Ongoing Defensive Frailties

[tomd2103]

He's not a CB but I thought Chris Herd did pretty well yesterday.

I've got a lot of time for Herd.  You can guarantee he will give everything for the team and that aussie mongrel spirit is always an asset.
One of those players that, if sold, could really improve.  Unfortunately for him he's never had a run in the side (in the same position) except when we're desperate with injuries so it's hard to assess how good/bad he actually is.

Like Baker, he's poor on the ball and is way too rash in challenges.  After the debacle of last Christmas, I hoped we'd never see Herd, Baker and Clark in the same defensive line up ever again.  I was not remotely surprised that we looked all over the place at the back on Sunday with those three featuring. 

[Matt Collins]

Really hard to read lambert on Injuries. Quotes today suggest vlaar could be out for Sunday or not,  but also that 'I don't think it will be months again'.

Apart from Guzan he's the player we'd miss more than anyone. We did last year and he's playing way better this season

Although I'd love a creative midfielder I think an experienced centre back would be a priority if vlaar is out. I doubt we'd get one though

[Ron Manager]

The two full back positions should be filled by squad members that can defend. We have Lowton, Luna and Bennet all of whom can go forward quite well but are incompetent at their chosen position. Luna cannot even take a throw in properly! Lambert and his coaches seem blind to this. Defenders have to defend its not rocket science.

We are nowhere near good enough in a number of positions.

Chris Herd (although limited) at least gives his all for the club and is worth a run at right back.

[PaulWinch again]

We badly need Vlaar back quickly.

[Matt Collins]

I know some people hate stats, but . .

@martinlaurence7: In the 41 league games Ron Vlaar has started Villa's goal difference is -7. In the 14 he hasn't since signing Villa's goal difference is -21

So when Ron plays we average 0.17 more goals against than we score. Probably about mid table form if guess - reasonably even but tending to lose a bit more heavily than we win.

You can't read too much into a much smaller pattern of games - three games this time last year will have done a lot of damage. But on that basis When he doesn't play we average one and a half a more goals against than we score per match.that must be bottom of the table stuff. Either way, it's pretty stark. I can barely think of a game we've played without vlaar - certainly when we've played a back four - where we've not conceded two goals or more. We certainly have in every game he's missed since he got injured this season

Surely lambert must see that and for all that we'd like a creative midfielder and better defensive midfield options, if vlaar remains out for a while we really are in trouble.

[eastie]

Do people think donacien should be at least on the bench with all the defensive problems we are having .
Granted its at a lesser level but when I've watched him he's often impressed  .

[Ads]

Yet another frigging season where our first choice centre halves are not fit.

Over the past tean years, we have had zero luck with this position and long term injuries.

[Lee]

Yet another frigging season where our first choice centre halves are not fit.

Over the past tean years, we have had zero luck with this position and long term injuries.

At the end of last season, I was hopeful that the Clark/Baker duo would never be the case at the centre of our defence.

 

[David_Nab]

Yet another frigging season where our first choice centre halves are not fit.

Over the past tean years, we have had zero luck with this position and long term injuries.

At the end of last season, I was hopeful that the Clark/Baker duo would never be the case at the centre of our defence.

 

No we got the far scarier proposition of Baker and Herd CB

[PaulWinch again]

Vlaar is absolutely vital to our defence and he's been about absolutely outstanding this year.

[SoccerHQ]

We've conceded 23 goals which is still only a couple more than the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Spurs have conceded as many as us.

We've conceded 9 in three and a half matches since Ron got injured so as daft as it sounds we'd have one of the best defences in the league if he'd stayed fit as I don't believe we'd have conceded half the goals with him on the pitch.

Just shows how important a senior head is at the back.

[Monty]

We've conceded 23 goals which is still only a couple more than the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea and Spurs have conceded as many as us.

We've conceded 9 in three and a half matches since Ron got injured so as daft as it sounds we'd have one of the best defences in the league if he'd stayed fit as I don't believe we'd have conceded half the goals with him on the pitch.

Just shows how important a senior head is at the back.

And also shows what we know to be true from watching: if all the players were fit, we'd still have lots of problems going forward.

[old man villa fan]

Who was the last fullback that came through from the youth team and reserves and developed into a decent first team player. I am struggling to think of any in the last 10 years. If there has not been one, that is amazing for a club that has consistently well at youth and reserve team level.  This is a position that you usually get time to develop in, unlike being thrown in at center back.

[Matt Collins]

Unless vlaar is able to recover in time, we face the prospect of a back four v Sunderland as follows:

Bacuna Lowton baker luna

I think that might be the worst back four I'll have ever seen villa play

I cannot see us getting anything out of a game if we have to play that way

[Merv]

Why, is Clark banned?

You'd be right though. I'd put Donacien in, if needs be. He knows the position.