Open advice to AM

[DB]

Sunday we'll know a lot more about the Ginger one. Will he take same approach or put a team out to have a go at getting the 3 points?

[Somniloquism]

The manager tries something different and it didn't work. If he'd played a more attacking side and we'd lost the same people would be having a go for that. It's just the way things work.

He hasn't tried something different, he has gone further back into his normal style of managing in England. We haven't exactly been setting the Prem alight with attacking performances all year, and if you had read the Post match thread, you would have seen stats showing second worse completed passes and second worst shots on target all season. Don't forget this is a start to the season in which we have only played one of the "big" teams for those stats.

But the main thing was there was no fight or bottle from the team, but why should they when instead of the manager geeing up the team for a fight, he shows he doesn't believe in them by the team selection.

[pauliewalnuts]

Open question to Batucada; do you seriously think we're currently in a position to go to Spurs and dominate possession, whoever the manager?

Yes, that's what people have been doing - screaming blue murder about our failure to dominate possession.

Honest, Chris, I am a great admirer of your work, but you're having an absolute nightmare on this one.

Read the opening post again, that's exactly what he's saying.

But it isn't. At least not viewed in the context of how we played on Monday, which I appreciate, you didn't see.

[Greg N'Ash]

I think things could be worse than we thought. When the smythster is in full-on save manager mode things are usually pretty bleak. Gone by January.

[Brazilian Villain]

Greg, if you found an ice cube in your Sunny Delight you'd call it an ice berg. Doom and gloom is your default setting.

[Sexual Ealing]

I doubt if there was this much whining after when Chelsea put 7 past us. Come to think of it, I was probably the most controversial. I said 'sack O'Neill' and got slaughtered for it.

Well, he's gone. Pleased?

[luke25]

I doubt if there was this much whining after when Chelsea put 7 past us. Come to think of it, I was probably the most controversial. I said 'sack O'Neill' and got slaughtered for it.

Well, he's gone. Pleased?

Of his own accord, let it go, you'll feel better for it.

[Dave Clark Five]

I doubt if there was this much whining after when Chelsea put 7 past us. Come to
think of it, I was probably the most controversial. I said 'sack O'Neill' and got slaughtered for it.

Well, he's gone. Pleased?

Of his own accord, let it go, you'll feel better for it.

1. Delighted.
2. He was effectively sacked.
Thanks for the counselling.

[Dave Clark Five]

I doubt if there was this much whining after when Chelsea put 7 past us. Come to think of it, I was probably the most controversial. I said 'sack O'Neill' and got slaughtered for it.

By the way, one bright suggestion on the Villa Facebook site this morning asked why we don't have Kevin MacDonald on the bench.

Getting beat is part of life.  I have to say that when Man City swatted us aside, I barely raised an eyebrow.  We gave it a go, they were better than us, shit happens.   To listen to Chris though, there were only two possible outcomes at Spurs.  Go there
and attempt to play football and get thrashed, or play Hutton in midfield and lose less badly.  Apparently going there and playing well and winning is completely beyond the realms of possibility under this team and manager.  Looks like Chris has got the perfect manager, no wonder he's so happy.

Don't you think there are a handful who are delighted at Monday's result?
How many more 'worst game I've ever seen' are we going to have?
Players who didn't make the first eleven are suddenly world beaters. Delph has had plenty of opportunity and hasn't really clicked yet. N'Zogbia is a big disappointment but I think it is a case of play him for a good solid run of games and hope he comes good. He had shown signs of improvement but we are entitled to expect better for the transfer fee.
Albrighton looked like he was going to go straight to the top but has had a slight setback. I have every confidence in him.
We've just got to be patient and hope that those who do get picked put in more effort.
There is a lot of reliance on Jenas continuing as he did against Norwich. The last thing we needed was an enforced absence against Spurs.

[Chris Smith]

The manager tries something different and it didn't work. If he'd played a more attacking side and we'd lost the same people would be having a go for that. It's just the way things work.

He hasn't tried something different, he has gone further back into his normal style of managing in England. We haven't exactly been setting the Prem alight with attacking performances all year, and if you had read the Post match thread, you would have seen stats showing second worse completed passes and second worst shots on target all season. Don't forget this is a start to the season in which we have only played one of the "big" teams for those stats.

But the main thing was there was no fight or bottle from the team, but why should they when instead of the manager geeing up the team for a fight, he shows he doesn't believe in them by the team selection.

If you're just going to ignore logic and employ double think then you'll feel like you're right in every argument. He picked a team he hadn't picked before employing a system that we haven't used before but it wasn't trying something different.

This place goes collectively bonkers from time to time.

[Chris Smith]

I think things could be worse than we thought. When the smythster is in full-on save manager mode things are usually pretty bleak. Gone by January.

As usual Greg the argument goes 100 feet over your head.

It's not save the manager it's just making the obvious case that 12 games and half a transfer window is not long enough to make an informed decision. Now I know you don't worry about the informed part but I expect more from the intelligent posters.

[Concrete John]

Just out of interest, and apologies if this has been asked elsewhere, but what would people's opinions have been had we played the same side, but got a 0-0 draw?

[Simba]

Advice to AM.

Set the side up to win, put players in their positions,  get the strikers into the game, middies to have a creative brief to link with strikers, stop playing for a draw and....

Stop blaming the players.

[Simba]

Just out of interest, and apologies if this has been asked elsewhere, but what would people's opinions have been had we played the same side, but got a 0-0 draw?

John, understand the reason for the hyperthetical question but the side, even on paper was  peculiar and given AM's obvious plan to nullify Bale, it therefore was a formation built on fear. I mean why not put a side out that forced 'Arry to negate the threat we can pose with Bent and Gabby if they are serviced? Compete FGS.

Agreed a draw would've been fine before the game unfortunately simply because we are playing poorly. However, the result was almost secondary to the negative game plan and obvious player frustration. It gave us no chance of a win did it?

To answer your question: If we'd drawn 0-0 and had a good go at 'em I would be happy. If we got the 0-0 with the side he put out I would have said we could've beaten them with more positive tactics and STILL said it was  bloody strange, negative formation/player positioning.

[Risso]

Just out of interest, and apologies if this has been asked elsewhere, but what would people's opinions have been had we played the same side, but got a 0-0 draw?

The point is, that was never going to happen, and it didn't.  Might as well ask if we'd be happy if Heskey scored a hat trick.