View From the Opposition - WBA fan

[peter w]

Leave them to it. They're not used to this. Like the Shit ten years ago, they think they're on the brink of being better than us permanently. It won't happen.They may have a few more good seasons and enjoy it in the stands. But, then they'll drop again and The Shit will have another 'go'. We've seen this all before. Yes, we do know what you are, another 'rival' that cares as much about getting one over us as what you do. If the Albion had finished one place below us last year, or most years, we really wouldn't give a shit or think that its something worth celebrating.

Albion and The Shit fans think we're arrogant. But we're not. we're just the biggest club in our area by far. We aspire to being back at the top again but know its going to be nigh on impossible at the moment. But that's our psyche. That's what makes us different from fans of the Albion and The shit.

[eastie]

I do like it when we get nice visitors from other clubs - we have had a few really decent ones on here and occasionally the odd bad eggs - sometimes i do browse other forums on rare occassions and its nice to see things from their perspective - respect is the name of the game .

[Chris Jameson]

I do like it when we get nice visitors from other clubs - we have had a few really decent ones on here and occasionally the odd bad eggs

That Stoke fan, didn't like him one bit. He's the reason I hate Stoke City, just him. Or her, might have been female but I doubt it.

[eastie]

I do like it when we get nice visitors from other clubs - we have had a few really decent ones on here and occasionally the odd bad eggs

That Stoke fan, didn't like him one bit. He's the reason I hate Stoke City, just him. Or her, might have been female but I doubt it.

Ah that old scoundrel bunny you mean !
A wolf in sheeps clothing

[Chris Jameson]

I do like it when we get nice visitors from other clubs - we have had a few really decent ones on here and occasionally the odd bad eggs

That Stoke fan, didn't like him one bit. He's the reason I hate Stoke City, just him. Or her, might have been female but I doubt it.

Ah that old scoundrel bunny you mean !
A wolf in sheeps clothing

That's him. Or her.

[AVH87]

1. What are your expectations for Aston Villa this season?

Not to be involved in a relegation battle.

2. What are your expectations for WBA this season?

Thought you'd struggle after your finish to last season, but the end of the transfer window did you the world of good.

3. Paul Lambert had a tough season last year, what have you made of his tenure so far?

Got a lot of time for him. Intrigued by his transfer business too.

4. What are your views on your summer recruitment?
Considering our net spend was 10-12m, pretty good. Like Bacuna, think Okore would have been this season's benteke but for his injury.

5. What are your views on our summer recruitment? (Additions of Anelka, Sessegnon, Anichebe, Vydra, Sinclair etc)

Amalfitano looks good, always rated Sessegnon. Madness from Di Canio to sell to a prem rival.

6. The previous game finished 2-2. What were your thoughts on that game. Fair result?

I was annoyed we blew a 2-goal half time lead, but would have taken a draw before the game.

7. Being honest, who will finish higher in the table come the end of the season? Albion or Villa.

Villa, just.

8. What are Villa's strengths and weaknesses?

Having one of the best CFs in the league, having a great work ethic in the team nowadays.

9. What side is Paul Lambert most likely to choose?
Depends on injuries, probably a 4-3-3 system.

10. And finally, score predictions.

2-1 to West Brom.

[Lee]

I feel unclean now  ...

[glasses]

1 Be over the moon with top half, to be clear of relegation by March.
2 I thought you would struggle a bit as Lukaku was a big loss. Some decent signings should now see you do about the same as last year.
3 Not convinced by the 'youth is all' policy, but then overpaid aging players was getting us nowhere either. If he can strike a nice balance of value for money experience and promising youth in the next few years I'll be happy. I just want us to be competitive.
4 The squad needed improving rather than filling up with more of the same. We bought more promising untried youngsters, most of whom have done very well. Still think there is a massive hole in the spine of our team. Mulumbu would improve us massively IMO, as would Gareth Barry on Loan who we reportedly turned down.
5 Anelka, awful business. Sessegnon very hit and miss but done well so far. Anichebe, my WBA colleague is very happy with him but for me, meh. Sinclair, not for me. Amalfitano looks the pick, very good player there.
6 If our defence had been as in form as this year we'd have won comfortably. Conceding early in the second half killed us. We should have been home and dry by half time though, I doubt Albion were expecting us to be that good. It was a fair result though. And if my auntie had bollocks she'd be my uncle!
7 It'll be quite close I think. I think the better we are, the better your lot will be, as you seem to like to measure your progress by us.
8 Strengths Benteke, weaknesses for me is other than Delph a pretty anonymous centre midfield
9 Will be a 4-2-4 Guzan Luna Vlaar Baker Lowton Bacuna Delph Weimann Tonev Benteke and Kozak
10 I said 3-1 in the thread but I don't care so long as we win.

[curiousorange]

1. What are your expectations for Aston Villa this season? Survival as early as possible, and not to give up in the one remaining chance at silverware at the earliest opportunity.

2. What are your expectations for WBA this season? They'll finish well below last season, and an overall trend of struggle will kick in.

3. Paul Lambert had a tough season last year, what have you made of his tenure so far? I like the man, I like his policies, but I'll admit a lot of his decisions puzzle me. But by and large, they make sense in hindsight, so he's earned my patience.

4. What are your views on your summer recruitment? I couldn't think of anything we needed other than defensive recruitment, and we bought in an excellent player and an unknown. As we've lost the excellent option, I feared the worst, but Vlaar and Clark have stepped up thankfully. As for the others, none of them have had much more than fleeting chances to impress.

5. What are your views on our summer recruitment? (Additions of Anelka, Sessegnon, Anichebe, Vydra, Sinclair etc) Unimpressive. Sessegnon is the new N'Zogbia, and Anichebe was a panic recruitment. I would have not been impressed if Lukaku had ended up back with you. If Clark has any pretensions to success, Jeremy Peace needs to give him mucho mazoola to recruit permanent talent.

6. The previous game finished 2-2. What were your thoughts on that game. Fair result? Not really. Villa threw it away. Benteke scared the living shit out of your lot; then being 2-0 up scared the shit out of ours.

7. Being honest, who will finish higher in the table come the end of the season? Albion or Villa. The pessimist tells me Albion, but the realist knows this will be the last time. For a long time.

8. What are Villa's strengths and weaknesses? Strengths, we've yet to kick into gear, playing away seems better suited to us and at some point, Benteke's going to win a game single handed again. Weaknesses, not enough creativity, tend to fade towards the end of halves, let teams have the ball too much.

9. What side is Paul Lambert most likely to choose? Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Baker, Bacuna, Delph, Westwood, Sylla, Benteke, Kozak.

10. And finally, score predictions. 2-1 Villa, but it'll not be as close a game as the score suggests.

[olaftab]

Hi,

On our forum (westbrom.com) we run a weekly feature where I get your thoughts ahead of Monday's game. If you could answer the questions beneath it would be most appreciated. The finished article shall be posted in this topic later on in the week.

Firstly, I would like to apologise to the forum administrators if this violates any forum rules or is indeed in the wrong place.

1. What are your expectations for Aston Villa this season?
Top half but 10th will do and keep away from bottom 6.
2. What are your expectations for WBA this season?
You would be happy with same as us but I expect you to finish 12th however after watching your last 3/4 games last season I seriously thought you will be in the relegation mire.
3. Paul Lambert had a tough season last year, what have you made of his tenure so far?
He 'll be fine.
4. What are your views on your summer recruitment?
Okore, Bacuna top signings. Luna, Kozak and Helenius need time but they are all better than our squad sat season.
5. What are your views on our summer recruitment? (Additions of Anelka, Sessegnon, Anichebe, Vydra, Sinclair etc)
Other than Sessgnon their are all waste of money. Lucky that Berhino has made the step up.
6. The previous game finished 2-2. What were your thoughts on that game. Fair result?
I was there and N'Zogbia murdered you. We should have won 3/4 to nil but such was our confidence last season that we allowed you back in. If we go 2 up next week it's goodnight Vienna for you.
7. Being honest, who will finish higher in the table come the end of the season? Albion or Villa.
Villa no doubt honest.
8. What are Villa's strengths and weaknesses?
Strength I'd Guzan, Vlaar, Delphi and the Beast good core to the team bur we let down by weaker midfield and support strikers.
9. What side is Paul Lambert most likely to choose?
Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Baker; Bacuna, Westwood, Delphi, Sylla;  Benteke, Kozak
10. And finally, score predictions.
2-1 to us

Thank you.

[Concrete Tom]

1. A small improvement on last years points and league position making us safe a few games earlier.
2. A few points ahead of Villa but not as strong as the prior season.
3. Good on the whole but I'm never quite sure which Villa will turn up. I like that he sticks to his guns and has trusted his own signings and some of our less experienced players. He did well to hold onto Benteke. For all intents and purposes, he has replaced or augmented every position within the squad with one of his own but he now needs to add quality to the side. He took too long to deal with our defensive issues and now that those look to be sorted, we have stopped scoring.
4. Okore would have been our best signing but is now out for the season. Tonev has been trying too hard to impress and might never get there. Aside from scoring free kicks (which we haven't had at the Villa for a while), I've not seen enough of Bacuna to judge. Kozak can do a job for us but will never be first choice whilst Benteke is around. I had high hopes for Helenius but it doesn't look like he is ready to take his chance yet.
5. I watched Vydra play for Watford a lot last year and he was incredible for the first 2 thirds of the season and he faded badly after that. I thought he would have been an astute signing for you but he does not seem to be getting used much? Sessegnon can be hot and cold. I agree with others that Anichebe seems to be an odd signing - definitely no Lukaku replacement. Anelka looks to have been a disaster so far, I hope that he is on a pay as you play type of deal.
6. The typical Villa performance, playing well for only periods of the game. We could have been further ahead but on balance the result was fair. Once you got one back it was always a matter of time before you equalised.
7. Albion.
8. When we press high up the pitch and quickly move the ball forward we can be formidable. We have always struggled to dominate possession and lack any penetration from midfield.
9. Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Clark, Westwood, Bacuna, Sylla, Delph, Agbonlahor, Benteke. 442.
10. 1-1

[Damo70]

1 Top half.
2 Thought they would struggle but now think they are capable of a top ten finish.
3 The low point was the January transfer window considering the trouble we were in at the time, but he is going in the right direction.
4 We strengthened the squad and gave ourselves options we needed but didn't have last year.
5 I thought it smacked of panic at the end but it looks like Sessegnon will be a valuable addition. I thought Sinclair was a good move at the time but it doesn't seem to have worked out as well as I thought it would so far.
6 Fair result and summed us up around that period.
7 I think they will finish very close to each other in the table around the 8th to 12th positions.
8 Our main strength is if Gabby, Benteke and Weimann are all fit and firing. Our weakness is defence but we are looking better individually and collectively in that department in recent weeks.
9 Hard to tell with a few injury question marks
10 1-1 or 2-2

[Liam_Baggies]

Cheers, folks.

http://westbrom.com/forum/index.php?topic=12570.0

[Clampy]

Good read but who's Concrete Tom?

[Liam_Baggies]

Good read but who's Concrete Tom?

 

Bloody hell. Apologies John!