Aston Villa v Wigan Athletic Post-Match Thread

[Kent Villian]

Going back out to Cleveland next week - my first task will be to picket the Learner Foundation office & tell Randy some home truths, something like "put your hand in your pocket and spend some money in the team or fuck off" should get the message home!

[thick_mike]

Very sad this evening, but trying not to over-react.

Just shows how important confidence is. That 8-0 totally stuffed ours. Same players we were all raving about being the future of the club are now "shit"? They've had a big set back, it will be difficult for them to dig themselves out of it though. Just a shame that our senior players are all injured (Gabby, Vlaar, Dunne), or disinterested (Ireland, Warnock).

40 fags a day Dunne that hasn't played all season. When he was fit he was shocking poor and we were calling for his head. That Dunne.

Gabby won't be missed if he never played for Villa again. A striker that doesn't score goals and can't cross. I'm not having a go but these players when we need to dig deep offer nothing!

That was what I was trying to say, the senior players are hiding/injured/crap or all three. I don't think I'd welcome Dunne or Warnock back, we're just saddled with what we've got.

Lambert had to bring in a job lot of players in the Summer, just to dilute the poisonous atmosphere in the changing room. You've got to be pretty lucky for that to come off...and we nearly were. Hard to see a way back from this.

[Brian Taylor]

Roll on the Transfer window. We need defenders and Mid-field passers. I'd like to see a trad left winger.
Get Robbie Keane back and instill a few ideas and backbone!
I can't handle the piss-taking!

[A|C]

I don't think they're strictly excuses but the plain truth, we have been and will be in our fourth.  Money needs to be spent.

RDM is not a good manager, I think even I could have got the players at Chelsea to win games.  Keep PL and let him invest in players that will make a difference, not cheap players who we hope will make a difference.

[Confusious says]

6 wins all year in the league ..6 fucking wins in 12 months !!!
Sack Lambert ..who the fuck else could we get in now ...

I wonder what Di Matteo's up to..

Funny you should say that! I heard someone say that he was lined up.

Also same person said that there was a done deal for bent to Liverpool and Downing, Cole, &

Henderson to come our way? Don't know weather any are on loan.

Has anyone herd the same.

[devilla]

OK, I know I'm not thinking straight after that nightmare but listening to Dion on final score, I can't help thinking he talks a lot of sense. Dion in!?

Lambert spoke the usual bollocks - my responsibility, fans have been great. Could part of the problem be that players can't understand what he says? I know I can't a lot of the time.

[Irish villain]

Today, I have missed my first home game for nearly 20 years. My son, home from uni and out with his pals, was beaten up last night and I spent the afternoon at the hospital with him.
It seems like I picked a good game to miss.

I' d still like to get my hands on the fckers who did it though.

I hope you get them. Hope your son is OK

[ez]

Lambert on final score now

What did he say?

"Injuries". "I pick the team". "For 20 minutes we looked ourselves". Think he's trying to protect the young players by taking the responsibility. No optimistic noises. Nothing about how he's going to sort it out.

[Gareth]

Please PL no more wing backs and no more shoe-horning Ireland the messiah into the team, we can't afford work shy wasters, constructes the square root of eff all....

[pauliewalnuts]

While some claim they're seeing a bigger picture, some claim they're seeing improvements, and some claim we're going in the right direction. I'm just seeing a truly awful team.

Not just of late, ALL season. People keep banging on 'What about Norwich away, what about Liverpool away ?'. WHAT ABOUT THEM ?. In either game we could've conceeded numerous goals, but we won both. Were they the norm or the exceptions ?. Before those we had truly wretched performances against QPR, Reading and Stoke. Those three performances would've been booed out the city under McLeish last season. This season I was assured they were great as we didn't lose.

Apparently a couple of sideways passes on the floor every now and again means we're now 'playing football'. Not to me it doesn't. Any team in the world will allow you to pass the ball aimlessly around the middle third where you have no chance of hurting them.

At Forest pre season, I was concerned. At West Ham on the opening day I was dejected. Ever since i've been watching aimless football, with no passion or style. Yet i've almost been convinced my own eyes need testing as i keep reading others posting things about my club that i'm clearly not seeing myself. I know we all see things differently, but i'm surprised how differently.

To sum up, it's abysmal. I've got less confidence than I had last season and that's saying something.

If Lambert offered his resignation tonight i'd be delighted. If Lerner announced he's put the club up for sale i'd be even happier. Neither are ever going to take this club forward. I've seen NOTHING from Lambert's 'revolution' to suggest anything other than more of the same is to come.

Someone text me today 'we've got 10 players out'. I thought yes, but of those he'd probably only have picked Gabby and Vlaar. Hardly world beaters.

I was told 'we need experience'. I thought, funny that. When he could pick the likes of Bent, N'Zogbia, Given he chose not to. He also farmed out (the admittedly pretty useless, but experienced) Hutton & Warnock without having any cover for them.

It was an appointment most of us were ok with, but it's clearly not working at all. I'm not seeing any tactical nous, and i'm not seeing any man management either. What are Lambert's actual qualities ?

That's me. You don't have to agree.

best post up to now

Whilst I don't agree with him, I think it's an excellently argued post that makes you think again.

[Stu]

Lambert on final score now

What did he say?

"Injuries". "I pick the team". "For 20 minutes we looked ourselves". Think he's trying to protect the young players by taking the responsibility.

Well it's his team and they're shit, no two ways about it.

[SoccerHQ]

Probably the worst villa game I've ever attended.

Not in terms of lack of incident or even maybe in terms of performance (although being battered by fcuking Wigan now it does feel like it) but just because if the worst happens in May, you can pinpoint this game where in our present state we became a relegation team in waiting after years of creeping closer to it.

The Chelsea game has fcuked the minds of the team and we're reduced to nothing, no defence, no midfield either showing industry or creativity to create chances for the front two.

Things can change but if we've not going to rip up the plan, we need some decent loans in until the end of the season, a Robbie Keane or three.

[montague]

Comparing this season to last season after 20 games (when we stood 11th):

5 less points; 7 less goals scored ; 10 more goals conceeded

[Jon Crofts]

While some claim they're seeing a bigger picture, some claim they're seeing improvements, and some claim we're going in the right direction. I'm just seeing a truly awful team.

Not just of late, ALL season. People keep banging on 'What about Norwich away, what about Liverpool away ?'. WHAT ABOUT THEM ?. In either game we could've conceeded numerous goals, but we won both. Were they the norm or the exceptions ?. Before those we had truly wretched performances against QPR, Reading and Stoke. Those three performances would've been booed out the city under McLeish last season. This season I was assured they were great as we didn't lose.

Apparently a couple of sideways passes on the floor every now and again means we're now 'playing football'. Not to me it doesn't. Any team in the world will allow you to pass the ball aimlessly around the middle third where you have no chance of hurting them.

At Forest pre season, I was concerned. At West Ham on the opening day I was dejected. Ever since i've been watching aimless football, with no passion or style. Yet i've almost been convinced my own eyes need testing as i keep reading others posting things about my club that i'm clearly not seeing myself. I know we all see things differently, but i'm surprised how differently.

To sum up, it's abysmal. I've got less confidence than I had last season and that's saying something.

If Lambert offered his resignation tonight i'd be delighted. If Lerner announced he's put the club up for sale i'd be even happier. Neither are ever going to take this club forward. I've seen NOTHING from Lambert's 'revolution' to suggest anything other than more of the same is to come.

Someone text me today 'we've got 10 players out'. I thought yes, but of those he'd probably only have picked Gabby and Vlaar. Hardly world beaters.

I was told 'we need experience'. I thought, funny that. When he could pick the likes of Bent, N'Zogbia, Given he chose not to. He also farmed out (the admittedly pretty useless, but experienced) Hutton & Warnock without having any cover for them.

It was an appointment most of us were ok with, but it's clearly not working at all. I'm not seeing any tactical nous, and i'm not seeing any man management either. What are Lambert's actual qualities ?

That's me. You don't have to agree.

Well put, I would say though that if Lambert offered his resignation it would just reinforce my personal belief that at present this football club is unmanageable.

[pauliewalnuts]

I'd say Lambert should really offer his resignation after those results.

Lerner, however, should reject it.

At that point, the onus is on Lerner to back his manager. If he doesn't, we are doomed.

I also suspect changing manager is going to improve nothing at all. Who do we then get in? Mark Hughes? Someone who engaged in some of the worst squad building seen in years to create a team worse than ours?

The major problem at Villa is one that has been consistent for three years - Lerner and his upper leadership. They've burned huge sums of money and turned us into a side which has spent three years edging more and more determinedly towards relegation.

He quite clearly does not have the first fucking idea how to run a football club.