Thinking The Unthinkable

[pauliewalnuts]

This year is about a manager trying to get his team to do something we all want them to do - play decent football - and in terms of points, thus far, he is failing.

Last year was about a manager getting his team to do something none of us wanted them to do - play defensive football - and in terms of points, he failed.

There is a world of difference between those two situations, and I know which one I will be more supportive and patient with.

I've seen plenty of really shit Villa sides. I still remember 86-7 like it was yesterday, it was that depressingly stamped into my mind. However, I can't remember a season that left me not ever wanting to watch my side again as much as last year did.

I also have never felt so repeatedly embarassed of my club as I did last year. Week after week, reading in the press about how disgracefully unambitious we were.

I can put up with losing, but not that.

[Big Dick Edwards]

Last year was about a manager getting his team to do something none of us wanted them to do - play defensive football - and in terms of points, he failed.

Did he fail though? As pittiful our points total was it was enough to stay up.
As I've said, McLeish should be judged at the end of this season, not last.

[pauliewalnuts]

Last year was about a manager getting his team to do something none of us wanted them to do - play defensive football - and in terms of points, he failed.

Did he fail though? As pittiful our points total was it was enough to stay up.
As I've said, McLeish should be judged at the end of this season, not last.

I don't think our points finish last season was really acceptable, even though we did stay up. I also wonder how much damage we did to the club in the course of last season, it was so horrendous to watch.

[Percy McCarthy]

BDE: So he should have got another year?

[django]

I'm also a bit worried about the teams around us being able to find some form. My mate's a QPR fan and reckons they've been playing really well this season without getting the results. They've got Man U up next and then a few games including ours that they will hope to get some points from. After that they have some tough games in late December/Jan. If they get a few points in their next few games I would expect them to be ok, they do have some decent players and a decent amount of money.

We really need to make sure we get some points on the board ourselves in the next few games because I don't think we'll be able to buy our way out of trouble in January. Who would come?

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm also a bit worried about the teams around us being able to find some form. My mate's a QPR fan and reckons they've been playing really well this season without getting the results.

In fairness, there have been a few matches this season where you could say that about us, too.

[Risso]

This year is about a manager trying to get his team to do something we all want them to do - play decent football - and in terms of points, thus far, he is failing.

Last year was about a manager getting his team to do something none of us wanted them to do - play defensive football - and in terms of points, he failed.

There is a world of difference between those two situations, and I know which one I will be more supportive and patient with.

I've seen plenty of really shit Villa sides. I still remember 86-7 like it was yesterday, it was that depressingly stamped into my mind. However, I can't remember a season that left me not ever wanting to watch my side again as much as last year did.

I also have never felt so repeatedly embarassed of my club as I did last year. Week after week, reading in the press about how disgracefully unambitious we were.

I can put up with losing, but not that.

The thing is, Lambert is hardly Guardiola is he?  Norwich's football last season was functional, but certainly not spectacular, and Lambert seems to be getting away wih poor results simply because he isn't McLeish.  Even Mark Hughes tries to play better football than McLeish, so does just about every manager in the league.

[pauliewalnuts]

The thing is, Lambert is hardly Guardiola is he?  Norwich's football last season was functional, but certainly not spectacular, and Lambert seems to be getting away wih poor results simply because he isn't McLeish.  Even Mark Hughes tries to play better football than McLeish, so does just about every manager in the league.

No, he's not Guardiola, you're right there, but he is compared to McLeish. We've played more decent football this season so far than in the entirety of last.

Nobody is particularly happy with the way things are at the moment, but beyond being angry for the sake of it, what are the ultimate options available to us? What should we do?

Sack the manager? Get some quality in in January? Start getting behind the team more? Start booing them to show how unhappy we are?

Serious question - what should we do?

[Big Dick Edwards]

BDE: So he should have got another year?

I can't bring myself to say that. I was as depressed as everybody watching Villa last season but I do think McLeish did as much as Lerner could have asked having had to sell his most creative players.

I do appreciate what Lambert is trying to do, and there are positive signs at times but we've lost games this season we probably wouldn't have lost last season.

[oldtimernow]

Find that Orange spot?

[MarkM]

The thing is, Lambert is hardly Guardiola is he?  Norwich's football last season was functional, but certainly not spectacular, and Lambert seems to be getting away wih poor results simply because he isn't McLeish.  Even Mark Hughes tries to play better football than McLeish, so does just about every manager in the league.

No, he's not Guardiola, you're right there, but he is compared to McLeish. We've played more decent football this season so far than in the entirety of last.

Nobody is particularly happy with the way things are at the moment, but beyond being angry for the sake of it, what are the ultimate options available to us? What should we do?

Sack the manager? Get some quality in in January? Start getting behind the team more? Start booing them to show how unhappy we are?

Serious question - what should we do?

I think we should all face up to the fact that we are looking at past history about a 50/50 bet for relegation [And I include the board more than us in facing up to it]

We need to encourage the board to invest heavily in January in order to keep us up, we direct hardly any flak toward the chairman, imagine the vitriol and bile we would be speewing if Ellis was still in charge and we were in the situation we are in!!!!!!

Perhaps some joined up action to change the boards position? I dont know how successful it would be but I think thats our best avenue

[PaulWinch again]

This year is about a manager trying to get his team to do something we all want them to do - play decent football - and in terms of points, thus far, he is failing.

Last year was about a manager getting his team to do something none of us wanted them to do - play defensive football - and in terms of points, he failed.

There is a world of difference between those two situations, and I know which one I will be more supportive and patient with.

I've seen plenty of really shit Villa sides. I still remember 86-7 like it was yesterday, it was that depressingly stamped into my mind. However, I can't remember a season that left me not ever wanting to watch my side again as much as last year did.

I also have never felt so repeatedly embarassed of my club as I did last year. Week after week, reading in the press about how disgracefully unambitious we were.

I can put up with losing, but not that.

Exactly my thoughts. It's the difference between hope and utter despair.

[Risso]

The thing is, Lambert is hardly Guardiola is he?  Norwich's football last season was functional, but certainly not spectacular, and Lambert seems to be getting away wih poor results simply because he isn't McLeish.  Even Mark Hughes tries to play better football than McLeish, so does just about every manager in the league.

No, he's not Guardiola, you're right there, but he is compared to McLeish. We've played more decent football this season so far than in the entirety of last.

Nobody is particularly happy with the way things are at the moment, but beyond being angry for the sake of it, what are the ultimate options available to us? What should we do?

Sack the manager? Get some quality in in January? Start getting behind the team more? Start booing them to show how unhappy we are?

Serious question - what should we do?

Dig out the road maps of Watford and Barnsley.

[pauliewalnuts]

Perhaps some joined up action to change the boards position? I dont know how successful it would be but I think thats our best avenue

Like what, though?

[django]

I'm also a bit worried about the teams around us being able to find some form. My mate's a QPR fan and reckons they've been playing really well this season without getting the results.

In fairness, there have been a few matches this season where you could say that about us, too.

He might be judging his team a bit more generously than I would so it's hard to compare, but generally I think we are where we deserve to be so far. I can't think of too many games where we have got less than I thought we deserved. Maybe last weeks game we could have got a point, probably the same against Fulham.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be negative, I think we have shown signs of improvement this season. Even in the first half on Saturday I thought we showed some promise. We may be capable of getting a few decent results and then with the pressure off we might be ok, but it's a bit worrying that although I don't think we have been under performing we are still where we are. We aren't really waiting on any injured players to come to the rescue either. Dunne maybe, but it probably won't be that much of a transformation.