Andreas Weimann

[N'ZMAV]

I'd like to see him start a dozen games on the bounce playing with Benteke.

[Somniloquism]

I'm a big fan of Weimann, I don't think he's ready to start every week but in a 4231 he's great as the right sided player in the 3, if we can get a quick tricky left sided player and a central player who can score goals (preferably not much older than benteke and weimann) we could have an attacking unit of real quality and they can play together for years.

Perfect for Ash if he was still here but barring him, one for N'zog or has he had too many chances now?

[paul_e]

I'm a big fan of Weimann, I don't think he's ready to start every week but in a 4231 he's great as the right sided player in the 3, if we can get a quick tricky left sided player and a central player who can score goals (preferably not much older than benteke and weimann) we could have an attacking unit of real quality and they can play together for years.

Perfect for Ash if he was still here but barring him, one for N'zog or has he had too many chances now?

Nzogbia as he was for Wigan - sure.
Nzogbia as he has been for Villa - no chance.

I don't think we can risk another window on nzogbia finally delivering something for us, I'd really want to go and find someone for the role.

Ash would be perfect for us, I've said somewhere else a couple of players like him to compete with gabby and Weimann in those roles would be 2 3rds of a perfect window.

Add a Merson like attacking midfielder and we're done until the summer.

[Concrete John]

I think we've seen the formation evolve a bit a the seasons progress:-

Started as a 4-4-2 with a narrow midfield.
Then a 4-3-3 with Gabby and Weimann wide.
Now a 3-5-2, although that may be to compensate for Concrete Ron being out.

I think the next step may be, especially given what Lambert's said about winger, to go to a 3-4-1-2.  What that would mean is Weimann or Gabby up top with Benteke and the player in the hole probably being a January signing.

[supertom]

We look more solid in the 3-5-2 and have done reasonably well. I think too, playing 2 up top could provide more goals now. We need someone with some nous to read Bentekes flicks and who can finish. I think Andy has that potential. I think he's showed a few touches of class in his Villa career so far. He's scored some very good goals (Fulham stands out.). I think he, more than Gab and Bent, could have a lot of joy playing of the big man.

I'd go along with giving him a run in the side now, particularly in the centre.

[Monty]

I think we've seen the formation evolve a bit a the seasons progress:-

Started as a 4-4-2 with a narrow midfield.
Then a 4-3-3 with Gabby and Weimann wide.
Now a 3-5-2, although that may be to compensate for Concrete Ron being out.

I think the next step may be, especially given what Lambert's said about winger, to go to a 3-4-1-2.  What that would mean is Weimann or Gabby up top with Benteke and the player in the hole probably being a January signing.

I think it's already a 3-4-1-2 in possession. I think the next step will be a refinement of the 4-2-3-1, with a genuine playmaker type in there instead of a filler-in.

[N'ZMAV]

Holman has been getting closest to the forwards, Ireland could do that job. As could N'Zogbia, but I don't trust him to work as hard as Holman.

[Concrete John]

I think we've seen the formation evolve a bit a the seasons progress:-

Started as a 4-4-2 with a narrow midfield.
Then a 4-3-3 with Gabby and Weimann wide.
Now a 3-5-2, although that may be to compensate for Concrete Ron being out.

I think the next step may be, especially given what Lambert's said about winger, to go to a 3-4-1-2.  What that would mean is Weimann or Gabby up top with Benteke and the player in the hole probably being a January signing.

I think it's already a 3-4-1-2 in possession. I think the next step will be a refinement of the 4-2-3-1, with a genuine playmaker type in there instead of a filler-in.

That may come in 2013/2014, but I don't see great options in the present side for the wide attacking positions in a 4-2-3-1.  3-4-1-2 allows Gabby or Weimann to play in their more natural positions upfront and negates the need for that width.  I don't think a plyamaker as such is needed, as we have two creative passers of the ball deeper in Bannan and Westwood, but an attacking player to join in with the striker and score a few.  This would be the '1' behind the strikers at present and then the central of the attacking midfielders if/when we switch to 4-2-3-1.  Someone like Dempsey would be ideal.     

[Monty]

I'd quite like this playmaker to kind of be both creator and one to chip in with a few. Also, I'm not convinced that Lambert wants wide players as such, more an interchangeable three behind the focal point of Benteke. Gabby and Weimann tend to drop deeper than Benteke even in the current system, arriving later in the box. I think the 4-2-3-1 with a more fluid 3 would actually get the best out of players like Weimann.

[Concrete John]

I think it would if he was the striker in front of the three, which will be hard for him while Benteke is here.  At the moment we are 'making do' for the creative options, which is one reason for the lack of goals, with the players either being out of position slightly (Gabby and Weimann) or not delivering what they should (Ireland and N'Zogbia).  Holman seems to be picking up a bit of better form, but it is an area we need to strengthen in January, IMO.

[Monty]

See, I've never rated Gabby that highly as an out-and-out forward, but he is often a threat playing as a wide forward where he gets space to run into, especially on the break. Weimann's movement and touch is very clever, and I think his best goalscoring opportunities will be arriving late and intelligently into the box, which he would be able to do as one of the three - in fact, see both of his goals against United and both of his goals against Norwich for how well this suits him. He would definitely need two more genuine 'creators' alongside him in the three, one of whom would be more like a Zog type (just better) and the other of whom an Ireland type (again, just better). I think that's a balanced attacking 4, especially as Benteke is so brilliant at fighting off defenders and working space for others to exploit between the lines.

[Concrete John]

I think Weimann is doing that well because he's a very good and intelligent footballer.  However, he's also a great finisher and I'd like to utilise that as much as possible, which means playing as a more regular front man.  I also think he lacks a bit of creativity to play there longterm and really thrive.

We'll disagree on Gabby then, as I like him best as a striker.  That doesn't mean he can't pull wide at times, but again I don't see the final pass/cross from him often enough to convince me it's his best position.

I agree with a new and better versions of Ireland and N'Zogbia being needed, which I'm sure Lambert has on his agenda!   

[Clampy]

He's 14/1 with William Hill to get the first goal tomorrow.

[Monty]

Fair enough we disagree on Gabby (I just don't trust his movement right up front - I think he's better when the instruction is a simple 'find gaps behind Christian'!). I think Weimann's finishing is actually better utilised arriving late in the box, because he's more likely to get space in front of goal with Benteke bullying their defences backwards than if he's right up front foraging for himself. I also think he is direct enough, quick enough and intelligent enough to play as one of the three, but I agree that he would need to be balanced by more out-and-out creators of the type we've mentioned.

[paul_e]

Fair enough we disagree on Gabby (I just don't trust his movement right up front - I think he's better when the instruction is a simple 'find gaps behind Christian'!). I think Weimann's finishing is actually better utilised arriving late in the box, because he's more likely to get space in front of goal with Benteke bullying their defences backwards than if he's right up front foraging for himself. I also think he is direct enough, quick enough and intelligent enough to play as one of the three, but I agree that he would need to be balanced by more out-and-out creators of the type we've mentioned.

I agree with Monty on this, I think Weimann is potentially a great "inside right" he needs to work on going past his man on the outside but I think he has the industry and quality to add that to his game and then arriving late into the box, either onto crosses from the left or picking up the ball being cleared sits him because his technique when he's coming on to the ball is superb, if he's in the box he looks a bit static and seems to struggle to open up his feet.

A young clone on the left and a Merson clone in the middle are the major requirements and then I'd want another player who can compete with Andy but is more of a threat going past people outside, so we have the 'winger' option.

that's give us:

Weimann/{new guy} --- {MERSON}/Holman/Ireland --- {YOUNG}/Gabby/Nzogbia

Behind Benteke, with Gabby as backup for Benteke in the forward role.  If Bent were to stay I'd drop the need for one of the wide players and gabby could concentrate on that role.