Southampton v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[mr woo]

For me, there were three big problems today, and none of them was the defence, which I thought was let down by the rest of the team. The big issues were
1) Bent and Benteke not providing clever enough movement up front, when in particular we needed one of them to drop off and make up the numbers in midfield

2) the midfield being non-existent, especially when Ireland went off, failing to either make sensible runs forward or track their men backwards. We badly need a dominant midfielder, a really hard bastard who bullies the crap out the opposition and makes 'em scared to go for 50-50 balls.

3) the presence of Benteke, which for some reason the rest of the team took as an invitation to boot 40 yard 'passes' up the pitch all afternoon long. I find it inexplicable, given the way little Brad has been bowling the ball out consistently in our previous matches, whereas today he hardly played anything on the ground. If we keep on with the long ball, we will lose. A lot. I assume Lambert knows this and will be trying to do something about it, so I ain't going to worry about it yet.

Sorry mate, I think I just repeated your thoughts. I reckon you got it spot on.

[john2710]

My main concern is that we have very few players with premiership experience or the stamina to last a long season. We were on top and looking to get a second goal when it all fell apart.  If you hesitate, fail to get goal side, track runners or try to play offside without a flat back four you will get punished, whatever level of football you play & we did all those today. I trust Lambert but I just don't think he has the players available to do a decent job.

[phantom limb]

Very disappointed with the second half, but I support the team and the manager. I wasn't sure what had happened to Ireland at half time but I hope that he makes a speedy recovery as we seemed to suffer without him.

[Mortimer's Bear]

We don't half miss Stan.

[levico]

I can forgive mistakes by players, lack of PL experience, getting used to one another etc but there is no excuse for showing a lack of bottle after conceding a goal. What on earth have we got here? I hope Lambert can fix it.

[mr woo]

Oh and while we're at it.

Barry Bannan - your 50 yard passes aren't nearly as good as you think they are.

[hawkeye]

In response to the person who wrongly thought Ireland was brought off for being shit, a quite from PL: ""Losing Stephen was a blow because I thought he was playing really well.".

You was wrong, everyone else was right. So there.

That would be me.
I thought he was poor, that was my opinion.
I also thought he was poor last week.
I was not alone in thinking he was poor.
Get off your high horse.
Was I ramming my opinion down any ones throat ?
It doesn't bother me if people don't agree with me, if that is their opinion,they are entitled to it.
Your childish carrying on however is quite pathetic. Grow up.
So there.

you were not the only one, I said earlier that some times people dont appreciate Irelands contribution. That does not mean that he is a villa legend as most people can see that he is probably operating at about 80% of his ability yet is still the best footballer we have, sadly? what he does is position himself very cleverly which means  that he is often in contact with the opposition when they have the ball in central areas and available to recieve the ball when we have it. We missed him when he went off today because we dont have many options.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

In response to the person who wrongly thought Ireland was brought off for being shit, a quite from PL: ""Losing Stephen was a blow because I thought he was playing really well.".

You was wrong, everyone else was right. So there.

That would be me.
I thought he was poor, that was my opinion.
I also thought he was poor last week.
I was not alone in thinking he was poor.
Get off your high horse.
Was I ramming my opinion down any ones throat ?
It doesn't bother me if people don't agree with me, if that is their opinion,they are entitled to it.
Your childish carrying on however is quite pathetic. Grow up.
So there.

But winding you up has been enjoyable thus far...oh please let me carry on, please, can I, please, promise I can...

[Irish villain]

Today came as a major shock to us all. I have avoided posting until now so as to do so with a calm demeanor.

As I sad on the Match thread, I thought we were very poor from the off and fortunate to go in 1-0 up. Southampton played very good football whereas we looked quite ordinary. We gave it away an awful lot (Lichaj and Bannan the most culpable) and didn't look incisive or like we had another gear. They were the better side in both halves.

We didn't look as determined as we did in the previous two games which surprised me. We should have seen this as a chance to get three important points and we were playing a team lacking confidence but possibly looking to 'start their season' against us so we shouldn't have been complacent either. In other words, it was the perfect scenario for us to show we could do a professional job.

The most disappointing thing about today was the capitulation. Yet again we are shown to be perhaps the most brittle side in the league. There is NO fight whatsoever in this squad. Go behind and they collapse, go too pieces in fact. I would seize on that if I was a manager trying to mastermind a victory against villa.

We are a work in progress and Rome wasn't built in a day etc etc. But today was a wake-up call. The jury is out. We are banking on three or four players (both those signed from the lower leagues and those promoted through our youth ranks) becoming PL quality this season. If that gamble doesn't pay off, well, we could just find ourselves at that level next season.

We simply have to grow a spine, and fast. I think we will improve as a team as the season progresses but they need to show more determination. Oh, and it was disheartening to see us back to the days of hoofing. I thought we played lovely stuff against WH, Newcastle and Swansea, why did we change tac today?

[dl9]

Oh well, that'll teach me to have stayed up late last week to watch Motd. The drive back from Villa Park to London last Saturday saw me tuning into every football talk show.

Tonight's relatively shorter drive back from Southampton had the radio off and the best of David f*kin Bowie's greatest hits.

I do have faith in the manager but unfortunately I won't be able to hear what he says tonight cos I can never watch Motd when we lose.

Be nice to start looking forward to Saturday nights after 10pm with more regularity,

Learning curve. We put our faith in Lambert and we move forward!

[gervilla]

In response to the person who wrongly thought Ireland was brought off for being shit, a quite from PL: ""Losing Stephen was a blow because I thought he was playing really well.".

You was wrong, everyone else was right. So there.

That would be me.
I thought he was poor, that was my opinion.
I also thought he was poor last week.
I was not alone in thinking he was poor.
Get off your high horse.
Was I ramming my opinion down any ones throat ?
It doesn't bother me if people don't agree with me, if that is their opinion,they are entitled to it.
Your childish carrying on however is quite pathetic. Grow up.
So there.

But winding you up has been enjoyable thus far...oh please let me carry on, please, can I, please, promise I can...

Wow.
You really must have fuck all else to do with your time.
Carry on .

[PeterWithesShin]

Please play nicely folks.

[brian green]

The only way I can cope with results like that is to apply total honesty.   That display was as bad, if not worse than anything from TSM's Hall of Shame.  To clutch the comfort blanket of "work in progress" requires evidence of progress.   Last week we took three steps forward.   This week we took four steps backwards.   That is not a work in progress it is a work in regression.

The worst thing about that horrible result today is that Paul Lambert has to win the fans all over again.

He has to address the mental fragility of the team.   Can he?  Will he?   I am not sure.

[PeterWithesShin]

The only way I can cope with results like that is to apply total honesty.   That display was as bad, if not worse than anything from TSM's Hall of Shame.  To clutch the comfort blanket of "work in progress" requires evidence of progress.   Last week we took three steps forward.   This week we took four steps backwards.   That is not a work in progress it is a work in regression.

The worst thing about that horrible result today is that Paul Lambert has to win the fans all over again.

He has to address the mental fragility of the team.   Can he?  Will he?   I am not sure.

Last week was more like 4 steps forward considering the way played compared to the last McGrath knows how many years. Today was 2 steps backwards.

And I doubt Lambert has to win anyone over after 1 dire result and performance.

[Irish villain]

Lambert doesn't need to win anybody over. We are with him to the end.

The only person who should be worried if we struggle again this season is Randy Lerner.

We ain't turning on another manager. If we flirt seriously with the drop it will be a consequence of his failure to put in place the resources to replace the top players we used to have.

This time, there will no buck passing if we struggle. Hopefully it won't come to that and the players we have will grow into PL standard.