Stephen Ireland injury

[Chipsticks]

If true this should hopefully allow Bannan, or perhaps even Zog to play at the head of the diamond, which will be interesting and potentially very rewarding.

[gervilla]

Yeh that 50/50 he bottled was annoying. I also thought he spent the first 25 minutes giving the ball away again. Then he had a decent 20 mins including the assist.

Careful now.
I pointed out the same things on the match thread yesterday and got set upon by one person in particular on here for the rest of the evening...and the assist if you can call it that wasn't exactly what he had in mind at the time was it ?
Anyhoo...get well soon Stephen, because despite me thinking he deserved to be taken off at half time ( not knowing it was down to an injury) we did go to bits without him.

[Holte L2]

If true this should hopefully allow Bannan, or perhaps even Zog to play at the head of the diamond, which will be interesting and potentially very rewarding.

I'd definately go with Zog behind the front two.

[Phil from the upper holte]

This is the N'zogbia that's been utterly shite? I would leave him on the bench till he can learn to pass, I'd stick with Holman

[hawkeye]

If true this should hopefully allow Bannan, or perhaps even Zog to play at the head of the diamond, which will be interesting and potentially very rewarding.

for the opposition

[Steve R]

We did indeed go long the whole game, more so in the second half than first. We were also second best in midfield, also more so in the second 45.

From the stream I had I thought the sub was at half time and was an attempt to redress the balance by pushing el Ahmadi forward, and as such was a reasonable decision regardless of who went off. None of the midfield were playing particularly well.

I didn't and still don't understand 3 strikers on the bench and only one midfielder. It didn't leave us much scope for changing things. Herd and Delph were supposedly fit. Herd may well have brought a little stability where we needed it.

Things really did go nipples up at the second substitution which left us with only three genuine midfielders on the pitch. It was classic O'Neill. Plan A isn't working we better go even more plan A.

I don't see the point in playing 3 lightweight passers in midfield and then booting the ball over their heads all the time either.

Having Bowery on the bench alongside two other strikers also doesn't make much sense.

If Ireland is going to be out it may give us more balance. It depends on who comes in. I'd rather move el Ahmadi forward and use Herd or at a pinch Delph.

If we're going to persist in hoofing the ball towards Benteke and Bent then we may as well go the whole Stoke and put our 4 best cloggers in the middle. Not that we have as many as 4.

[PeterWithe]

Are Delph and Herd injured?

[Villa in Denmark]

If we're going to persist in hoofing the ball towards Benteke and Bent then we may as well go the whole Stoke and put our 4 best cloggers in the middle. Not that we have as many as 4.

See Mcleish knew what he was doing with Alan Hutton afterall

[WarszaVillan]

I'd put Weimann in for Ireland

[Steve R]

If we're going to persist in hoofing the ball towards Benteke and Bent then we may as well go the whole Stoke and put our 4 best cloggers in the middle. Not that we have as many as 4.

See Mcleish knew what he was doing with Alan Hutton afterall

When Hutton and Heskey are your best cloggers you know you're in trouble.

[Villa in Denmark]

When Hutton and Heskey are your best cloggers you know you're in trouble.

When Hutton and Heksey are anything other than ballboy/teaboy you know you're in trouble - see also Sidwell.S.

[nick harper]

Biggest problem we have with this diamond formation is not the creative players who want to break and link with the forwards as we have good options there, its the fact we don't play a natural holding midfield player. We look lightweight and leave the centre backs exposed. I don't particularly rate him but I'd play Herd at the base to add some bite and presence in front of the back four.

Of course Stan would have been ideal there in the shape Lambert wants to play.

[Hookeysmith]

Biggest problem we have with this diamond formation is not the creative players who want to break and link with the forwards as we have good options there, its the fact we don't play a natural holding midfield player. We look lightweight and leave the centre backs exposed. I don't particularly rate him but I'd play Herd at the base to add some bite and presence in front of the back four.

Of course Stan would have been ideal there in the shape Lambert wants to play.

Quite ironic and sad really - for 2 years Stan was either wasted or misused by GH and McPrat - now we have PL he would have been perfect and he is unavailable

[Concrete John]

I think KEA is perfectly capable of playing at the base of a midfield diamond.

[nick harper]

I think KEA is perfectly capable of playing at the base of a midfield diamond.

He's probably capable but it's not his natural position and he's not a tackler from what I've seen. We just miss someone who is a natural fit for the role.