How safe are we?

[PeterWithesShin]

We defend well for there games but as soon as we let in a couple of soft goals the whole defence is always shit according to this site. We get a point at Swansea, a team with one of the best home records in the league, but it's considered a failure.

It's not just the defence though is it? I think people would be a bit happier if we tested the opposition keepers a bit more. Since we beat Norwich, we've only scored two goals and that was against Bolton. That's where the real probelm lies.

Plus the fact that Swansea have failed to score in half their home games, so keeping a clean sheet there isn't the great achievement it's made out to be.
Or does it mean Wigan have a decent defence because they kept a clean sheet there as well?

[Chris Smith]

QPR - shit first half, good second half.
Swansea - solid, never looked like losing, not pretty but against a side with a good home record.
Albion - decent and on top until the sending off.
Bolton- crap.
Wolves - created enough chances to have stuffed them but ran out of ideas.

We're inconsistent and poor against good teams but that's what you'd expect given the circumstances.

[Clampy]

QPR - shit first half, good second half.
Swansea - solid, never looked like losing, not pretty but against a side with a good home record.
Albion - decent and on top until the sending off.
Bolton- crap.
Wolves - created enough chances to have stuffed them but ran out of ideas.

We're inconsistent and poor against good teams but that's what you'd expect given the circumstances.

Even out of those games, we only scored 2 goals, both of them penalties. Mind you, at least we kept Danny Graham quiet.

[Chris Smith]

QPR - shit first half, good second half.
Swansea - solid, never looked like losing, not pretty but against a side with a good home record.
Albion - decent and on top until the sending off.
Bolton- crap.
Wolves - created enough chances to have stuffed them but ran out of ideas.

We're inconsistent and poor against good teams but that's what you'd expect given the circumstances.

Even out of those games, we only scored 2 goals, both of them penalties. Mind you, at least we kept Danny Graham quiet.

You're trying so hard to wind me up lately, it won't work as you're not good enough at it so you might as well pack it in.

You're actually right though, we don't score enough goals. That's largely down to a lack of creativity in the side, we sold our two most creative players and until Bolton the replacements had struggled.

[mal]

Not very as has been said before. Now even the bookies have noticed:

http://tinyurl.com/d2gytsf

worrrying times. I suspect although there aren't 8 teams worse than us there are definitely 3 this season. Next Season though, with AM at the helm and he'll have his hat-trick.

[ROBBO]

I can agree there are teams with less quality on paper than Villa but it's amazing how when the chips are down at the end of the season they seem to galvanise and fight for every point. I cannot see the present Villa side putting in that kind of effort.

[Concrete John]

Next Season though, with AM at the helm and he'll have his hat-trick.

I actually agree, but not because of AM.

We've had a policy of selling our best players and not replacing them due to wanting to keep the wagebill down.  If this continues we'll just get poorer until the inevitable happens.  It's not the manager's fault, although better might get more out of what we have. 

My main hope against this is we've reached where we want to be wages wise now, so once the likes of Heskey, Ireland and Cuellar go they can be replaced with players who give us more for the wages. 

[SoccerHQ]

What if Newcastle table 20 mil for Gabby in January? take him out the team and we will be in real trouble

Where are Newcastle going to get 20m from? Ashley has been cost-cutting at Newcastle almost as much as we have but they find excellent players from abroad.

[SoccerHQ]

35 points will keep teams up this season, last year was a pretty freak one that saw SHA go on 39.

[Rigadon]

QPR - shit first half, good second half.
Swansea - solid, never looked like losing, not pretty but against a side with a good home record.
Albion - decent and on top until the sending off.
Bolton- crap.
Wolves - created enough chances to have stuffed them but ran out of ideas.

We're inconsistent and poor against good teams but that's what you'd expect given the circumstances.

Even out of those games, we only scored 2 goals, both of them penalties. Mind you, at least we kept Danny Graham quiet.

You're trying so hard to wind me up lately, it won't work as you're not good enough at it so you might as well pack it in.

You're actually right though, we don't score enough goals. That's largely down to a lack of creativity in the side, we sold our two most creative players and until Bolton the replacements had struggled.

Chris, I think for me the most alarming signs that this manager is struggling is the total lack of heart against 'the big sides'.  Villa is a big club.  We aren't a minnow, we aren't Blues or Wigan or the Albion.  We aren't established but limited by their fanbase Blackburn or Bolton.  I want AM to succeed as much as anybody else but aside from narrowly beating the utter dregs of the league, we've struggled.  Against our equals in terms of club size we've been humiliated (Spurs, Liverpool).  Against the 'elite' clubs we've been humiliated (Man blah blah).  I think there's too much hyperbole in football, but we have been an absolute embarrassment on every level against at least 3 opponents this season.  That's too many even for a mid-table side. 

[Villa in Denmark]

Next Season though, with AM at the helm and he'll have his hat-trick.

My main hope against this is we've reached where we want to be wages wise now, so once the likes of Heskey, Ireland and Cuellar go they can be replaced with players who give us more for the wages. 

The only problem here is you can easily end in a viscous downward spiral if the target is a percentage of turnover rather than an absolute number.

As the wage bill comes down, if the standard of football comes down with it, less people turn up spending less money and turnover is down, so the wage bill has to come down even further - repeat until relegated unless you've got a manager who can genuinely get mediocre players to overperform for the majority of the time.

[SoccerHQ]

The way Wolves are playing currently, they'll struggle to get past 20 points.