Reasons to be optimistic coming into 2nd half of season

[richardhubbard]

Positive thread on a positive night inspired by Paulie Post

I feel we may be starting to build something good based on not losing in 5 games

Younger players in recent weeks starting to grow in confidence

Suddenly Weinmann, Clark, Baker , Lichaj, Bannan and Herd now getting runs are looking very decent players

Lowton, Benteke and Westwood look very decent young players

Vlaar and Holman have found their feet in English Football

If Nzgobia and Ireland can add some performance i think we could have good second half to season, mid table , some good football and may be even a final

[Sexual Ealing]

Amen.

[pauliewalnuts]

Plenty of them.

[Chipsticks]

Guzan has finally been given the place in the first team he deserves and has been outstanding. I can see him being our keeper for 10 more years.

[PeterWithesShin]

Despite our current league position it's been a long time since i've been this optimistic. I can only speak for myself but i'm finding it's fun and enjoyable to be a Villa fan again.

[Chipsticks]

The Holte End has been full and loud again for most games!

[pauliewalnuts]

We've a young, progressive manager who has proved he can do a job at this level.

He's finding it hard to get things moving in the league with sufficient momentum, but every now and then  - sometimes in the league, sometimes in the CC, as when we won at Man City, and tonight - we get to see signs of what he's capable of, and what he wants us to do.

It's a fact that this season will be ups and downs - and i know some people don't like that description, but it's accurate - but we just have to stick with the manager, hope the chairman supports him in January, and see where we can go.

We at last have a bit of shape and a bit of purpose.

If you want an idea of what the manager wants us to do, then take a look at this, the comment made by the bloke doing the minute by minute description of our game on Sky Sports this evening, after our last goal.

Under McLeish, under Houllier, even under MON, how often did we hear people talk about goals we'd score in this way:

Honestly, that is one of the best goals I have seen this season. Villa pass the ball fifteen or sixteen times before working it to the edge of the area and allowing Benteke to strike. It makes you wonder how Villa are struggling

[ozzjim]

Adding to the above, it is nice to have a manager I have faith in to buy well in January. His signings, coupled with his gift of true responsibility on the shoulders of the youngish but in all truth too old to see as youngsters anymore that were already here has been great. The chairman backed him well in the summer, similar support in Jan and we will be fine.

[seanthevillan]

Without wanting to piss on anyones chips we've got three difficult games coming up, and by the time we play Wigan 'league table pressure' could be right back on.

All season there have been some good signs - new players impressing, better performances from the youngsters, great cup wins - but we need to go on a run in the league before we can really say we've turned the corner. Back to back league wins at some point would be good as well.

That said I generally agree with most of the positives above.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Get out of the shit this season (with hopefully a couple of older heads) and we can push on up the table in 2013/14.

[N'ZMAV]

Guzan in goal.
Benteke and Weimann up top.
Westwood in the middle.

[Mister E]

Weimann.
What a finisher he is. Those two last night and the two he scored against ManUre are class finishes.

And I'm also a Chris Herd and Ashley Westwood fan - both will be integral to this team in the future.

And, can the real Fabian Delph pleasse stand up!

[JUAN PABLO]

Lets hope so

but we do look like two different teams between the Prem team and the Cup team but hopefullyand I am sure the cup form will go into the Prem form .

[andyh]

The Holte End has been full and loud again for most games!

hmmmmm

[Concrete John]

Get out of the shit this season (with hopefully a couple of older heads) and we can push on up the table in 2013/14.

That's pretty much how I see it.

I know we've said this for a while now since MON left, but this really is a transitional season.  We hear a lot about Brendan Rodgers needing time and the sings being there and we're in exactly the same position.  I think we're better now than the start of the season and will progress again before May.  But the real test of what Lambert is doing will be next season.

After bring 8 players in, 9 if you include Guzan, it will always take time to gel, with the added change to the style of play from under TSM.  And then there's the age of the squad/team as well.

So, in the next two windows we can focus on quality over quantity transfer wise, with the continued progression of what we have now.  If I didn't think I'd get stick for it, I'd say we had a bright future!!