Why are the Media so Anti-Villa?

[midnite]

I completely agree John, the point is fluidity. Indeed, Ferguson has been quoted as saying that formations only exist when you don't have the ball. However, certain starting formations allow for greater fluidity than others, and for greater variety of gameplan. And besides, I don't really like 4-2-3-1, it's too rigid and too 'specialist', relying on individuals doing their jobs rather than the team working together.

I agree with you on this. And I think that's why we've had problems at villa park this season. I think MON had our players all doing specific roles and not deviating from them. Houllier is trying to get our footballers to now play with fluidity and they're not used to it and it's taking a while for them to adapt.
The very best footballers you allow to play. It was hodgson's problem at Liverpool, trying to keep it structured as he did at fulham, the likes of gerrard and Torres don't play like that.

[Nastylee]

Formations are all about the latest fads. The best players can play any formation.

[Concrete John]

The most fluid I ever saw us under Martin was when Downing first got into the team and he, Milner and Ash were interchanging beautifully.

[not3bad]

The most fluid I ever saw us under Martin was when Downing first got into the team and he, Milner and Ash were interchanging beautifully.

Agreed.  Just before Christmas 2009, we played some good stuff for a few games.

[Monty]

The most fluid I ever saw us under Martin was when Downing first got into the team and he, Milner and Ash were interchanging beautifully.

Agreed.  Just before Christmas 2009, we played some good stuff for a few games.

Then teams worked out that all you had to do was close down our midfield in the centre and we'd basically stop scoring because we'd have so few options and would end up having to pass back to Cuellar, who'd duly thump it away.

[Villa'Zawg]

The most fluid I ever saw us under Martin was when Downing first got into the team and he, Milner and Ash were interchanging beautifully.

Agreed.  Just before Christmas 2009, we played some good stuff for a few games.

Then teams worked out that all you had to do was close down our midfield in the centre and we'd basically stop scoring because we'd have so few options and would end up having to pass back to Cuellar, who'd duly thump it away.

The 30 odd games that Downing played between the beginning of December and end of April coincided with our most consistent period during MON's tenure P32 W18 D9 L5, the defeats were against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea*2 and Man Utd. We were a very fine team.

[pauliewalnuts]

Why not include the last two games of the season?

[TheSandman]

Or say what the score in one of the games against Chelsea was?

Personally I did not find watching the team last season that enjoyable and for me you would have to go back to the 07/08 Season to when we were decent to watch. Once you start performing to a consistent level you need to build upon it and then become more entertaining. We instead got gradually worse and more predictable to watch.

[Concrete John]

The most fluid I ever saw us under Martin was when Downing first got into the team and he, Milner and Ash were interchanging beautifully.

Agreed.  Just before Christmas 2009, we played some good stuff for a few games.

Then teams worked out that all you had to do was close down our midfield in the centre and we'd basically stop scoring because we'd have so few options and would end up having to pass back to Cuellar, who'd duly thump it away.

The 30 odd games that Downing played between the beginning of December and end of April coincided with our most consistent period during MON's tenure P32 W18 D9 L5, the defeats were against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea*2 and Man Utd. We were a very fine team.

Problem there was the 9 draws, which is pushing one every third game, and if I remember rightly weren't against clubs we'd be happy enough with a point against.

[Meanwood Villa]

The most fluid I ever saw us under Martin was when Downing first got into the team and he, Milner and Ash were interchanging beautifully.

Agreed.  Just before Christmas 2009, we played some good stuff for a few games.

Then teams worked out that all you had to do was close down our midfield in the centre and we'd basically stop scoring because we'd have so few options and would end up having to pass back to Cuellar, who'd duly thump it away.

The 30 odd games that Downing played between the beginning of December and end of April coincided with our most consistent period during MON's tenure P32 W18 D9 L5, the defeats were against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea*2 and Man Utd. We were a very fine team.

I didn't think we lost to Man U last season?

[VillaAlways]

The most fluid I ever saw us under Martin was when Downing first got into the team and he, Milner and Ash were interchanging beautifully.

Agreed.  Just before Christmas 2009, we played some good stuff for a few games.

Then teams worked out that all you had to do was close down our midfield in the centre and we'd basically stop scoring because we'd have so few options and would end up having to pass back to Cuellar, who'd duly thump it away.

The 30 odd games that Downing played between the beginning of December and end of April coincided with our most consistent period during MON's tenure P32 W18 D9 L5, the defeats were against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea*2 and Man Utd. We were a very fine team.

I didn't think we lost to Man U last season?

Didn't we beat Chelsea at home as well ?

[Villa'Zawg]

Why not include the last two games of the season?

because I was responding to the claim that the improvement lasted for only a few games in December by pointing out that the good run of form lasted for 5 months.

[Villa'Zawg]

The most fluid I ever saw us under Martin was when Downing first got into the team and he, Milner and Ash were interchanging beautifully.

Agreed.  Just before Christmas 2009, we played some good stuff for a few games.

Then teams worked out that all you had to do was close down our midfield in the centre and we'd basically stop scoring because we'd have so few options and would end up having to pass back to Cuellar, who'd duly thump it away.

The 30 odd games that Downing played between the beginning of December and end of April coincided with our most consistent period during MON's tenure P32 W18 D9 L5, the defeats were against Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea*2 and Man Utd. We were a very fine team.

I didn't think we lost to Man U last season?

Didn't we beat Chelsea at home as well ?

They were the games at Wembley.

[not3bad]

Why not include the last two games of the season?

because I was responding to the claim that the improvement lasted for only a few games in December by pointing out that the good run of form lasted for 5 months.

Home form was pretty dismal though. 

And some of the matches included the 'classsic' away encounter at Stoke, one of the crappest football matches I've ever seen.

[Monty]

Why not include the last two games of the season?

because I was responding to the claim that the improvement lasted for only a few games in December by pointing out that the good run of form lasted for 5 months.

Actually I was saying that the fluidity of style didn't last for very long. And as John says, we'd draw against sides who'd come to VP happy to come away with a point. That's the problem with the system we played: shut up shop and you'd have to have literal geniuses in there to break teams down. For the rest of us mere mortals, the formation is important. How often have we seen it that teams filled with good players have massively underperformed through poor tactics? Milan in the mid-90s springs to mind, as does England at the last two World Cups, Spain for innumerable tournaments etc. Classic example - Argentina at the World Cup had a team full of excellent players but the tactics and formation were all wrong and they couldn't get the best out of what they had. Just as telling as the four they conceded against Germany was the big round zero next to their own name on the scoresheet.