Mensis Horribilis

[eamonn]

2012 was an annus horribilis (horrible arses is right) for all of us of the Villa persuasion but the last 30 days in particular have been nothing short of an embarassing disgrace, bearing witness to the following results, forever etched in the annals of the Villa:


Dec 23 - Chelsea 8 Aston Villa 0
Dec 26 - Aston Villa 0 Tottenham 4
Dec 29 - Aston Villa 0 Wigan 3
Jan 1 - Swansea 2 Aston Villa 2
Jan 5 - Aston Villa 2 Ipswich 1
Jan 8 - Bradford 3 Aston Villa 1
Jan 12 - Aston Villa 0 Southampton 1
Jan 19 - West Brom 2 Aston Villa 2
Jan 22 - Aston Villa 2 Bradford 1

Can there be many worse records of a consecutive string of games in our history? Or other clubs?! Of the two wins, one was forgotten as soon as the whistle went (tonight) and the other could very well mean sweet eff-all on Friday night. I can't see how any of the team or management will have the stomach for a fight in South London.

It's easily been our most highly concentrated period of games in a long time (Dec/Jan 2009/10 I'm guessing) and if the squad can recover from this and survive relegation, any future bad runs should be put in the context of the suffering we've all endured over the past month. If we can get through this we can cope with a lot.
Small crumbs but if you don't learn while in the depths you're going to end up drowning.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I dont know if it is a record but it feels like shit.

I dont even blame anyone in particular. I think Lerner has spent a decent amount of money, I think each of our managers brought something they were trying to do to the table. Many of the players look like they are busting a gut.

I do think this though, we will not change this trajectory unless we get some expensive panic buys in before the window closes. I really dont think we are "due" a good run of wins. We are just poor, maybe the second poorest team in the league behind Reading.

We need reinforcements. We can change manager or whatever if needed but these plauers have demonstrated they are not capable of picking themselves up. We need some new players in who are not beaten dogs.

[eamonn]

I just thought of the spring of 1992 (the year of the Queen's own nightmare year) when we went 6 league games without a goal but didn't get hammered, drew at champions-elect Leeds and weren't in any major danger of going down.
A couple of Gregory's post-Christmas collapses might be up there.

[Greg N'Ash]

fair point but it smells like Mcneill era to me. Clueless knob running the club,  manager out of his depth, and a bobbins squad with no confidence. If we pull out of this dive, then I certainly will hold my hands up, but i can't see it unless tonite has really set the alarms bells ringing in yankland. Scarily, you'd sort of hope Lerner's just totally unaware of the scale of the problem rather than just disinterested.

[Ian.]

It is the worst run I can ever remember. Certainly the most embarrassing in my time. I can not see us fighting through it, the goals we conceded are unbelievable and this should have been addressed very soon after January 1st. How we have not had any alarm bells ringing within the club and seriously invest in a backbone of the team by now is unforgivable.

The issue has been there all season, even when Ron was fit we struggled to defend. We need need a decent centre half and centre midfield. The confidence might flow to the full backs as well then.

I generally thought tactically Lambert was astute, but after last night his attempt after we conceded was a complete shambles. I'm sure he finally lost the plot and even his confidence is shot.

Time to lift my head and and stand strong and face the Devonshire Manchester, Liverpudlian and Chelsea loving public at work today.

[adamski villa]

I dont know if it is a record but it feels like shit.

I dont even blame anyone in particular. I think Lerner has spent a decent amount of money, I think each of our managers brought something they were trying to do to the table. Many of the players look like they are busting a gut.

I do think this though, we will not change this trajectory unless we get some expensive panic buys in before the window closes. I really dont think we are "due" a good run of wins. We are just poor, maybe the second poorest team in the league behind Reading.

We need reinforcements. We can change manager or whatever if needed but these plauers have demonstrated they are not capable of picking themselves up. We need some new players in who are not beaten dogs.

agree  completely with this

I think Plumbert has two games left to save his career at Villa Park

Millwall and Newcastle

both in theory winnable

if we do win them both we will be have a little gap below us to the bottom 3 and a little more self belief

lose them both however and i dont think there will be anyway back and PL will have to fall on his sword

[VillaAlways]

Yet people think he should still stay in the job? This team has not one single ounce of fight in it and that is largely down to the manager. I really would love to know what he says in his half time team talk

[willywombat]

Can't think of a worse month in all of my time watching Villa since 1963

[Legion]

Can't think of a worse month in all of my time watching Villa since 1963

I long for the good old March days.

[PaulTheVillan]

If I had a month at work as bad as Paul Lambert has then I would surely be sacked and would struggle to ever get a job again.

[LeeB]

I dont know if it is a record but it feels like shit.

I dont even blame anyone in particular. I think Lerner has spent a decent amount of money, I think each of our managers brought something they were trying to do to the table. Many of the players look like they are busting a gut.

I do think this though, we will not change this trajectory unless we get some expensive panic buys in before the window closes. I really dont think we are "due" a good run of wins. We are just poor, maybe the second poorest team in the league behind Reading.

We need reinforcements. We can change manager or whatever if needed but these plauers have demonstrated they are not capable of picking themselves up. We need some new players in who are not beaten dogs.

I agree with that entirely.

[Risso]

Weed a new manager who in isn't a beaten dog.

[Deano's Mullet]

September - November 1994. Lots of cup wins but eight defeats out of nine in the league and its goodbye Big Ron. Performances werent too bad though, the team just couldnt convert chances and the defence was a bit leaky although nowhere on the scale of this team.

[django]

Ciggiesnbeer - spot on mate.

I think a couple of signings at the start of the window would have made the players feel like there was someone trying to steady the ship.

The players are more inexperienced than they are young, and look to be doubting their abilities as much as we are. Even our senior pros, gabby, Ireland, el ahamedi, vlaar must have doubts that they will regain their form or that they will cut it in a new league. Looking around at their team mates they won't exactly be reassured by the quality of their support.

Lambert fucked up with his desperado tactics last night but equally the problem was a lack of composure. No one looked like they wanted the ball, or to take responsibility apart from, delph, nzogbia, Weimann. The rest of them are broken. A couple of signings would give them a boost, I imagine we'll see Newcastle benefit from that kind of effect when we play them.

I don't believe that Lambert was a bad manager at Norwich, he's probably not a bad manager now. I'm feeling like this combination of players is just unmanageable. We've got to try something, but I'd rather we bought a player rather than compensated another sacked manager.