in Benteke we have a world class striker who has hit a rough patch, as many strikers do, I think he will have a solid 2nd half of the season and will help to pull us clear of danger. I really really hope we can keep hold of him for at least the remainder of this season, I think Gabby will start getting on the scoresheet more too as a result of Benteke hitting form again also. Up the Villa!

Haha yeah sorry I think I posted it twice somehow and didn't know how to edit from my phone, still a bit pished from last night I think. Anyway, still hoping for a response from HH, would love to get juiced up over a new signing or 3 and getting a concrete date on when the first will arrive gives us all something to look forward to! Wouldn't it be great to unleash 3 new players for our FA Cup tie, help them get settled in! Oh and they all bag a brace in a thrilling 6-0 victory as we romp into the 4th round...

Loving the optimism MyLord, would love the 3 points too, reckon Tekkers will be back with a bang and will start to turn our season around. I'm predicting a tight 1-0 win the Villa, Benteke with an injury time winner!

HH can you give us a clue please as to when our first signing will arrive? And are we looking at 3 players total? I certainly hope we can bolster our squad before the Liverpool and Arsenal matches. HH can you give us a clue please as to when our first signing will arrive? And are we looking at 3 players total? I certainly hope we can bolster our squad before the Liverpool and Arsenal matches.

Roonst83 reckon they will get booked at the same time for scuffling with one another

I don't know why but I think we will nick it 1-0; would play a 4-4-1-1... Guzan Lowton Vlaar Baker Luna Albrighton Delph Gardner Bacuna Benteke Gabby

Okay I'd try switching things up a bit, because, well why not?! HH any insights on the line up please? Guzan Lowton Clark Donacien Herd Albrighton Gardner Delph Helenius Gabby Kozak I can't see much else other than a Swansea win though, a villa win would be amazing and I'd take a draw to stop the rot. If the players fight for their lives today and show that they do give a shit, then at least it will show they still back Lambert. If it's another shithouse performance though leading to another loss then I think Lambert should walk.

HH how close is this?! ( can you give us a line up score out of 11?) Guzan Lowton Herd Clark Baker Westwood El Ahmadi Delph Albrighton Benteke Weimann Reckon it'll be a close game, 0-0 or hope we can nick it 1-0, Tekkers with the winner!!

HH with you liking this line up does that mean it is correct?! One more question, at what time on the day before match day do you generally find out the line up?... For what it's worth (and I don't think this will be correct but I'd like to see, if not tomorrow, then at some point this season, a 4-4-1-1 as follows); Guzan Lowton Vlaar Clark Luna Bacuna Delph Westwood Tonev Benteke Gabby I think Lowton and Bacuna can form a great partnership down the right, Benteke in the hole makes him harder to pick up, he is great running at defenders with the ball at his feet and in the hole if he wins the ball, he should have players around him to link up with and/ or available for the 2nd ball and/ or Gabby racing on to the flick ons, rather than Benteke playing as our most forward player, getting caught offside and flicking it on to the opposition keeper. Oh and I reckon we will win 3-0 tomorrow!

How about this HH? Guzan Lowton Vlaar Baker Clark Bacuna Delph Westwood Gabby Benteke Tonev And if not correct can you tell us how many players are wrong in our line up so we can slowly figure it out?!

It will be a tricky game for us, they played well against Chelsea but assuming we stick with arguably our best away formation, 4 3 3 I would go: Guzan Lowton Vlaar Clark Baker Bacuna Westwood Delph Benteke Kozak Gabby And I reckon we will win 1 0, Gabby to get on the scoresheet

I too like the idea of Lowton and Bacuna playing on the right, both can cover for the other if whoever starts as full back overlaps and I think they could link up well and form a great partnership as the season goes on. If Gabby is a doubt I'd play a 4 4 1 1 with Benteke in the hole, picking the ball up in more space and running at their defenders or shooting from outside the box, something he has shown he can do well on numerous occasions. I'd bench Weimann and bring him on for Kozak with 20-30 mins left if we need a goal to win it. His pace and running vs tired defenders could be a real threat and I think he could be better utilized as an impact sub for this type of role. So my line up would be: Guzan Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Luna if fit Bacuna, Sylla, Delph, Tonev Benteke Kozak And I think we Will win in, 3 1

Villa 2 0 win, gabby and kozak

I am loving the fact that many of us genuinely believe we can win this game and if we keep up our level of performances so far, I don't think any fixture this season is a foregone conclusion that we won't get something out of it as it was sometimes in the O'Dreary days and under he who shall not be named. I also predict a home win to the Villa, Gabby to get a brace and Weimann with the icing on the cake in a 3-1 win. Come on you Villa boys!!

Still not getting why so many people think Chelsea is going to be No. 1 this season. I just don't see it. How have ManU and ManCity really deteriorated in any way, really? What's so great about Chelsea this year? Just an opinion really, could be wrong, certainly a 3 horse race between the other 2 also, lot of pressure on Moyes, perhaps Man U are too reliant on Van Persie, if he gets injured they will struggle more I reckon, and Man City, great result tonight but sometimes the team spirit is not there and wasn't last season. I don't think it is 'deteroriation' I just think Chelsea will win it this year, a feeling, ( last year i thought that United would win the league though I was questioned by mates at the start about Man city having a much better squad) Anyway, i think Chelsea have the best squad of players this year, players that can hurt teams, rip open defences and score goals from all over the park, my chelsea mate reckons their center backs alone scored 14 goals between them last year...though like I said, I think we can go there and get something. For what it's worth I think Villa can finish in the top 8 and have had money on it. Time will tell, but would **** love it and I think we will cause a few more upsets this season. UTV.

Yes Chelsea are a big threat to any team but what is certain this season is that they will drop some points both at home and away throughout the season...why not to a young, hungry, fearless Villa side full of confidence and running? The only change I would make to the line up is Okore in for Clark and I say we go to hit them on the break as we did superbly at Arsenal, with Gabby running at their center backs again and Benteke and Weimann stepping it up another notch, with our midfield 3 not allowing them time and space on the ball. Think there will be goals in it too, 3-3, and I would be delighted with a point against most likely the eventual champions of the league. I honestly think we can do it if we play to our potential. UTV!

Loved it, thanks a lot for posting

Really like the black one in particular, wonder what it would look like with a claret stripe....and yes I do like little touches like the small lion on the back of the collar on our white pinstriped kit and the other Nike kit I think a few years back with 'founded 1874' on etc.

Yeah hoping for a strongish line up with some newer faces thrown in again; Guzan Lowton Baker Okore Luna Bacuna, Delph, Gardner Tonev Helenius Gabby

I heard that Lambert filled the team bath with soapy suds and 8 stunning dirty birds and said " fill yer boots son, there's more where that came from if you sign here..." Rumour has it that for each goal he scores this season, another bird gets added to the bath...

Well he said a few would be back so in keeping with mixing it up a bit, and in the hope they are available I would like to see a starting line up of; Guzan Lowton Okore Baker Luna Bakuna Westwood Gardner Tonev Benteke Grealish And a clean sheet with us winning 2-0