Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur Post-Match Thread

[WikiVilla]

I can't see our board doing anything drastic, however I've seen nothing in Houllier yet to sugest he is the man for this job. He seems well out of his depth to me.

[dicedlam]

I'm sorry, but GH made some serious selection errors today.
He must be either very confident that we will not be drawn into a relegation battle, or just plain not bothered.

At this point in time, I cant fathom which?

[Matt C]

We're in big trouble I'm afraid.

[cdward]

It looks more and more like we are gearing up for many more years of non investment and lack of ambition. 
Villa have not spent money on a player in the whole of 2010, it looks like we will be shipping out all our experienced players, and bringing through the cheaper options, todays team selection proved it.
This January transfer window will tell a lot about our real ambitions, i'm no big fan of Houllier and will keep backing him, but the signs are not good.

[Clark W Griswold]

I can't believe how much spurs have overtaken us. In fact they are doing everything i hoped we would be doing since Randy took over.

We never have and in the forseeable future never will sign a player like Van Der Vaart. But that's what I too hoped for when Randy took over. Top class international players at the right age. Decent Bulgarians and Norwegens with a smattering of England fringe players are all very well, but they aren't going to push the club up to the level Spurs are now at.

The best we can hope for is that these promising youngsters come good, and he complements them with some decent young French players as well.

We do need a goalscorer so badly though, as we have for 2 years. And he might as well play me than Collins. I'd be cheaper. And Warnock isn't much better.

Same old thing today, appalling defense, no cutting edge up front but nice football in midfield.

[monkeyboy]

I can't believe how much spurs have overtaken us. In fact they are doing everything i hoped we would be doing since Randy took over.

This - tragically

Sorry GH never the man for this job, need to cut our losses on him - the playing staff clearly have no faith in him (as has been said MON got the very best out of mediocre players whatever we think of him - GH feels the way to motivate the staff is to call them twats via the press while wearing his favourite Anfield split crotch panties) - and frankly who of any quality would join us in Jan, so expect a few young French folk we've never heard of who'll make f all difference.

Realistically we will have to give him a window and a few more games - no improvement by end of Feb - get rid - get Jol in and then let him assess and then build his team in the summer - this has been a fucking disaster of a season - can't wait for it to end. Unfortunately buck stops with Randy - GH was a shocking choice, and it's proven to be so

As it's Christmas let's try this - There's no place like home, theres no place like home, theres no place like home......bollox - still in Warwick and we have still just lost to potatoe head -

[supertom]

Well sack him then, Allardyce is availeable.

I would. I'm not fan of Fat Sam, but he'd get the players busting a gut and he'd pull us to mid-table. I'd trust him slightly more than Houllier in the transfer market too.

Long term we need a top quality manager, but right now, I worry about surviving. I don't trust Houllier to pull it round. What you can say about Allardyce is his style is enough like O Neills, that he'd get more out of this squad, and he's also quite good with youngsters too.

[ROBBO]

Yes we are in trouble but who do you blame, the prick who left us a few days before the start of the season, or the massive injury list or the chairman and the board? no far easier to blame the manager.

[WikiVilla]

You need experienced heads in a relegation scrap, not kids
Sadly our experienced heads do not want to play for Houllier

[TheSandman]

But Sam fucking Allardyce? If we are planning on spending fuck all money and bobbing along in lower midtable for evermore, then yes he is just the man. If you want anything else then Allardyce is not the man unless you are going for him until the end of the season making three managerial changes for the season which is not the way.

[cdward]

Yes we are in trouble but who do you blame, the prick who left us a few days before the start of the season, or the massive injury list or the chairman and the board? no far easier to blame the manager.

If we had won every game since he came in then we would rightly be giving the praise to Houllier. The manager has to be responsible, he is paid to get results. Share the gain - share the pain. What is our record under Houllier played 12 won 2, that says it all.

[WikiVilla]

If we are to get shot of GH, then we should just appoint KMac, TMac and Sid to steady the ship and re-group the squad

[avfcpg]

You need experienced heads in a relegation scrap, not kids
Sadly our experienced heads do not want to play for Houllier

Then they can go...they are professionals who play for Villa. They wanna show us what they are made of instead of whining in the press every 5 minutes....sadly they have shown us they don't have it in them so they can do one as far as I am concerned. It's all too esy to start blaming the manager for players piss poor attitudes towards the game...

[DaveD]

But Sam fucking Allardyce? If we are planning on spending fuck all money and bobbing along in lower midtable for evermore, then yes he is just the man.

Unfortunately, since the credit crunch hit Randy hard, I think that's *exactly* the plan.

[TheTimVilla]

A gulf in class? Are Sperms that good or are we that bad? It was a good, frenetic game but ultimately the better side won.

I thought the team selection was poor. I'm not 100% against 4-4-2 but against better teams it NEVER works. That said, it wasn't anything like as bad as expected. We needed another man in midfield in both halves for me.

And those of you who complain about 4-5-1 and it's derivatives being negative think about this. What could we have lost by not playing the totally abysmal Agbonlahor? Another man in midfield would have stopped Spurs almost playing at will as they did. Hogg and Delph did their jobs BUT they lacked the assistance that they desperately needed.

Lichaj and Delfouneso were the two standout players for us. Lichaj had an excellent match and dealt well with Bale. Delfouneso was great, always harrying and punishing Sperms defenders. Pires was decent when he came on for me and Delph got better as the game wore on.

We desperately need to get points on the board and I don't really see where the number we need are coming from in the next few weeks. We are lucky that there are a number of really poor teams around.

As for the manager I'm starting to lose patience. I think he deserves until the end of the season but if we don't see green shoots by then once he has brought in his own players and got rid of the deadwood then he should be told thank you and good luck. He should not have carte blanche and an endless timetable but anything too soon is an overreaction. 

I need a lie down. Fuck me I hate losing to Spurs.

I agree with all of that, Sandie.