Paul Lambert banned from touchline for Arsenal match

Oh, goody goody gumdrops. It appears Aston Villa won't have Paul Lambert around to make match day decisions on Saturday. The gaffer faces a one-match touchline ban, as well as a fine of £8,000, for improper conduct during the 5-0 defeat at Manchester City. As a result, he won't be prowling the edge of the Villa Park pitch when Arsenal visit.

There aren't a lot of details related to this "language and / or behaviour amounting to improper conduct," but I'm sure we Villa fans can imagine what went on. After all, most of us were likely to be found emitting a stream of colorful curses and quite possibly breaking valuable crystal objects after Andreas Weimann's "handball."

So Paul's human. Good. At least he didn't go around punching players, as much as he might be tempted to at times. And he didn't get into a dust-up in a bar, or sleep with someone else's girlfriend. Actually, come to think of it, perhaps the whole club should head out for a weekend of paintballing or something. At least they could get out some of the frustration that must be boiling up inside.

Until then, let's take it out on Arsenal, shall we, lads? And not in a hack-em-down and break-their-legs way, or even a kick-the-ball-out-in-petulance way. Get past that referee and show us again that same impressive form we saw against Manchester United.