Philippe Senderos

[Gregorys Boy]

Whether he signs or not won't make a difference. It's a free and a squad player. Like I said it's along the lines of a James Collins; i.e nothing special. What we need urgently is 4 or 5 top starting quality players and that won't happen until the sale is complete.

That is an insult to Collins TBF!

[Gregorys Boy]

Ah, the HarewoodHeskey defence.

We could, and should have signed better than them. I can't see any top-class defender wanting to be back-up to Okore and Vlaar.

Are you questioning them as a partnership if so fine, but you do rate Vlaar surely?  Because he is class.

One other thing if we did sign Senderos as a third or fourth choice center half then what is the point?  We need ideally a good and experienced PL center back to go straight into the team and partner Vlaar.  I assume than Vlaar and Senderos will be our new pairing at the back with Clark and Barker playing bit part roles.

[DrGonzo]

Ah, the HarewoodHeskey defence.

We could, and should have signed better than them. I can't see any top-class defender wanting to be back-up to Okore and Vlaar.

Are you questioning them as a partnership if so fine, but you do rate Vlaar surely?  Because he is class.

One other thing if we did sign Senderos as a third or fourth choice center half then what is the point?  We need ideally a good and experienced PL center back to go straight into the team and partner Vlaar.  I assume than Vlaar and Senderos will be our new pairing at the back with Clark and Barker playing bit part roles.

What about Okore.  Vlaar and Jores with Senderos and Clark as back up, and Baker taking a short term loan to a decent Championship club  would get my vote.

[Gregorys Boy]

Ah, the HarewoodHeskey defence.

We could, and should have signed better than them. I can't see any top-class defender wanting to be back-up to Okore and Vlaar.

Are you questioning them as a partnership if so fine, but you do rate Vlaar surely?  Because he is class.

One other thing if we did sign Senderos as a third or fourth choice center half then what is the point?  We need ideally a good and experienced PL center back to go straight into the team and partner Vlaar.  I assume than Vlaar and Senderos will be our new pairing at the back with Clark and Barker playing bit part roles.

What about Okore.  Vlaar and Jores with Senderos and Clark as back up, and Baker taking a short term loan to a decent Championship club  would get my vote.

The Baker loan part makes sense.  Not sure many fancy Okore, but figures cross he looks better in his second season.  I don't want Senderos, but am just assuming than Lambert is signing him because of his experience which we need more in the team than on the bench, so I expect him start games.

[walsall villain]

Ah, the HarewoodHeskey defence.

We could, and should have signed better than them. I can't see any top-class defender wanting to be back-up to Okore and Vlaar.

Are you questioning them as a partnership if so fine, but you do rate Vlaar surely?  Because he is class.

One other thing if we did sign Senderos as a third or fourth choice center half then what is the point?  We need ideally a good and experienced PL center back to go straight into the team and partner Vlaar.  I assume than Vlaar and Senderos will be our new pairing at the back with Clark and Barker playing bit part roles.

What about Okore.  Vlaar and Jores with Senderos and Clark as back up, and Baker taking a short term loan to a decent Championship club  would get my vote.

The Baker loan part makes sense.  Not sure many fancy Okore, but figures cross he looks better in his second season.  I don't want Senderos, but am just assuming than Lambert is signing him because of his experience which we need more in the team than on the bench, so I expect him start games.

Okore only played 3 games before his bad injury. Why do you say you are not sure many fancy him? Based on what?

[Gregorys Boy]

My bad I thought he played a bit more than that, also seem to get the impression than most on him didn't like the look of him, but will back off on that one   Vlaar and Okore it is.

[SoccerHQ]

Senderos will get plenty of games next season. Ron as ever will have a mid winter xmas break so probably won't make 30 appearences and with the bad injury Okore has had it will be wise to not overplay him so can see him and Senderos being rotated.

I'm surprised Clark is getting so much flak, I thought he made improvement at CB last season when he played. Baker deserves all the flak he gets, so many horrible performances after xmas last year.

[aj2k77]

Okore and Vlaar 1st choice, with Senderos ready to come in to the team should we see a return to our shambolic defending ways, Clark as 4th choice and Baker to become a postman would be the way I see it.

[supertom]

Senderos will get plenty of games next season. Ron as ever will have a mid winter xmas break so probably won't make 30 appearences and with the bad injury Okore has had it will be wise to not overplay him so can see him and Senderos being rotated.

I'm surprised Clark is getting so much flak, I thought he made improvement at CB last season when he played. Baker deserves all the flak he gets, so many horrible performances after xmas last year.

I thought Clark was doing well early season when he was getting a solid run in the side. It was when he was flitting in and out the side more in the second half of the season (when inexplicably, Baker was getting the nod first) that he struggled to keep it up. Plus, as the whole backline generally does when Vlaar is out, he and everyone else looked shambolic.
Then of course those last 2 months were just absolute shite from everyone at the back.

Clark will be alright as a fourth choice, though it seems to me that he may be behind Baker in the pecking order. We'll see, but if Clark gets sold on this summer I'd not be surprised. He'll have takers as well.

[peter w]

For Clark C. see Ridgewell L.

[Chipsticks]

Okore and Vlaar 1st choice, with Senderos ready to come in to the team should we see a return to our shambolic defending ways, Clark as 4th choice and Baker to become a postman would be the way I see it.

I us as going with the 5-3-2 defending/3-5-2 attacking formation as our first choice, giving us Okore, Vlaar, and Senderos starting with Clark and Baker as strong defensive back-up. If we can get decent attacking wing-backs and a solid holding midfielder we've got a genuinely good side.

[N'ZMAV]

At no point have I ever seen Lambert play 3-5-2. It's always been a flat back 5.

[godzvilla]

One name ( imo a very important one  )  missing is that of Janoi Donacien . At 20 years old and with a history of impressive appearances for the Reserves / Under 18s / Youth Team behind him ,  the time for his introduction into the First Team fold is surely at hand .
His contract , like that of Callum Robinson , is up at the end of this Month and he will likely want assurances re his future at the Villa before signing a new one .
Re Baker , agreed he is not that great but his ( one ? ) redeeming feature is that he is tall with good heading ability , so given our weakness to defend the high ball in recent seasons it would seem foolish to junk him before we get a Defender of equal stature .
Although  having written that I just discovered that Senderos is 6ft 4 ins ( 82kg...big lad ! ) , thus somewhat weakening Baker my proposal , getting coat time I think ...............Godzvilla !

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

Donacien should've been given a chance last season but Lambert doesn't seem to have faith in the young guys from the academy. Hope he gets a game next season, another year of watching Baker is a terrifying thought.

[aj2k77]

Okore and Vlaar 1st choice, with Senderos ready to come in to the team should we see a return to our shambolic defending ways, Clark as 4th choice and Baker to become a postman would be the way I see it.

I us as going with the 5-3-2 defending/3-5-2 attacking formation as our first choice, giving us Okore, Vlaar, and Senderos starting with Clark and Baker as strong defensive back-up. If we can get decent attacking wing-backs and a solid holding midfielder we've got a genuinely good side.

I dread seeing that. It would be 5 at the back, 2 defensive midfielders in Westwood and KEA a massive gap to the forwards and Delph running around thinking '' I am not signing a new contract''.