Season turning point?

[Percy McCarthy]

After the last three shit years, I realised I didn't have any lucky clothes whatsoever. So I bought new trainers the day I bought my ticket to the Sunderland game, and wore them to said match.

Did you ever track down that Fred Perry Claret and Blue polo top?

Was that me? I got one in Selfridges ages ago, 60 quid when other colours were 45! It was never lucky though, think we lost first game I wore it.

[Toronto Villa]

Maybe, possibly, not buying anyone except Sylla in January. That must have been a confidence boost to the team. 

That's a very interesting perspective Dave. When you consider how the club was being lambasted for not investing more, Sylla's arrival and results consequently have essentially saved us. That the message being from the manager, "I trust in my players, and I believe in myself". This is the most together I can remember a Villa squad being in a number of years. Even under MON we had rumoirs of unrest with players.

I really don't there was a turning point. I think this was always a project and it is still coming together. The phrase "we go again" was ridiculed earlier in the season, but for me that's what has resulted in our safety. That our players kept to a philosophy and set of principles. That even in defat and embarrasment they stuck together and to the plan. This lot have really grown together and with the right additions and subtractions will be so much stronger for it.

[Nev]

Lowton's goal.

I can still see it sailing into the stand behind the goal and things could've been so very different.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm going much further back, right back to our away win against Man City in the cup. Despite a poor start and all the turbulence during the season, that win was a clear indication of what the team could achieve with hard work, dedication, togetherness and the talent available throughout the squad. It was, I think, the first time Gabby, Benteke and Weimann  all played together, with Bent dropped to the bench.

If the players had any doubts up until then, I'm sure that result helped focus them in to what they could achieve.

[lovejoy]

If we go down this thread will look a bit silly.

[Mister E]

I don't think there has been one particular turning point. It's like the discussion last season about whether Weimann's last-gasp goal against Fulham was the key goal of that season ...

I speak as someone who welcomed Lambert's appointment and have supported him pretty much throughout the season.
I think Lambert has played high stakes with the team and club: he has - as DW said - made it perfectly clear that he was going to stick to his strategy (evidenced in January) and we may just have pulled it off. The accumulation of points throughout the season has been slow and painful but the team has recently won more convincingly and regularly than previously and that has probably proved decisive.

Whilst this season may prove a turning point  - and God hopes that is so - it should also be seen as a season of missed opportunity. I refer to both Cups, in which we could quite easily have won one and perhaps made the semis or final of the other. Had Lambert been more balanced in his approach (with a couple of more experienced players coming in in January) we might well have done so.

However, I hope we now go on to garner another 4 or 6 points this season and build for next. I''ve no doubt that next season will be exciting for more positive reasons than this one, and that we will win further media plaudits for our football. I would like to actually win something more tangible though.

[robbo1874]

No it will be back to top 6 boredom next season!

[Legion]

Missing the Sunderland match. Bastards.

[nigel]

Lowton at Stoke. However, and i'm probably alone in this, i'd also go for the 15-0 week. We stuck with the same players, we stuck to doing the same things and that can only have helped the players later in the season. To go through a week like that and still be believed in by the manager must mean a lot.

And also us, we've been fantastic this season at matches. I'd like to think that's helped them as well.

You're certainly not alone.
I was actually going to post something very similar.

[Concrete John]

I think there has been two - one for the better and one for the worse:-

1.  We were improving early season and starting to get some good results, culminating in the Anfield win.  Chelsea away truned that as the scoreline knocked our confidence.  If not for that, I think we would have carried on our slow progress and eased into mid table.
2.  Half time at home to Newcastle.  Our form since has been better than it was pre-Chelsea and worthy of at least mid table.

[Virgil Caine]

I would go with the Sylla signing, the midfield and the side generally has looked far more balanced with him playing.

[supertom]

Lowton's goal. We were on the verge of throwing away 2-3 points. If anything, at that point, Stoke were probably more likely to get the winner following their equalizer, which was a gift because to that point they were utterly woeful. Lowt's pulled it out the bag.
That win has counted a lot to our form at the moment. Throwing away the win there could have killed us off. Losing it could have been a nail or two in the coffin.

[claretandbeer]

Delph 's improvement leading him to become a permanent fixture alongside Westwood .This has made our midfield more competitive.

[PaulWinch again]

Delph 's improvement leading him to become a permanent fixture alongside Westwood .This has made our midfield more competitive.

Very true, Delph if he can continue his upward curve could go a long way.

[eastie]

Beating west ham was vital- a win we needed and gave us the impetus to go on a decent run.