Villa Striker Has Fewest Premier League Touches

[Chris Smith]

Chris, as it goes I don't read Nuts. Happy to talk about our wider reading interests though, drop me a pm, as I'm not sure everybody else will be that interested.

I always thought the name Chris was a tiny bit bland, but that's by the by as I was hoping to chat football.

I am sorry if you feel patronised by me stating my thoughts about the team I support and the poor management of the team.

Don't think smart arse is a fair assessment either, I am sure one of the moderators will point you in the direction of the site rules if you haven't seen them already.

Oh and chill out, as mentioned I'm a big fan of your work.

It was your views about me that were patronising, not your unoriginal "thought" about the team. If you don't want to go down this route don't kick it off by making personal remarks, Markeeeeeeeeeeee.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

It's typical of Villa. For years we've been crying out for an out and out goalscorer. We get one, and sell the two players who service him with the ball.
I'm not suggesting we should have kept Ashley Young or Downing against their will but why not replace them? Not even with funds necessarily.
McLeish should have given N'Zobia/Bannan and Albrighton the Downing and Young roles at the start of the season and played pretty much the same way as we did last year.

Herd, as good a player as he seems isn't a central midfielder either. Play the kid at RB and drop that useless Hutton.

McLeish's football is dreadful, but let's be honest - he ain't going to get fired whilst we're still paying off the last two managers! 

[pauliewalnuts]

Chris,

We had a good spell against Norwich.

We were hardly great throughout the full 90 mins

Norwich also made it very easy for us by putting on one of the worst defensive displays seen at Villa Park in a long time.

Chris is putting a positive sheen on it, but we quite clearly have not been good with any consistency, because we've only won three games all season, and taken 5 points from the last 21, despite a relatively easy opening to the season.

What's more, we're at or near the bottom of the shots on goal, possession and passes completed charts, which is a reflection of the truly awful football we've played.

This isn't people imagining things. This is not just a mid table side being a mid table side. This is a team playing very poor, unadventurous, defensive football.

Our 18m striker has had, on average per match, fewer touches of the ball  this year than any other player in the Premier League. He night as well not be on the pitch. It's exactly like Cameron Jerome under the same manager at Blues - except this striker is a really good one.

it really is thoroughly depressing.

[markeeeebeeee2005]

It's doubtful that I will think of much original to say about AMac. There is nothing much fresh and innovative to say about steadily declining dour football.

[PeterWithesShin]

For a neutral the Norwich game would have been very entertaining. Although a lot of that is probably down to how bad both sides defended at times, especially Norwich.
The truth is that we were outplayed for the first half an hour and if it hadn't been for Given we could have been 3 down. Fortunately, their keeper bottled that challenge on Gabby and we got the 3 points despite having less shots on target and less possession at home to a side that 2 years ago were in Division 3.

[Chris Smith]

It's doubtful that I will think of much original to say about AMac. There is nothing much fresh and innovative to say about steadily declining dour football.

No, because that would mean having to think about it and I don't get the impression that's a strong point.

[pauliewalnuts]

It's doubtful that I will think of much original to say about AMac. There is nothing much fresh and innovative to say about steadily declining dour football.

No, because that would mean having to think about it and I don't get the impression that's a strong point.

Give it a rest, Chris.

You're as bad as him.

[JUAN PABLO]

Chris,

We had a good spell against Norwich.

We were hardly great throughout the full 90 mins

Norwich also made it very easy for us by putting on one of the worst defensive displays seen at Villa Park in a long time.

Chris is putting a positive sheen on it, but we quite clearly have not been good with any consistency, because we've only won three games all season, and taken 5 points from the last 21, despite a relatively easy opening to the season.

What's more, we're at or near the bottom of the shots on goal, possession and passes completed charts, which is a reflection of the truly awful football we've played.

This isn't people imagining things. This is not just a mid table side being a mid table side. This is a team playing very poor, unadventurous, defensive football.

Our 18m striker has had, on average per match, fewer touches of the ball  this year than any other player in the Premier League. He night as well not be on the pitch. It's exactly like Cameron Jerome under the same manager at Blues - except this striker is a really good one.

it really is thoroughly depressing.

Dont forget our awesome performance in the cup .

[markeeeebeeee2005]

If the highlight of the season so far is a game where we let 2 in against a newly promoted Norwich team. But managed to score 3. We are going to be in big trouble.

Chatting to a Man U fan at work and he said the recent game was the worst they had played all season, and yet we could barely muster a shot.

[Chris Smith]

It's typical of Villa. For years we've been crying out for an out and out goalscorer. We get one, and sell the two players who service him with the ball.
I'm not suggesting we should have kept Ashley Young or Downing against their will but why not replace them? Not even with funds necessarily.
McLeish should have given N'Zobia/Bannan and Albrighton the Downing and Young roles at the start of the season and played pretty much the same way as we did last year.

Herd, as good a player as he seems isn't a central midfielder either. Play the kid at RB and drop that useless Hutton.

McLeish's football is dreadful, but let's be honest - he ain't going to get fired whilst we're still paying off the last two managers! 

We also lost Reo Coker who is far from being my favourite player but did still need replacing. That's what I meant by having to completely rebuild the midfield. It's relatively easy to bring a new player into an established set up but it's much more problematic when a new manager is having to start from scratch with players you might not necessarily have chosen yourself.

I think we all expected N'Zogbia and Albrighton to give us much more than they have, some of you are convinced that is the manager's fault but I tend to put responsibility on the players.

I'm not defending him out of any sense of loyalty, I didn't want him in the first place, but I do aknowledge that he's taken over in difficult circumstances and that "calls for his sacking are ludicrously premature".

[brian green]

I think the biggest single mistake Alex McLeish has made was to tell his whole squad that past sins are forgiven and everybody starts with a clean sheet.

These are boy scout sentiments which have no place in top flight football.

Houllier had smoked out the disruptive elements in the squad and had started to show signs that he was getting results but he had to leave and the dressing room power plays kicked off again.

I refuse to believe that Alex McLeish tells the back four to play the ball in the air.   I think he tells them until he is blue in the face that they must play the ball on the ground through the midfield but when they get out on the pitch they revert to type and put their laces through the ball at every opportunity.   The problem is lack of discipline and lack of respect for the manager.

In the old days players who did not do as they were told were dropped into the reserves and the appropriate player from the reserves promoted to the first team.   Now the bench is used as the naughty step and then very briefly.

If I were the manager I would say to Collins the next time you break down a passing movement with a launch of the ball vaguely towards Bent's head you will be in the stiffs for a month.   Ditto to Warnock the first time he ball watches and roams out of position and likewise to Hutton the first time he wipes out an opponent when a simple dispossession is needed.

[citizenDJ]

But if that's true, Brian, why not drop them from the team? Cuellar and Clark are perfectly decent defenders, one of whom can pass the ball quite comfortably, while the other is, in my view, at least the equal of Dunne or Collins in the air.

[pauliewalnuts]

Clark is very comfortable on the ball. As CDJ says, why, if Collins and Dunne aren't doing what McLeish tells them, is he not even getting a sniff?

[PaulWinch again]

Clark is very comfortable on the ball. As CDJ says, why, if Collins and Dunne aren't doing what McLeish tells them, is he not even getting a sniff?

I'd assume it's to do with Mcleish career long aversion to using younger players. He always sides with experienced players, and that is just another thing Villa do not need.

[luke25]

Chatting to a Man U fan at work and he said the recent game was the worst they had played all season, and yet we could barely muster a shot.

fuck me, how quick did he forget there derby?