dn1982

We won't win. To win requires scoring a goal. Maybe we can hold out for two 0-0s and go for penalties.

We have scored in every FA Cup game this season!!!!

We have no one in our squad to replace Delph so selling him without having someone lined up is stupid because as someone has mentioned its a £1.2 m a place and he can get us to finish higher. We are also still threatened with relegation so we would need a replaceent straight away and for them to hit the ground running. Vlaar on the other hand I would sell but hopefully both won't get what they think they are worth and they'll sign up late on. We live in hope.

Everyone already knows it's because we have an actual clown in charge.

 

Make captain>Start him>Strip captaincy>drop him>don't talk to him (within, what, six weeks?)

 

And then expect him to put 100% effort in. Classy.

Or...you have no clue what really went on behind the scenes and are just making assumptions?

TBF they aren't assumptions what happened is fact. The reasoning behind it is unknown though but if you have an light to shed please do. I for one am baffled by the way he was treated especially taking into account his value and cost to us. If someone doesn't suit your style of play sell and get players who do but try and get the best deal you can don't right them off!!

Yeah it's that easy. Wot if ManU won't deal with us if we terminate the cleverly loan instead of buying him. There's more than one side to a loan deal. In fact there are 3!!

No one said it was easy I'm just stating what I'd prefer. I didn't realise this was the state facts only thread!! I also mentioned that Everton wanted him and by all accounts they were his first choice so if they still do I'm sure an arrangement could be sorted as I doubt we will sign him in the summer. He has been crap for us since Everton away where I thought he was our best player I don't think he's played CM since!! but saying that Bertrand went from good to bad last year also but now looks quality again. Imwonder what the running theme is!!

Well terminate Cleverleys loan and get Januzaj!! He wanted to got to Everton so let them have him!!!

I know he hasn't been spectacular tonight but I'd try for Januzaj on loan. He's got a quality left foot and isn't that fancied by LVG.

Will defeat tomorrow spell the beginning of the end for Lambert with mighty hard league fixtures around the corner??

No, but Sunday might.

 

Please let's not have a "beginning of the end". Let's have an end, or a magnificent turnaround. Anything but half a season of boos and bitterness.

Spot on if we lose he should resign. We have 2 games then which anything will be a bonus so gives a bit of time to get someone in!!! But if we are up for it we should win.

 

I'm not quite as trigger happy as you, but if he wants to have the banners out then losing this game will probably do the trick.

Haha I know so when I saw a glimpse I thought i'd make the most of it!! He needs a win or it'll be messy and even his last few fans will be at breaking point!

Will defeat tomorrow spell the beginning of the end for Lambert with mighty hard league fixtures around the corner??

No, but Sunday might.

 

Please let's not have a "beginning of the end". Let's have an end, or a magnificent turnaround. Anything but half a season of boos and bitterness.

Spot on if we lose he should resign. We have 2 games then which anything will be a bonus so gives a bit of time to get someone in!!! But if we are up for it we should win.

I would give him a rest on Sunday, I think it would do him well. It would also be good for Baker to get another game after being out for a long time.

That would mean playing Clark and Baker that's a very bad idea!! Let Okore renew his partnership with Clark as they need to grow together.

Why would it be a bad idea? They have been bad in the past as a partnership, but I would say that would have more to do witht he fact that they were both worse players individually. They both seem to have improved this season, and if we were to have injuries/suspensions I'd rather have Baker with an extra game under his belt. That, and I think Okore would benefit from a rest.

Neither of them is a right sided CB both play better on the left. Baker needs an experienced head alongside him to help his game that's why when he played with Senderos he looked decent. He looked back to his old self against Liverpool at home yet was MOM in the away one! We need to start our best team and at the minute our 2 best CB are Okore and Clark. If Baker can get some composure in his game he has all the attributes to be a good CB.

I would give him a rest on Sunday, I think it would do him well. It would also be good for Baker to get another game after being out for a long time.

That would mean playing Clark and Baker that's a very bad idea!! Let Okore renew his partnership with Clark as they need to grow together.

I'm going to try to be positive towards Lambert today as its FA Cup weekend and I'd love a cup run. So here goes.... If we can play with the same sort of players, attitude and tempo as we did against Liverpool when Gil came on I think we will win. Hopefully Lambert has seen the light and realised to attack you need players who pass the ball forward. Pick players in their correct positions and we will be fine. Sanchez is our best DM so if Delph plays Westwood shouldnt. Start Gil. Play him with other attack minded players and we will score. I am confident Lambert realises the importance of this game and what a win could do for confidence for the players and what a cup run could do for the fans. I will remain positive until 2pm on Sunday when that team sheet goes in. UTV

once bents gone thank god, that frees up a huge amount of wages. given was a ridiculous signing by that muppet mclose. 5 year contract wtf???

I'm not defending the fat lazy clearing in the woods but I'd imagine that during the half season where he was actually good and kept us up he probably paid for himself given the alternative was relegation. 

 

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get the player in you need.

 

Disagree.  People talk as if Darren Bent was the only striker who existed in the World when we bought him.  He's been one of the pin-ups of our downfall - stupid purchase on a stupid contract.

Hindsight a lovely thing!! He was bought at a time when Houllier was getting us to play a more passing type of game with wingers who crossed the ball and all we needed was a goalscorer. He came he scored we stayed up Houllier left and the football changed aswell as the supply line. This place nearly melted when it broke he was signing. If you pay big fees you pay big wages simple as that. There is a load of other players bought that have had less impact and been worse signings by a mile. For me the biggest is Given why let Friedel leave then have to pay a fee and bigger wages for the same quality?? Madness!! Luckily we are near the end of all the big wasteful contracts and I hope we start using a bit of foresight in such things in future.

I have sympathy with those who get confused, you have to remember that FFP hasn't really ever been sold/explained in a way which is easy for the common fan to understand. You hear news about the likes of QPR getting in trouble etc, but not a lot is done to explain the details in way simple way (no offence to anyone here btw).

Look at US sports - salary caps make it real easy. Don't spend more than X, that's the simple rule.

Over here it's different rules for different competitions, different amounts based on income, loopholes all over the place, etc, etc. You have to take time to read up on it to fully understand it and that shouldnt be the case in a sport where it plays such a massive factor!

In more exciting and on topic news, that twitter guy says it's Toure we're signing today.

Yep FFP can get confusing. However a bigger obstacle for us is that we have a chairman who doesn't want to fund us. People don't seriously bekeive Randy is itching to give lambert £30m for players - but is prevented from doing so by FFP - whatever the flavour

Whether he wants to or not, he can't

 

I thought FFP limited spending - not forbid it altogether ?

 

Does it apply to West Ham ?

 

In West Ham's last 2 year end reports their losses totalled 13m

 

In our last 2 year end reports our losses totalled 86m

 

Is that how it works then ? - The last 2 year accounts ?

 

I thought some of the big euro clubs have massive debts ? - Manu fans are always moaning about how Glazier has given them so much debt ?

Debt and Losses are 2 different things that's another reason FFP Is a joke. On the transfer front can still see a last minute signing. Think it's a matter of calling Man City's bluff with Sinclair

I wonder if City are signing Pogba then?

 

Perhaps City don't want to let Sinclair go to us until they know they have the Pogba deal sewn up?

 

Yep I think so. Pogba is probably Sinclair's replacement. Both world class.

Maybe the Pogba deal is being held up because we can't agree terms over Sinclair?

The only way that's the case is if Pogba is moving into Sinclairs house it won't be financial!!!

Another window speny busy doing nothing .

Except we've done more business than half the clubs in the league.

2015 january transfers:http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2014-15/january-transfer-window-2015.html

The only teams to get 2 players in so far are: QPR, Swansea, Leicester.

As far as I know the only teams spending any real money have been Man City for Bony and Sunderland for Defoe.

Gil cost more than defoe

Technically but I think they valued the transfer swap at £4.5m maybe $ though.

One thing watching us is you wouldn't consider us a nasty side! The sendings off must have shot us up that table but look at Saturday how many times after innocuous tackles did the ref have a word with one of our players but in similar circumstances he never spoke to Liverpool players?? Take the Spurs game 2 challenges very similar to our Richardson and Delph sendings off yet get yellows! I'm quite glad that we have been involved in a few bust ups it at least means there is still fight in the club. Clark got his 2nd yellow for sticking up for his pal hopefully they'll be reunited on Sunday!!

I think the aim is to get wages about 60% of turnover which I assume would leave the remainder for purchases if we were to be self sufficient. Under ONeill wage rises outstripped revenue rises massively and I think was upto about 80/90% at some stages. Hopefully Tom Fox can get the big deals to enable the revenue to increase which would then enable greater investment into the team. It is a case of chicken and egg. What do you need first? Success to generate money or money to generate success? It seems we have tried the throwing money at it and never capitalised by generating enough money to make it sustainable and now we are trying the opposite. Maybe with hindsight Lerner should have gone down the middle and built us up a bit slower I know for one I enjoyed the first few years but these last few have been torture. FFP hasn't helped our situation as any person who bought us couldn't invest because of previous losses so hopefully from this summer we will look a different prospect. A club in the Premier League making a profit on underperforing revenue streams and no need for immediate layout on facilities. Even if we aren't sold we should have a decent amount to spend without sales or Lerner putting his hand in his pocket!

Its too early to say we wont do any more business, there's a week left yet and with no other clubs showing in intrest in Sinclair I can see us having him on loan on the last day of the window

 

City aren't desperate to let him go on loan due to the 8 Homegrown rule in PL squads.

But he doesn't play so they could put one of their own youth for all its worth. I still think they'll be a late deal with this. It'd be nice to get him in early though as I'd imagine he's not match fit.

Mitagating factor for forthcoming games.........Paul Lambert

Motivation is going from playing with this:

 

 

to this:

 

 

and still getting up to train every morning.

TBF they've both scored the same amount of goals in the premier league this year!!!!

This may sound too simplistic but I don't think it is. 

 

1. Stop using Hutton and Cissokho as creative players. Allow them to overlap on occasions but their focus should be defense.

2. Stop playing 3 very similar central midfielders. Sacrifice one and move the other one up behind the striker, If needs be drop the 2 remaining midfielders further back to cover if the pressure is on.

3. Get some ACTUAL wide players. This allows more variety of attacks, stops our fullbacks from needing to bomb on so much and actually gives us more balance defensively.

4. Play to Benteke's strengths. Provide the guy with multiple opportunities per game and he will score.

 

I don't see how these changes are that difficult to implement. Even if for number 3 we have to drop Andi and Gabby for CNZ, Bacuna or Grealish. Just give the team some balance in every aspect both positional and tactical.

 

I agree with nearly everything that you post but I do think that this is too simplistic. Lambert and his staff must discuss this on a daily, if not hourly basis and what we have is their best attempt at resolving the situation given the resources at their disposal

 

1  I've no issue with how Hutton and Cissoko play and think that they perform their defensive duties as well as they are able, irrespective

2  With current personal, we're probably agreed on Westwood, Sanchez and Delph starting. Lambert then normally goes for Cleverly, Gabby and Weimann. I think that he does this because he sees this as more solid defensively. I think he would have played Cole more if he could stay fit for longer than 30 minutes. I think he is reluctant to use Bacuna or Grealish until later in games because he is worried that whilst they give us more going forward, they also weaken us defensively and at set plays

3  If Milner, Downing and Young were still here they would be Lamberts first names on the sheet. As it is we have few options. He could have bought but firstly, he had other priorities and secondly maybe what he could afford (Dawkins!) would not be better than what he already had (Grealish, Bacuna).  Gil is a good start and hopefully Grealish will develop into the player we all want and hope for

4 We are clearly not providing nearly enough opportunities for Beneteke, but I also think that he is still not back to the player we know he can be both physically and attitude-wise

 

I would have loved to see how we would go with a steady CB pairing - with Vlaar and Senderos or even Okore and Clark playing regularly I think that it gives a security and confidence to allow FBs and Midfield to be more adventourous rather than the safety first, careful and unproductive approach we currently have

 

Not excuses just trying to understand reasons

With No2 if we are playing a 3 you only need 1 DM so it's either Sanchez or Westwood. If Delph is fit he plays in a 2 or a 3 then it's a straight choice between Sanchez and Westwood and for me it's Sanchez so unfortunately if Delph is available Westwood is out. A middle 3 of Delph Gil and Sanchez gives a lot more options and changes to shape without doing subs.

Paul Allen has already given 1.8billion $ to charity maybe he feels like he needs to help us poor suffering Villans??

So it's either the Azerbaijjan Gilan Holdings or Paul Allen of Microsoft!! It's nice to have a bit of speculation but these pair seem to be a wet dream.

Two weeks ago i went to see some U13 kids football and an oldish bloke spotted my Villa scarf and came over to chat. At first I thought he was just a bit of an oddball but turns out he's a Villa scout and has been for decades. 

 

I knew a few questions to ask in this regard as i've had family members work for the club in the past and he knew em all well

 

Anyway. He wasn't very complimentary about what we've got coming through the ranks to say the least, or how things are being run on that side of things these days. The one player he said 'could' make it was some lad called Rashian/Rushain a striker with our under 18s I believe. But he said it's pretty slim pickings other than him

 

We talked about all sorts but he had no first team gossip to offer sadly. When i mentioned Jack, he said he's a good lad with talent and good family but he's not convinced he'll make a career for himself at this level. Shocked me a bit but then i've not exactly been blown away by anything i've seen with my own eyes yet either

 

Fingers crossed something does click though as we really do need our academy to start bringing through better quality players. Apparently a lot of other clubs offer young kids full education packages to entice them but we don't

Think the kid he's on about is Rushain-Murphy

It looks like the Azerbaijan media are reporting on the Jonny Goulds tweet that the Mail carried. I bet this will turn up in a national soon as its in their press now. All because of one tweet!! Not sure where they've got the figure from probably creative writing!! Anyway we can still dream. Owned by a country would put us right in the mixer!!