Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur Post-Match Thread

[somec]

In my 20 odd yeaers of following the Villa I don't remember back to back tonkings like this, but strangely I still feel optomistic about this season.

Let's do Wigan on Saturday and get back on track.

[Californian Villain]

In my 20 odd yeaers of following the Villa I don't remember back to back tonkings like this, but strangely I still feel optomistic about this season.

Let's do Wigan on Saturday and get back on track.

You don't remember it, because 12-0 over two games is an EPL record.

[saunders_heroes]

It really has been a humiliating few days for Aston Villa. But when you sell all your best players and replace them with relatively cheap lower league footballers it shouldn't come as a surprise when the teams turns out to be relegation fodder.
Lerner hasn't a clue, and he's dragging us down into the Championship.

[eastie]

I wonder how Lerner is really feeling now about the state of things , in fact I wonder if he even knows what the result was tonight

Yes i'm sure he does know the result. Were you asking the same thing after the win at Anfield?

We are in the present not the past clampy,  two defeats with 12 goals conceded- you are only as good as your last game pal.

If you wish to dream about anfield go ahead , but one swallow doesn't make a summer- the table doesn't lie, lowest goals scored, worst goal difference , but hey we won at anfield so why worry.?

I was delighted with the win there but I have been asking the question is Lerners heart really in it anymore for well over 2 years now not just 2 games.

Wake up from your anfield dreams and smell the roses clampy- 8-0 and 0-4 is disgraceful.

[Goldie.7]

Lambert is starting to really piss me off. Why doesn't he tell the truth his exact words were 'I can't fault their effort' is he deluded the only shot we had on target was Albrighton's late on.

Why doesn't he just say we were poor and we need to do a bit of business in the window or else we'll be scrapping it out till the final game. Least he had a shave though.

I would respect these managers more if they just tell it like it is. Wish we had Clarke instead really hate sugar coaters.

Take away our cup run am i out of line for thinking this?

[eastie]

Lambert is starting to really piss me off. Why doesn't he tell the truth his exact words were 'I can't fault their effort' is he deluded the only shot we had on target was Albrighton's late on.

Why doesn't he just say we were poor and we need to do a bit of business in the window or else we'll be scrapping it out till the final game. Least he had a shave though.

I would respect these managers more if they just tell it like it is. Wish we had Clarke instead really hate sugar coaters.

Take away our cup run am i out of line for thinking this?

No , I wanted lambert as did many but his tactics , formation and substitutions have left me bemused at times - he needs to buy quality in January and experience- we need players who knw this league and can hit the ground running.

[pav]

I actually used the word garbage last night , and I'll be honest I can't see anything wrong with it . 12 goals in two games is awful , last nights defending was awful and then you see stoke defend after there's no comparison . Hurts me to admit it but stokes defending puts ours to shame .

[Clampy]

I wonder how Lerner is really feeling now about the state of things , in fact I wonder if he even knows what the result was tonight

Yes i'm sure he does know the result. Were you asking the same thing after the win at Anfield?

We are in the present not the past clampy,  two defeats with 12 goals conceded- you are only as good as your last game pal.

If you wish to dream about anfield go ahead , but one swallow doesn't make a summer- the table doesn't lie, lowest goals scored, worst goal difference , but hey we won at anfield so why worry.?

I was delighted with the win there but I have been asking the question is Lerners heart really in it anymore for well over 2 years now not just 2 games.

Wake up from your anfield dreams and smell the roses clampy- 8-0 and 0-4 is disgraceful.

It's not just Anfield though Eastie. We went to Norwich and put 4 past them the game before that. Before that we went on a decent run where we kept a few clean sheets and picked up a few points and things started to look a bit brighter.

The last two games have been abysmal but i like to look at the overall picture, not just trot out 'it's Lerner's fault' whenever we hit a blip.

[brian green]

I will defend my view that our potentially good players lack motivation.

Answer me this question if you think they are properly motivated.

If Lambert can trot out the stock cliche that we must pick ourselves up and go again AFTER humiliating thrashings, when the damage is done, why can't he, or one of his assistant or the team captain get that same message of pick yourselves up and go again on to the field of play when they go a goal down?

I have been to most of the league and cup games this season, including all the home games and the constantly recurring theme is caving in.

My opinion, based on may years of watching many Villa games is that the capitulation arises through lack of leadership and lack of experience.   The last manager packed the sides with green, untested players because he was on a mission to save money.   Those young players should have been eased into the side alongside more confident experienced players but for financial reasons they were not and they have suffered for it, the most notable case being Marc Albrighton.

If players are nervous and uncertain and prone to lose concentration the way it is corrected is to motivate them.   I do NOT mean wind them up to go and kick lumps out of the opposition, I mean reassure and direct and encourage them.   That is motivation not shouting and bawling and kicking the kit bag.

Paul Lambert is not young and inexperienced, he has performed to the very highest level.   It is his job, a job he is very well paid to do, to correct Fabian Delph flying into tackles like a human rotovator or Karim El Ahmadi ball watching or Barry Bannan running flat out from side to side of the pitch instead of up and down it and Stephen Ireland to stop playing the game as though he is a ballet dancer at the barre in front of a mirror.

My definition of that function is motivation.   To make the player do the right things at the right time DURING THE GAME.

A football manager has three primary functions.   To get the players.   To coach the players.   To direct the players how and where they will play in a game.   That third function I describe as motivation.   That is the way I see it.   I respect your views, please respect mine.

[Dante Lavelli]

Surely these suicidal tendencies should be reserved for a defeat against Wigan rather than top 4 chasing Spurs and Chelsea.

I'm not saying everything is rosy in the Villa Park garden but let's have some perspective, 3 points from Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs is about right.

[rutski]

there isnt 1 villa player who would get into that spurs team. defeat was always on the cards.

[Rigadon]

It isn't that we lost. We were murdered again, this time at home and again the scoreline flattered us.  Things are as dodgy as ever they were last season for me.  We're better to watch in patches and it's a more likeable team and manager, but people can't really be blamed for a bit of moaning!

[olaftab]

I'm sorry but lack of motivation thing is a red herring.

What we lack is quality and experience and we've been lacking both now for at least 2 years, made more obvious since we lost Stan.

All of the reasons you give Brian indicate a lack of quality and good habits that come with experience of playing against such players, not motivation.  If you're constantly playing against teams that have far better and far more experienced players than you then you'll consistently struggle regardless of how much you may not want to.  It's the way of the world, and not just in football.

Lack of general quality means we lose against the likes of Chelsea and Spurzz - lack of experience is why it was 12-0.

Good post ozvilla and sums up our situation perfectly.

[eastie]

I wonder how Lerner is really feeling now about the state of things , in fact I wonder if he even knows what the result was tonight

Yes i'm sure he does know the result. Were you asking the same thing after the win at Anfield?

We are in the present not the past clampy,  two defeats with 12 goals conceded- you are only as good as your last game pal.

If you wish to dream about anfield go ahead , but one swallow doesn't make a summer- the table doesn't lie, lowest goals scored, worst goal difference , but hey we won at anfield so why worry.?

I was delighted with the win there but I have been asking the question is Lerners heart really in it anymore for well over 2 years now not just 2 games.

Wake up from your anfield dreams and smell the roses clampy- 8-0 and 0-4 is disgraceful.

It's not just Anfield though Eastie. We went to Norwich and put 4 past them the game before that. Before that we went on a decent run where we kept a few clean sheets and picked up a few points and things started to look a bit brighter.

The last two games have been abysmal but i like to look at the overall picture, not just trot out 'it's Lerner's fault' whenever we hit a blip.

Yes Norwich was an excellent result but lets not forget they made 6 changes , we have in spells looked decent but the lows far outweigh the highs, in 35 years watching villa never has it been as bad as conceding twelve goals in just 2games- January is a vital time and we have reason to be worried if this talk of Lerner being depressed and not interested is true.

[silhillvilla]

We need to beat Wigan or we could go into freefall.