dn1982

My biggest concern is last year we had a knack of beating bigger teams with out defensive game now with changed to a possession game are we good enough to beat the teams around us who last year we struggled against??

I think the last time one of our midfielders got into the box and scored was Chelsea last season! For me Delph has all the attributes to be the one who gets into the box and helps put but for some reason he seems to stop more often than not on the edge of the box. We don't get enough runners from midfield for this reason I'd play Gil in a 3 with Delph and Sanchez and let them get used to each other.

Every point is critical. Even every goal we concede could ultimately decided our fate so we need to back the team. Unless we have a massive upturn in fortune I think Lambert will go in the summer. If by some miracle we get on a roll and stay up comfortably allied to a good cup run I'd give Lambert another chance if he got big backing in the summer. I can't see us staying up comfortably though and I think this year could be the tightest yet. Has a club ever won the FA Cup and stayed up then sacked there manager?? Maybe that could be one record for Lambert to aim for!

Anybody know what's the lowest amount of points someone has stayed up on?? I think it could be a record low this year. 40 used to,be the bench mark but we seem to have lowered that to 38 now.

It's very VERY rarely 40 points.

That's my point! 40 used to be seen as a survival point but it seems 38 is the target now. How low do you set your sights but still stay up? We have to win 5 games in 15 to get to 37. Will it be a case of not losing 6 pointers to stay up? Will that mean 33/34 points will be enough? If that's the case if you are Lambert do you start targeting certain games more than others? Do you go full strength against CFC and Hull? Or do you save legs for the Tuesday? Will he throw the FA Cup game? Some fans don't seem to believe we are in a relegation battle I just hope Lambert realises we are but we have a chance in the FA Cup and I think he needs a cup run as much as us fans do.

Anybody know what's the lowest amount of points someone has stayed up on?? I think it could be a record low this year. 40 used to,be the bench mark but we seem to have lowered that to 38 now.

I know some people still support Lambert. I don't understand it but that's up to them but surely everyone must agree that we are under achieving with the players we have? I also understand people saying that changing the manager now guarantees nothing but surely it's getting close to the stage where something has to be done regardless? If the players don't react on Saturday and more importantly on Tuesday against Hull Lerner will have to act. Come the end of Feb if we are still in this slump something has to change!

If we haven't addressed this slump by the end of Feb Lambert has got to go or we will be relegated. We would need some one to come in and get the place buzzing and for me as a short term solution I'd give it Big Ron. We have the players we just need them to play with confidence and with a smile on their faces. For me he'd get a feel good factor going and with say Ian Taylor as his No2 we wouldn't be lacking passion which is something I feel is missing. Not just from the players but the club in general. I also think he's appointment would get the crowds back then in the summer we get a long term manager in to get us progressing.

It can't help changing tactics all the time. With playing a high line if there wasn't a forward pass on he couldn't drop it to a CB as they're pushed up so much so would have to take riskier options. That's something you don't want as any mistake and the opposition is into the defence with no cover. I think the performance was that bad we can just write it off especially as he's been probably been our best CM for the last 2 months. Our best players at the minute all looked awful on Sunday hopefully they've all got it out their system now!

Sunday's tactics were a joke. It seems Lambert hasn't got a clue at times. We have had a decent record at Arsenal of late so surely you'd employ those same tactics? We all want us to improve but it's against the lesser teams than we have let ourselves down and its against these that we need to play a possession game but trying to do so against better teams at the minute is silly. We lost all our defensive solidity and who knows how much confidence we have left. I just hope we don't get smashed by Chelsea because we hit a run of games then that we have to get points from and we need some confidence in those games! If we go into the bottom 3 I can't see us getting out so its critical we don't get beat by those around us.

For me Fox has done the perfect interview. He's took pressure from Lambert by saying he's secure whilst at the same time stating we have to do better. Then he is supplying enough funds and players this window that Lambert has no excuses if he doesn't get us up the table. So it's a win win situation we will either be better or I think we will get a new manager by next season. Another season like the last few won't be accepted.

Lambert had £8m in the summer and made the decision that Tom Cleverley would be the best use of that money.

 

 

Once again: Lambert was NOT "given 8 million to buy Cleverley". 8 million was the buying option price set by Man Utd as part of the LOAN deal.permanent What the agreed transfer fee was before the  deal fell through nobody knows, but it may have been more like 3 million.

 

As others have said, the results under Lambert have been bad enough without having to make stuff up to use against him.

 

And now you are making things up!

I thought with Cleverley Everton wanted to pay £5m or have a loan then we said we'd have him for £7.5m which was the asking price but he wanted Everton. They messed about and he came back to us and to get it sorted in time we took the loan with an option to buy. Either way a substantial bit of money was available to buy him outright last summer. I'd say if we took that option it'd come out of this years figures hence the other deals are split or put off till the summer. FFP will see a lot of these loans to buy deals IMO.

Real shame when you read things

like "we couldn't do £9m for him" in regards to Ba. Not because of Ba himself, but just because of the fact that we literally can't do £9m for a transfer fee nowadays, a fee that really isn't that big relatively speaking in the Premier League.

Paying £9m for a 29yo is silly for a club in our position. There'd be zero sell on value never mind the massive contract he'd want. If rumours of a £5m bid for Ali are correct and last summers £8m for cleverley it shows there is money available for the right signing.

It puzzles me what some fans want. In December Delph was leaving and we wouldn't be signing anyone. Since then we have signed Gil who looks lively Delph has committed his future we've signed a player who if he can find his Swansea form will be a steal and we have supposedly bid for an 18 yo who has bags of potential and wouldn't even play for us this year! All four things are a positive yet some try to spin it negatively. If we sign Ali it shows that there is money available and that we are starting to think longer term which is something we haven't done for a few years. Not paying fees now and putting them off till the summer is more to do with FFP than anything else and is one of the reasons MUFC loaned Falcao. Haggling over fees and not over paying is good business sense simple as that. We are having a good week hopefully getting a nice result on Sunday will make it a great one!

Clark is a leader who is playing very well ATM. He is captain material but would the extra pressure now be detrimental? He may thrive on it but for me just now I'd leave the responsibility off him as I don't want anything detracting from his and Okores flourishing partnership. Now Delph has committed and a guaranteed starter I'd make him Captain.

I think you'd have to get relegated before sowm might agree yeah it was a battle! Reminds me of Comical Ali!

Trent probably heard all this was going to happen and either had a heart attack or thought he was being lied to!! Gil, Deplh and Sinclair late bids for up coming prospects wild bids for proven goal scorers Unbeileable Jeff

Surely having Gil in a free role in front of the midfield would increase creativity.

 

Also using Weimann as a striker rather than a winger should bring out the best in him??

With Gil you can move him about depending on the game. He started off Benteke on Sunday but never worked so we changed to normal 433 and it worked better. Against Liverpool he played in a CM 3 so in 120 odd min he's played in all midfield roles. Away I'd have him as a winger as we'd be more solid with a strong CM 3 but at home we need to having more movement so I'd have a strong 2 of Delph and Sanchez then get Gil where ever he can get on the ball the most. On Sunday I'd start 433 with Gabby and Gil wide of Benteke with a mid 3 of Sanchez Delph and Cleverley only putting Gabby back in as he normally does well against Arsenal away.

Hopefully the uncertainty at Nufc with not having a permanent manager will work in our favour. I think if Lambert gets him in a room he'll sign. I don't know how he does it but he seems to have some serious lyrics when it comes to getting players to believe in him.

There's 4 season ticket holders in the house all "entitled" to AVTV!

However as we're all on I pad / I phone we cannot connect - couldn't this be sorted?

 

That is just so poor. It seriously doens't work with iOS on any device?!

Download a browser called photon you can watch it on there then.

Sorry, not trying to be dumb, but why would MK Dons accept £2m when they've got an offer of £5m? I get that we're offering to loan him back, but surely Newcastle are doing the same? And even if they aren't, are they really prepared to effectively pay £3m to keep him for 4 months? Assuming these figures are remotely accurate of course, which is probably a complete waste of time.

We pay them the remaining £3m in the summer.

 

And that's better for them why?

I doubt it makes a Difference to them as long as they get the fee they want but it helps us with FFP.

And if we have £10m to spend then i would go after Ings, and offer him £60k plus and a 5 year contract.I think he will be that good.

 

Ings who is free in the summer?

Ings will be cheaper but still not free as he is under 24 looking at about £5m apparently. They won't sell him anyway as they've still got a chance of staying up and £90m gazumps all bids.

Our home form has been awful for a long time. It's the one major thing that needs addressing. I think under Houllier we won 9 which has been the most for years. It's amazing our home crowds stayed so high for so long. If we could get up to half our home games won we'd be pushing for Europe and have 40000 crowds again. Hopefully with this new passing style and added creativity we will start winning more often. We need to get Villa Park as a fortress a place where teams don't want to go instead of everyone's favourite away ground!!

Pure speculation on my part, but could the "hold up" have actually been down to wages?  i.e:  We can't afford his wages on loan unless we send someone else on loan... perhaps N'Zogbia?

I've read it's they wanted £3m we was willing to pay £1.5 ended up striking a deal where we pay his wages until the summer then buy him for £2m at which point I assume he will drop his wages?? Not sure on that though.

In my opinion none of our video/social content should be paid for, it should all be free.

And even if it is paid for, the quality needs to be improved.

 

AVTV is something I would have considered (and probably still would).

But all I ever hear is how crap and unreliable it is.

 

But yeah, it should be free. In the long term that'll be way more beneficial, as you've already said.

 

There are a few things on AVTV that I'd pay consistently for, like for example the interviews when we sign new players and press conferences - however, it really should be free IMO.

I agree it needs to be better more to attract foreign fans than for ones in England but it is free to ST holders and needs to be paid for somehow. I suppose it's a fine line with having it completely free for all and increasing the fan base or charging and making it self sufficent. A mixture of both IMO would work.

Defensive cover needed please

In what position? We have 2 RB 2 LB and 5 CB so I think we are covered. I'd like another CF but if we didn't I wouldn't mind too much as long as Sinclair can hit the ground running.