Tomsub

My point is that he is a shockingly bad centre half. 

Stats don't paint the whole picture as you like to make out. 

Couldn't agree more.

He's got heart & desire but sadly just isn't physically big enough.  I first noticed his weakness in heading against Hereford last year when he hardly won a ball in the air & sadly he seems to have gone down hill from there.  He may make a useful DCM but just isn't a PL or Championship quality CH.  Not his fault, but surely Lamentable Lambert could of spotted this before selling Collins.

Moaning about the Benteke signing is stupid as he has been one of our best players this season. The money spent on Bennett and KEA could have been used better though..

Agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments re. Bennett & KEA and would also include Bowery (although I think he looks quite useful).  Benteke has been good and it's great to see a proper No 9 at last after watching Heskey on the wings.  But the point is that Lambert was given a reasonable amount of money to target on improvement which he has undoubtedly spent in the wrong areas.  Now that's not Learner's, Faulkner's or anyone else's fault - it's solely down to lamentable Lambert.

Lamentable Lambert has done nothing wrong!!!!!  Are you joking.

This the clown that's been given £17-20M to build on a poor team & rather than recognising the blindingly obvious weaknesses in the team has wasted the money on buying lots of poor players.  Granted, Benteke is good & Westwood shows promise BUT Lowton's OK but nothing special, Bennett's a disgrace & can't defend (a bit of an oversight when buying a defender), Bowery's OK but we don't need any more strikers & the others are reserves.  For God's Sake Lambert what we needed was another decent CH & a DCM.  Wake up and play Warnock at LB we're paying his wages and he can at least tackle & doesn't look like a rabbit caught in the headlights.  Also, why sell a centre half who can head the ball when we haven't got a decent pool of CH's to replace him - surprise, surprise a CH has got injured & we have to play with Clark who can't win a header & is way out of his depth.

I'm not a fan of McLeish but we would not be in this position if he was still in charge.  Lambert has presided over the worst run of form in the club's history.  The clown started to believe his own publicity - the new MON, Brian Clough - you must be joking!

No prizes for guessing what we'll hear about 10pm on Tuesday night - "There's two ways you can take it........... We'll come out fighting........."  Yea, Yea, Yea

Collins will always be Collins. Dominant in the air and utterly hopeless on the ground. I saw West Brom vs. West Ham and he was atrocious but won nearly everything. You speak as if he was actually good for us last season. He was on 40k a week. I'd take a young player through the youth system on much less with much greater potential than Collins. Plus we replaced him with Vlaar not Clark, who is better and had been ever-present for Feyernoord for the past two seasons.

In terms of Lowton, I don't know. I've watched Lowton every week and he's generally been good whereas I've watched Clyne a few times and he's also generally been good. Point being he's been a good signing in my opinion and it doesn't really affect my opinion because somebody else may or may not be better. He's been poor recently, but I really don't think Cafu would look good in that defence.

I didn't say we'd replaced him with Clark - I said that Vlaar was injury prone (look at his career not just last season) and that as a result we were having to play Clark, who clearly isn't up to being a CH.

You say you'd take a young player from the youth system - what, such as Clark? He's undoubtedly worst that Collins and in truth I'm not bothered whether he's on £40K or £4K - what I want is to stay up.

I agree that Cafu would look useless in our defence which has been built by Lambert.

Why?

Because the domestic players Lambert's bought are S$$te.

Lol. Vlaar's no better than Collins because he's injured.

Lowton has been very good most of the season, the whole team is seriously low on confidence. He is undoubtedly an improvement on Hutton.

So that leaves Bennett and El-Ahmadi.

Collins has apparently had a good season at Wet Spam and can at least win a header. Vlaar's got a history of injuries. I'd much rather Collins was still hear and at least we wouldn't have to play with Clark who can't consistently win a header (can you name another CH who's header success rate is 60% FFS)

Lowton's been average all season - not too bad but nothing brilliant. Compare him and Clyne and who'd you have?

Pleased you agree on Bennett & Al-Ahmadi - I'd rather of given the money to charity.

It's not lack of endeavour which is frustrating, it's just the complete mishandling of running a football club that's ruined us.

We have gone about the biggest cost-cutting regime in our history (even relatively) in the last few years and that had to happen because Randy Lerner blindly threw money behind O'Neill believing we'd break the Top Four. We didn't and but we supported him then because we didn't realise he'd bring the quality of our squad to the ground as a result of the failure.

Lambert hasn't spent any money when you consider we sold Downing for £20m and cut some massive earners out of our squad.

How can you fail to realise that the reason our squad is so poor now is more-or-less purely down to Lerner's financial retraction? Of the players brought in by Lambert, most of them have been better than what we already had!

How on earth can you say that most of the players Lambert has bought are better than what we had!!!!!!!!

Bennett is the worst LB I've ever seen at Villa - no where near Warnock and should be cleaning his boots not playing in the first team.

Lowton's average (awful today) and at best on a par with Hutton.

Vlaar's no better than Collins - at least Collins plays!

Al Ahmadi (or what ever his name is) can't even get in ahead of the kids (who are useless) - I'd fancy myself against him over 100 metres and I'm 47!

£17-£20m he's spent with which we could've bought 2 top class players not the clowns Lambert's bought.

After a good point today I'm sorry to focus on a negative but if anybody can hand on heart say that this kid is playing better than Warnock was last year then as far as I'm concerned they are lying.

He may have potential but at the moment he is shocking.

After a good point today I'm sorry to focus on a negative but if anybody can hand on heart say that this kid is playing better than Warnock was last year then as far as I'm concerned they are lying.

He may have potential but at the moment he is shocking.

Absolutely right. When will people wake-up and smell the coffee? Warnock may of had some poor games but he is way, way in advance of Bennett.

Dunne, N'Zogbia, Given, Ireland, Hutton, Bent and Warnock are costing us around £400k a week - that is top money

How many top ten clubs will be in for any of them?.............None

How many could play for a top ten club?................maybe Bent and that's it

USA is about Dunne's level, Given is a now a back up keeper, Hutton and Warnock will find a team in the championship, Ireland will probably disappoint for a team abroad. Only Bent (who so obviously doesn't suit our style of play) might end up at another premier club

Spot on. What a brilliant post. This sums up my feelings exactly.

The only thing I'd add is that whilst this is true the challenge is obviously to identify the bargains and make them work - something which Lambert's done in part but has failed to blend them in - throwing them all in at the deep end is reckless.

It's debatable whether he was the worst - he pretty close if he wasn't. Again, totally ineffective, running down blind alleys, head down, no cross . . . need I go on.

Quite seriously he's not worth £1m let alone close to £10m.

I agree with all the comments about those from the Saunders' eara but for me the one that has made the greatest single impact is Bent - without his signing we'd have been relegated last season.

Not the best player and not my favourite player but I dread to think where we'd be now without that signing and the immediate payback it gave us.

Hello, 

  I am writing to you in regards to the new 2012-2013 kit, I would like to express my anger with the current sponsorship. Now I am aware of the premier league rules and that child's shirts aren't allowed to have the the genting casino logo on as it is a casino and company's such as alcoholic drinks and betting shops are not aloud to advertise of the front of children's shirts, this is why I am angry, firstly why has a sponsor been chosen that cannot be put on the front of the children's shirt as I'm sure you know that children want the replica shirt that is the same as what the players are wearing more than anything. Another reason why I am more confused than angry is that when attending our last home game of a dismal season last year, that when walking around the club shop, there were baby shirts and young children's shirts with the genting casinos sponsor on them. 

Now I am a big fan of the new shirts and I think they look very good but was disappointed to see what it looked like on the online shop with out the sponsor. 

I am a 15 year old boy who is not the average height for a child of that age as I am of the smaller size, and I have been a season ticket holder at Aston villa football club for the last 6 years and have enjoyed these years with the exception of the previous season but I'm sure your aware I'm not the only villa fan angered about last year. Now im almost 16 and as I said I don't look that age but I have many friends who would be wearing the adults shirts therefore they can have the sponsor on there shirts but just because they are taller than me doesn't make them any more mature, therefore just because I'm smaller it doesn't mean I am going to be influenced by a betting sponsorship on the front of my shirt any more than they are. 

I am attending the kit launch tomorrow but at this moment in time I cannot justify spending £50 plus on my shirt to include printing, as well as another £50 for my brothers shirt, we will then have to repeat this in a months time when the new away shirt comes out. 

This leads me onto my next point in regards to printing, now I will be getting my shirt printed but we do not know squad numbers for next year, now I know big name stars like Darren bent will remain #9 but I like to have younger players on my shirts for example Lichaj and Wiemann by I do not yet know what there confirmed number will be and also what would happen if I was to get a player like agbonlahor on my shirt and he then leaves? Will I be refunded or is it going to be blamed on me? 

 

I look forward to hearing back from you and how you are going to resolve my problem 

 

Ollie Bennett

I have just sent this too the club, thoughts

 

I stopped reading due to the bad grammar and spelling. For a letter of complaint you'd have thought you would have done a spell check and proof read.

Wow! On a scale of 10 for arrogant responses this has got to be an 11.

I assure you he would not leave Villa for any other PL team other than United.

Great post, well written and informed.

The only thing I can't understand is why he'd leave Villa to join a smaller club

he was in a team of Defenders yesterday........I feel for the guy. Every misplaced pass was met with boos and jeers yet when Ireland did it nobody uttered a word. An attacker needs confidence, his basic footballing abilities or flair or anything are all effected by this. The guy had chances to shoot yesterday but was shit scared of missing and getting boo'ed again. Look at the young lads, always shooting and having a go!!

People need to remember NZO isnt enjoying football at the moment, his words, and we as fans should be filling him full of confidence and encouraging him. End of the day the manager picks the team and he is very defensive. The only real attacking players yesterday were Ireland and NZO

The difference being that Ireland has the ball more, tries more passes, attempts more attacking passes. N'Zog was an embarrassment yesterday and should of been taken of at half time. A total waste of time and money and with an attitude as well. Get rid ASAP.

the same kev Mc who was sh*te during his last stint !

Spot on - how quickly people forget. We need to be careful what we wish for.

In recent years the corners were taken by Barry,milner,young and downing. we have failed to replace any of these players hence our deliver in the box from set pieces is totally crap.

Spot on!

It's no secret - good players put in good crosses and good players get on the end of them.

Poor players put in poor crosses and poor players don't get on the end of them. :oops:

Sorry guys but I thought Heskey brought a different dimension to our game and created a number of knock-ons onto which Wieman ran - he also passed to Wieman creating our best chance of the game.

I couldn't agree more. I was totally in favour of us signing him but apart from half a match when he scored (i can't remember who it was against) I've been totally unimpressed. He truly is overpaid and a waste of space. Let's get rid ASAP and bring in Jarvis who at least delivers descent crosses and stays where he's meant to.

He spent £26m to get a team who finished 9th relegated.

**** right off Lerner.

And who would you want instead? Some unheard of from say China?

Watching us win!

The negativity is because we were very lucky to even draw this game. Liverpool hit the post, could have have 3 penos and completely outplayed us.

We offered nothing in the last 60 minutes of the game and didn't even pretend to play football. We just put 11 men behind the ball and hoped to get someone in front cross/pass/shot

Funny how people see things, you think we were lucky to draw, Gregory thinks we were unlucky not to win.

Course we got a point, with a very thread-bare team against however a poor Liverpool side its still only one that has only lost at home twice and a place we rarely get anything from.

Yeah we could have gone on and attacked more but then who knows we might be sitting on the end of a thrashing had that happened.

We got a good point, why moan? We all know McLeish isnt good enough for Villa but that still doesnt mean everything that happens is either lucky or something to not be happy about.

Also not sure what pens you are on about, they didnt deserve one, if anything we could have had one.

Nice one mate - common sense reins.

Given injurys etc, well done today Alex. a good point well deserved.

Would still hope you are not the manager of AVFC come May.

It wasn't a point well deserved. It was a very lucky point and if we had been playing an inform Liverpool we would have lost this by at least 3

But we weren't, and we didn't! Why all this negativity? I think this is what has cost us 6-9 points at VP this season - people who go down wanting us to lose and say "I told you so".

I wonder if this poster was saying we came up against an inform Man City, Man U and Arsenal? I suspect not.

Yes but he inherited a very poor squad. He really hasn't been allowed to turn that around with the type of finance that O'Neill was given and thats what it would take to replace the absolute dross at the club. He has also had to contend with a serious of injuries to key players and then to rely on our youth, who with the exception of Gardner, who i rate very highly, are simply not good enough. So he has been a victim of circumstances at our club.

However if he had been given a decent budget to bring in more players in January and we were still in our current position then i would be more inclined to agree with you.

Good God I wish I'd written this it sums up the situation and my feelings exactly - some common sense at last.

To be fair, I am gonna be truthful now! If we do sack McLeish we are gonna need a big manager to come in and sort the squad out. Ok don't laugh, how stupid it may have seemed at the time, Ancelotti would have got this team a winning mentality and kicked the moaners in to touch. One thing McLeish has failed at. Anyone saying the squad is not good enough please believe with a big manager even Benitez, we would be much more motivated and disiplined.

R u joking Benitez! Ancelotti yes but Benitez got lucky with the European Cup but other than that was responsible for the demise of LFC. He got found out and then screwed up in Italy.

I blame him for the injuries. You cannot play his highly defensive tactics all season, without sustaining injury. The team is so much under pressure for 90% of the game that its inevitable your gonna lose out to a skillful or even clumsy challenge exactly how Bent got injured, trying to track back, which isn't really his game.

Oh for god's sake - do you also blame him for the credit crunch?