Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Navin R Johnson on September 25, 2013, 08:21:47 PM
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I like Paul Lambert. I think he will make a top manager and I hope he achieves it with us. His position is secure and must remain secure.
However, I struggle to have confidence in him.
With other great managers we have had like Ron Saunders or SGT of BFR when things went as ugly as last night or the Newcastle game, I would reassure myself that the Gaffer wwould sort it out.
Paul Lambert can see that we have terrible defensive problems but seems unwilling or unable to address them. He must also see that we are unable to assert ourselves in midfield but seems unable or unwilling to address the problem. He must see the growing anger and frustration felt by the fans with our terrible home record but seems unable or unwilling to address the problem.
After Newcastle and again last night (with all allowances for the player resting) we were murdered by a team we used to be on a par with and I would have loved to be able to cling to the comfort of believing that "the Gaffer will sort it out".
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I'm not confident about the game this weekend.
That said, I am confident that given time, Lambert will get things right. I'm sick of relegation battles and poor home form, but I'm even more sick of employing a new manager with a new style of football, then sacking him a season later, and having to start all over again. Inconsistency is what has kept us back since MON left. Consistency and time are what is going to get us back up again.
I'm willing to wait. I can understand people being angry and frustrated, and not wanting to have to wait any longer, but unless someone with serious oil money comes in, there are no quick fixes.
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Good points - I am sick to the stomach though feeling all the pre season optimism seeping away so rapidly.
I was lucky enough to see us reach our pinnacle back in 1981/82. We have seen glimpses of a resurgence however we really are a mediocre club with little or no chance of winning anything in the foreseeable future. I dread us becoming like Wigan, slogging it out each seaon to avoid the drop but eventually going through the trap door.
I am not impressed by Lambert but agree that we need a long term strategy but watching the dreadful home performances season on season drains the energy - I used to be a blind devotee of my club but quite frankly the current team /squad and management is turning me off to such an extent that I now find myself leaving before the end of each game, missing some games despite having a season ticket. There just is no fun watching the Villa at home. Will Lambert change all that? - it doesn`t look that way but I guess we need to give him time -
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Why refer to last night and Newcastle, but omit the better performances? We have been better in defence this season compared with the last, be that either on a game to game comparison or a games played comparison.
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He's the best we might hope to get, I'm still right behind him and think he'll avoid relegation.
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Why refer to last night and Newcastle, but omit the better performances? We have been in defence this season either on a game to game comparison or a games played comparison.
We go again ;)
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He's the best we might hope to get, I'm still right behind him and think he'll avoid relegation.
We'll finish comfortably mid-table this season. I'd put my house on it.
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If everyone had been fit I'm sure PL would have played them all last night and we'd have performed much better and we wouldn't be feeling so down as we are.
He's our manager, let's back him for as long as he is. He wants to win, perhaps lacks a bit of nous in the short term, but in the longer term he wants Aston Villa to be successful.
I have faith, and confidence, in him.
UTV!
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I was responding to the OP who mentions last night and Newcastle.
I am not sure I can be bothered to read the rest of you post when you say the only reason we beat Arsenal was down to luck. When we're shit, we're shit. When we're excellent, we're actually still shit, just lucky.
Turn it in.
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He's the best we might hope to get, I'm still right behind him and think he'll avoid relegation.
We'll finish comfortably mid-table this season. I'd put my house on it.
I reckon, and have all summer, think much the same as last year, bottom six all year. Have the problems of last year really been addressed, I think not.
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I was responding to the OP who mentions last night and Newcastle.
I am not sure I can be bothered to read the rest of you post when you say the only reason we beat Arsenal was down to luck. When we're shit, we're shit. When we're excellent, we're actually still shit, just lucky.
Turn it in.
Fuck me pal didn`t take you long to get on my case this season - we were not excellent at Arsenal and yes we have been crap in two recent home games - thats how I see it - if you dont then tough .
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You must be delighted with the way we have started and our current overachievement then.
Can somebody explain how conceding nine fewer goals this season than in corresponding fixtures last season, scoring one more goal and being three points better off, after the hardest start to the camapign of all the clubs means we've not improved?
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It's far too early to cast judgement on things. I do think the new additions to the squad need more time to settle in.
I have two immediate concerns:
1. as a ST holder, the home form has to be sorted.
2. our inability to press the ball and close down opponents - illustrated last night and against Barcodes - is worrying and easy to fix.
We will do better than last season, even if several of our P'ship rivals have substantially strengthened since.
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Our home form hasn't though. And the club's lifeblood is season-ticket holders. There can't be many other teams in the football league that have got a rawer deal in terms of results and performances from home games in the past two or three years.
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Totally confident. I disagree with some of his philosophy , he builds teams from the front, I prefer to see teams built on a midfield. He likes the counter and pace, I like possession and slowing a game down. But regardless, he plays to win and I find his signings exciting.
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I am not on anybodys case. I just find it laughable that an excellent away performance, a result that will likely be Arsenal's heaviest home defeat of the season, is explained away as dumb luck.
Bang on about the one poor league performance, try and gloss over anything positive. I know exactly how you "see it".
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I'm happy overall with what he's trying to do. There are going to be setbacks, we do need to sort out our home form and some of his tactics can be baffling but i'm happy to sit tight and see how far he can take us.
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There was nothing lucky about our win at Arsenal. We did have bad luck via an incompetent official at Chelsea.
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I don't think the Arsenal game was down to luck. Okay, in as much as we had a fair referee at the Emirates, yes, these days that's lucky. But we performed well and thoroughly deserved the win. Against Chelsea we deserved a point, minimum. The ref bottled it that day.
Against Liverpool we were largely poor. Bad first half. Mediocre second. I know some people might claim we deserved a point, but honestly, 3 shots on target in a home game is piss poor. A couple of good saves from Mignolet aside, we never really looked like scoring.
Newcastle and Spurs was dire.
So far what we have certainly seen this season is that we concede sloppy goals in every game (bar Norwich obviously). It gives us a lot to do. It's sloppy. It's something about our concentration and organisation that needs addressing.
That's a Lambert failing. After the Arse, Liverpool and Chelsea games he surely has to identify that we're prone to conceding early goals. We host the Toon and it happens again. We were resolute against Norwich, but in all truth they look as adventurous as we did under TSM.
But of course not simply the early goals given away, but our defensive problems still exist. Largely not as bad as last season and our central defence has generally been good. The isolated fullbacks are struggling, whilst when they attack the gaps left are also vast.
Our attack is one note. Again, you can't look past the manager. He talks the talk, he has the right idea. We want to get the ball down and play football. Thus far we're struggling. We're all about the counter, and even then we're a less effective version of O Neills side. We had the quality in midfield of Barry/Petrov to release the quality out wide of Young/Milner, who'd supply two double figure forwards in Carew and Gabby.
What I'd like to see Lambert do is take some action on the following:
-Fullback areas. No help from midfield. Huge gaps left when they go forward.
-The balance of our midfield. Predominently at home, but also for our goal of being a more possession based side. A lack of guile makes things difficult. Just like we lacked a CB signing in Jan to help us out, we've come out the summer short of a playmaker. This will definitely require action in the Jan window.
-Changing the game, in game. I'm talking about the ability to identify a problem and take action. Most times Lambo makes a sub, its a head scratcher. He'll often leave on a player or two who just can't get in the game. Against Newcastle, Wiemann needed to come off. He was woeful and looked jaded. Not just subs, but tactically he's inactive sometimes. He left Luna getting absolutely destroyed by Ben Arfa all game. He completely ran the game and we let him. Good managers take decisive action. The 4-2-4 nonsense also has to stop. Why weaken an already pretty rote midfield? It's suicide.
-Plan B. This has been a persistent problem with many of our managers to be fair. Clearly we can't play the same system at home as we do away. It just doesn't work at all. So he's got to change it. This is now utterly paramount with Benteke out.
-Lack of proven quality/experience. He cannot write these players off. We need players who have done it at this level and we know could have an impact in our side right now. Again, this should happen Jan. A defender and a midfielder to give us a solid spine would beneficial.
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Yes on Lambert I wanted him in and I have supported everything he has done so fat up till last night. Last night he sent out a team with no intention of winning a cup tie. So I am sorry but that is not what I expect of manager of Aston Villa football club so he is out as far as I am concerned.
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I would have said Kevin Friend was incompetant if he had just watched Ivanovic elbow Benteke and only book him. The fact he went on to watch Terry volley the ball away with his hand and ignore the most blatant hand ball you will ever see confirms he is a cheating ******.
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Yes on Lambert I wanted him in and I have supported everything he has done so fat up till last night. Last night he sent out a team with no intention of winning a cup tie. So I am sorry but that is not what I expect of manager of Aston Villa football club so he is out as far as I am concerned.
You want him out because he didn't want to risk players carrying knocks? Other managers probably would have done the same.
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It was a cup tie mate do worth the risk. And by out I don't mean I want him gone but just that I don't trust him anymore.
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Yes on Lambert I wanted him in and I have supported everything he has done so fat up till last night. Last night he sent out a team with no intention of winning a cup tie. So I am sorry but that is not what I expect of manager of Aston Villa football club so he is out as far as I am concerned.
By that standard you've wanted every Villa manager since Brian Little out.You'll also want every future manager sacked in their first season.
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I would have said Kevin Friend was incompetant if he had just watched Ivanovic elbow Benteke and only book him. The fact he went on to watch Terry volley the ball away with his hand and ignore the most blatant hand ball you will ever see confirms he is a cheating c***.
And it was the third time he'd used the elbow on Benteke. He actually spoke to him earlier about use of elbow - which he should have booked him for, but didn't.
As with last night's penalty, it doesn't take a genius to apply a simple rule.
Refs are shit scared of giving decisions against "big" clubs. Our man at Arsenal wasn't.
We fully deserved the win at Arse. Their fans weren't angry that they lost - they were angry because we out-thought them, out-played them and taken full advantage of their weaknesses to win the game.
I loved it!
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By that standard you've wanted every Villa manager since Brian Little out.You'll also want every future manager sacked in their first season.
How did you work that out?
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How did you work that out?
Assuming you're referring to me, because every one of them has put out sides as weakened as last night's and every future manager will.
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Only O'Neill, Houllier and now Lambert have done that deliberately against stronger opposition.
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Only O'Neill, Houllier and now Lambert have done that deliberately against stronger opposition.
Every manager has played weakened teams, with the level of opposition irrelevant. Anyway, how can you pick a team that isn't deliberate?
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I am worried that the transfer policy we have is really not going to move us on, but that is a concern for the chairman as well as the manager. I was hoping we wouldn't just buy more of the same in the summer, but we did. I'd hoped we'd look at a level above - that doesn't mean £25m players, it means better ones than those we have.
As I said elsewhere the other day, there's a thin line between buying well and improving the club and just bobbing along cheaply, it'd be easy to get wrong.
One thing I will say, though, is that it's unfortunate that our better performances are almost always away from home rather than at home. There's a certain frustration about watching us play at home, we've been poor there for several years now, so some of the stick Lambert might get for that isn't entirely his fault (or concern).
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The most disappointing thing about the weakened side was the fact that the team turned up seemingly not too bothered about competing. It doesn't matter if you put 11 players out from your under 16 side. You should never play to lose and it felt like we did that. Granted we have done that in other cup games over the years, which was also one of many factors that made Houllier so unpopular. All Liverpool love-in aside, sending a team out to let Man City stroll to victory was disgusting.
O Neill's side against Hamburg was ridiculous, but all I'll say in defence is that they really gave their all and some of the kids did themselves proud that night.
Obviously Lambert and ourselves should expect far more from the players who stepped in. After all they have a chance to stake a good claim, but did anyone who played really do that? Albrighton aside, probably not. He showed great desire and effort.
When you're manager of a struggling side you want to take every opportunity you can to give fans a good show and cup games are ample opportunity. We should have put out a stronger side (not full strength, but closer to it) and he should have sent them out aboslutely fired up. He may as well have had our players kitted in butlers outfits serving trays of canopes to the Spurs players. I honestly can't blame anyone for being a bit fed up of the manager right now.
And...when you essentially throw a cup game for the benefit of your league form, you have to make damn sure you pick up points in the following game. The pressure is now on.
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Anyway, how can you pick a team that isn't deliberate?
Yes normally that deliberation is to win the game however I truly believe that in 3 instances I have stated the managers decided to give up the game.
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Anyway, how can you pick a team that isn't deliberate?
Yes normally that deliberation is to win the game however I truly believe that in 3 instances I have stated the managers decided to give up the game.
But not in every other instance wh en we've played the reserves?
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No because there we knew we could win the match with selected team.
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I don't like the weakened sides thing, but look at some of the sides we've seen put out this week.
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No because there we knew we could win the match with selected team.
So, in three random games managers picked teams to deliberately lose. In other games the same managers, plus others, picked similar sides wanting to win. I don't follow the logic of this.
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I don't like the weakened sides thing, but look at some of the sides we've seen put out this week.
Arsenal literally put out a team of teenagers tonight. Could easily have lost the game, WBA were 3-1 up on pens at one point
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Our weakened side still had internationals in it. On our own patch, we shouldn't be getting thoroughly rogered like we did. The whole point of Lambo building the squad too, was that we should have 24 easily interchangeable players. Aside from the standouts like Guzan, Benteke, Gabby and currently Delph, there's not much between the rest of them. Picking "best" 11 would actually be a struggle.
It disappoints me that the guys who came in, with a chance of really staking a claim, just didn't do enough. The only positive of the game was that Albrighton played pretty well and looks hungry again. Particularly as hes a player who could provide width we're lacking, but also potentially goals from midfield that we're lacking.
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I don't like the weakened sides thing, but look at some of the sides we've seen put out this week.
Arsenal literally put out a team of teenagers tonight. Could easily have lost the game, WBA were 3-1 up on pens at one point
Blues put out a laughably piss poor side.
As they do every week.
*fetches coat*
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It's a pity that you don't but I can't help you any further. You are in denial and that's ok for now.
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No because there we knew we could win the match with selected team.
So, in three random games managers picked teams to deliberately lose. In other games the same managers, plus others, picked similar sides wanting to win. I don't follow the logic of this.
I guess it's the memory of how we played in a given match too, and how the players performed. If you really lack determination and some fight, then it just looks like your playing to lose. I don't actually think Spurs was as bad as City a few years back, but then again, didn't Houllier all but say we'd written the game off?
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It's a pity that you don't but I can't help you any further. You are in denial and that's ok for now.
Well, that certainly added weight to your argument.
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Two things currently concern me about our manager:
1. Tactically he's looking very MON despite the first two games of the season.
2. This season's crop of transfers with the exception of Jores don't look or show any signs of looking like they'll ever make it at this level in the next 9 months. Early days, granted but just a feeling. The term 'squad fillers' comes to mind.
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Yes on Lambert I wanted him in and I have supported everything he has done so fat up till last night. Last night he sent out a team with no intention of winning a cup tie. So I am sorry but that is not what I expect of manager of Aston Villa football club so he is out as far as I am concerned.
By that standard you've wanted every Villa manager since Brian Little out.You'll also want every future manager sacked in their first season.
MON, Houllier and Lambert I'll give you, but Brian Little? When exactly?
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Yes on Lambert I wanted him in and I have supported everything he has done so fat up till last night. Last night he sent out a team with no intention of winning a cup tie. So I am sorry but that is not what I expect of manager of Aston Villa football club so he is out as far as I am concerned.
By that standard you've wanted every Villa manager since Brian Little out.You'll also want every future manager sacked in their first season.
MON, Houllier and Lambert I'll give you, but Brian Little? When exactly?
I meant after him.
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Yes on Lambert I wanted him in and I have supported everything he has done so fat up till last night. Last night he sent out a team with no intention of winning a cup tie. So I am sorry but that is not what I expect of manager of Aston Villa football club so he is out as far as I am concerned.
By that standard you've wanted every Villa manager since Brian Little out.You'll also want every future manager sacked in their first season.
MON, Houllier and Lambert I'll give you, but Brian Little? When exactly?
Doesn't "since" imply the managers after Brian Little, though?
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It's a pity that you don't but I can't help you any further. You are in denial and that's ok for now.
Well, that certainly added weight to your argument.
It's ok don't worry about me.
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MON, Houllier and Lambert I'll give you, but Brian Little? When exactly?
I meant after him.
OK how about Gregory?
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I think Paul Lambert has found his level,I also hope he proves me wrong.Any finish above 12th would do me this season,but until the defence is sorted I can't see us achieving it.
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MON, Houllier and Lambert I'll give you, but Brian Little? When exactly?
I meant after him.
OK how about Gregory?
His first domestic cup tie, 1998 - Chelsea 4 Aston Villa 1.
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Name the team that played versus possible strongest team?
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Two things currently concern me about our manager:
1. Tactically he's looking very MON despite the first two games of the season.
2. This season's crop of transfers with the exception of Jores don't look or show any signs of looking like they'll ever make it at this level in the next 9 months. Early days, granted but just a feeling. The term 'squad fillers' comes to mind.
I'm not convinced either but I look at the season Ramsey is having at Arsenal, after its taken him ages to find his mojo (in a side lets not forget who actually win on a regular basis).
Delph taking however long to settle here, Petrov, Downing...(the weasel faced so and so).
Even Gareth Bale went a load of Spurs games without looking the part.
They may all be duds but it is early days. Very early days in some cases. (Bacuna has had maybe 3 starts?)
Lichaj Bannan Herd Bowery and Dawkins were all involved last year...
Its neither sexy nor exciting but if Luna goes on to be a better fullback than Lichaj and Herd,
Bacuna and Sylla better central midfielders than Bannan, and Tonev a better wide option
to bring off the bench than Bowery and Dawkins then that is an improvement on last season.
Perhaps for our £25 million we should be a lot better off than improving the standard of our subs bench.
Although I think we were hampered by how many players we had to bring in.
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Name the team that played versus possible strongest team?
Oakes, Charles, Wright, Ugo, Scimeca, Grayson, Watson, Draper, Taylor, Joachim, Byfield. Not playing: Bosnich, Southgate, Collymore, Barry, Delaney, Vassell, Hendrie, Merson, Thompson.
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No I don't see it as "weaker team" played. Most who did not were still to prove themselves. Furthermore Chelsea were not a stronger team than us in that period.
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The priority for Lambert is not to get relegated pure and simple and the cups are a sacrifice he's willing to make, i agree with that, much rather stay in the prem than win one of the cups that do not carry the prestige they used to. Where i don't agree with him is that there are good players out on Loan at other clubs that would have suited our purposes even if it was for one season, better players than we presently have, the insistance that every player has to be young and hungry neglecting the fact that it takes a fair amount of time to adjust to the premiership even if you have the talent just puzzles me. I will probably get howled down for this but Gareth Barry would have bolstered our midfield and given us a bit of stability, just an example like.
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No I don't see it as "weaker team" played. Most who did not were still to prove themselves. Furthermore Chelsea were not a stronger team than us in that period.
Bosnich, Southgate, Collymore, Thompson, Vassell and Merson were yet to prove themselves and the team that the year before had finished fourth (we were eighth) and won the Cup Winners Cup, then finished third that season (we were sixth) weren't stronger than us ?
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The priority for Lambert is not to get relegated pure and simple and the cups are a sacrifice he's willing to make, i agree with that, much rather stay in the prem than win one of the cups that do not carry the prestige they used to. Where i don't agree with him is that there are good players out on Loan at other clubs that would have suited our purposes even if it was for one season, better players than we presently have, the insistance that every player has to be young and hungry neglecting the fact that it takes a fair amount of time to adjust to the premiership even if you have the talent just puzzles me. I will probably get howled down for this but Gareth Barry would have bolstered our midfield and given us a bit of stability, just an example like.
I think the loan system is becoming more and more influential in the Premiership. You only have to see the difference Lukaku made at the bitters last season to see how much of a difference a loan player can make. I've never really been a fan of loans (even though it could be argued Robbie Keane kept us in the Premier League with his contribution while on loan), but they are becoming more important if utilised properly. Of course they are only a short term fix and in some cases they can paper over big cracks, but I think if you can get the right players with the right attitude on loan for a season and at the same time develop your own players alongside them, then it can work.
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All this is a smokescreen for another inept home performance. This has been going on for far too long. Yes, there may be parallels with former seasons, but that does not make it acceptable and people should stop trying to justify it.
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No I don't see it as "weaker team" played. Most who did not were still to prove themselves. Furthermore Chelsea were not a stronger team than us in that period.
Bosnich, Southgate, Collymore, Thompson, Vassell and Merson were yet to prove themselves and the team that the year before had finished fourth (we were eighth) and won the Cup Winners Cup, then finished third that season (we were sixth) weren't stronger than us ?
I remember watching that game live on SKY in the pub. I was shocked by three things. The fact we played our second eleven. The fact Chelsea played there second eleven. The difference in quality between those two second elevens. Little did I know how much it was an indication of the future.
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I think we all have to come to terms with premiership reality as depressing as it is. Without a lot of money we like all but five clubs are just support acts trying desperately to keep our premiership status alive, we all will at times be threatened with the drop, doesn't matter how good the managers is.
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I have absolute, evangelical support for him, and the reserves getting a tattering in the League Cup isn't going to change it in a hurry.
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I have absolute, evangelical support for him, and the reserves getting a tattering in the League Cup isn't going to change it in a hurry.
Totally agree with this.
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I know it's disappointing that we weren't able to match Spurs but I don't think we threw the game. The team was probably the best we could put out - without risking aggravating injuries to key players at an early stage in the season.
We are where we are - not where we want to be. After years of on and off the field mis-management we are currently light years away from competing with the best.
The current transfer policy is the only viable option and it will see us improve year on year in a sustainable fashion. I believe Lambert instigated the strategy and will be key to seeing it through.
So confidence in the manager? - absolutely.
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Our home form is depressing and I feel sorry for those who turn up week in, week out at Villa Park.
Saying that, we have a squad of players and we've got to play them sometimes so that they get match practice, otherwise when players get injured, their replacements haven't had any playing time at all and will struggle even more.
As frustrating as it is, it's just going to take time with all the changes we've had over the last couple of years to (hopefully) gel into a decent team. I still have every faith in Lambert to turn things round, he just needs time.
Oh and I hate Spurzzz, no doubt my brother will be calling me from the US this weekend.
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I am very confident in the manager and that he'll address the issues that need addressing.
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I'm right behind the manager and the way we are trying to re-build at Villa Park. Not only did we have the youngest team in the Premier League last season but I read the other day that we had the youngest team in the whole of the top five leagues in Europe: what we are trying to do would be a tough ask for any manager, I feel. We'll get one or two more awful results along the way but these are the inevitable growing pains.
Why do I want Lambert as our manager? I'll list the reasons as they come into my head: On arriving into Villa Park he seemed to know exactly what needed to be done, who needed to be dropped, who needed to be blooded and so on - he had done his homework; he clearly respects the club and supporters; he is a man who clearly does his homework on players before he signs them and I just get the sense that he knows what he is doing. For the first time in a long time it seems as though we have a guy with a long-term strategy and vision for the club. He's strong minded and sticks to his guns which is, for me, part of great leadership. He's not afraid to drop players no matter what their reputation is...and I'll even go so far as to say I think he is the best talent spotter we have had since Sir Graham Taylor.
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Wanting Lambert as our manager does not have to equate to never criticising him or wondering about the way he goes about things from time to time.
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Wanting Lambert as our manager does not have to equate to never criticising him or wondering about the way he goes about things from time to time.
Quite.
You have to call a situation what it is; Newcastle was dire and very disappointing, as was Spurs. This cannot ever be acceptable or the norm, but I think on balance of the way we have played in the other games, these seem to be the aberrations. Spurs is particularly erroneous given the attitude from the club and fans towards the game and the side that was picked. I am bemused by how much store has been put into that given the flavour of the Man City thread.
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Yes on Lambert I wanted him in and I have supported everything he has done so fat up till last night. Last night he sent out a team with no intention of winning a cup tie. So I am sorry but that is not what I expect of manager of Aston Villa football club so he is out as far as I am concerned.
He's out? is that tongue in cheek or a massive overreaction? I wasn't happy with the other night, but I still think Lambert is taking us in the right direction. He does need to address our lack of midfield creativity and our home form though.
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One of the things I find worrying is that there's nobody in the squad for the youngsters to really learn their trade from and look up to. You can't say any of them is an elder statesman who's been there and got the t-shirt, so to speak. I suppose Gabby's the senior guy these days, but he doesn't strike me as an especially inspirational figure for the kids.
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Wanting Lambert as our manager does not have to equate to never criticising him or wondering about the way he goes about things from time to time.
Quite.
You have to call a situation what it is; Newcastle was dire and very disappointing, as was Spurs. This cannot ever be acceptable or the norm, but I think on balance of the way we have played in the other games, these seem to be the aberrations.
There were certain posters on here delighted with our win at Norwich. Three days later they're questioning Lerner's commitment to the club.
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I have absolute, evangelical support for him, and the reserves getting a tattering in the League Cup isn't going to change it in a hurry.
Agree. I didn't want to see players who are carrying knocks being risked, already lost two key players.
I felt at no stage did they give up, kept trying to play. Obviously wasn't happy to see us lose but the team we put out weren't exactly youth team players. Spurs rested many too but their squad is very strong now.
Big disappointment for me is that excluding the Bale money and what they used it for, we have a greater outlay on players than they have in the last 5 years. Boy, have we wasted it in that time.
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I do like him, I'm worried about his ability to set up a defence. We have not been good for quite a while. I just wish he'd have brought some experienced lads instead of "young hungry players" I wonder how much of that is down to the chairman, I can't see the benefit of changing managers every season. Our home form is really shit but it has been for quite some time so that's not so much of a Lambert problem
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I just wish the process was a bit more incremental, ie a few experienced players to support/ lead the youth. I also don't think he bought enough defenders and spent a lot of what money he had on a striker when we already had Benteke, Gabby and Weimann.
I certainly don't think we should be giving up on him but I also don't think he's got everything right.
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No I don't see it as "weaker team" played. Most who did not were still to prove themselves. Furthermore Chelsea were not a stronger team than us in that period.
Bosnich, Southgate, Collymore, Thompson, Vassell and Merson were yet to prove themselves and the team that the year before had finished fourth (we were eighth) and won the Cup Winners Cup, then finished third that season (we were sixth) weren't stronger than us ?
I remember watching that game live on SKY in the pub. I was shocked by three things. The fact we played our second eleven. The fact Chelsea played there second eleven. The difference in quality between those two second elevens. Little did I know how much it was an indication of the future.
IIRC the Chelsea reserves beat Arsenal (Champions) reserves 5-0 in a subsequent round
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I think most of us know that it will be a a few seasons of ups and downs....am I behind the manager ? absolutely.
you can see what Lambert is trying to do and although we get such poor return at Villa Park for our money I still believe we will turn a corner, I don't think many Premiership teams will of had the sort of consistently tough fixtures that we are experiencing at the moment.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle, Man City,Everton etc in the first few months.....
UTV
The Doc
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Wanting Lambert as our manager does not have to equate to never criticising him or wondering about the way he goes about things from time to time.
Exactly!
I remember writing a 12 page pissed-up rant to Graham Taylor after ( another) defeat to Wimbledon. I loved the man but he drove me effing mental at times.
I love my kids as well, but it don't stop me from dishing out absolute bollockings when it's deserved.
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One of the things I find worrying is that there's nobody in the squad for the youngsters to really learn their trade from and look up to. You can't say any of them is an elder statesman who's been there and got the t-shirt, so to speak. I suppose Gabby's the senior guy these days, but he doesn't strike me as an especially inspirational figure for the kids.
The important thin is that the bad apples have been rooted out.
And I'd disagree Gabby is exaclty the Villa player who should inspire. He gets Aston Villa F.C.
So does Lambert IMO.
Those recruited over last 18 months have a better chance of doing the same, compared to most of the mercenaries brought by the 3 previous incumbent managers, not to mention 1 such manager.
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There are times when the youthfulness of the team is actually a benefit, but there have been so many games where a bit more experience would have seen us see out the games and get results etc... Barry, Parker, Kevin Nolan... anyone with a bit of experience to sit in front of the back four and control a game.
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Fuck the league. Nobody remembers who finished mid-table (if we even reach those height). I dont expect us to win cups (unlike Arsenal fans), but I expect us to play our strongest team in every round and to give it a go whoever the opposition. Otherwise, WTF is the point of it all?
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Fuck the league. Nobody remembers who finished mid-table (if we even reach those height). I dont expect us to win cups (unlike Arsenal fans), but I expect us to play our strongest team in every round and to give it a go whoever the opposition. Otherwise, WTF is the point of it all?
What team would you have put out bearing in mind Okore and Benteke were out and Gabby, Luna, Westwood and Delph were all carrying knocks from Saturday?
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I just wish the process was a bit more incremental, ie a few experienced players to support/ lead the youth. I also don't think he bought enough defenders and spent a lot of what money he had on a striker when we already had Benteke, Gabby and Weimann.
I certainly don't think we should be giving up on him but I also don't think he's got everything right.
I'd have have the logic and reason of the decision to buy that striker was perfectly illustrated in our last league game.
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I don't think Delaney joined until summer '99.
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Regarding transfers:
We don't know if the choice was either buy a striker or buy a creative midfielder. Given what we know about Lambert's transfer dealings so far, I'd say it was more likely that he had budgeted for both, but only one was available at the price he'd be willing to pay.
I still think it was an error - I think our need for a creative midfielder is so great that he should've just bought one whatever the cost. We'll see if one pops up in January.
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Well he enquired about the Japanese lad and was either told he's not for sale or was quoted a fee which wasn't acceptable. Maybe he'll go back him for him at a later date.
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I like lambert and i'm buying into his ethos,
but I also liked Venglos, Little, MON and Houllier and for a time believed in all of them, and thought they were taking us onwards and upwards
so it doesn't always work out well,
we must see improvement, another season struggling against relegation is not good enough, but I don't think we will be
if we are to finish mid table we will see more results like Newcastle and Norwich this season where we won one and lost one
WBA finished in 8th place last season,
most of us would say that would be regarded as improvement, yet they lost 6 times at home and 11 times away, so its not going to be a big bowl of cherries right the way through the season even if we replicate that
our home form is shit and has been for a number of years, its just not good enough, can Lambert do anything about it ?
we wait and see, but so far sadly the answer is no, yet he still remains the right man at the helm for me, gradually I think get will get better, but then i'm a believer
as for weakened sides, I hate them as well, I can see the reasons, but we have been playing them for a while now as DW says under a few different managers
and remind we when we last won anything ? that's the problem, we need to change that
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What is the point at the moment?
We exist as a club to make a very small minority of people involved in it incredibly rich. For the vast majority there is very little benefit. If it wasn't for a pre match drink and laugh the actual games are as dour a waste of time you could imagine.
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My comment to my dad when he rang me the morning after the Spurs game was that I liked Lambert and wasn't suggesting for a minute that he should go but that we had suffered a lot of embarrassing scorelines under him in his relatively short time in charge. The fans have been great with him but he needs a decent league position as the season progresses and the hammerings will need to be very few and far between from now on or I think there will be a point where the fans will turn against him.
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I like lambert and i'm buying into his ethos,
but I also liked Venglos, Little, MON and Houllier and for a time believed in all of them, and thought they were taking us onwards and upwards
so it doesn't always work out well,
we must see improvement, another season struggling against relegation is not good enough, but I don't think we will be
if we are to finish mid table we will see more results like Newcastle and Norwich this season where we won one and lost one
WBA finished in 8th place last season,
most of us would say that would be regarded as improvement, yet they lost 6 times at home and 11 times away, so its not going to be a big bowl of cherries right the way through the season even if we replicate that
our home form is shit and has been for a number of years, its just not good enough, can Lambert do anything about it ?
we wait and see, but so far sadly the answer is no, yet he still remains the right man at the helm for me, gradually I think get will get better, but then i'm a believer
as for weakened sides, I hate them as well, I can see the reasons, but we have been playing them for a while now as DW says under a few different managers
and remind we when we last won anything ? that's the problem, we need to change that
sorry John e, but the stripey filth finishing above us only happens once in a blue moon and they will be without their 17 goal striker from last season...they beat a very poor unmotivated Sunderland side to register their only win this season.
our home form is shit but it will turn around as I believe this young squad are learning all the time albeit slowly sometimes and we will take a few beatings along the way...but we will prevail...
UTV
The Doc
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sorry John e, but the stripey filth finishing above us only happens once in a blue moon
Or twice in the lat 2 seasons.
I'm not having a go at Lambert here, it's just that I'm losing a fortune in bets with some of my Albion mates.
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I have utmost confidence in the manager. However what I lack is what all football fans lack, and that is the natural patience to sit through the process. I want as much success now as I can get, and all of the instant gratification that comes with it. I want us to buy top players today not wait and develop the squad and change the culture of the club.
The reality is taking a pragmatic or even neutral perspective is challenging given our emotional investment, but it also allows you to take a step back and ask do we want consistency long term, or the volatitility of the past few decades? If we cast an envious eye over to other clubs that have either had sustained performance given comparable economic conditions then we need to be patient to see if Lambert is on the right path. That is what is hard.
My guess is Lambert doesn't like to lose. Doesn't like to take batterings, doesn't like to answer questions on why we don't do certain things well etc etc. I am sure he'd rather be answering questions on our latest 4-0 win rather that defeat. If we accept that then we need to accept that what we want as fans might take a little more time to achieve than 18 months, so that we are not having this converation again in 2 or 3 years with yet another manager.
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We are consistent though. Consistently shit.
I'd be willing to bet this team would struggle to beat our team from 3 seasons ago, even 2 season ago.
Where is the improvement? He's spent above £40 million.
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We are consistent though. Consistently shit.
I'd be willing to bet this team would struggle to beat our team from 3 seasons ago, even 2 season ago.
Where is the improvement? He's spent above £40 million.
Rebuilding an entire squad. The team we lost to on Tuesday had two players worth more than that, coming into an already tidy squad.
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Wanting Lambert as our manager does not have to equate to never criticising him or wondering about the way he goes about things from time to time.
Exactly!
I remember writing a 12 page pissed-up rant to Graham Taylor after ( another) defeat to Wimbledon. I loved the man but he drove me effing mental at times.
I love my kids as well, but it don't stop me from dishing out absolute bollockings when it's deserved.
Agreex2.
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What is the point at the moment?
We exist as a club to make a very small minority of people involved in it incredibly rich. For the vast majority there is very little benefit.
Well, there was only 1400 of us at Norwich and I strongly believe we'd have sold the full allocation, but I was certain of our existence on Saturday being to put a huge smile on my face.
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We are consistent though. Consistently shit.
I'd be willing to bet this team would struggle to beat our team from 3 seasons ago, even 2 season ago.
Where is the improvement? He's spent above £40 million.
Absolute nonsense. By my reckoning we've only been what could be described as "shit" in two of the games this season, Newcastle and the game on tuesday (and even on tuesday who knows what might have happened if we got the penalty at 0-1). All other games have shown very promising signs, but perhaps not the results to match.
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We are consistent though. Consistently shit.
I'd be willing to bet this team would struggle to beat our team from 3 seasons ago, even 2 season ago.
Where is the improvement? He's spent above £40 million.
Absolute nonsense. By my reckoning we've only been what could be described as "shit" in two of the games this season, Newcastle and the game on tuesday (and even on tuesday who knows what might have happened if we got the penalty at 0-1). All other games have shown very promising signs, but perhaps not the results to match.
Don't entertain him.
There seems to be some sort of competition on going as to who can make the most "everything is shit, I can't be arsed to go" style wetness.
As tedious as it is erroneous.
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Yes on Lambert I wanted him in and I have supported everything he has done so fat up till last night. Last night he sent out a team with no intention of winning a cup tie. So I am sorry but that is not what I expect of manager of Aston Villa football club so he is out as far as I am concerned.
He's out? is that tongue in cheek or a massive overreaction? I wasn't happy with the other night, but I still think Lambert is taking us in the right direction. He does need to address our lack of midfield creativity and our home form though.
Paul I did explain in an earlier post I don't want him out as in sacked just to say I am not from now on going to have total faith in him. I just think Villa managers should compete 100% in every game we play and (this is important) I believe he didn't on Tuesday.
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No I don't see it as "weaker team" played. Most who did not were still to prove themselves. Furthermore Chelsea were not a stronger team than us in that period.
Bosnich, Southgate, Collymore, Thompson, Vassell and Merson were yet to prove themselves and the team that the year before had finished fourth (we were eighth) and won the Cup Winners Cup, then finished third that season (we were sixth) weren't stronger than us ?
OK good info.
Well memory tends to forget painful events however it just backs up what I have been saying. We have done **** all since Brian.
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If that's the game at Stamford Bridge where they beat us 4-1, that Blue Nosed oik Forsell bagged a couple if I recall?
We were top of the league at the time, took the lead and then got bummed.
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Wow, what amazes me is that people seem to have taken the Tuesday game almost in isolation of the rest of the season. As said elsewhere, the first three P'ship games were encouraging and deserved more points than we garnered. Against Norwich we showed resilience and a winning attitude.
I was really concerned about our lackadaisical approach against the Barcodes.
In the light of injuries and fitness doubts to several players, Tuesday gave Lambert the chance to give much-needed experience to several players and we lost to a club that has made quantum leaps compared to us in the last 2-3 seasons.
I'm not happy with some aspects of this season but it is still very much a work-in-progress project and it's time to gird our loins and experience the rollercoaster ride that we're on.
That does not imply that we should not criticise: but let's do so rationally.
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We are consistent though. Consistently shit.
I'd be willing to bet this team would struggle to beat our team from 3 seasons ago, even 2 season ago.
Where is the improvement? He's spent above £40 million.
Absolute nonsense. By my reckoning we've only been what could be described as "shit" in two of the games this season, Newcastle and the game on tuesday (and even on tuesday who knows what might have happened if we got the penalty at 0-1). All other games have shown very promising signs, but perhaps not the results to match.
Don't entertain him.
There seems to be some sort of competition on going as to who can make the most "everything is shit, I can't be arsed to go" style wetness.
There's also a separate competition going along the lines of 'If the club cor be bothered, neither can i' cries.
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It's a chicken and egg situation with the club (or manager, if you prefer) and 20,000 empty seats pointing at each other and basically saying what Clamps said. Nobody except an ever-decreasing number of old school supporters are bothered about cups until there's a sniff of Wembley so I don't know why there's so much hysteria about Tuesday night.
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As you said and I am in that old school cat so reserve the right to get annoyed about cheap cup exits! It's equally annoying that we merely make up the numbers nowadays in the league but there we are.....
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As you said and I am in that old school cat so reserve the right to get annoyed about cheap cup exits! It's equally annoying that we merely make up the numbers nowadays in the league but there we are.....
What was so cheap about it? Please explain.
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If that's the game at Stamford Bridge where they beat us 4-1, that Blue Nosed oik Forsell bagged a couple if I recall?
We were top of the league at the time, took the lead and then got bummed.
Tommy Jazczun (sp?) made his one and only appearance for us, coming on for Alan Wright when we didn't have a left-back understudy nor did we need one thanks to superwrighty.
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As you said and I am in that old school cat so reserve the right to get annoyed about cheap cup exits! It's equally annoying that we merely make up the numbers nowadays in the league but there we are.....
What was so cheap about it? Please explain.
I said exits not just the one on Tuesday. I am going over old ground on Tuesday if we accept thaft players with "knocks" had to be rested for a league game there was still no valid reason to start with a rookie keeper. I guess we will not agree on this so I will leave it now.
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...there was still no valid reason to start with a rookie keeper.
I'd bet good money that Guzan wouldn't be the great keeper that he is now if he's not been given the experience of a couple of dozen cup matches in the O'Neill years to get used to playing proper matches.
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If I were Paul Lambert I would add John Gregory and Brian Little to coaching staff as JG can make us more solid as a team while we can keep the attacking football.
I think we need to learn to pass the ball and use the Ball like Spain/Barcelona to progress. Is there any good coach from Barcelona we could use to put Barcelona footprint.
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If I were Paul Lambert I would add John Gregory and Brian Little to coaching staff as JG can make us more solid as a team while we can keep the attacking football.
I think we need to learn to pass the ball and use the Ball like Spain/Barcelona to progress. Is there any good coach from Barcelona we could use to put Barcelona footprint.
I wouldn't add a former manager, it would undermine Lambert.
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I don't think you'll get much respite aftab until you admit you should think in a different way and stop being disappointed with Villa's shit home form and limp cup exit.
There's nothing wrong with playing a weakened side due to injury, we also should probably admit that Prem survival is the prime mover for this club now. However, these things don't mean it doesn't matter when we cave in 0-4 at home. We should be giving anyone a game, even if we come up short.
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I think it's all been said for now although this debate will go on and on fuelled, one way or another, by future results - including the inevitable demolition by Man City on Saturday.
I guess my concern about Tuesday was that in there was some more evidence for me that the grand 'experiment' of 'buy them young, foreign and cheap' is not working. Nothing we could have done about the gulf in class but where was the youthful energy? Why didn't our young players swarm all over them and make things difficult. Surely that's down to the manager to insist on - I don't think he did for whatever reason.
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I know some who enjoyed the game on Tuesday due to, and I quote, "wankers not being there who do nothing apart from say everything is shit."
Takes all sorts dunnit?
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Thanks Stu. I am starting to question my what I thought were normal supporters expectations.
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If I were Paul Lambert I would add John Gregory and Brian Little to coaching staff as JG can make us more solid as a team while we can keep the attacking football.
I think we need to learn to pass the ball and use the Ball like Spain/Barcelona to progress. Is there any good coach from Barcelona we could use to put Barcelona footprint.
Lambert has added to his staff in the summer- lets give it at least a few months before questioning things, yes he could have put out a stronger side on Tuesday but we would probably still have lost - i have great concerns about our home form and the style of football at home but our heaviest league defeat has been by the odd goal and we have 2 away wins in the bag having had a tough fixture list .
The injury to okore in particular is a hammer blow as he looked really useful alongside Vlaar , but lets see how things progress and see where we are in December .
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I think it's all been said for now although this debate will go on and on fuelled, one way or another, by future results - including the inevitable demolition by Man City on Saturday.
I guess my concern about Tuesday was that in there was some more evidence for me that the grand 'experiment' of 'buy them young, foreign and cheap' is not working. Nothing we could have done about the gulf in class but where was the youthful energy? Why didn't our young players swarm all over them and make things difficult. Surely that's down to the manager to insist on - I don't think he did for whatever reason.
That was what got me on Tuesday, I expected us to be at least "up for it" and we did not seem to be.
I have confidence in the Manager, he is the guy I wanted us to appoint and I like the cut of his jib. With the resources we have he is the right person for the job and I am not sure there is anyone who could do massively better without a major injection of funds.
Whether the Club have the means/will to get to anywhere worth getting excited about is another question. I was quietly confident before a ball was kicked that we would do OK this year but I am not 100% sure towards what ultimate goal we are these days "a work in progress" and at what point we are entitled to expect to stop being a "work in progress" and arrive at our "destination."
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including the inevitable demolition by Man City on Saturday.
:(
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Good points - I am sick to the stomach though feeling all the pre season optimism seeping away so rapidly.
I was lucky enough to see us reach our pinnacle back in 1981/82. We have seen glimpses of a resurgence however we really are a mediocre club with little or no chance of winning anything in the foreseeable future. I dread us becoming like Wigan, slogging it out each seaon to avoid the drop but eventually going through the trap door.
I am not impressed by Lambert but agree that we need a long term strategy but watching the dreadful home performances season on season drains the energy - I used to be a blind devotee of my club but quite frankly the current team /squad and management is turning me off to such an extent that I now find myself leaving before the end of each game, missing some games despite having a season ticket. There just is no fun watching the Villa at home. Will Lambert change all that? - it doesn`t look that way but I guess we need to give him time -
Agree with that almost entirely.
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How difficult to make the players to play football with a proper passing game like Swansea/Barcelona/Spain instead of Counter attacking game. We could keep counter attacking as another option.
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If I were Paul Lambert I would add John Gregory and Brian Little to coaching staff as JG can make us more solid as a team while we can keep the attacking football.
I think we need to learn to pass the ball and use the Ball like Spain/Barcelona to progress. Is there any good coach from Barcelona we could use to put Barcelona footprint.
Lambert has added to his staff in the summer- lets give it at least a few months before questioning things, yes he could have put out a stronger side on Tuesday but we would probably still have lost - i have great concerns about our home form and the style of football at home but our heaviest league defeat has been by the odd goal and we have 2 away wins in the bag having had a tough fixture list .
True.
Would the result have been any different had we played our strongest side? Almost certainly not much, no.
However, I do recall Houllier saying the same thing after a cup defeat at Man City, and he got slaughtered for it.
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How difficult to make the players to play football with a proper passing game like Swansea/Barcelona/Spain instead of Counter attacking game. We could keep counter attacking as another option.
Very very hard, which is why comparatively few teams do it. It requires supremely technically skilled players for starters, and they have to have an almost telepathic ability to understand and read each other's games. Barcelona can do it because they have a) enough money to attract the world's best players and b) arguably the world's best footballing academy in La Masia (meaning that a lot of Barcelona's players have been playing together since they were literally 7 or 8 years old).
Swansea play a sort of low-rent tiki taka, and even then its taken them years and years of training and recruitment (not to mention continuity in mangerial styles) to play the way they do.
If you could get any old club and get them to play like that in a season everybody would be doing it.
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It's a chicken and egg situation with the club (or manager, if you prefer) and 20,000 empty seats pointing at each other and basically saying what Clamps said. Nobody except an ever-decreasing number of old school supporters are bothered about cups until there's a sniff of Wembley so I don't know why there's so much hysteria about Tuesday night.
Aren't you answering your own question, in a roundabout way, though. Because of Tuesday night there won't be any sniffs of Wembley.
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It's a chicken and egg situation with the club (or manager, if you prefer) and 20,000 empty seats pointing at each other and basically saying what Clamps said. Nobody except an ever-decreasing number of old school supporters are bothered about cups until there's a sniff of Wembley so I don't know why there's so much hysteria about Tuesday night.
Hard to argue with that and how sad that the premier league has become the be all and end all in many ways - in the 70s and 80s i used to love the cup draws knowing the cups were exciting and many clubs had a chance , nowadays even the fa cup has lost its gloss and its sad to see.
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It's a chicken and egg situation with the club (or manager, if you prefer) and 20,000 empty seats pointing at each other and basically saying what Clamps said. Nobody except an ever-decreasing number of old school supporters are bothered about cups until there's a sniff of Wembley so I don't know why there's so much hysteria about Tuesday night.
Hard to argue with that and how sad that the premier league has become the be all and end all in many ways - in the 70s and 80s i used to love the cup draws knowing the cups were exciting and many clubs had a chance , nowadays even the fa cup has lost its gloss and its sad to see.
I think the F.A have played a massive part in the F.A Cup losing it's glamour.
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Indeed they have clampy , indeed they have :(
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There's not a hell of a lot now between the league cup and F.A Cup. They both feel almost equally unloved and unimportant. People win the F.A Cup now and there's almost a bit of indifference. All the seems to matter these days is the league and Champions League.
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It's a chicken and egg situation with the club (or manager, if you prefer) and 20,000 empty seats pointing at each other and basically saying what Clamps said. Nobody except an ever-decreasing number of old school supporters are bothered about cups until there's a sniff of Wembley so I don't know why there's so much hysteria about Tuesday night.
Aren't you answering your own question, in a roundabout way, though. Because of Tuesday night there won't be any sniffs of Wembley.
It's also the end of the month and we're at home again on Saturday, despite what Gideon and Co would have us believe money is still tight for many.
People also have other things to consider. For example with me it was a logistical issue as I was travelling back from Southend and was just not sufficiently motivated to get home, drop all my stuff off and then trek back out again.
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I sometimes wonder if some of our problems came from how we used the pre season games.
By that I mean most games we seemed to use one team for 45 mins, or 60 mins and then make wholesale substitutions and change the whole team. I think most of our team would only have played 1 or maybe 2 90 min games prior to the season starting.
It would also be interesting to know how other teams used their pre season games.
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How difficult to make the players to play football with a proper passing game like Swansea/Barcelona/Spain instead of Counter attacking game. We could keep counter attacking as another option.
Very very hard, which is why comparatively few teams do it. It requires supremely technically skilled players for starters, and they have to have an almost telepathic ability to understand and read each other's games. Barcelona can do it because they have a) enough money to attract the world's best players and b) arguably the world's best footballing academy in La Masia (meaning that a lot of Barcelona's players have been playing together since they were literally 7 or 8 years old).
Swansea play a sort of low-rent tiki taka, and even then its taken them years and years of training and recruitment (not to mention continuity in mangerial styles) to play the way they do.
If you could get any old club and get them to play like that in a season everybody would be doing it.
Let's bear in mind that we are capable of playing the passing / possession game, sometimes.
What people tend to overlook is the fact that Barcelona's strength is not simply in the passing / movement game; it's in the pressing game when not in possession.
We have let ouselves down against Barcodes and Spurrrrrrrrrrs in not pressurising their players in possession. Against Newcastle I firmly believe we'd have beaten thme if we'd been more tenacious without the ball; against Spurrrrs we may have done alot better.
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I'm right behind the manager and the way we are trying to re-build at Villa Park. Not only did we have the youngest team in the Premier League last season but I read the other day that we had the youngest team in the whole of the top five leagues in Europe: what we are trying to do would be a tough ask for any manager, I feel. We'll get one or two more awful results along the way but these are the inevitable growing pains.
Why do I want Lambert as our manager? I'll list the reasons as they come into my head: On arriving into Villa Park he seemed to know exactly what needed to be done, who needed to be dropped, who needed to be blooded and so on - he had done his homework; he clearly respects the club and supporters; he is a man who clearly does his homework on players before he signs them and I just get the sense that he knows what he is doing. For the first time in a long time it seems as though we have a guy with a long-term strategy and vision for the club. He's strong minded and sticks to his guns which is, for me, part of great leadership. He's not afraid to drop players no matter what their reputation is...and I'll even go so far as to say I think he is the best talent spotter we have had since Sir Graham Taylor.
Hear, hear.
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I sometimes wonder if some of our problems came from how we used the pre season games.
By that I mean most games we seemed to use one team for 45 mins, or 60 mins and then make wholesale substitutions and change the whole team. I think most of our team would only have played 1 or maybe 2 90 min games prior to the season starting.
It would also be interesting to know how other teams used their pre season games.
I think what we do is pretty common.
Those games are really just to re-ingratiate the players into a match situation.
If what we wanted was to get a hypothetical first XI working out how to play together, you could just as easily arrange a first XI versus second XI game every day for two weeks than do it in a friendly.
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It's a chicken and egg situation with the club (or manager, if you prefer) and 20,000 empty seats pointing at each other and basically saying what Clamps said. Nobody except an ever-decreasing number of old school supporters are bothered about cups until there's a sniff of Wembley so I don't know why there's so much hysteria about Tuesday night.
Aren't you answering your own question, in a roundabout way, though. Because of Tuesday night there won't be any sniffs of Wembley.
I'm not answering it at all. it was the least important game we've played all season, as evinced by the crowd, yet it's unleashed a wave of hysteria on a par with Gabby clattering him out of One Direction.
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How difficult to make the players to play football with a proper passing game like Swansea/Barcelona/Spain instead of Counter attacking game. We could keep counter attacking as another option.
If Brendan Rogers had come to Villa, he'd be sacked by now. I can only imagine the "GET IT FOOKIN' FORWARD!!!" by the (many) fans who love nothing more than to shout that after 2 passes. It always amazes me when I hear that. One guy I used to sit by (and partly moved because of him) used to shout this for the reason that "if they (the opposition) have got it in their half they can't score against us". So, by that definition, he'd rather the opposing team kept the ball all match in their own half.
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I'm right behind the manager and the way we are trying to re-build at Villa Park. Not only did we have the youngest team in the Premier League last season but I read the other day that we had the youngest team in the whole of the top five leagues in Europe: what we are trying to do would be a tough ask for any manager, I feel. We'll get one or two more awful results along the way but these are the inevitable growing pains.
Why do I want Lambert as our manager? I'll list the reasons as they come into my head: On arriving into Villa Park he seemed to know exactly what needed to be done, who needed to be dropped, who needed to be blooded and so on - he had done his homework; he clearly respects the club and supporters; he is a man who clearly does his homework on players before he signs them and I just get the sense that he knows what he is doing. For the first time in a long time it seems as though we have a guy with a long-term strategy and vision for the club. He's strong minded and sticks to his guns which is, for me, part of great leadership. He's not afraid to drop players no matter what their reputation is...and I'll even go so far as to say I think he is the best talent spotter we have had since Sir Graham Taylor.
Hear, hear.
Yep, me to, hear hear.
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I'm right behind the manager and the way we are trying to re-build at Villa Park. Not only did we have the youngest team in the Premier League last season but I read the other day that we had the youngest team in the whole of the top five leagues in Europe: what we are trying to do would be a tough ask for any manager, I feel. We'll get one or two more awful results along the way but these are the inevitable growing pains.
Why do I want Lambert as our manager? I'll list the reasons as they come into my head: On arriving into Villa Park he seemed to know exactly what needed to be done, who needed to be dropped, who needed to be blooded and so on - he had done his homework; he clearly respects the club and supporters; he is a man who clearly does his homework on players before he signs them and I just get the sense that he knows what he is doing. For the first time in a long time it seems as though we have a guy with a long-term strategy and vision for the club. He's strong minded and sticks to his guns which is, for me, part of great leadership. He's not afraid to drop players no matter what their reputation is...and I'll even go so far as to say I think he is the best talent spotter we have had since Sir Graham Taylor.
Hear, hear.
Yep, me to, hear hear.
My sentiments entirely.
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It's a chicken and egg situation with the club (or manager, if you prefer) and 20,000 empty seats pointing at each other and basically saying what Clamps said. Nobody except an ever-decreasing number of old school supporters are bothered about cups until there's a sniff of Wembley so I don't know why there's so much hysteria about Tuesday night.
Aren't you answering your own question, in a roundabout way, though. Because of Tuesday night there won't be any sniffs of Wembley.
I'm not answering it at all. it was the least important game we've played all season, as evinced by the crowd, yet it's unleashed a wave of hysteria on a par with Gabby clattering him out of One Direction.
I think the problem is that we had just witness another dreadful home performance and can only envisage the same on Saturday. It is becoming the norm at Villa Park and, having to trudge down there on a Tuesday night (instead of a proper football night), makes it a long, tedious week. If Man City do as is expected, and put more than three or four past us, it will not be a happy ground.
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Surely the fact the crowd was so low doesnt necessarily reflect that the fans see it at the least important game , but that maybe the fans feel the club are not taking it too seriously and many would decide not to pay their hard earned cash to see a mostly 2nd choice team?
The club can hardly be surprised if cup gates drop further if the team chosen Is not the strongest available.
As dc5 says there is a feeling among many that we will get trounced tomorrow at home and until things change on the pitch at villa park then it will not get better.
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Surely the fact the crowd was so low doesnt necessarily reflect that the fans see it at the least important game , but that maybe the fans feel the club are not taking it too seriously and many would decide not to pay their hard earned cash to see a mostly 2nd choice team?
The club can hardly be surprised if cup gates drop further if the team chosen Is not the strongest available.
But the fans weren't to know that he'd play a weakened team. It was pretty much the full side versus Rotherham (?) in the previous round. They would have had an inkling that injuries were going to rob villa of a few players, but I struggle to see how that is the manager's fault.
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Surely the fact the crowd was so low doesnt necessarily reflect that the fans see it at the least important game , but that maybe the fans feel the club are not taking it too seriously and many would decide not to pay their hard earned cash to see a mostly 2nd choice team?
The club can hardly be surprised if cup gates drop further if the team chosen Is not the strongest available.
But the fans weren't to know that he'd play a weakened team. It was pretty much the full side versus Rotherham (?) in the previous round. They would have had an inkling that injuries were going to rob villa of a few players, but I struggle to see how that is the manager's fault.
It's not a question of it being the managers fault as such , he stated clearly the day before that he saw the man city game as being of huge importance and on he back of that i think most had an inkling he would be playing a weakened side .
I would imagine quite a few who didnt go did so because they expected a weakened side , it was no great shock.
Regarding the Rotherham line up there was an international break coming up , whereas now we have one of the top teams visiting us a few days later.
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We've viagogo'd our seats for Saturday and taken the £70 as we have better things to do this weekend so there's a good chance we will win now.
Getting sick of going down B6 after the last few years and the first 3 home games and defeats.
Something has to change quite frankly.
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Another one of those strange "look at how little I give a shit" posts.
I will be doing the usual 200 mile round trip. But then I am a sad Villa bastard, who gets into work at 07:50, but instead of doing that pile of statements, sits and posts on H&V. But then if I'm a sad chap, Christ knows what makes those who get into work early merely to post how little they care.
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Just because I'm not going don't mean I don't care ! See you at Hull if you can be arsed. 8)
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Another one of those strange "look at how little I give a shit" posts.
I will be doing the usual 200 mile round trip. But then I am a sad Villa bastard, who gets into work at 07:50, but instead of doing that pile of statements, sits and posts on H&V. But then if I'm a sad chap, Christ knows what makes those who get into work early merely to post how little they care.
fecking hell...this is me, glad I'm not alone Ads.
and yes I will be there tomorrow....
UTV
The Doc
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Another one of those strange "look at how little I give a shit" posts.
I will be doing the usual 200 mile round trip. But then I am a sad Villa bastard, who gets into work at 07:50, but instead of doing that pile of statements, sits and posts on H&V. But then if I'm a sad chap, Christ knows what makes those who get into work early merely to post how little they care.
fecking hell...this is me, glad I'm not alone Ads.
and yes I will be there tomorrow....
UTV
The Doc
I'll be there - 250 mile round trip ;D ... and the missus will be with me, so we're bound to lose (they always do when she comes to VP).
I am geneuinely surprised that people seem to have taken the Tuesday game almost in isolation of the rest of the season. As said elsewhere, the first three P'ship games were encouraging and deserved more points than we garnered. Against Norwich we showed resilience and a winning attitude (yeah, okay, our lackadaisical approach against the Barcodes was concerning).
In the light of injuries and fitness doubts to several players, Tuesday gave Lambert the chance to give much-needed experience to several players and we lost to a club that has made quantum leaps compared to us in the last 2-3 seasons.
I'm not happy with some aspects of this season but it is still very much a work-in-progress project.
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I think a lot of the 'hysteria' over Tuesday nights result is not necessarily because of the result.
I think its the slow realisation that we are not much (if any) better than the that few seasons. There was no magic fix over the summer, and the few signings that we made are not going to catapult us back into a team capable of contending.
There is no doubt that the way we try and play is a 1000 times more watchable than under TSM.
But, on the whole we are a team who struggle to string two results together. We are totally, and utterly ineffective at home, and depend far too much on one player.
I still have confidence in the manager. He can obviously spot a player, but I think he will be more miss than hit on that front.
The problem is, if you are always shopping in the bargain basement, you may get the odd bargain, but on the whole you are not going to pick up the quality goods.
That was shown up all too clearly on Tuesday. Yes, it was a 'weakened' team but it still contained 5 or 6 regular first teamers from last season and this. It also contained at least 2 new boys who will be regular starters this season (Kozak and Bacuna). That 'weakened' team still contained first team squad members. It was not full of inexperienced kids or trainees.
In truth, we were simply outclassed and soundly beaten, again.
As much as we want to agree that we are still 'in transition', results and performances such as Tuesday quickly remind us just how far behind the 'big boys' we really are.
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In the light of injuries and fitness doubts to several players, Tuesday gave Lambert the chance to give much-needed experience to several players and we lost to a club that has made quantum leaps compared to us in the last 2-3 seasons.
Even given the differences in finance and squad a correct decision of penalty and red card to Vertongen and the result may have been completely different. After that we were poor, there's no arguing with that, but the point remains that things could've been very different with a proper decision from the ref. Add to that them then going down the other end and scoring with a guy going for a ball with studs showing at chest height and you get the impression it was never going to be our night.
This isn't an excuse and I'm far from happy with the performance in the 2nd half but we took 2 hefty sucker punches in a matter of 2 minutes that put us on the ropes and the team we had out didn't have the experience or quality to come back from that, and I don't think many sides in the league do have, with equivalent injuries, etc.
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we have been outplayed at home and yet matched the likes of Chelsea and arsenal away , this would suggest the problem is the way we set up to play at home
We must find a system of playing at villa park which puts pressure on the opposition and creates chances .
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In the light of injuries and fitness doubts to several players, Tuesday gave Lambert the chance to give much-needed experience to several players and we lost to a club that has made quantum leaps compared to us in the last 2-3 seasons.
Even given the differences in finance and squad a correct decision of penalty and red card to Vertongen and the result may have been completely different. After that we were poor, there's no arguing with that, but the point remains that things could've been very different with a proper decision from the ref. Add to that them then going down the other end and scoring with a guy going for a ball with studs showing at chest height and you get the impression it was never going to be our night.
This isn't an excuse and I'm far from happy with the performance in the 2nd half but we took 2 hefty sucker punches in a matter of 2 minutes that put us on the ropes and the team we had out didn't have the experience or quality to come back from that, and I don't think many sides in the league do have, with equivalent injuries, etc.
this for me.
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we have been outplayed at home and yet matched the likes of Chelsea and arsenal away , this would suggest the problem is the way we set up to play at home
We must find a system of playing at villa park which puts pressure on the opposition and creates chances .
Correct.
Is Manchester City at home (with your key player injured) is the best time to try a new system though? One the one hand, they're not great away from home so far, and last time they had a big champions league tie in the week Pelligrini rotated the squad heavily (and almost lost to Stoke as a result). On the other hand, even a weak City side could show up and dominate possession, so maybe the 'away tactics' might work here.......
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Another one of those strange "look at how little I give a shit" posts.
I will be doing the usual 200 mile round trip. But then I am a sad Villa bastard, who gets into work at 07:50, but instead of doing that pile of statements, sits and posts on H&V. But then if I'm a sad chap, Christ knows what makes those who get into work early merely to post how little they care.
fecking hell...this is me, glad I'm not alone Ads.
and yes I will be there tomorrow....
UTV
The Doc
I'll be there - 250 mile round trip ;D ... and the missus will be with me, so we're bound to lose (they always do when she comes to VP).
I am geneuinely surprised that people seem to have taken the Tuesday game almost in isolation of the rest of the season. As said elsewhere, the first three P'ship games were encouraging and deserved more points than we garnered. Against Norwich we showed resilience and a winning attitude (yeah, okay, our lackadaisical approach against the Barcodes was concerning).
In the light of injuries and fitness doubts to several players, Tuesday gave Lambert the chance to give much-needed experience to several players and we lost to a club that has made quantum leaps compared to us in the last 2-3 seasons.
I'm not happy with some aspects of this season but it is still very much a work-in-progress project.
Pretty much spot on really.
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we have been outplayed at home and yet matched the likes of Chelsea and arsenal away , this would suggest the problem is the way we set up to play at home
We must find a system of playing at villa park which puts pressure on the opposition and creates chances .
Correct.
Is Manchester City at home (with your key player injured) is the best time to try a new system though? One the one hand, they're not great away from home so far, and last time they had a big champions league tie in the week Pelligrini rotated the squad heavily (and almost lost to Stoke as a result). On the other hand, even a weak City side could show up and dominate possession, so maybe the 'away tactics' might work here.......
The big difference we could make is to adopt a much more pressing game - at least make the opposition work for their result!
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Just because I'm not going don't mean I don't care ! See you at Hull if you can be arsed. 8)
Boasting (on more than one occasion) about touting your tickets and saying how glad you are not to be going to the match is hardly proof of undying loyalty.
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When Lambert was appointed I was very happy, as we knew that much of the squad needed rebuilding and that it had to be done on the cheap and when you see the job he did at Norwich on not very much money he seemed a perfect fit.
He is a lively character, but also considered, and is one of the brightest young managers in this country who should still have his best years ahead of him.
We always knew it would take him some time to get us back up to a good level, few would have expected us to have struggled like last year, but there are signs of progress and with one or two problems still to sort out. I do see us finishing about half way up the league this season, maybe with a good cup run (it'll have to be in the FA now), and then next season I think we can maybe aim for a top six finish and go from there.
As for him not addressing the defence. I don't see it that way, he has made a number of new signings who are still adapting to the PL and we have young players who are still learning the game. Part of the problem is that outside of the central forwards and goalkeeper Lambert doesn't yet know his best starting eleven, but hopefully that will come in time.
So yes I am mostly positive and believe that in the long term the manager can get us back to being a regular top six side and challenging for trophies.
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
Ah yes but cliché's are cliché's for a reason. Hope that didn't sound too cliché in its self!
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
Along with 'Transition'
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
Well, go collect your cuddly toy!
Are we not a work-in-progress project?!
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
Well, go collect your cuddly toy!
Are we not a work-in-progress project?!
It just makes me laugh, this continous use of pseudo business terminology to describe a football team's current situation. "project" " work in progress". It's as if we're delivering a PowerPoint presentation to a group of middle-managers.
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we have been outplayed at home and yet matched the likes of Chelsea and arsenal away , this would suggest the problem is the way we set up to play at home
We must find a system of playing at villa park which puts pressure on the opposition and creates chances .
Correct.
Is Manchester City at home (with your key player injured) is the best time to try a new system though? One the one hand, they're not great away from home so far, and last time they had a big champions league tie in the week Pelligrini rotated the squad heavily (and almost lost to Stoke as a result). On the other hand, even a weak City side could show up and dominate possession, so maybe the 'away tactics' might work here.......
The big difference we could make is to adopt a much more pressing game - at least make the opposition work for their result!
Work rate isn't the problem, it's efficiency that's missing. We still don't press well as a unit, we often have 1 player running around closing the ball and lots of others not really contributing to the effort. This gives us 2 issues: If we win the ball the player is often isolated so we don't keep it and if we don't win the ball they can usually find a simple pass to keep possession and that single player pressing for us ends up chasing shadows.
To go back to Barcelona (I think that was on another thread actually) a 4 in defence, 5 in front and 1 free.
The free man is our out ball but he should be ensuring there are no simple passes to the central defenders and keeper, if they want those players on the ball they should have to step out of position.
The 5 across the middle should have 1 stepping out to close the ball and 4 holding their position and maintaining a line (we're really bad at this), but the 1 stepping out shouldn't be a single player doing all the work and they should be rushing out (unless they can intercept a sloppy pass), it should all be controlled to not let a player have loads of time unopposed without 'selling yourself'. We should also be identifying a player who we think is more likely to give the ball away and the pressing should serve to channelling the play that way.
The back 4 then operates in a similar way but in a narrowed area, 4 in line with the box and the 'stepping out' includes going wide, with the objective being to channel the ball back into the midfield.
our defence is actually largely doing this (although the shape is a little off) The midfield isn't right and hasn't been all along and that's where our defensive frailty stems from, but it's systemic rather than due to bad players.
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We've viagogo'd our seats for Saturday and taken the £70 as we have better things to do this weekend so there's a good chance we will win now.
Getting sick of going down B6 after the last few years and the first 3 home games and defeats.
Something has to change quite frankly.
What, do you want a medal?
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we have been outplayed at home and yet matched the likes of Chelsea and arsenal away , this would suggest the problem is the way we set up to play at home
We must find a system of playing at villa park which puts pressure on the opposition and creates chances .
This is exactly it.
I am as happy to moan about the home performances as the next man, but I don't see how anyone can not appreciate the fact that some of our away performances are excellent.
Credit where credit is due, if people are going to complain.
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
Well, go collect your cuddly toy!
Are we not a work-in-progress project?!
It just makes me laugh, this continous use of pseudo business terminology to describe a football team's current situation. "project" " work in progress". It's as if we're delivering a PowerPoint presentation to a group of middle-managers.
I agree with Chico as in the use of the terminology, but surely every football club is a "work in progress"......thats why they buy and sell players, change managers, invest in the stadium and academies.....
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
Well, go collect your cuddly toy!
Are we not a work-in-progress project?!
It just makes me laugh, this continous use of pseudo business terminology to describe a football team's current situation. "project" " work in progress". It's as if we're delivering a PowerPoint presentation to a group of middle-managers.
I agree with Chico as in the use of the terminology, but surely every football club is a "work in progress"......thats why they buy and sell players, change managers, invest in the stadium and academies.....
I suppose that's true but there's another business management model - no idea what it is called (or typically applied) - that suggests organisations go through "storming, forming, norming" phases/cycles (something like that). Ferguson recently talked about this when he said that every 4 years he would deliberately break up his team (storming) and rebuild it (forming). The theory being that if things were too normal for too long people will eventually get bored/complacent.
I'd suggest that Villa are either coming out of the storming phase (selling the marquee players) and entering the forming bit whereupon players get used to formations and Lambert's plans. The next stage is where things settle down and the fruits of the plan (or otherwise) materialise.
Apologies for more business mumbo jumbo and if I have got the terminology wrong.
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...there was still no valid reason to start with a rookie keeper.
I'd bet good money that Guzan wouldn't be the great keeper that he is now if he's not been given the experience of a couple of dozen cup matches in the O'Neill years to get used to playing proper matches.
OK so why don't we play Steer in a League match now and then as it appears that those are the more proper matches in some people's eyes?
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Surely the fact the crowd was so low doesnt necessarily reflect that the fans see it at the least important game , but that maybe the fans feel the club are not taking it too seriously and many would decide not to pay their hard earned cash to see a mostly 2nd choice team?
The club can hardly be surprised if cup gates drop further if the team chosen Is not the strongest available.
As dc5 says there is a feeling among many that we will get trounced tomorrow at home and until things change on the pitch at villa park then it will not get better.
Agree with all this expect we will not get trounced tomorrow!
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...there was still no valid reason to start with a rookie keeper.
I'd bet good money that Guzan wouldn't be the great keeper that he is now if he's not been given the experience of a couple of dozen cup matches in the O'Neill years to get used to playing proper matches.
OK so why don't we play Steer in a League match now and then as it appears that those are the more proper matches in some people's eyes?
Because Guzan is our best keeper and the league is our most important competition?
I genuinely don't get your argument re Steer.
Guzan played almost all the league cup matches but none of the league ones (pretty much) before Lambert arrived. He'd shown enough in the LC games to suggest he was a good prospect. He got his chance at the top job further down the line, and took it brilliantly.
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...there was still no valid reason to start with a rookie keeper.
I'd bet good money that Guzan wouldn't be the great keeper that he is now if he's not been given the experience of a couple of dozen cup matches in the O'Neill years to get used to playing proper matches.
OK so why don't we play Steer in a League match now and then as it appears that those are the more proper matches in some people's eyes?
Did you complain when he played Steer in the last round?
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We played a 3rd division team and yes as you are asking I did may be not on here. I repeat again I do not like the changes managers make for the cup games.
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We played a 3rd division team and yes as you are asking I did may be not on here. I repeat again I do not like the changes managers make for the cup games.
I'd rather see a full team out if i'm honest, but I also realise when its not possible to.
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Because Guzan is our best keeper and the league is our most important competition?
I genuinely don't get your argument re Steer.
So the best keeper should have played in a cup tie against a top team. I don't see one game in a competition comprising of 38 is more important than a cup tie at this stage in the season.
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By the way I am not getting involved in this debate again as I said before but this time I will show some discipline ...that's it for me on this thread.
I will be fine after watching them win tomorrow!
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Just because I'm not going don't mean I don't care ! See you at Hull if you can be arsed. 8)
Boasting (on more than one occasion) about touting your tickets and saying how glad you are not to be going to the match is hardly proof of undying loyalty.
Not boasting at all ! On more than one occasion ? I'm enjoying away games far more than home ones after 3 or 4 years of dire home form. Is that a crime .
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It's not a crime if you are going to them, the Arsenal game was probably the best away game/day I've ever been on. But if you are a home fan then it's very different. My brother is a season ticket holder and misses a few games through work... he hasn't seen us win at home for two years!!
Lambert is a strange one... some of his tactics are totally baffling 4-0-6 formations, not taking the League Cup seriously, almost total dismissal of premiership experience in the starting 11, failure to stop terrible runs of results (Dec 12 - Jan13), home tactics...
I am far from convinced about him or confident in him. Do I want him sacked, no, do I want to see more improvement, yes...
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
Well, go collect your cuddly toy!
Are we not a work-in-progress project?!
It just makes me laugh, this continous use of pseudo business terminology to describe a football team's current situation. "project" " work in progress". It's as if we're delivering a PowerPoint presentation to a group of middle-managers.
I agree with Chico as in the use of the terminology, but surely every football club is a "work in progress"......thats why they buy and sell players, change managers, invest in the stadium and academies.....
I suppose that's true but there's another business management model - no idea what it is called (or typically applied) - that suggests organisations go through "storming, forming, norming" phases/cycles (something like that). Ferguson recently talked about this when he said that every 4 years he would deliberately break up his team (storming) and rebuild it (forming). The theory being that if things were too normal for too long people will eventually get bored/complacent.
I'd suggest that Villa are either coming out of the storming phase (selling the marquee players) and entering the forming bit whereupon players get used to formations and Lambert's plans. The next stage is where things settle down and the fruits of the plan (or otherwise) materialise.
Apologies for more business mumbo jumbo and if I have got the terminology wrong.
I found this, which suggests that the pattern Dante has identified has been going for at least 2000 years:
“We trained hard but every time we were beginning to form up in teams we would be reorganised.
I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising and a wonderful method it can be for creating an illusion of progress whilst producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation”
Attributed to Petronius Arbiter, the Roman Governor of Britain pre AD65. Reminds me of working for a Local Authority, but I'm a bit biased about that!
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Good point on Lambert, I don't want him sacked either as id worry about who they rope in next ? The club really is in a strange position and unless we are taken over by a squillionaire then I'm not sure we can progress much at all.
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Just because I'm not going don't mean I don't care ! See you at Hull if you can be arsed. 8)
Boasting (on more than one occasion) about touting your tickets and saying how glad you are not to be going to the match is hardly proof of undying loyalty.
Not boasting at all ! On more than one occasion ? I'm enjoying away games far more than home ones after 3 or 4 years of dire home form. Is that a crime .
Luckily I'm away for the Ci$y game so have viagog'd out seats,
£95 notes thanks very much and a stress free day.
We've viagogo'd our seats for Saturday and taken the £70 as we have better things to do this weekend so there's a good chance we will win now.
Getting sick of going down B6 after the last few years and the first 3 home games and defeats.
Something has to change quite frankly.
More than one and looks like boasting about it to me.
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Genuinely not boasting. The club actually encourage you to use Viagogo if you can't attend and right now cash flow means I can't just give them away which I've done in the past.
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
Well, go collect your cuddly toy!
Are we not a work-in-progress project?!
It just makes me laugh, this continous use of pseudo business terminology to describe a football team's current situation. "project" " work in progress". It's as if we're delivering a PowerPoint presentation to a group of middle-managers.
I have few objections to what people write on here, even if I disagree with them and they disagree with me passionatley.
The use of 'project' related to a football team/squad however is one iof them.
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it is still very much a work-in-progress project
If we were playing Villa cliche bingo, I'd be shouting "House" after reading this sentence.
Well, go collect your cuddly toy!
Are we not a work-in-progress project?!
It just makes me laugh, this continous use of pseudo business terminology to describe a football team's current situation. "project" " work in progress". It's as if we're delivering a PowerPoint presentation to a group of middle-managers.
I have few objections to what people write on here, even if I disagree with them and they disagree with me passionatley.
The use of 'project' related to a football team/squad however is one iof them.
It is an unwritten rule now that any manager managing a club is undertaking a project. The should forget manager or head coach and just call them all project managers. See also people who appear in reality and talent shows who all go on a journey. They should all be called travellers.
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I was furious Tuesday night, upset on Wednesday morning, optimistic again Wednesday night. I have faith in Lambert, it isn't blind faith mind (not that I'm suggesting anyone on here has that), he has made plenty of mistakes which I will point out. I complained about the team selection on Tuesday, but looking at it properly, there wasn't a much better team available.
I'll be there again tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. I'll wake up tomorrow dreading it and thinking the worse. Then I'll have a couple of pints, make my way to the ground and as soon as I see the stadium I'll fancy our chances. Every week, the same.
If we lose I'll start the grieving process all over again.
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Following on from the midweek game, there was a fair bit of talk about how the gap between Spurs and us has widened in the past few years.
I'm sure you all remember when we beat them 2-1 at their place when they were an absolute shambles and sitting at the bottom of the league after half a dozen-ish games.
So what changed their fortunes around?
Well as I remember it, they realised their error in appointing Ramos and gave the job to Redknapp, who, because there was no shortage of investment in the playing squad at that time, was able to instantly revitalize the side in the short term, make a couple solid additions in subsequent transfer windows and reach the dizzy heights of the Champions League.
Transposing that situation to us leaves me with this thought. If a new manager walked into Villa Park tomorrow- I reckon they would struggle to make that same sort of impact, and that is because, in my opinion, we simply dont have enough premiership quality players in our squad as it stands today.
Who would you fault for that - Lambert or Lerner?
That's not to say I'm looking to lay blame or that I think sacking Lambert is the way forward, I'd love him to succeed, especially using the method he's chosen but let's not bury our heads in the sand here, there have been very few games where he hasn't left himself open to criticism of one kind or another, and when I say that I am including many of the times we've walked away with three points.
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I'm now going to endeavour to use the word 'project' as often as possible in loads of my posts
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let's face it too, how jammy a club are you in Gareth Bale becoming the world's most expensive footballer? He went from being a laughing stock at left back to finding himself being linked with a move away to unknown places like the Sty, to discovering he is one of the best attacking midfield players on the planet. That doesn't happen to everyone. Fair dues all round but with some solid management they've built around him and continued in his absence with every penny they got for him. But it does help when an asset goes from being worth 5m to 85m.
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let's face it too, how jammy a club are you in Gareth Bale becoming the world's most expensive footballer? He went from being a laughing stock at left back to finding himself being linked with a move away to unknown places like the Sty, to discovering he is one of the best attacking midfield players on the planet. That doesn't happen to everyone. Fair dues all round but with some solid management they've built around him and continued in his absence with every penny they got for him. But it does help when an asset goes from being worth 5m to 85m.
Worth mentioning also that his sale (plus a handful of others) got them so much money that they've brought in several genuinely world class players like Soldado, Paulinho, Lamela etc for big fees, and still made a net profit.
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I have few objections to what people write on here, even if I disagree with them and they disagree with me passionatley.
The use of 'project' related to a football team/squad however is one iof them.
I think I know where you're coming from but, I've got to be honest, a club like villa needs to be managed like a project. Simply 'motivating the lads' will get us no where in the long term, we need a strategy to get us beyond where we are now. Something other than throwing money at it.
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I have few objections to what people write on here, even if I disagree with them and they disagree with me passionatley.
The use of 'project' related to a football team/squad however is one iof them.
I think I know where you're coming from but, I've got to be honest, a club like villa needs to be managed like a project. Simply 'motivating the lads' will get us no where in the long term, we need a strategy to get us beyond where we are now. Something other than throwing money at it.
I entirely agree, well said.
Motivation and being "young and hungry" is all well and good, but alone, it isn't enough.
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I have few objections to what people write on here, even if I disagree with them and they disagree with me passionatley.
The use of 'project' related to a football team/squad however is one iof them.
I think I know where you're coming from but, I've got to be honest, a club like villa needs to be managed like a project. Simply 'motivating the lads' will get us no where in the long term, we need a strategy to get us beyond where we are now. Something other than throwing money at it.
Agree somewhat with the above, but feel that sometimes long term plans need to be tempered with a more short term vision. I think that the club will be in a stronger place in 2-3 years time when this group of players have gained the necessary experience, but I do believe that Lambert should have taken care of the here and now by adding some quality, experienced players over the past couple of seasons. I suppose it could be argued that he did try to do that with the signings of Vlaar and KEA, but neither have really led by example so far. I don't know if Lambert doesn't feel comfortable working with established players or if finances dictate signing those kind of players isn't possible, but I do think he has been playing a risky game so far.
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So who do you people suggest?
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So who do you people suggest?
Either Pep Guardiola or Herbert Chapman.
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Monbert, I can go with Chapman, but not that Guardiola, what does he know about our footy?
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Monbert, I can go with Chapman, but not that Guardiola, what does he know about our footy?
I disagree, I think the Bundesliga has way more in common with the PL than the 1930s. Scoreboards, for one thing. Come on Randy, get them in for an interview!
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I think the Jury is still out on the Manager, I am not convinced by many of the players he has bought in as either the right players or good enough.
I think that we have to wait and see if his scatter gun approach to signing players will play off or we end up with a squad like ARRY left behind at West Ham.
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We played a 3rd division team and yes as you are asking I did may be not on here. I repeat again I do not like the changes managers make for the cup games.
Don't worry about it. There is over three months until the next cup game.
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He's the best we might hope to get, I'm still right behind him and think he'll avoid relegation.
Avoiding relegation shouldn't be the aim for a club like villa , we must be looking towards mid table at least.
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I think the Jury is still out on the Manager, I am not convinced by many of the players he has bought in as either the right players or good enough.
I think that we have to wait and see if his scatter gun approach to signing players will play off or we end up with a squad like ARRY left behind at West Ham.
Scatter gun? Harry Redknapp? Is there a bad crystal meth problem in Chigago.?
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I think the Jury is still out on the Manager, I am not convinced by many of the players he has bought in as either the right players or good enough.
I think that we have to wait and see if his scatter gun approach to signing players will play off or we end up with a squad like ARRY left behind at West Ham.
Given what we know about Lambert's transfer policy (eg the much mentioned 30 game dossier on Westwood, the fact that he was chasing Kozak for months) I think scattergun is the absolute last thing our transfer policy is. Plus Redknapp paid big fees and big wages, our lads were generally cheap, and being paid peanuts - even if they all turn out to be terrible (they won't) it wont bankrupt us.
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He's the best we might hope to get, I'm still right behind him and think he'll avoid relegation.
Avoiding relegation shouldn't be the aim for a club like villa , we must be looking towards mid table at least.
Come on Eastie....is that the best we can do?
At the moment I'm afraid it is but it all might change with a good result today
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He's the best we might hope to get, I'm still right behind him and think he'll avoid relegation.
Avoiding relegation shouldn't be the aim for a club like villa , we must be looking towards mid table at least.
Come on Eastie....is that the best we can do?
At the moment I'm afraid it is but it all might change with a good result today
I think realistically we should be looking at top 8 being achievable as the likes of west brom and Swansea did last season - the top 6 have too much for us to compete with at the moment and the gap is getting wider.
Certainly the posters comment that lambert will keep us up should not be something to aim for , we should be looking far higher than that.
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Agreed, I used to think that we should be top 6 material at the very least for a club of our stature but we have had to tread water for so long that others have gone past us, leaving us floundering.
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(http://s13.postimg.org/6zjky5xvn/flounder_600.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6zjky5xvn/)
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How long term our plan is I don't know, but it does appear that the way we're going about things wouldn't stretch much further than mid-table. We still might be a year or two away from that as well. It doesn't exactly warm the cockles.
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My confidence in Lambert is currently 29%. I've just worked that out on a graph and everything
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My confidence in Lambert is currently 29%. I've just worked that out on a graph and everything
You are not related to villadawg are you ?
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Dunno, whats his/her surname ?
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Dunno, whats his/her surname ?
'Dawg'.
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Dunno, whats his/her surname ?
There was a character here a few years ago who was called villadawg and used charts and graphs to back up his nearly every post - i don't think he ever recovered from mon walking out .
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I haven't bothered with here since the Spurs match but am reading this on the way to the game and am astounded at some of the stick Lambert is copping for, particularly the team selection in midweek.
We have nigh on half a first team out injured and niggly knocks to several others. What team did you think he was going top pick?
And as for not taking the cup seriously, if that were the case then why did we start the entire first team against Rotherham?
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My confidence in Lambert is currently 29%. I've just worked that out on a graph and everything
Ermmm...29%? I would like to see the graph alongside a spider diagram and a hazard plot to first fully understand the risk and then implement the improvement initiatives to widen his spider and increase hazard fail time span.
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I haven't bothered with here since the Spurs match but am reading this on the way to the game and am astounded at some of the stick Lambert is copping for, particularly the team selection in midweek.
We have nigh on half a first team out injured and niggly knocks to several others. What team did you think he was going top pick?
And as for not taking the cup seriously, if that were the case then why did we start the entire first team against Rotherham?
In answer to the Rotherham question , probably because we hadn't got another game for almost 3 weeks.
Lambert made it pretty clear on Monday that he saw the city game as of more importance this week.
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I haven't bothered with here since the Spurs match but am reading this on the way to the game and am astounded at some of the stick Lambert is copping for, particularly the team selection in midweek.
We have nigh on half a first team out injured and niggly knocks to several others. What team did you think he was going top pick?
And as for not taking the cup seriously, if that were the case then why did we start the entire first team against Rotherham?
May be because there were none of those precious league games coming up for about a month?
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So if we have players struggling with knocks where a game 3 days after Norwich might put them out for a while, you would still play them just because its a cup game?
How many long term injuries do you think we can cope with?
And you must remember that I am no apologist for modern football. Winning things is still the be all and end all to me.
There is a huge difference between wanting to win a game and dicing with the next few months of the season just to try and win it.
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Lambert says we'll endeavor to play 'sharp incisive passing' and I think it's vital we do that, I'm glad he realises.
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:-X :-X :-X
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Lambert says we'll endeavor to play 'sharp incisive passing' and I think it's vital we do that, I'm glad he realises.
While he's listening to us can we have a decent number 10 and a world-class defender please Paul?
Paul?
Oh he's gone...
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Lambert says we'll endeavor to play 'sharp incisive passing' and I think it's vital we do that, I'm glad he realises.
While he's listening to us can we have a decent number 10 and a world-class defender please Paul?
Paul?
Oh he's gone...
On the basis of today. Andy Wiemann and Ron Vlaar. ;)
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Great result obviously, and a couple of bits of real quality. However we need to be much more proactive in future.
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I'm really pleased for Paul Lambert tonight. I can't imagine he wanted to be answering questions about our 5th straight home defeat, and 4th straight in the league
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I'm really pleased for Paul Lambert tonight. I can't imagine he wanted to be answering questions about our 5th straight home defeat, and 4th straight in the league
You are forgetting we won last week at Norwich.
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I'm really pleased for Paul Lambert tonight. I can't imagine he wanted to be answering questions about our 5th straight home defeat, and 4th straight in the league
You are forgetting we won last week at Norwich.
Not at all. My post was very specifically about our home form
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I'm really pleased for Paul Lambert tonight. I can't imagine he wanted to be answering questions about our 5th straight home defeat, and 4th straight in the league
You are forgetting we won last week at Norwich.
Not at all. My post was very specifically about our home form
My apologies tv - enjoy your weekend after this eventful couple of hours :)
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I'm really pleased for Paul Lambert tonight. I can't imagine he wanted to be answering questions about our 5th straight home defeat, and 4th straight in the league
You are forgetting we won last week at Norwich.
Not at all. My post was very specifically about our home form
You're forgetting our home win against Rotherham though.
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Gone up to 33%
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Great result obviously, and a couple of bits of real quality. However we need to be much more proactive in future.
Do you not think going proactive against a team with the talent that Citeh have got might have meant a brave but fruitless 5-3 defeat rather than a glorious win?
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Great result obviously, and a couple of bits of real quality. However we need to be much more proactive in future.
Do you not think going proactive against a team with the talent that Citeh have got might have meant a brave but fruitless 5-3 defeat rather than a glorious win?
Maybe but as we progress we'll need to try and dictate games a bit more. If a team has 67% possession against us more often and not they'll win. We did brilliantly yesterday, but I wouldn't say that style would be the blueprint for success.
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Did we play well yesterday ? Genuine question.
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Did we play well yesterday ? Genuine question.
To come back twice, reduce them to 2 set pieces to score and then turn their attack into our winning goal by confusing their defence?
By football standards, that is a 'yes'.
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Did we play well yesterday ? Genuine question.
Many times last season I thought we played well and lost. By all accounts that was the case at Chelsea this year. Yesterday there was a lot to admire, determination, effort but played well? I would say no overall which was why we all went mad as number 2 and 3 went in. Most football fans bemoan there luck but yesterday we were fortunate in my opinion. I wonder how many in the ground thought after 65 minutes, we are going to win this.
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Did we play well yesterday ? Genuine question.
Many times last season I thought we played well and lost. By all accounts that was the case at Chelsea this year. Yesterday there was a lot to admire, determination, effort but played well? I would say no overall which was why we all went mad as number 2 and 3 went in. Most football fans bemoan there luck but yesterday we were fortunate in my opinion. I wonder how many in the ground thought after 65 minutes, we are going to win this.
Agreed , but for once the footballing gods smiled upon us and its about time we deserved it.
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Great result obviously, and a couple of bits of real quality. However we need to be much more proactive in future.
Do you not think going proactive against a team with the talent that Citeh have got might have meant a brave but fruitless 5-3 defeat rather than a glorious win?
Maybe but as we progress we'll need to try and dictate games a bit more. If a team has 67% possession against us more often and not they'll win. We did brilliantly yesterday, but I wouldn't say that style would be the blueprint for success.
Nor me.
It is worth remembering that there have been plenty of occasions where luck has gone against us and we've got nothing (Chelsea away, anyone?) so we were due a bit of luck, and maybe yesterday was it.
Playing like we did for most of the game yesterday isn't a blueprint for success either - defending from the off and occasionally booting it long at Kozak is not a strategy to grow the club in any sense, but I suspect Lambert knows that.
Then again, we don't have to play a side that strong very often, so it shouldn't really be a question we have to face.
In short, I don't really know what to draw from yesterday, other than considerable happiness at three unexpected points.
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Defending set pieces, in particular corners has been an achilles heel for much too long - I will start buying into Lamberts philosophy as soon as he and his defensive coach(es) sort it out.
Likewise an experienced wily centre midfielder would help this young team no end.
Any progression on those two fronts will have me smiling and fully supportive of the Lambert revolution.
Failure to address the defensive faults will leave me a "bed wetting, miserable, pessemistic, stay at home, even though I am season ticket holder, only post at 5pm when we lose" type of guy :)
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The thing I would draw from yesterday is showed we have more than one string to our bow. The side we put out was a bit cobbled together because of injuries but they did their jobs in restricting their chances to mostly shots from distance. We conceded plenty of corners and dealt with most of them well. The first goal was poor from our point of view but the second was a bit of a fluke, as he went up for the ball I doubt he was thinking 'I'm going to use the base of my kneck to put it in the corner'; so that's one badly defended and one unlucky from what seemed like 20 corners. It should also be noted that they look like a team of giants compared to most of ours so they were always going to have an advantage.
So that's a strong defensive performance, tactical nous and scoring three goals without Gabby and Benteke against one of the favourites for the title. Plenty of positives to draw from the game, if you really want to look for them.
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We do have to improve defensively, but lets be honest, Man City will score 2 or more against most teams this season. Instead of thinking of the negatives, lets think of the positives. We were without our two main forwards and a good central midfielder, but still got three goals and to be fair the defence did well generally. We are not going to be the best team in the league, but it is a pleasure to see the team battling for our beloved club. Special mention to Ron Vlaar, who gets a lot of stick, I thought he was excellent yesterday
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Nice comment by Peter Schmeichel on MotD2. "Bacuna went straight over to his manager they love him he has got something special there if they stay together Villa will be a force to be reckon with in a couple of years"
if only he had played full strength team against Spurs tut tut.......
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Nice comment by Peter Schmeichel on MotD2. "Bacuna went straight over to his manager they love him he has got something special there if they stay together Villa will be a force to be reckon with in a couple of years"
if only he had played full strength team against Spurs tut tut.......
He did though Olaf, he played the bes that he had available to him. And was justified in the result in leaving out Clark and Delph who were carrying knocks.
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Did we play well yesterday ? Genuine question.
Yes. Lambert had a plan and it worked. The team worked hard and took the chances they had which were always going to be few. it was against the team which demolished ManUre last week.
Obviously I dont want us to play 5 at the back against teams around us but I am pleased Lambert is still willing to change things up just like last season.
Against teams around us I really prefer 4-3-2-1 but Lambert is Lambert, the man cannot resist throwing extra attackers on when he gets a chance and so we are very likely to see the 4-2-2-2 or even 4-2-4 again soon enough.
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Did we play well yesterday ? Genuine question.
It's a yes from me. Although City obviously dominated possession (particularly in the first half) they never really created that many clear cut chances and had to rely on set pieces (Villa's famous achilles heel ATM) to score. The second half was much more equal and it was great to the Villa's midfield get stuck in. At one point in the second half Sylla I think it was received the ball in the centre circle and he had time to make a choice about what he'd do next and I realised Man City weren't dictating the play any more. When we scored the 2nd and 3rd they huffed and puffed and we (the fans) stressed out but there was never much danger of them scoring looking back.
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We were very poor first half. City were always likely to have the ball more than us, but when we got it we looked down and pressurised and just whacked it over our midfield and in the generalish direction of poor old Kozak, who had no chance. Second half? When we got the ball, we got it down and played, and that made all the difference. That and Brad absolutely tanning it after a City attack and Kompany and Nastasic not knowing what hit them.
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We were very poor first half. City were always likely to have the ball more than us, but when we got it we looked down and pressurised and just whacked it over our midfield and in the generalish direction of poor old Kozak, who had no chance. Second half? When we got the ball, we got it down and played, and that made all the difference. That and Brad absolutely tanning it after a City attack and Kompany and Nastasic not knowing what hit them.
I think that's a pretty accurate assessment.
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We were very poor first half. City were always likely to have the ball more than us, but when we got it we looked down and pressurised and just whacked it over our midfield and in the generalish direction of poor old Kozak, who had no chance. Second half? When we got the ball, we got it down and played, and that made all the difference. That and Brad absolutely tanning it after a City attack and Kompany and Nastasic not knowing what hit them.
I think that's a pretty accurate assessment.
I agree too, there are a few times this season when we have started poorly and then upped our game after going behind.
This was very much a game of two halves, could never have imagined at half time that we would score 3 goals and win and that makes it all the sweeter .
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I thought we played well. We are missing Agbonlahor, Westwood and that other striker chap, all so instrumental to our great finish last season. And Lowton has not been anywhere near his best. First half was tough, that was a team that ripped United apart a few days ago, and were incredibly skilful, I thought Toure, Nasri and their two wing backs had a good game. Yet for all their possesion, in the first half, the closest they came to a goal was a deflection, and the goal itself was hardly a classic. We defended deep true, but how many times will City be outpossesed this season? Second half seemed to be driven by our belief. Something our Gaffer said at half time must have clicked as suddenly we were putting agressive passes together, while still relentlessly harrying City when they had the ball. We defended higher, and were terrier like, never giving them time. We have just not been good enough at home for too long, which must have been nagging at minds, but it felt like we played with clear heads, a distinct plan to nulify the gazillionaires, and build into the game.
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I think Lambert can be very proud of that. He switched things up. Largely it did the job in the first half in terms of defence. We restricted them, but invited too much pressure. Second half with a bit of HT inspiration we were a bit more adventurous. Also after effectively throwing the League Cup game (all team selection issues aside we just didn't even look like we wanted to win), this was a game that Lambert had to get at least a point to justify midweek. We got all three, somewhat inexplicably, but we got them.
It doesn't particularly matter whether we didn't always look convincing. Lambert played his hand and he won. Did we have some luck? Absolutely. Did we defend well? Largely. Did we work our bollocks off for it? Absolutely. Well deserved and it's been a long time coming to see a good win like that against top opposition at VP.
Bacuna looks a good find. Kozak really took a battering but kept going. He'll have easier games and I think he'll bang a few in while Tekkers is out. Karim looked a good player again in the second half. Wiemann just came alive all of a sudden and won us the game. Much more like the player he was in the first two games. Firstly winning a free kick through sheer force of will, and then with his goal. That will do him the world of good because he's been below par this season. I also just think that he's a better player when he's more central. He's not a wide man. He's a fill-in wide man. That goal showed exactly the sort of predatory potential that Andi has. I can see him spanking in a few nice goals in the coming games.
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As I said earlier, I think the amount of pressure we applied on the ball in the 2nd half was a direct consequence of the way we played in the first half, fend them off and let them play in front of us for a half and keep our energy levels high, then hit them with an all-action aggressive 2nd half and really go at them. It seems to be the game plan in the tougher games as I just don't believe that it takes a half time talking to to get the players fired up, I think it's an acceptance that you can't do it for 90minutes and it's better to finish strong than it is to start strong and wilt.
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Four goals and six points gained without Benteke on the pitch. That in itself is an achievement.
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We were missing Westwood but I'm not sure he's first choice anymore. He's been under-par this season. The only first choice in midfield now is and should be Delph.
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We were missing Westwood but I'm not sure he's first choice anymore. He's been under-par this season. The only first choice in midfield now is and should be Delph.
The onus is on those in possession to perform and the three on Saturday did so , Westwood will have to wait for a chance but its good competition and keeps everyone on their toes.
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As I said earlier, I think the amount of pressure we applied on the ball in the 2nd half was a direct consequence of the way we played in the first half, fend them off and let them play in front of us for a half and keep our energy levels high, then hit them with an all-action aggressive 2nd half and really go at them. It seems to be the game plan in the tougher games as I just don't believe that it takes a half time talking to to get the players fired up, I think it's an acceptance that you can't do it for 90minutes and it's better to finish strong than it is to start strong and wilt.
Agree with this - we have to find ways of maintaining the pressing game: this may come when all are fit and acclimatised to the Premiership.
We also need to make better use of the players on the bench to achieve the in-their-faces approach (TBF, Lambert did this with Bowery on Saturday and we need to do it more so).
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As I said earlier, I think the amount of pressure we applied on the ball in the 2nd half was a direct consequence of the way we played in the first half, fend them off and let them play in front of us for a half and keep our energy levels high, then hit them with an all-action aggressive 2nd half and really go at them. It seems to be the game plan in the tougher games as I just don't believe that it takes a half time talking to to get the players fired up, I think it's an acceptance that you can't do it for 90minutes and it's better to finish strong than it is to start strong and wilt.
There might be something in that. Last season we had a really good record when looking at the half-time scores but we often came unstuck in the second halves.
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We were missing Westwood but I'm not sure he's first choice anymore. He's been under-par this season. The only first choice in midfield now is and should be Delph.
The onus is on those in possession to perform and the three on Saturday did so , Westwood will have to wait for a chance but its good competition and keeps everyone on their toes.
Delph is the new Westwood consistency wise.
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3 wins in a row would be a great achievement by all.
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3 wins in a row would be a great achievement by all.
3 league wins in a row would be great.
Let's hope you see at Hull - unfortunately the club won't sell me a ticket for Saturday because I don't have the away history - annoying since I'm only an hour away from the game.
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Total confidence..We have to keep him now! Bacuna? What a buy!!
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Did we play well yesterday ? Genuine question.
If you were wearing very dark Claret and Blue spectacles which managed to blur everything other than Villa attacking defending and scoring we outplayed them by Miles.
What we did do was work hard "keep going" and got a bit of luck.
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Total confidence in Lambert, total confidence. In 3 years time we will be top 4-6. Just my view, again 8) 8)
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We were missing Westwood but I'm not sure he's first choice anymore. He's been under-par this season. The only first choice in midfield now is and should be Delph.
Still think Westwood, Deph and Sylla is our best midfield three when all are on form. Westwood needs the athleticism of Sylla and Delph around him though, as I don't think he quite has the mobility of most top flight midfielders.
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We were missing Westwood but I'm not sure he's first choice anymore. He's been under-par this season. The only first choice in midfield now is and should be Delph.
Still think Westwood, Deph and Sylla is our best midfield three when all are on form. Westwood needs the athleticism of Sylla and Delph around him though, as I don't think he quite has the mobility of most top flight midfielders.
He definitely doesn't have the mobility. Nor does KEA, which is why I think it doesn't quite look right when both play.
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We were missing Westwood but I'm not sure he's first choice anymore. He's been under-par this season. The only first choice in midfield now is and should be Delph.
Still think Westwood, Deph and Sylla is our best midfield three when all are on form. Westwood needs the athleticism of Sylla and Delph around him though, as I don't think he quite has the mobility of most top flight midfielders.
Neither does Michael Carrick, but he's done OK!
I do, or rather did, agree that those three were of best midfield. Westwood sitting and sparyaing it around with the energy and athleticism of Sylla and Delph either side and slightly infront of him. Good balance with Delph's left foot also.
The reason I'm not longer so sure is the form of Bacuna. I fully believe Lowton is just having a blip, so when he's back that adds Bacuna to the midfield conundrum.
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Bacuna would certainly give us a turn of pace in there that we dont have at the moment.
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Navin can you change the capital I and T in In and The to i and t please? It's annoying me. Apologies in advance if I have annoyed you.
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Navin can you change the capital I and T in In and The to i and t please? It's annoying me. Apologies in advance if I have annoyed you.
and why should he do that?
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He does not as as no one needs to satisfy my quirkiness!