rjenkins

I think we'll lose this one. I don't think we'll get hammered, but they are a good team and for us to win I think we'd need to play better than we did against Liverpool. I can't see Chelsea missing the chances that they did. Having said all that, we are moving in the right direction and will be in high spirits after our recent results and the cup draw. I just think it'll be games like today where that missing bit of midfield steel will show.

I think Lichaj gets an unfair amount of stick on here to be honest. He's a limited player but it could be worse, we could be playing Alan Hutton...

Lambert has played a bit of a stinker today. Starting Herd didn't greatly improve the solidity of our midfield and he was gutless with his substitutions. We still had half-chances to win the game but once they had lost M'Bia and Diakite we should have gone for it. If McLeish had made those tactical decisions today, we would be livid. Before the match I would have taken a point and I still don't think it's a bad result given that QPR did have a lot of the ball, but winning that game was not beyond us and so to stop trying for the win just isn't acceptable.

For a good part of that first half we were the better side. However, I worry about how few shots we've had on goal and Lichaj could cause us some problems if he doesn't improve drastically in the second half. We can win this, but we may need a little luck along the way.

Completely agree. I want Delph to do well after all his injury problems, but I can't see him ever being good enough.

Very close to the line-up I suggested earlier in this thread. Whilst I like Weimann, if we're playing a front three then surely Holman would be better suited to playing in the wide position, or is it a 4-4-2 with Gabby and Bannan as our 'wingers'?

I think we'll scrape a draw today, but there is an outside chance we could get something more. Sunderland haven't been brilliant this season, although their side is more balanced than ours on paper. I'd line-up: Guzan Lowton Vlaar Clark Lichaj Holman Westwood Bannan Gabby Ireland Benteke I think we've got to give this Westwood a chance as he seems a naturally defensive player and we surely can't go into a Premier League game with Bannan and Delph as our central midfield. Delph has been woeful in the last few games.

I was about 8/9 when I decided to support Villa. Where I grew up in Wales I was pretty much an equal distance from Cardiff, Newport and Merthyr and only an hour away from Swansea, so coupled with my family generally not being huge football fans, none of my 'local' teams felt more local than any other, and I didn't just want to support a side because they happened to be winning at the time. Anyway, I was watching Aston Villa vs. Liverpool with my Dad on TV when he told me about when he was living and working through the week in Birmingham and home for the weekends when my parents got married and he would watch Villa if they played midweek and he wasn't working too late for something to do. My mother didn't want to uproot from the Valleys to Brum so my father moved jobs and remained in Wales. After hearing that, I felt a link with Villa. (It may also have helped that we beat them 2-1. I think Collymore scored for us? Would have been 1998 or 1999 ish?)

I wonder if he's gone for the Swansea or Hearts jobs? Best of luck to him anyway. Loyal servant to the club.

The only name I've seen rumoured is that Jurgen Klinsman has been advising Randy about this managerial position and it is on his recommendation that he was keen to speak to OGS. The only other person I can think of TT is on about is Andreas - Villas Boas because we'd all agree with the surname as he said!! TBF Paul Lambert & AVB have been the 2 rumoured off tweets since Mcleish got the boot until the emergence of OGS. Cheers, Julie. We never have a simple transition between manages it seems

I'm sad to hear you are retiring, TT. I think the Houllier spotting and this last week or so have been some of most exciting times on VT, and I certainly wouldn't say the resulting chaos at Molde is your fault at all. Rokke is quite obviously petulant and a clearing in the woods. All of this could have been an excuse to pull out funding which he wanted to do anyway? We'll never know his exact reasons for doing what he did. If anything, all it's done is increased sympathy for OGS and now I think we're more likely to get him. Lastly though, does anyone know who this 'highly experienced and well known manager' might be? I'm probably being thick but I haven't a scooby.

Phillip Cocu is an interesting shout. I'd like Martinez, Lambert or Rodgers to be honest, and I'd consider Malky Mackay, Steve McLaren and Owen Coyle if we couldn't get our first choices.

Assuming that Collins and Gabby are out I'd go for: Given Hutton Cuellar Baker Lichaj Gardner Herd Ireland N'Zogbia Weimann Heskey I think this is probably the most important game of our season, and all three outcomes are possible as I see it. I'm not convinced that these 'warm weather breaks' actually work well for teams (or maybe that's just wishful thinkg from me that Bolton won't be totally at the races) and I can see us winning, but I predict absolute panic stations if we lose. This is our most winnable game from the run in on paper. I'd bribe the officials right now if I could, and I'd even go as far as tolerating McLeish not being sacked this season if it could in some way gaurantee the three points. Nervous isn't the word.

I remember being nine years old the last time I was so nervous about a match against Bolton, when we faced them in the 2000 FA Cup Semi-Final. Funny how things change, isn't it? I must have gone through the BBC Predictor about four or five times now and I have us staying up every time, but if we lose to Bolton on Tuesday then I honestly can't see us getting another point for the rest of the season. Whether the QPRs, Wigans and Boltons of this world can take advantage is another story but the way we've played this season we are exactly where we deserve to be. Looking at our squad too and who will almost certainly leave if we go down, I think it's more likely we'll do a Leeds rather than a Newcastle.

Didn't see it going any other way really. We are putting an inexperienced team out there, but when we could have started Heskey, Cuellar and N'Zogbia that doesn't really wash as an excuse. Given - 5 - Two decent saves but very average otherwise Hutton - 0 - Absolutely atrocious. Collins - 5 - Decent in open play but can't mark. Baker - 6 - Tried hard and didn't disgrace himself. Lichaj - 6 - Had a tough task which he stuck to well. Shame he has no left foot as it stunted our attacks. Clark - 6 - Decent game. Composed and can actually control a football Gardner - 4 - Probably not ready for this level yet. The entire game passed him by Ireland - 5 - Not great today, but then hoofball isn't his game and it's not like he had any runners to aim passes for. Bannan - 3 - Championship player. He can cross a dead ball and that's it. Weimann - 6 - Gave a good account of himself. Should have done better with his chance perhaps Agbonlahor - 0 - Shocking. I don't know what the matter with him is but he's seriously affecting our performances. He needs to be dropped. All the subs did moderately well when they came on. Carruthers looked good but of course he was playing against a midfield that had been playing 75 mins. He's got some ability but let's not get carried away.

If Cuellar and N'Zogbia are fit then I'd go with this: Given Lichaj - Collins - Cuellar - Warnock N'Zogbia - Herd - Ireland - Agbonlahor Weimann - Heskey

At the end of the day, a point is more than I expected from today and we have to be happy with that. With some other teams around us losing we're baby-steps closer to safety now. However, we're a poor side and we were exceptionally lucky that Liverpool didn't score far more goals today. We can't rely on lady luck to keep us in the Premier League.

In fairness, as awful as McLeish is, you have to look at that bench and feel sorry for him. The injury problems in our squad are absolutely insane. They must be worse now than what Houllier had to deal with last year? Having said that, we're close to the relegation zone right now because he hasn't taken advantage of the good times, and he will never be a good enough manager to live up to our expectations for the club. As for today, I'm seeing a 3-0 loss. Gerrard, Suarez and Kuyt to score probably.

Was at the game today and can't fault the level of effort from the lads, in particular some of those who are not regular starters for us. You have to put into perspective that we fielded a team of novices against seasoned internationals, but we get torn apart in midfield regularly whoever we play, and we weren't exactly brilliant at keping possession even in the heady days of Barry and Milner. We'll win games before the end of the season if we can continue to play like that, but how long will the 'Petrov effect' last is my worry. I feel that had a lot more to do with our performance than anything else today. Given - 6 - Made a couple of good saves and was weaker in the areas we all know he is. So why have we not worked to legislate for this all season? Lichaj - 7 - Thought he played well when he came into the side last season and was impressed again today. He wasn't faultless but he offers as much if not more than Hutton thanks to those long throws Collins - 7 - I've only been impressed by him a couple of times in the last few seasons, generally when he plays with less experienced defensive partners i.e. Clark and Baker. Perhaps he takes a different approach or likes the responsibility? Baker - 5 - Baptism of fire for the poor lad. Undone at times by simply better players. It isn't his fault and we shouldn't be too hard on him. Did some things well in open play. Warnock - 7 - Best game for ages. His crossing is ineffectual but we always knew that. Given his age and inconsistency I can see us looking for a replacement in the summer. Herd - 5 - Struggled today I thought, particularly in the first half, but it's a tough role in an inexperienced midfield and Mata and Lampard are excellent players. It wasn't an easy task Gardner - 6 - Better than Herd. I really see something in him. Strange to play him on the left but he was tidy I thought in general play Bannan - 6 - Jekyll and Hyde performance as usual. There seems to be an assumption amongst our coaching staff that he is more versatile than he is in reality I feel. Improved as the game wore on. So many high balls played to him today though which he will never be able to win. Ireland - 6 - Tidy and composed, but most of all forward thinking. Couldn't control the game today as one would hope, but that is hardly surprising. Our best stuff will come through him more often than not. Weimann - 7 - My MOTM. He worked his socks off even after picking up a knock, caused problems, and had the confidence to have a go at Agbonlahor for not doing likewise. That goal against Fulham seems to have done a lot for his confidence. Agbonlahor - 5 - Going though a slump in form. We can't really afford that right now but we have no-one else. I guess had his first half shot gone in or he had not been incorrectly penalised agsinst in the second half that could have all changed. I think we could well go down now. How many teams could cope without players like Bent, Dunne, N'Zogbia and Petrov in a relegation battle? Mcleish just couldn't take advantage of the good times and now we just have to keep trying hard and praying for other results to go our way. On a final note, brilliant scenes from both sets of fans for Petrov today. Both before the game and at the 19th minute I was moved by the tributes to a real gentleman of the game. I'm sure we'll do all we can for him in the tough times he has ahead. As his fellow countryman urged, 'Be Strong Stan'.

LV: Tom Waits RG: Paul Simon LG: Bill Harkleroad (a.k.a Zoot Horn Rollo) BG: Herbie Flowers Dr: John Bonham

I'd love to say that I would, but in reality I'm not sure I would do if it were a family member. I know there's no defence for it, and that it would indirectly hit my other family members, but I just can't see myself reporting them. Even typing it out seems bizarre. Having said that, I can't see how people can have a good life off benefit fraud without committing other, more lucrative crimes on the side. I worked with a man who always complained about having a job, and how he wasn't much better off that if he was staying at home, but the point was he was better off working, and that was on the minimum wage, admittedly in a 50 hour week job mind. Are all these tales of great cars and TVs real, or just Daily Mail hyperbole?

I'd go as far as to say I think that is the best we could offer at the moment. In reality though I can't see him bringing N'Zogbia back so we'll probably see Albrighton on the right and Gabby on the left. He surely has to play Ireland in the hole now Keane has gone... surely.

I've voted yes, but only because there aren't many good managers out of a job at the moment. Whilst it doesn't feel like it, we're mathematically pretty sound in terms of avoiding a real relegation battle, so we can limp on to the end of the season, the board can assess the situation at the end of the campiagn and we can go from there. That's how I see it, anyway.

We've had some good performances and results, and some bad performances and results. We're a mid-table team in mid-table. We can all think of ways to improve the squad and tactics, but so can any fan of any team. McLeish is going nowhere and, steadily, we are improving. We may as well get behind the team for the rest of this season because nothing the fans do between now and May will see a change of manager at Villa Park. So chin up you miserable gits.

Today's game was a strange one. I never reacted as despairingly about the situation as the other fans around me. In fact, we played good football in spells, predominantly through Ireland. I thought Albrighton had a tough task today against Drenthe and Baines today, and criticism of him is harsh. He didn't get the ball much in good attacking positions and even when he did the quality of passing in the final third was not what we perhaps expect. Agbonlahor showed glimpses of his pace and ability, but Neville was there for the taking today. Maybe he needs a rest because he's looks top me as if he's flagging in the second halves of games lately. Defensively we were poor, although this starts in midfield for me. Clark and Petrov, whilst tidy enough when it comes to keeping the ball and passing it short, don't have a decent pair of legs between them. Everton ran through us a hell of a lot easier than we managed to do to them at the end of the day. I think Ireland may have won as many tackles as either of his midfield partners, and even though he isn't a speed demon is more effective at eating up the turf too. We're missing Herd badly in my opinion. The defenders themselves? Warnock and Hutton weren't brilliant as everyone has said. I was getting so frustrated by the poor crossing as much as anything, but the positioning and decision-making left a lot to be desired as well. Dunne and Collins carried out their roles as expected but are limited ball-players, so 'hoofball' is inevitable when you don't have a dynamic midfielder to offer a shorter option. As others have mentioned, Hutton did get forward to better effect in the second half and played a lot better, whereas I think Warnock struggled to regain his composure and confidence after his flirtation with scoring an own goal. Overall: Given - 6 Hutton - 5 Collins - 5 Dunne - 5 Warnock - 4 Albrighton - 6 Petrov - 5 Clark - 5 Agbonlahor - 6 Ireland - 7 Bent - 6