Just days after I suggested that Aston Villa were making more loans than Barclays, we lend a couple more players out. Seriously, are we propping up some collapse in the player market?

Barry Bannon has joined Blackpool until late January and Chris Herd is joining up with Nathan Baker at Lincoln, but is due back a week earlier on Boxing Day. Both are great prospects and it goes without saying how useful this experience is for them. Good luck fellas.

Ian ponders the likelihood of Nathan Delfouneso going to Millwall on loan and whether that might mean a change in formation with the inclusion of Stewart Downing following 75 minutes on the pitch for the Reserves 2-1 victory over Arsenal.

MON has been pretty clear that he sees room for Ash, Milner and Downing to play together. Assuming that Stan keeps his place, and there’s really no reason to suspect otherwise, it remains to be seen whether Sidwell or Reo-Coker are able to get in the starting line up at the expense of one of the strikers.