DamsonwoodVillan

Yeah no one is above the sack at the end of the day.

I don't think it will be just yet but defeat to both Liverpool and Bournemouth would leave him on the brink... with Arsenal and Chelsea next up. 

It's inevitable unless we have a major upturn in performances and results in those 4 games.

I still think he will be safe if we go down to Liverpool but the Bournemouth game, as funny as that is, could be the one that seals Lambert's fate if he is indeed to be sacked. 

Like mentioned above we could very easily lose all of the next four games and I think that would spell the end for Lambert. 

If we have got this Gil fellow is that the board backing Paul Lambert at this time?

Great signing by all accounts. Gil needs to hit the ground running and have an immediate impact. 

Good luck lad, the pressure's on I'm afraid. 

I take on board everyone's comment and in a way I agree with all of you. Lambert's position is untenable now. The players aren't playing for him and he has lost the crowd. If a manager is to change our fortunes, it won't be Paul Lambert.

However, I stand by what I said that his situation has been next to impossible GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES he has been in. Two years from now, after Lambert's been axed, he will rue the day he ever came to work for Lerner and in front of our unrealistic fanbase. He had a great thing going at Norwich with their expectations. If he had stayed there and continued in the same vein he may well have attracted the attention of some of the top clubs a year or two later.

I've always felt this about the nature of our fans. I know it is the same at other clubs but I do think our bunch can be particularly unrealistic and moany. Back in 2000 Gregory led us to a top 6 finish and an FA Cup Final, but I remember it was panned as a disappointment because we weren't close enough to the top 3 as it was then. And it has been the same ever since I've been a season ticket holder to be honest. I've always felt that given the backing our managers have received, mindful of rival Premier League clubs as well, our achievements have probably just about matched what we've paid for. It's very fine lines, O'Neill would have been remembered as successful if we had beaten Man Utd that day, and hung on for 4th spot - regardless of how the subsequent year went.

Anyway, back to Lambert.. Is now - mid January - the right time to sack him?? Especially considering Lerner's slow dithering approach to appointing a new man. For timing it couldn't be worse. Get a couple of players in to try and make an impact. If it's an even more dire situation in one month's time then sack him.  

There is some weight to Bunnski's arguments though.

At this point in the season with only a couple of weeks to make any signings it may be better the devil you know. 

If Lambert was sacked today it would be the Bournemouth game at the earliest before any new manager was in place, with little/no time to make any stamp on the squad roster.

If we sacked Lambert and replaced him with Sherwood, Howe or any other realistic name being thrown around, I seriously doubt any manager's ability to come in and suddenly transform this group of players. 

I know it is frustrating and soul-destroying to be a Villa fan right now, but I think we are going to have to persevere and trust in Lambert's past ability to come up with a big result or two when we've really needed one. 

I think he will get us over the line again, and then the whole club just needs a re-structure if possible in the summer. The owner, the management and coaches, the playing staff, everything. 

I think the biggest emotion Lerner will feel when he eventually sells is relief. 

If he can get through yet another season of worry and finally sell (probably to anybody - not carefully selecting a buyer) then I think that will feel like a heck of a victory for him. 

I personally just hope that he will partly be remembered as the guy who spent a few quid on restoring some of the club, not just remembered as the guy who went full circle spending huge amounts and achieved nothing. 

Always got to get the points on the board first ask questions later.

This next run of games we have is a good chance for teams like West Brom and Sunderland to find some form and steal a bit of a march on us. Poyet and Pulis will have looked at this. I have a feeling at the end of January it will look like a shoot out between Burnley, Palace, Hull, Leicester, QPR and us.

At this moment in time:  

QPR are dropping like a stone - I think they will go.

Hull don't look like they have the quality to me - I think they will go (without any major signing that may turn it around for them).

The other team in the bottom 3 end of the season could be any from the group I've listed above, and could easily be us.  

Just got to take today to be honest, not a good performance at all but I doubt we can win the cup so just take the win and move on to next week. 

Someone has said it was practically our first choice 11 out there who struggled but when you consider Guzan, Vlaar, Delph and to a lesser extent Agbonlahor, Weimann and Senderos all didn't start/play I don't really know where that one's coming from. It was a strong enough team yes but certainly not our first choice.

Anyway, Lambert now has a potentially huge game next week against Leicester. I think this one could really be key in our season and he must not get it wrong. Losing that one with some fixtures with the top teams around the corner could really drag us into the dogfight just when we look ok in mid-table.

Lambert has a bit of a point to prove here as in his really bad struggles of the past he always seems to have dug something out of these big games against the teams around us. The fans will well and truly turn on him if we get turned over next week. UTV.   

I'd say give him a go to the end of the season.

It can't be a bad thing, adds another option. Probably mat add something a bit different too as while I am in favour of this possession game we are too predictable at the moment.

My view is we're not going to win the cup so let's just enjoy the win and hope for the easiest draw possible in the next round.

Dreadful performance by the lads tbh. Too slow, too predictable.

Benteke's turn and shot was good but the keeper should have kept it out. Given made a good save just before, other than that it was a classic 0-0.

Let's just focus on Leicester. Big three points if we were to take them that would be a big psychological boost as it pull us away from Leicester and a few of the others.

It will be whichever teams can string a run of results together stay up.

I think Burnley are there fighting at the moment but I'm not convinced they will sustain it through to the end of April. I think (hope) that Leicester and QPR will drop too many points they should have taken. Right now those 3 are my pick to go down... but in the relegation worries we've had with Lambert in the past I've always felt we have had goals in us, and the players to take the chances in crucial games. This season I'm not sure we do.

Really poor but sadly really predictable. I could see no other outcome than a 0-0.

Would have given MOTM to Clark just ahead of Sanchez. Made a great tackle in the first half that I have a feeling would have put us bang in trouble if he'd not made it.

I think Cole should come in to start ahead of either Weimann or even Cleverley.

I expect us to win on Sunday but all I'm really thinking about is the Leicester game. Bit of a bad time to be playing them for me, they look like they're alive and kicking again. I fear that game could be quite key in the context of the season, we have some tough looking fixtures the other side of it.

I think it will be

Guzan

Hutton Vlaar Okore Cissokho

Sanchez Cleverley Cole

Weimann Benteke Agbonlahor

Weimann will have a dreadful game, keep losing it with his first touch... Sanchez will get a red card on about 65 minutes when the pressures on... Cole will look good in flashes but not see enough of the ball... Gabby will flash it across the goalmouth but Benteke will stare at him andshout why didn't he pull it back to him on the 18 yard line... The crowd will scream for Grealish to come on, we'll see him on about 78 minutes, he will add some spark and energy, and put in the last minute cross for Benteke who will force Speroni into a great save.

0-0

Delph probably in out of necessity. I agree Vlaar should start on the bench but given his position as Club Captain, if there's any possibility at all Lambert will put him in.

Guzan

Hutton Vlaar Okore Cissokho

Sanchez Cleverley Delph

Weimann Benteke Agbonlahor

Still wonder what our best team is? This would influence my thinking about what signings to go after.

I started this season thinking yeah, we're not good enough to seriously challenge or anything but we've signed a few decent players, we've got a few options now in most positions. I don't know how we compare with other clubs but we do seem to get crippling injuries to key players. We'll go another season now without a full squad to choose from.

I think it's always been Lambert's plan to use Benteke and Kozak together, but just never been possible over the 18 months! If this was the case I would be saying we need top quality to replace Albrighton and Zog.

If Delph is leaving then I would say we need two players in that area, as well as signing Cleverley. I never have been (and I suspect never will be) convinced by Westwood, I think we can do better in time.

If Vlaar is to leave then I wouldn't be too worried about Senderos stepping up as our senior player there, and possibly signing another young Okore type as a replacement.

Everywhere else I genuinely feel we've got decent options, if only they could blooming stay fit!!

Id like to see this team start on the weekend myself

Guzan

Hutton Okore Clarke Cissoko

Westwood Cleverley

Bacuna Grealish Agbonlahor

Benteke

Subs: Given, Herd, Lowton, Richardson, Sanchez, Nzogbia, Robinson

A few people have mentioned Bacuna. I suspect he is miles away from a first team start at the moment. It will be unchanged from Tuesday other than Sanchez in for Cole and N'Zogbia in for Weimann.

Looking forward to it but this is often the sort of game we mess up and puts us on a bad run again.

0-0

I reckon 8.

It's not now or never. There's a long way to go.

UTV!!

I'm one of those saying keep him.

Don't think sacking him will achieve anything. I think those calling for his sacking now are going more from the frustration if the past couple of years rather than where we are now. We'll be fine this season.

We have options in the squad now. He has to have the courage to pick the right ones and leave out anyone not pulling their weight.

We looked fine earlier in the season. We keep losing players to injury just when they were playing ok.

People say the Stoke or Liverpool games could have been so different - but in truth Monday night could have as well. If the Benteke header or the Clark rebound had gone in to make it 1-1 you'd have fancied us to go on and win.

Too early to boot him yet. Although the Spurs and Burnley games will be key if he is to win back any proper support.

I hope his strong start doesn't get completely undone by this tough run we've got now.

I think he's done well but if we take a heavy beating in one of these games you can picture fans getting on his back as well as Hutton.

Absolutely fantastic memories!

I was 11 at the time and walking to school every morning with three Blue scum mates.

My best memory of this event is giving them banter about it the morning after on the way to school, and all three of them insisting I had made the game up and it hadn't happened lol!!

These were the days before such close media coverage and internet/social media. I took the match programme with me the following day to prove to them I had been. I think two of my mates had just been in denial, but the one still insisted it was all just a dream I had had... idiot

Guzan

Hutton Vlaar Senderos Cissokho

N'Zogbia Sanchez Delph Richardson

Benteke Kozak

Maybe Weimann or Gabby in place of Kozak if that partnership didn't work. It's just great to have good players now that are not guaranteed starters.

There's a definite top 7 (in my predicted order) of Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Man Utd, Everton.

After that I think it will be Newcastle and Stoke that will most likely finish top half.

Then I believe relegation is literally 3 from the other 11. Aside from the sides I've already mentioned it wouldn't surprise me if any of the others go down. The other 11 are all sides that could stay up or drop. It will all come down to which teams can put runs of results together and which can't.

FWIW I think Palace will be in bad trouble compared to most in their current situation.

With Villa, by my logic 3 from 11 gives us a good chance. Being optimistic I think Guzan, the back 4 and Sanchez, coupled with the threat of Benteke, will be enough to avoid the drop. Could finish as high as 10 or as low as 17 for me. So I will go 13th or 14th.

Guzan

Hutton Vlaar Senderos Cissokho

N'Zogbia Sanchez Delph Westwood Richardson

Agbonlahor

90 minutes of frustration... 0-0