DamsonwoodVillan

Not looking forward to this at all to be honest. I think we are good enough to get a result against them, but (and this always seems to be true every season) we're playing them at a dreadful time. I can see Bacuna and Richardson struggling with Mirallas, Baines and Coleman, while Okore may be vulnerable to Lukaku's mix of speed and power. I think we are hoping for big favours from Newcastle and Southampton this weekend, although I'm afraid I don't fancy either of them to get the win. It will come down to the final 3 games, I think the best we can hope for is to still be 3 points ahead going into next week.

Huge game tonight really. Defeat for Leicester at least keeps 4 teams below us rather than just the 3!

Just watch QPR go and win tomorrow lol. I seriously think now us and QPR will be the ones to get out of it, mainly due to our front players. On the same basis although they are so pedestrian and weak at the back I think Defoe and Fletcher will save Sunderland. My prediction tonight is Leicester, Burnley and Hull to drop. Exciting and close times though! Long long way to go but let's enjoy this weekend! UTV!

I said on the Spurs thread it's absolutely crucial to get at least a point as it's such a tough weekend for our rivals. Badly need to sneak a great result either in this game or the next. If everyone else is as you were come Sunday night and we've moved to 32 I would expect that we wouldn't drop back to the bottom 3 again. Even moving on to 30 would give us a good buffer. Hanging where we are 3 points above with a rubbish goal difference is dicey.

QPR have Austin. We have Benteke. I'm just wondering if those players alone could hold the key to survival and be what eventually drops Hull and Burnley.

Each game in danger of becoming a must win if we get nothing here and next week. Would give the club a lift ahead of the Wembley trip if we could get a result here, Burnley and QPR have to play Arsenal and Chelsea respectively this weekend. Guzan Lowton Okore Clark Cissokho Sanchez Cleverley Delph N'Zogbia Benteke Agbonlahor 1-1

I fear the season could all come down to this game which is scary given our injuries. Looking at who's out, against most Premier League sides we'd be saying the best we can hope for is a draw. It is QPR and I'm sorry but QPR are a poor team, regardless of how well they did in their last game or how up for it I'm sure they'll be. If we lose for failure to match their enthusiasm then we deserve whatever consequences come our way. It's one of those huge games and to be quite honest I'm happy for us to be involved in huge games again these last couple of months, and weeks coming up. We've spent so many years in what has felt like a mediocre wilderness. Regardless of who's out our big names on the teamsheet have got to bare their teeth tomorrow night.

I'm not ashamed to say I didn't bother this season. We were going nowhere with Lerner still in place and Lambert's new contract put me off completely. Next season I may well feel differently, although it is such an uncertain time for the club today ahead of the QPR and Spurs games. I'm assuming if we went down any possible takeover would be off, so I think that would be enough to put me off again. I don't think being in the Championship alone would put me off as we'd have some derbies again and like someone else said it would just be something a bit different to the same old garbage we have to endure every season right now. However, Lerner still being there in August with us in the Championship could signal a Leeds/Sheff Weds scenario. If we stay up and Lerner manages to sell it would be an interesting time to be a Villa fan again.

I know Cattermole and Johnson won't be playing but I think they're pretty much full strength apart from that. We should definitely be capable of getting something here. We're on a bit of a run and our attacking players have been on it over the last week Like someone else has said Sunderland will be bang up for it and feeling defeat is not an option. But what about us?? We can't afford to lose this really. 0 points and we are vulnerable to anything happening in the other games. I'll be very disappointed if they want it more than us. I'll go 1-2 Villa. Feeling better about matchdays. Guzan Lowton Okore Clark Cissokho Westwood Cleverley Delph N'Zogbia Benteke Agbonlahor

We have to take something from Tuesday.. Even if all it is would be moving to 23 points. We cannot let QPR or Burnley build a 3 point gap on us because our goal difference near enough counts as another point and psychologically would leave us with an insurmountable brick wall. If we could win on Tuesday (please please please) it would pile the pressure on the other sides and Sunderland panicking again. There's a long long way to go but we have to start doing something NOW. Even if we found some form in later March or April it would be too late by then.

The manager talking frankly and not mincing his words is refreshing to me to be honest. Lambert was always too guarded and really sounded confused a lot of the time about with what he was saying. For the straight talking character I much prefer Sherwood. Anyway back to the issue of points... I think Sherwood will pretty much say to them that losing Tuesday isn't really an option. If either QPR or Burnley were to win their next game and move on to 25 it is pretty much a 4 point gap given our woeful goal difference. Sunderland on 25 seem out of our reach at the moment. The psychology of it will start to kick in. Also heaven forbid Leicester were to win and move on to 21 that would bring them back into it as well! (at least for a while) In my opinion we must NOT get into this nonsense that we just have to 'better QPR and Burnley'. That is a very dangerous way of looking at it. We're one bad week away from looking at a seemingly insurmountable task. We just have to look at our game whoever it is and aim for as many points from it as possible. It's a tall tall order to beat West Brom midweek, if we have to take a point so be it but then the Sunderland game is pretty much do or die.

Today and Tuesday are such key games. If we are going to stay up then we simply have to win or at least get 4 points from these frankly winnable games. It's the cliché but if we get nothing out of these we'll have deserved to go down. I fancy us to do something to stay alive today. 1 - 2 win. Benteke and Sinclair.

Incredibly tough game to call. Above all else I hope 'The Sherwood Factor' does have an impact on the game. Good time to play Stoke with their problems. I'll go for an extremely nail biting 2-1 win. Guzan Hutton Vlaar Clark Cissokho Cleverley Westwood Delph Weimann Benteke Gil

I said in August it's any 3 from 11 to go down. Today I whittle it down to any 3 from Leicester, QPR, Burnley, Hull, Villa, West Brom, Sunderland and Palace (8). Nothing is certain yet. Any of those sides could stay up, any of them could still go down. The difference will be who can put a run of results together in these last 14 or so games. I hate to say it but how can we turn the points tally from the last 20 into something like 20 points from the next 14? I just can't see a run for us at the moment.

Absolutely huge game. If we lost this the writing would be starting to get up on that wall. Certainly the biggest game of Lambert's Villa tenure so far. I can only see a positive result in this one, as it's either that or a bad bad situation to follow. 1-2 Villa Guzan Hutton Vlaar Okore Cissokho Westwood Sanchez Delph Gil Benteke Agbonlahor

Wouldn't wages be too much of an issue for us? Also given his age... I said in another thread that Lambert would avoid these O'Neill type signings that may do well for a season but ultimately ruin the club financially. Ba would definitely be an O'Neill type signing.

Is Sinclair ineligible for us in the FA Cup? To be honest I couldn't care less what WBA fans say. He should fit into our side playing his natural game and in theory it will help to get more out of some of our other players. We have to give him a chance. He has about 4 months to prove himself.

I'd go slightly more attacking, take Cleverley out of that team and put Weimann up front with Benteke. Agree though finally a bit of flair and width. Really hope it transforms into some goals.

Good luck to him. I think one of the main things about his signing is we should get more out of Benteke and Weimann. Pleased with this, hope he has a bigger impact than Cleverley.

This summer we have a fair few players out of contract, particularly big earners Bent, Given and Vlaar. Assuming we stay in the Premier League then I would only think it's right and fair that some more realistic funds are put in again to push the team on again. If nothing else I think Lambert has shown he wouldn't be like O'Neill blowing huge fees and salaries on players who can only decline in value. To be fair we've assembled a decent enough squad. If some of that high earning deadwood is moved on and replaced with more lads in the Delph, Benteke and Gil category (for quality against price) I think we would have a good team next year. I've felt for a while Lambert should go because we just needed a change. But if he is staying as Fox implies he is, he should be given a bit more freedom this summer with some of those guys off the books.

Think Sinclair would allow us to play Weimann and Gabby up front through the middle which would be better for us. Good signing for me.

Lol Sunday it is then. I predict a gloomy day... and an interesting week following.

Will defeat tomorrow spell the beginning of the end for Lambert with mighty hard league fixtures around the corner??

I don't think I'd be letting anyone go in January. We need all the options we can get for the run in. I have faith Weimann can knock in goals if we can get the passes in to him, but you have to either play him off Benteke or not play him in my opinion. Delph and Lowton could yet have a part to play we don't know what's going to happen. Sinclair signing could leave us with a potentially attacking team of Guzan Hutton Clark Okore Cissokho Gil Sanchez Westwood Sinclair Benteke Weimann but it will need a lot of big performances and form to finish comfortable.

I don't know what to make of Sinclair really. He must want to be getting game time and making an impression on the league again, but would he be up for the presumably big cut in wages to come and fight the tooth and nail survival stuff in front of 25-30k at our place? If we are going to take him then my worry would be he already got to the big time, didn't make it, and now his psychology is all wrong. I think it's currently fair enough to wait and try to get the best possible deal. We certainly do need another option on that position though. I think I'm one of the few who still believe Gabby and Weimann could be dangerous if they were played up top with The Beast.