villaglint

Not sure that is 100% true. It gives benefits to almost everyone in that standards of living have been on the increase on virtually all measurables since the war. I agree however that the proceeds of globalisation does lead to an immense inequality between the rich and the rest.

I seem to remember him tucking a few away but I also remember there being some stat about him touching the ball less than 5 times in several consecutive games. I seem to remember him being very isolated which addmitedly was down to the way Eck set us up. To be fair people are talking like he hasnt been given any chances. He got a whole season to prove his worth under a different manager/style at Fulham and didnt do it. He's had a number of sub appearances as well and always looked fat and a yard of the pace. If anyone has bothered to watch even at reserve level he doesnt stand out this year not in the way Jack does who looks a cut above and busting to get in the team. Bent is finished for me and has been for some time.

If it true that Bent maybe going out on loan then Callum would be logical choice to take his spot in squad.

Clearly has ability and is also still a bit off the pace of Prem. Whether he can learn that we will see. One thing I like about him though is his winning/challenging of headers coming from the opposing centre backs. He did this a lot of times last night and the fact that he is pretty big means that it cut off a main supply line into Pelle which I think contributed to the fact that other than the goal they only really had one other very good chance.

For me one of Clarkes biggest failings is his positioning which was really very good last night, almost seemed like being the leader and having to mop up after the others on occassion made him focus more and raise his game.

I tend to agree Trent but I am more than happy to be proved wrong. If he keeps playing like that then I'll have to.

Never been on one of these so can't relate. Cracking episode though. Go and get the guitar...

I dont often air my view on this thread because it is one of the more odious parts of the site but for the sake of debate. I don't particularly rate Lambert because I think he has made many many mistakes during his time here. He has also not got us ever really playing consistently with any sense of style beyond "hanging on" which was really what McLeish did and Lambert was supposed to be the refreshing change from that. The exception to that was a perod of about 7 games at end of his first season. The end of last season though I think he really lost the players, they didnt look like they wanted to play for him and he had dead man walking written all over him. I am still amazed he kept his job after all that. With all those things said though I am not sure I would advocate getting rid of him because I dont think we'd get anyone better and in some ways the manager is the least if the issues at our club right now. Until Lerner goes any manager will be running this club with their hands tied behind their backs. So I think he is doing a very average job at a really crap club.

I thought he was decent last night, he suffers from the same limitations as Weimann and N'Zogbia but he has a big big weapon of pace/power that they don't. It only turns up once every 6/9 games but when teams dont set up correctly against him he can still be a threat.

Not sure I agree with the above, definitely he used to be able to run at teams and open things up a bit but I've not really seen him do that since he came back from his injury. Looks incredibly rusty to me and it doesnt seem to be getting better with a run of games. Only keeping his place through lack of options for me. Painful to see what our club has become when players regularly turn in these performances and keep their place.

Really really excellent last night. MOTM for me. Keep it up Ciaran

I think Weimann really sums up our style of play at the moment (N'Zogbia and Gabby too but especially Weimann). The guy works incredibly hard and is usually so shattered by the end of the game that openings start to appear for the attacking team and we also miss the big chances when they come. See Gabby being a second off the pace for their equaliser and Andy's big miss. The problem is the reason they are so shattered and spend all game chasing the ball around is that Weimann, N'Zogbia and Gabby all have terrible technique and are woefully incapable of making any inrodes into a tightly packed defense. Unless we are counter attacking they are completely nullified. Which means we cannot keep any kind of sustained possession and have to absorb a huge amount of pressure. This means the defense and central midfield are having to do a huge amount just to keep us in the game. Now looking at the other options Richardson/Cleverly I think have better technique than all 3 and the work rate but do not have the weapons of pace or skill to worry most Premier league defences. Joe Cole - maybe has the skill, definitely doesnt have the pace, and probably doesnt have the work rate. Hence him not getting much of a look in. Jack Grealish - definitely has the skill and enough pace to cause a defence problems but I can only assume Lambert does not feel he has the work rate or game nous to be trusted in must win games. Hence him not getting much of a look in. So all in all not much in the way of options. However why hasnt this area been addressed? Its been a weak area in our team since we sold Young and Downing in the same summer and replaced them with N'Zogbia. Last year we sold Albrighton and didnt replace him further weakening our wide attacking options.

My perspective is this has become an ever present sword hanging over my life. A few years ago it felt like the worst thing that could happen. Last year it felt like we would deserve it if it did happen. This year it feels like it will inevitably happen at some point so whether it is this year, next year or the following year is no big deal. ps If Benteke stays fit then I think we'll stay up this year. What happens when him, Vlaar and Delph leave I do not know.

Classic Trent. Someone gives a sniff of lady pictures and your first thought is whether this is on topic

Also two questions about Woys apology for anti Ira chants at yesterdays game. 1 - These chants have been sung at every England away game for the last 20 years so why is Roy now apologsiing for them. 2 - He apologised if anyone was offended? Is the FA and Roy really apologising for offending the IRA?

I thought England were good last night, Wilshere who I havent been a fan of for a while now also impressed me which was great. Pretty wierd feeling watching a team I support play well and win. I think I was happy at the end of the game, difficult to say as I have no real frame of reference.

Ha.. VT is such a tetchy place. I'm not hanging anything on anyone. Nothing to see here..carry on. It was kind of a joke but its probably true which I guess makes us the joke.

I have every confidence we will keep him for a couple more years and then give him away for free. Seems to be the business plan at the moment.

I think the point though is that when he scored those goals he was about 5-10kg lighter than he is now which tells you all you need to know about why we are in this situation. Yes he was a cracking player with a great goal scoring record and yes we haven't helped the situation by removing any kind of creativity in the side (seemingly never to return). However if a professional athlete can't get themselves in A1 physical condition (WHEN THAT IS ALL THEY HAVE TO DO EACH DAY!!!!) then the guy clearly doesn't give a rats arse any more. Not worked out on either side just another example in a long line of expensive mistakes under Randys stewardship.

Definitely a poor game yesterday, struggling with the pace of the game but that is something he can develop. He has time to make it here for sure, just wish he'd do it quickly because he is a liability for us at the minute.

Bobzy - that is the position he played practically all the way through his youth career and a season at Notts County on loan. I'm making an assumption here but I'd guess that was the basis Delboy used.

Just watched the AVTV highlights and looks like Jack was very good again. I'm hoping that we take punt and just give him a start sometime soon, he deserves it I'm struggling to think he'd offer less than some of our more senior folk and I don't agree that one bad game (if he did have one) would decimate his confidence forever and ruin his career.

Although he got in the way of Benteke (or could have been vice versa). At least he played a pass and then ran beyond the strikers to get himself in the box, I don't think another one of our midfielders did that all game. Anyway none of this is to say he is the messiah because clearly he isnt. But just that maybe he could be more suited to a no.10 in a tight midfield than Gabby!

I hope the club or someone puts this £8m figure to bed because I can't see any way in which it can be true. It would mean there is another club out there will to pay £7.9m for him in Jan which doesn't seem possible with just a few months of his contract left. That would mean with 2/3 years left on his contract his value would be in the £15/20m range. He has never been that level of player. For what its worth I think he'll be a valuable addition for the fee we pay for him which will be nowhere near the £8m mark. I don't think he is suited to the position we played him in last night. When you have Gabby playing in the congested no.10 position and a player without any obvious pace like Cleverly playing in a wide attacking role you must know something isnt right. Even so he didn't have his best evening, crossing was poor and so often did the easy thing playing in Cissokho, didn't have the bravery to try and create something more risky.

I'd also be inclined to see more of him, though he looked like he was flagging big time after even a few mins so I'd imagine his fitness levels require some building up