Thinking The Unthinkable

[CJ]

I was one of those who didn't want TSM - not because of his association with our unruly neighbours, but because of his style of football, and his apparent inability to see that his style of football was not the 'high tempo, attacking football' he espoused in his email to us. If he was still here he would have taken us down and I was glad the board got rid. I was also pleased with the appointment of PL who at least 'has a go' in every game. But will that be enough? There are those that say if you build a squad with players from the lower leagues you end up in the lower leagues. Conversely others would say a good manager will mold that squad into a team that is more than the sum of its parts, and we have to hope that PL is that man.

The real worry is that our PL survival may depend on 3 teams being worse than us. Currently it looks like Southampton, Reading and QPR would be those three teams - a stark reminder of how far we've fallen in 3 years. The worry is that QPR and Reading have now got rich owners who are willing to spend, and indications are that Hughes will be replaced by Redknapp, and that Advocaat is lined up to replace McDermott. If those changes happen, and they spend big in January, we may well be fucked. But the real downer is encapsulated in Brian's original post: the fact is we are now just making up the numbers  with no hope of winning the league, and little hope of winning cups or qualifying for European competition.  If we survive this season I think PL will at best turn us into an entertaining mid-table side, and our lot seems to be that we can enjoy a decent game of football but forget about winning anything. Our only aim will be to survive on the gravy train that is the PL. A sad indictment of modern football.

[ez]

I think we're coming up to the point in the season when we should be seeing improved results. I'm praying we will.

[maidstonevillain]

. I don't think it'll happen but it's not impossible for one of the three below us to go on a run. Maybe QPR will spunk 20 mill in jan and finally click, or change manager and have a good run. Unlikely but you never know. Right now I don't see where we're gonna pull 30 points from in the remaining games. I really don't.

The problem is that the teams below us do not need to go on a run. They just need to accrue a couple more points than us over 25 games. For at least two of them that is not unlikely.

[MarkM]

When I watch us now I'm surprised if we play well and even more surprised if we win.

My expectations are at just about the lowest I can remember from my 40 years of supporting the Villa.

I also can't see much changing, if we survive this season we potentially face the same next season, we have turned into Wolves.

We survived last  season due to the teams below us being worse than us, we are now thinking that there are worse teams than us so we should be ok this season!

I have a really bad feeling that this season there won't be three teams worse than us, we have become one of the worse teams that help others to survive

[Ron Manager]

I don't dislike Eck at all. Initially he seemed a decent bloke, and honest and well aware of our shortcomings. I think toward the end, and backed into a corner he came across as a bit deluded and any (minimal) rapport he had with us went away. He was just in way over his head. We all knew what would happen. The only man who didn't was the man who hired McLeish. I don't think even McLeish was ever that confident that he could do anything but scrape through a relegation battle.
To some extent I think the job might just be too big for Lambert at this time. I hope not. I like him and what he wants to do here but either he needs to get more backing or he needs to widen the parameters of what he's looking for in the transfer market, or both.
Come May I think we'll survive by virtue of how piss poor the three teams below us our, but looking above I don't think the league table lies at all. We're well worth our placing. We deserve no more, no less. We can't just commend a desire to play decent football. Most of the teams bar 2-3 in this division are trying to do the same, and 16 teams are doing it better. Even as bad as Stokes brand of football is, at least it's been effective since they've come up. Their remit is always survival and they've done that and also managed to play in Europe too.

Our gameplan as yet is ineffective. If it never clicks, and given the current squad, that's a strong liklihood, then we'll be in trouble. I don't think it'll happen but it's not impossible for one of the three below us to go on a run. Maybe QPR will spunk 20 mill in jan and finally click, or change manager and have a good run. Unlikely but you never know. Right now I don't see where we're gonna pull 30 points from in the remaining games. I really don't.

Well I assume you are referring To Norwich ,Southampton and QPR as" piss poor". Well from what I saw on MOTD highlights this morning both Norwich and Southampton looked far far away from that. QPR,however were dreadful.

Norwich appear to be playing well now and I noticed why they have improved. They have players of physical power who attack with speed and aggression just as they did under Lambert. You need physical power at the top level. Our midfield players at the moment are Bannan Ireland, Westwood and I suppose Agbonlahor none of whom can tackle although Ireland does try although its totally alien to him.

We have got to get power into that midfield. Clark would be a start I certainly dont trust him at centre back. Nathan Baker must come in and
we might have a reliable defensive pairing. And for gods sake we need one rampaging winger. I know Lambert thinks thats "old fashioned" but you know the dour Scot might just be wrong.

Mr Lerner is keeping his distance no doubt hoping things will sort themselves out . At the moment it doesnt look that way but you never know.

No doubt Arsenal will see us off but we have to beat Reading that is imperative. And come Jan Mr Lambert and Mr Lerner had better get it right in the transfer window or we could be heading south to join the likes of Leeds and Sheff Wed famous clubs who couldnt turn their fortunes around.

[silhillvilla]

The3 games after Arsenal are critical -
Reading, QPR, Stoke. We will need 9 points.
We then have Liverpool and Chelsea both away.

[Hoppo]

I'm sick of the same posters who keep saying the football  is worse.. you know who you are! you never say anything positive. Lambert and the lads need support not sniping. Some of you seem to spend 24 hours on a keyboard  'supporting' . Yeah things don't look good from a far but most can see we play better football at least.

[silhillvilla]

Personally I'd take crap football and getting results and staying in the PL over what we currently have. And I'm not convinced were even playing decent football. Maybe the odd flash.

[onje_villa]

So last week, we were sure that all would be well, we'd definitely be clear of relegation, Benteke was going to get snapped up by Real Madrid and we were delighted with Lambert's ethos of bringing in young, talented players.

We get smashed at the league champions and suddenly....

We're shit,
everyone knows it,
we're definitely getting relegated...

This run of games was always going to be incredibly tough but once past Arsenal, we will start to see where we're really at. The Man U game for me really showed we have the quality there to go up this table with a few wins on the trot, we were never going to get these against the top 2.

I don't even mind people thinking we'll go down, it's just this endless swinging from one extreme to the other.

We'll be fine lads, keep your heads screwed on

[Risso]

I'm sick of the same posters who keep saying the football  is worse.. you know who you are! you never say anything positive. Lambert and the lads need support not sniping. Some of you seem to spend 24 hours on a keyboard  'supporting' . Yeah things don't look good from a far but most can see we play better football at least.

Well done, 'Better Fan Than You' Post Of The Week award.

[LeeB]

Personally I'd take crap football and getting results and staying in the PL over what we currently have. And I'm not convinced were even playing decent football. Maybe the odd flash.

You'd still find something to moan about.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I'm sick of the same posters who keep saying the football  is worse.. you know who you are! you never say anything positive. Lambert and the lads need support not sniping. Some of you seem to spend 24 hours on a keyboard  'supporting' . Yeah things don't look good from a far but most can see we play better football at least.

Fair enough.
We'll say everything is great even when it's patently shit.

[silhillvilla]

Personally I'd take crap football and getting results and staying in the PL over what we currently have. And I'm not convinced were even playing decent football. Maybe the odd flash.

You'd still find something to moan about.

You're probably correct 

[Eigentor]

As mentioned earlier, Lambert has been struggling to find the right balance -- and just when he found something that could work, we're playing the two best teams in the country. Also as mentioned earlier, the three games after the Arsenal match should tell us whether we're moving in the right direction or not. Matches against Utd and City won't tell us that.

Allthough Lambert hasn't exactly looked like a tactical mastermind so far (eg. witness our leaking defence), I'd argue that he has an air of competence that McLeish never had.

[citizenDJ]

I'm sick of the same posters who keep saying the football  is worse.. you know who you are! you never say anything positive. Lambert and the lads need support not sniping. Some of you seem to spend 24 hours on a keyboard  'supporting' . Yeah things don't look good from a far but most can see we play better football at least.

Just what is better football, though? To my mind, the better football is the kind that wins games. And we don't seem to be doing that very often.