Summer 2013: Villa Transfers, Speculation, Suggestions and Rumours

[pauliewalnuts]

I think the relying on scoring more and putting up with the bad defending, Ardiles-like, is very risky indeed.

Teams which defend badly do not do well.

[dekko]

Well we were much better defensively for years under Gregory but we drew a shedload of games which stopped us getting any higher than 6th I think?

That's the crux of it isn't it, if we could defend properly then we'd be winning every week and challenging for the league. Easy peasey.

But would defending better as a unit mean Gabby and Weimann having to track back much more and so meaning Benteke is more isolated upfront and less chances?

Personally I prefer to see us scoring goals and we won enough games in the second half of the season to suggest that's the model worth preserving with as plenty of teams in the league won't have forward lines like we do.

I'd also hope that Luna is better defensively at LB than Bennett is and I'd be amazed if Okore isn't a better centre half than Ciaran Clark so that would mean 50% of our back 4 improving.

Its been mentioned before in this thread, but I think it bears repeating - conceding goals because, for instance, Gabby and Andi are up supporting Benteke, or conceding because Lowton is caught out from getting forward is ok - if we're going to be playing the attacking football most of us want to see, you'll just have to take that risk.  The real problems come when you're also conceding from stupid errors and awful set piece defending, and I hope Lambert and co can sort it out or else our fantastic attack is going to be badly wasted.

EDIT oops, sorry I thought I was in the defending thread

[SoccerHQ]

I think the relying on scoring more and putting up with the bad defending, Ardiles-like, is very risky indeed.

Teams which defend badly do not do well.

I agree but it has worked for us on occasions. 07/08, remember the 4-4s at Spurs and Chelsea?

[PeterWithesShin]

I think the relying on scoring more and putting up with the bad defending, Ardiles-like, is very risky indeed.

Teams which defend badly do not do well.

I still prefer it to hoping for a 1-0 like we did under Gregory or McLeish. Or in the case of McLeish, hoping to only lose 1-0.

[Steve kirk]

I have a lot of faith in Paul Lambert except where central defence is concerned, he is obviously happy with the 4 centre backs we have but I just cannot see why, that area of the team may well be our achilles heel for the 2nd season on the trot and may well see us struggle again next season,
I obviously hope I am wrong.

[OCD]

I think the relying on scoring more and putting up with the bad defending, Ardiles-like, is very risky indeed.

Teams which defend badly do not do well.

Or at least hit a glass ceiling.

The game has evolved into a more attacking one so clean sheets are rarer across the board than they used to be. However, there should still be the odd one here and there. I don't want to get caught up too much in the pre-season friendlies and we were obviously fighting for our lives last season so it remains to be seen whether we can get the odd clean sheet this season. Maybe by adding Okore and with the midfield providing some better support this season we might get the odd one.

[paulcomben]

So to recap, Liverpool are letting their player talk to Arsenal, James Alexander Gordon can no longer talk and Gareth Bale wants to talk Spanish.

[damon loves JT]

To be fair to that Spurs ITK tosser on Twitter, he reckons Bale is off too. I will commiserate hypocritically when he goes

[OCD]

Whilst I find it deliciously ironic with it looking like Bale's off, I also find it a bit disappointing just because he's a class player to watch and often in a game that was going nowhere he would spark it to life. I'm sure I'll be over it once I see Spurs fans wallowing in their own tears.

[RossLeach]

I think the relying on scoring more and putting up with the bad defending, Ardiles-like, is very risky indeed.

Teams which defend badly do not do well.

I agree but it has worked for us on occasions. 07/08, remember the 4-4s at Spurs and Chelsea?

I don't want to rememeber the 4-4 at Spurs.

[ozzjim]

I am with Dekko here, I am fine with conceding because we are pouring forward, but not fine when Vlaar loses his man from a corner, or Benteke is put man to man on corners when all and sundry can see he should be screening the near post. Lambert has some near on god like qualities for me, he impresses at almost every turn, but his woeful defensive coaching is truly his achilles heel. I hope the new coach can in time sort it, but for me we have to screen the back 4 better, Sylla helped with that, we have to have the full backs cover across better, Bennett especially, and we need to hope Okore is the second coming.

[Dave]

I think the relying on scoring more and putting up with the bad defending, Ardiles-like, is very risky indeed.

Teams which defend badly do not do well.

I agree but it has worked for us on occasions. 07/08, remember the 4-4s at Spurs and Chelsea?

I'm not sure I'd call throwing away healthy leads in those games evidence of it working. Had we gone out all guns blazing to fight back then I'd say that it could be seen as successful, but turning a 2-0 lead and a 4-1 lead into just two points isn't really a positive thing, anymore than throwing away a two goal lead against West Brom last season was.

[SoccerHQ]

I think the relying on scoring more and putting up with the bad defending, Ardiles-like, is very risky indeed.

Teams which defend badly do not do well.

I agree but it has worked for us on occasions. 07/08, remember the 4-4s at Spurs and Chelsea?

I'm not sure I'd call throwing away healthy leads in those games evidence of it working. Had we gone out all guns blazing to fight back then I'd say that it could be seen as successful, but turning a 2-0 lead and a 4-1 lead into just two points isn't really a positive thing, anymore than throwing away a two goal lead against West Brom last season was.

O.k we still finished 6th both seasons despite conceding quite a few goals at various times in the season.

[villa kicks]

I think the relying on scoring more and putting up with the bad defending, Ardiles-like, is very risky indeed.

Teams which defend badly do not do well.

I still prefer it to hoping for a 1-0 like we did under Gregory or McLeish. Or in the case of McLeish, hoping to only lose 1-0.

regards ardiles-like he was a midfielder not a defender so cant really apply that as his focus was more on creativity and attack.

[rob_bridge]

I think the relying on scoring more and putting up with the bad defending, Ardiles-like, is very risky indeed.

Teams which defend badly do not do well.

I still prefer it to hoping for a 1-0 like we did under Gregory or McLeish. Or in the case of McLeish, hoping to only lose 1-0.

regards ardiles-like he was a midfielder not a defender so cant really apply that as his focus was more on creativity and attack.

I think the poster was refering to Ardiles approach to tactics and management as opposed to his on field position in prior years. A wonderful footballer, general nice guy, who had to put up with bigoted shit (because the country he was from was managed by fascist expansionist lunatics at the time), but I bet he paid more income tax than most of his 'peers' 30 years on. He also gave the Boggies false hope.