DamsonwoodVillan

When Benteke and Kozak are both back do you think it will be The Beast on his own with Libor on the bench? I can imagine them doing some real damage playing together but just don't see how it work... Guzan Hutton Vlaar Senderos Cissokho N'Zogbia Sanchez Delph Richardson Benteke Kozak ??

Lambert always seems to get these fixtures where he makes changes to the team wrong. We always look so disjointed and confused as a team in these games. Apart from possibly changing Given for Guzan and Sanchez for Agbonlahor, maybe leaving the team from Newcastle would have given us a more settled game with a higher chance of winning?? Obviously you've got to get the other lads in, but when these games come along the balance just never looks right to me.

This competition is important to us. Or it certainly should be. I'd like to see... Given Lowton Okore Clark Stevens Sanchez Bacuna Gardner Cole Grealish Bent

I'd actually go with the same team as the Stoke game. Still worry we've got the tools to be a good away side but will struggle to win at home. Guzan Hutton Vlaar Senderos Cissokho Westwood Delph Richardson Agbonlahor Weimann N'Zogbia 1-1

If we are looking to build and have a more successful season we just cannot let him go at this stage. It would be giving up one of our most consistent performers, and it would be a blow to the dressing room as well, particularly when it is probably building up a buoyant head of steam just at the moment. I've said in another thread we suddenly look like we have a good keeper and decent defensive options now including Sanchez. That sort of position is where successful teams start from. If we take away from that by letting go of our skipper we'd be seriously shooting ourselves in the foot in my view.

Yes I think keeping Vlaar is key to be honest. I would not be sacrificing him in pursuit of another attacking player. We need to think from the point of view we now have a good keeper, a decent back four, and Sanchez just in front. We have to build from that at this stage, not take away from it. Chadli would get a big thumbs up from me.

I've always thought throughout his career that he tends to do well and put in 7 or 8 out of 10 performances regularly. I wasn't bowled over by his signing but I think he's one of those that will be worth it considering the outlay has been minimal. His performance yesterday will do for me, let's not forget Stoke are no mugs these days and have good attacking players. I concur with others though we should judge him over a long period.

Gabby played the lone striker role so well ages ago in the MON era when he had Milner and Young around him. I still think on-form he can play the role well enough with his strength and ability to run the channels, but apart from that he doesn't offer much more I'm afraid. He hasn't got the intelligent football brain to create and bring others into it, and I don't think he'll ever be a prolific goalscorer. Gabby's biggest asset, apart from raw pace, is that he does seem to turn up and offer something in big high-pressure games, or games against the big teams. Of course Benteke should be the man to occupy the position when fit, but for now I think Gabby (in combination with Weimann and Zog) just slightly edges out the challenge of Bent for his place. Don't feel confident enough to comment on whether Kozak would be picked over him. If everyone was fit and available I still think Lambert's preferred option would be Benteke through the middle with Weimann one side and Gabby the other.

Westwood is the player I would personally drop from the starting line up to make way for Sanchez, although like everyone he did ok yesterday. Fair play I think Westwood gives a similar performance every time out which could be viewed as a good thing. My call to drop him would be more to do with what Sanchez could do to the balance of the whole midfield, and not necessarily just a slur on Westwood. I just think Ashley is a bit slow and gets overrun every time we're playing a strong team. Maybe he just about did enough to keep his place in the side and keep Sanchez on the bench yesterday though.

Will he play against Toon? Can't see Lambert changing the starting line up. Just think he could make a difference to the roles of all our midfielders. If it was me I would put him straight in and drop Westwood but then that might be a bit harsh.

Great result. Big players to come in of course. Don't think many will go to The Brittania over the season and win so lets enjoy tonight. Brilliant debuts by Senderos and Cissokho. Thought the goal looked like the dangerous goal-happy Weimann of old, will be really big for us if Andi can keep that up. Pleased pleased pleased.

Yes I think we 'need' another attacking wide man to add to Zog and Grealish. I've had enough of Weimann playing there.

Only time will tell on the quality of the squad this season but the one thing we do have that Lambert's never had before is options. I don't think we'll have anything like a settled 11 this season. For what it's worth I would go... Guzan Hutton Vlaar Okore Cissokho Sanchez N'Zogbia Delph Richardson Agbonlahor Benteke

You might label Lambert's signings this summer as the journeymen type, but conversely I think they are a real coup for this club to get them in given our current situation. It's very difficult to attract experienced/international players to a club like ours right now. If we are able to tie Vlaar, Gabby and Delph to new deals and get another wide man in then I don't think Lambert can literally do any more on the players side of it. The lads he's let go in this window were never realistically going to get a look in this season. I concede he's served up some poor football, particularly at home, and he needs to get it right this season as it probably is last chance saloon for him over the course of the whole season new owners or not. Right now I think the fans just need to turn up in our numbers, home and away, and get behind Lambert and the team. If we look like we're in trouble come Christmas, things will start happening anyway.

Excellent signing. Well happy with this and pleased for Lambert too getting in a player of this quality in his current situation. With our midfield performing so badly last season in truth the pressure is really on Sanchez to come in and make a difference, but I believe he will. It's a big signing for us as it should hopefully mean that the roles in the team of Delph, Westwood, Gardner and others will change (hopefully for the better!) a little bit. Most chuffed I've been for the Villa in a while and the season starts tomorrow! UTV!

Absolutely laughable comments. The only managers who have been given fair backing by Lerner have been MON and Houllier. Since then we've had managers who have had to suffer one heck of a shambolic situation behind the scenes and grind out results. I'm not saying Lambert is any sort of managerial God-send but my goodness me it's been difficult for him. There's very few managers we could have realistically taken at the time who could've done better in my opinion. Martinez possibly, but I can't think of anyone else.

Very sad news. Goes to show that Depression does not ignore even the wealthiest or most successful. RIP Robin, a true memory of my times at the cinema in childhood.

Absolutely quality if we pull this one off. We've missed this sort of player for a long time now. Without going over the top I would hope a player like Sanchez would really make a difference to our dismal goals against, tackles won and possession stats. It would also be amazing if he were to be a foil for Delph, Richardson, Westwood, Zog, Cole and Grealish to really do some damage at the other end!

I've always liked him personally and I've always wanted him to do well. I felt at the end of last season that it would be better to just have a new owner, new manager and a clean slate - but that wasn't necessarily in anger at Lambert more the situation overall. I'll never berate him and I'll always support him while he's manager.

If we do sign Sánchez then I worry for Westwood to be honest. Think Richardson and Delph's speeds and attacking threats will squeeze Westwood out of a starting place in central midfield if Sánchez steps into the enforcer role.

Will we replace him with a Sinclair or Moses loan deal? I wonder. We have a fair amount of options at the moment up front and in wide positions, if they can stay fit and for goodness sake find some form.

No swap Richardson for Westwood. Possibly drop Agbonlahor for Weimann. Then that would also be my team.

Looking forward to it now. Just worried it will be a decent away performance but we'll end up losing out to a free kick or corner up at The Britannia. Guzan Hutton Vlaar Okore Cissokho Weimann Westwood Delph Richardson N'Zogbia Agbonlahor

Obviously Vlaar will start against Stoke and the other position is between Okore and Senderos. I have a feeling Senderos may just shade it as things stand. That's purely going on their respective performances yesterday.

I think Guzan and then a back four would definitely make for a much more settled defence. If you play 3 centre backs and then wing backs the potential for injuries/too much rotation I think would become higher. The biggest decision I think will be what to do in front of them. Do we go with one striker with two on the wings, two strikers and four in midfield, one striker one in 'the hole' and a midfield four?? Judging by pre season and Cole and Richardson signing I think Lambert fancies a midfield four with an attacking midfielder in just behind the main striker.