Aston Villa v Bradford City Post-Match Thread

[Chrisupnorth]

Corners are our problem for sure

As I walked home last night I thought if I were the manager I would spend as much time after normal training practising defending corners till they got at least 10,20 or 30 right......

but then I remembered who do they train against because our forwards are just as crap at attacking them

Lambert says they practice defending them every day. They might do, but obviously learn nothing.

What it shows is that you can practice as much as you like.  If the players aren't up to it (and they clearly aren't), there won't be any improvement (and there clearly hasn't been all season).  Enough of this experiment.  It ain't working and it will take us down.

[itbrvilla]

" Couldn't ask any more from the players " "we have to go again"  this is starting to sound like DO'L they're a good honest bunch of lads, we have a small squad.

Just one thing I'm not clear with.. If he couldn't ask any more of them and they lost, then they must not be good enough, you don't need to be Einstein to work that one out!

Problem is Lambert is stuck with  a closed wallet , limited resources. We look like we are preparing for the championship!. What does he say to them at half time?? they were gung ho first half , just needed to do the same again in the second, keep it tight defend set pieces. and we were home and dry.
This is one of the worst teams I have ever seen in a villa shirt. Even when we went down to Div 3 , at least the players looked like they were trying.

I'm sorry but you can't tell me that a team containing Benteke, Vlaar, Weimann, Gabby aren't good enough to see off a very average League 2 side? Clearly problem is Lambert at the moment.

Spot on.  He is clueless and even more unmotivating than McLeish.  Get in away from our club ASAP.

[JUAN PABLO]

Corners from the opposition always feel like penalties

[russon]

Lambert says on the OS they practice set piece defending every day !!! Hard to believe and not very well then based on how we let goals in.

He appears to criticise the team after Bradford scored as he sais we resorted to long balls and Villa can't play that way, so why does HIS team do this???

As someone said earlier, and it is an excellent point. When you see the low quality of our dead ball delivery in games, how can you properly practice defending set pieces if it's the same guys that are delivering crap balls in training.

i recommend a cannon, there'll be a queue twice around Bodymoor Heath to light it

[Boz]

Bannan was no worse than many others tonight.

So they practice set pieces every day with man for man marking. Clearly not working so maybe it's time to try zonal marking ?

And a get well soon to TopDeck113's missus

Thing is, in training our attackers are probably practising against our defenders which could explain a lot of things as they're shite at both!

he he fair point mate.  But seriously the man to man thing is causing us problems, Vlaar was so buy watching where his man was going he forgot to check where the ball as, lost his man at the last second and it was in.  Similar happened to Benteke on Saturday, against Fulham away (a point dropped) and Norwich at home (two points dropped).  Trying to follow the man is very very hard unless  you do what Stoke do and wrap your arms around them.  That's another option and Clark has a go with his shirt tugging.  I think the best option is to focus on getting to the ball first.

Absolutely, the ball is the critical element and Vlaar last night not only lost his man, he had no idea where the ball was as he spent all the time until the ball was delivered watching a player, and when the player lost Vlaar it was a free header. Vlaar just doesn't look an international class defender.

[Jon Crofts]

What Did Gray say?

That people will blame youth & inexperience for that loss which is complete toilet, Given, 100s of Prem Games; Clarke, 50 odd; Gabby, 100s; Bent, 100s; Vlaar, International; Benteke, International; Bannan, International; Ireland 100s of Prem games; N'Zogbia, 100s of Prem games.

The 5 up front, no width, tactically inept.

Formation, changed again, we change it week after week after week, no wonder players don't know where their responsibilities lie. 

Why didn't Lambert match the Bradford lineup?  A pub team would have.

There was a lot of stating of the bleeding obvious like testing the keeper, for 70+% posession their keeper was asleep for most of the first half, 5 up front all within 10 yards of each other, not working the channels, defending of the corner.

Without actually saying it he blamed Lambert fair & square.

[Jimbo]

No surprises here, I'm afraid. We're a feeble outfit that lets in more goals than we score. We are incapable of keeping a clean sheet, and once a goal is scored against us, that's it, we hide under the duvet. There are as yet undiscovered tribes in the Andaman Islands who know that if you attack down our left, you're guaranteed at least a corner, and if you get three corners you will score.

Our incoherent and inarticulate manager is tactically naive. Putting every striker on the club's books on the pitch in a vain attempt to score is one of the most staggering examples of mismanagement I have ever witnessed. With five strikers swarming around the ball, it looked like something from a school playground (that's when the ball ever got near them). But before Lambert pulled us out of shape, we lacked urgency. The Bradford defenders must have been licking their lips every time we nonchalantly stroked the ball square, backwards and forwards on the halfway line as if we were AC Milan circa 1988.

Our incoherent and inarticulate manager is also pig-headed and stubborn. He has to be, since he refuses to accept his methods have been wrong, and he refuses to do anything about it.

But this sad, sorry, whisper of a team is the one we've been watching all season. I can't possibly see how anyone thought we'd murder Bradford, who were organised, disciplined, hungry, committed and mentally stronger than us. In short, a better team. You'll struggle to find a worse one anywhere on these fair isles.   

[onje_villa]

Poyet is the answer and has been since before we appointed Houllier.

I agree, I voted for Poyet but can't see Lerner appointing someone he's never heard of

The problem is if Lambert goes, the natural reaction (perhaps rightly) would be to go in the other direction and get in a tried'n'trusted type to keep us up.

[OzVilla]

Fuck it, lets give it to Andy Gray then, probably actually want it now he's out of the Sky limelight.

[JUAN PABLO]

cant even use the 'kids ' excuse for last night as there were 5 experienced players in the starting line up all full internationals

not exactly kids are they ?

[JUAN PABLO]

What Did Gray say?

That people will blame youth & inexperience for that loss which is complete toilet, Given, 100s of Prem Games; Clarke, 50 odd; Gabby, 100s; Bent, 100s; Vlaar, International; Benteke, International; Bannan, International; Ireland 100s of Prem games; N'Zogbia, 100s of Prem games.

The 5 up front, no width, tactically inept.

Formation, changed again, we change it week after week after week, no wonder players don't know where their responsibilities lie. 

Why didn't Lambert match the Bradford lineup?  A pub team would have.

There was a lot of stating of the bleeding obvious like testing the keeper, for 70+% posession their keeper was asleep for most of the first half, 5 up front all within 10 yards of each other, not working the channels, defending of the corner.

Without actually saying it he blamed Lambert fair & square.

well you cant blame Lerner for that performance , theres only one man to blame. Mr Lambert

[Steve R]

cant even use the 'kids ' excuse for last night as there were 5 experienced players in the starting line up all full internationals

not exactly kids are they ?

Two of the team that Bradford finished with are teenagers. That centre half they have on loan from Newcastle will be some player if he continues to develop.

[OzVilla]

What Did Gray say?

That people will blame youth & inexperience for that loss which is complete toilet, Given, 100s of Prem Games; Clarke, 50 odd; Gabby, 100s; Bent, 100s; Vlaar, International; Benteke, International; Bannan, International; Ireland 100s of Prem games; N'Zogbia, 100s of Prem games.

The 5 up front, no width, tactically inept.

Formation, changed again, we change it week after week after week, no wonder players don't know where their responsibilities lie. 

Why didn't Lambert match the Bradford lineup?  A pub team would have.

There was a lot of stating of the bleeding obvious like testing the keeper, for 70+% posession their keeper was asleep for most of the first half, 5 up front all within 10 yards of each other, not working the channels, defending of the corner.

Without actually saying it he blamed Lambert fair & square.

well you cant blame Lerner for that performance , theres only one man to blame. Mr Lambert

I think the board are total fuckwits but last night is fairly and squarely at the feet of Lambert and the players.

It's largely Lerners fault we are getting hammered in the Premier league but Lambert has absolutely no where to hide for going out over 2 legs against a 4th Division club.  No where at all.

[pestria]

Lambert said:
"That's two semi-finals where we have lost four goals from set-pieces. The set-pieces are a concern. We practice them every day in training.

Yeah Einstein, but it's no use the practicing against players who are as equally inept when trying to score from corners.

[VILLA MOLE]

Corners from the opposition always feel like penalties

frightening