Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: PeterWithesShin on December 29, 2014, 08:57:59 PM
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Half term report.
SEASON SO FAR: Unspectacular. A fine start that brought wins at Stoke and Liverpool and a new contract for manager Paul Lambert has deteriorated into a mid-table scrap as well as seeing the departure of his No.2 Roy Keane. Villa's existence now seems to be ensuring they do not fall into relegation trouble. It is how their season is panning out - but surely a club of their stature should have higher aims.
HOW IS THE MANAGER DOING?: The jury is out on Paul Lambert but he has not been given huge amount of room for manoeuvre in the transfer market by owner Randy Lerner, who has so far failed to sell the club. Like Villa's season - unspectacular.
WHAT THEY NEED TO DO NEXT: Netherlands defender Ron Vlaar and England midfield man Fabian Delph are both free agents next summer. There is every chance one or two clubs might test their resolve to cash-in now rather than lose out in a few months. If Villa are to have any chance of prospering further this season, surely they must make sure they survive January without sales.
Did you know?: The Villains have received a joint-high four red cards in the Premier League so far this season. They didn't receive a single red card in 2013-14.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30613002
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As expected so far in terms of dross performances, league position and average players doing shifts in poor tactics. So, keep Vlaar and Delph till the summer. Let them leave for free. We've more chance of staying up or pushing on with them in the squad till the summer. Just keep Benteke till the summer too. We should have enough for another 15th place finish and a mind knumbing few months under Lambert.
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The odd sprinkling of quality apart, its been dull. Frustrating thing is that we look a good side when everything clicks into place, but too often its been one step forward, and then about three steps back.
Best Signing: Carlos Sanchez. A couple of dodgy games to start with, but is looking more assured by the game. Will be a big player for us if we can stay in the league.
Poorest Signing: Tom Cleverley. No goals and no assists, yet we're considering spending nearly eight million on him?. What on earth does he bring to the party?
Most Improved Player: Ciaran Clark. I've been his biggest critic, but he's grabbed his chance with both hands this season - possibly feeling it could be last chance saloon.
Most Frustrating Player: Charles N'Zogbia. If I was in the dressing room I'd feel like pinning him up against the wall. Has the talent, but often appears selfish and effectively reduces us to ten before the now customary red card per-game.
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The odd sprinkling of quality apart, its been dull. Frustrating thing is that we look a good side when everything clicks into place, but too often its been one step forward, and then about three steps back.
Best Signing: Carlos Sanchez. A couple of dodgy games to start with, but is looking more assured by the game. Will be a big player for us if we can stay in the league.
Poorest Signing: Tom Cleverley. No goals and no assists, yet we're considering spending nearly eight million on him?. What on earth does he bring to the party?
Most Improved Player: Ciaran Clark. I've been his biggest critic, but he's grabbed his chance with both hands this season - possibly feeling it could be last chance saloon.
Most Frustrating Player: Charles N'Zogbia. If I was in the dressing room I'd feel like pinning him up against the wall. Has the talent, but often appears selfish and effectively reduces us to ten before the now customary red card per-game.
This.
I would say most surprising signing has been Phil Senderos. Okay it's not been that surprising he's been injured for a half the games so far, but given his Bramble-esque reputation he's not put a foot wrong on the pitch and and for a freebie has proved to be a good signing. Hopefully he keeps those levels up in the second half of the season when he plays.
I'll also add:
Player of the season- Alan Hutton.
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As expected so far in terms of dross performances, league position and average players doing shifts in poor tactics. So, keep Vlaar and Delph till the summer. Let them leave for free. We've more chance of staying up or pushing on with them in the squad till the summer. Just keep Benteke till the summer too. We should have enough for another 15th place finish and a mind knumbing few months under Lambert.
Let's not, judging by how none of them have signed a new contract, they want to leave. Sell them for as much as possible in Jan.
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I'd sell Vlaar,just because of his injury record and we actually have a few options on defence now.
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We're on course for 42 points which will be out best total since 2010/11. I don't know whether that counts as a positive.
Other than the freakish start (which still included obligatory surrender to lower league opposition) this season has been like most of Lambert's reign. Appalling results and performances punctuated by very occasional positivity. I'm fed up.
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Paul has worked miracles given where we are and our shocking goals for, even with our main scorer missing most of season.
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Paul has worked miracles given where we are and our shocking goals for, even with our main scorer missing most of season.
Who's fault is the shocking goals for?
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Benteke injured, suspended. How many points are Liverpool and Everton ahead if us with the money they've spent?
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Benteke injured, suspended. How many points are Liverpool and Everton ahead if us with the money they've spent?
We can't and shouldn't be relying on Benteke though, because one day he'll be gone.
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Benteke injured, suspended. How many points are Liverpool and Everton ahead if us with the money they've spent?
We can't and shouldn't be relying on Benteke though, because one day he'll be gone.
There's always Weimann, who Lambert keeps playing, and out of position.
Mind you:
One if the worst forwards I've seen.
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I agree I don't understand why he persists with him.
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Mind you, why does did Rodgers pay 16m for balotelli.
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Benteke injured, suspended. How many points are Liverpool and Everton ahead if us with the money they've spent?
OK so Benteke's missed a part of the season. We've hardly looked prolific when he's played either have we? You fully acknowledge our shocking goals for but Lambert's never at fault for anything in your eyes. As I said in another thread when does he start to get the blame? What's the tipping point? We could be bottom of the league with no wins but you'd say "he's doing fantastic, we've drawn a couple, we haven't lost every game 8-0 (which wasn't his fault either) ILWT"
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We are on the same points as Everton.
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Agreed. Everton have been poor this season.
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Yet have not had the crippling injuries we have had and spent over 30million.
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Yet have not had the crippling injuries we have had and spent over 30million.
And yet they beat us with ease and will probably improve over the second half of the season.
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And yet are on the same points. We will probably score more goals than the first half of the season.
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And yet are on the same points. We will probably score more goals than the first half of the season.
With Benteke kept fit I would hope so. I still think as bad as Everton have been they will probably end up a good 10 points ahead of us by the end of the season and they are notoriously slow starters. If they sign one good CH they'll improve dramatically.
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If Paul had some money to buy another class forward we would be flying.....oh wait a minute.
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Don't you think Mark Hughes is a far better manager than Lambert, Westley? I do.
As a matter of interest under what circumstance would you question Lambert? Bottom of the table with no goals scored?
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If Paul had some money to buy another class forward we would be flying.....oh wait a minute.
He's not getting enough out of the one we have as it is. There are good players in our squad but as a collective we always look disjointed, like the midfield and attack are playing on different pitches.
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I'd sell Vlaar,just because of his injury record and we actually have a few options on defence now.
Totally agree with this, he simply doesn't play enough games. It's not just this season he's missed loads but the last 2 also. He managed to string 7(?) games together in the World Cup and all of a sudden he's on everyones radar. Okore is the future for me alongside Clark or Baker.
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If Paul had some money to buy another class forward we would be flying.....oh wait a minute.
He's not getting enough out of the one we have as it is. There are good players in our squad but as a collective we always look disjointed, like the midfield and attack are playing on different pitches.
Thank you! For a while now, I've been reaching for the right turn of phrase. I'm pinching this one.
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If Paul had some money to buy another class forward we would be flying.....oh wait a minute.
He's not getting enough out of the one we have as it is. There are good players in our squad but as a collective we always look disjointed, like the midfield and attack are playing on different pitches.
Thank you! For a while now, I've been reaching for the right turn of phrase. I'm pinching this one.
Feel free.
On occasion I'd go as far as saying different planets.
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If Paul had some money to buy another class forward we would be flying.....oh wait a minute.
He's not getting enough out of the one we have as it is. There are good players in our squad but as a collective we always look disjointed, like the midfield and attack are playing on different pitches.
Thank you! For a while now, I've been reaching for the right turn of phrase. I'm pinching this one.
Feel free.
On occasion I'd go as far as saying different planets.
Delph is from Mars, Weimann is from Venus.
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Even taking finances into account the football we've played for most of the season has been atrocious.
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If Paul had some money to buy another class forward we would be flying.....oh wait a minute.
He's not getting enough out of the one we have as it is. There are good players in our squad but as a collective we always look disjointed, like the midfield and attack are playing on different pitches.
Thank you! For a while now, I've been reaching for the right turn of phrase. I'm pinching this one.
Feel free.
On occasion I'd go as far as saying different planets.
Delph is from Mars, Weimann is from Venus.
That must make Lambert the Hubble telescope.
Staring out into the distance, unable to influence what he's looking at, and the pictures he generates represent the distant past.
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And yet are on the same points. We will probably score more goals than the first half of the season.
Why not compare our spending with Southampton or Swansea?
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This season has, again, been very meh! We neither compete or are that worried about going down. We just exist. Good start, horrible next period, and now, we just bumble along, pretending that Lambert has the ability to pull this around. New way of playing? Hmmm, not quite working yet, but let's see what the transfer window brings eh?
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I was happy enough with our start but inevitably we followed a good run of form with a horrible winless streak which has been one of Lambert's defining features during his reign here.
I think quite a few of the performances have been better than last season but it's translated to roughly the same amount of points and even fewer goals which is just very depressing.
We're just plodding along nowadays. I'd like to think we could get to 50 points and maybe 10th place as a decent step foward but that target seems as unachievable as top 4 was back in the MON days.
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We are on the same points as Everton.
Maybe but Stoke and Newcastle are 4-5 points ahead of us.
We really should be competing and with a bit of luck finishing above at least one of them. I don't see Newcastle having a better squad than us and Stoke under Hughes have I believe actually spent less than us.
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We are on the same points as Everton.
Maybe but Stoke and Newcastle are 4-5 points ahead of us.
We really should be competing and with a bit of luck finishing above at least one of them. I don't see Newcastle having a better squad than us and Stoke under Hughes have I believe actually spent less than us.
I do.
Newcastle have a significantly better squad than us. They underperformed under Pardew.
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They've had people like Dummett, Steven Taylor, Williamson, Colback, Gouffran as regular starters this season. I don't see those as better than what we have.
Yeah they have Cisse, Coloccini, Sissoko and that Spanish Kid who are decent most weeks but again I don't think they're much better than Vlaar, Benteke, Delph and potentially Okore are for us on a regular basis.
Whereas to me Everton have a much better squad than either and they've massively underachieved so far this season. Both Everton's fullbacks are comfortably better than what either team has imo.
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31 Alnwick
22 Janmaat
27 Taylor
02 Coloccini Booked
36 Dummett Booked
24 Tioté Booked (Cissé - 75' )
14 Colback Booked
11 Gouffran (Armstrong - 59' )
07 Sissoko
28 Ameobi (Cabella - 89' )
17 Pérez
They put that out v Sunderland, one of their most important games of the season.
I don't see that side as much better than what we put out on the rare occasions when most of our squad is fit.
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Whereas to me Everton have a much better squad than either and they've massively underachieved so far this season. Both Everton's fullbacks are comfortably better than what either team has imo.
Centre-back is Everton's problem.
I reckon we have four centre-backs on our books who would probably start for Everton alongside Jagielka before you got to any of their other ones.
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Problem is age has caught up with Distin as he's been one of my favourite non-Villa players down the years, very underrated defender. John Stones looks a decent young player but been regularly injured.
In hindsight it would've been better to sign him rather than Dunne in summer 2009 as he'd have given us a bit more longevity.
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Problem is age has caught up with Distin as he's been one of my favourite non-Villa players down the years, very underrated defender.
I remember when he went to Portsmouth on a free transfer having been linked with us and the consensus on here was that he was past thirty, slowing down and not worth signing.
That was seven years and 250 matches ago.
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Problem is age has caught up with Distin as he's been one of my favourite non-Villa players down the years, very underrated defender.
I remember when he went to Portsmouth on a free transfer having been linked with us and the consensus on here was that he was past thirty, slowing down and not worth signing.
That was seven years and 250 matches ago.
Yeah, think he went to Everton for 3m in the end while we signed Dunney for a little bit more who gave us admittedly one brilliant season before many bust ups with coaching staff and players thereafter.
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Everton have a tradition of ancient central defenders. Davie Weir was there until he was about seventy.
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Everton have a tradition of ancient central defenders. Davie Weir was there until he was about seventy.
Yup, I think he then played another decade after that at Rangers.
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Did Weir partner Gough at any point? Surely the closest to a hundred partnership. Got to be in the seventies like Mullery and Moore at Fulham.
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Did Weir partner Gough at any point? Surely the closest to a hundred partnership. Got to be in the seventies like Mullery and Moore at Fulham.
He was at Everton with Alan Stubbs, who was a year younger, until 2007.
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Everton have a tradition of ancient central defenders. Davie Weir was there until he was about seventy.
Brian Labone was at least 150 when he was last seen taking no prisoners in the box, so to speak.
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Dave Watson played until he was 38 aswell I think. He was caretaker manager for them for a game at Villa Park once.