Confidence In The Manager

[eamonn]

If that's the game at Stamford Bridge where they beat us 4-1, that Blue Nosed oik Forsell bagged a couple if I recall?

We were top of the league at the time, took the lead and then got bummed.

Tommy Jazczun (sp?) made his one and only appearance for us, coming on for Alan Wright when we didn't have a left-back understudy nor did we need one thanks to superwrighty.

[olaftab]

As you said and I am in that old school cat so reserve the right to get annoyed about cheap cup exits! It's equally annoying that we merely make up the numbers nowadays in the league but there we are.....

What was so cheap about it? Please explain.

I said exits not just the one on Tuesday.  I am going over old ground on Tuesday if we accept thaft players with "knocks" had to be rested for a league game there was still no valid reason to start with a rookie keeper. I guess we will not agree on this so I will leave it now.

[Dave]

...there was still no valid reason to start with a rookie keeper.

I'd bet good money that Guzan wouldn't be the great keeper that he is now if he's not been given the experience of a couple of dozen cup matches in the O'Neill years to get used to playing proper matches.

[Salsa Party Animal]

If I were Paul Lambert I would add John Gregory and Brian Little to coaching staff as JG can make us more solid as a team while we can keep the attacking football.

I think we need to learn to pass the ball and use the Ball like Spain/Barcelona to progress. Is there any good coach from Barcelona we could use to put Barcelona footprint.

[PaulWinch again]

If I were Paul Lambert I would add John Gregory and Brian Little to coaching staff as JG can make us more solid as a team while we can keep the attacking football.

I think we need to learn to pass the ball and use the Ball like Spain/Barcelona to progress. Is there any good coach from Barcelona we could use to put Barcelona footprint.

I wouldn't add a former manager, it would undermine Lambert.

[Stu]

I don't think you'll get much respite aftab until you admit you should think in a different way and stop being disappointed with Villa's shit home form and limp cup exit.

There's nothing wrong with playing a weakened side due to injury, we also should probably admit that Prem survival is the prime mover for this club now. However, these things don't mean it doesn't matter when we cave in 0-4 at home. We should be giving anyone a game, even if we come up short.

[levico]

I think it's all been said for now although this debate will go on and on fuelled, one way or another, by future results - including the inevitable demolition by Man City on Saturday.

I guess my concern about Tuesday was that in there was some more evidence for me that the grand 'experiment' of 'buy them young, foreign and cheap' is not working. Nothing we could have done about the gulf in class but where was the youthful energy? Why didn't our young players swarm all over them and make things difficult. Surely that's down to the manager to insist on - I don't think he did for whatever reason.

[Stu]

I know some who enjoyed the game on Tuesday due to, and I quote, "wankers not being there who do nothing apart from say everything is shit."

Takes all sorts dunnit?

[olaftab]

Thanks Stu. I am starting to question my what I thought were normal supporters expectations.

[eastie]

If I were Paul Lambert I would add John Gregory and Brian Little to coaching staff as JG can make us more solid as a team while we can keep the attacking football.

I think we need to learn to pass the ball and use the Ball like Spain/Barcelona to progress. Is there any good coach from Barcelona we could use to put Barcelona footprint.

Lambert has added to his staff in the summer- lets give it at least a few months before questioning things, yes he could have put out a stronger side on Tuesday but we would probably still have lost - i have great concerns about our home form and the style of football at home but our heaviest league defeat has been by the odd goal and we have 2 away wins in the bag having had a tough fixture list .

The injury to okore in particular is a hammer blow as he looked really useful alongside Vlaar , but lets see how things progress and see where we are in December .

[Richard E]

I think it's all been said for now although this debate will go on and on fuelled, one way or another, by future results - including the inevitable demolition by Man City on Saturday.

I guess my concern about Tuesday was that in there was some more evidence for me that the grand 'experiment' of 'buy them young, foreign and cheap' is not working. Nothing we could have done about the gulf in class but where was the youthful energy? Why didn't our young players swarm all over them and make things difficult. Surely that's down to the manager to insist on - I don't think he did for whatever reason.

That was what got me on Tuesday, I expected us to be at least "up for it" and we did not seem to be.

I have confidence in the Manager, he is the guy I wanted us to appoint and I like the cut of his jib. With the resources we have he is the right person for the job and I am not sure there is anyone who could do massively better without a major injection of funds.

Whether the Club have the means/will to get to anywhere worth getting excited about is another question. I was quietly confident before a  ball was kicked that we would do OK this year but I am not 100% sure towards what ultimate goal we are these days "a work in progress" and at what point we are entitled to expect to stop being a "work in progress" and arrive at our "destination." 

[Ads]

including the inevitable demolition by Man City on Saturday.

[KevinGage]

Good points - I am sick to the stomach though feeling all the pre season optimism seeping away so rapidly.
I was lucky enough to see us reach our pinnacle back in 1981/82. We have seen glimpses of a resurgence however we really are a mediocre club with little or no chance of winning anything in the foreseeable future. I dread us becoming like Wigan, slogging it out each seaon to avoid the drop but eventually going through the trap door.
I am not impressed by Lambert but agree that we need a long term strategy but watching the dreadful home performances season on season drains the energy - I used to be a blind devotee of my club but quite frankly the current team /squad and management is turning me off to such an extent that I now find myself leaving before the end of each game, missing some games despite having a season ticket. There just is no fun watching the Villa at home. Will Lambert change all that? - it doesn`t look that way but I guess we need to give him time -

Agree with that almost entirely.

[Salsa Party Animal]

How difficult to make the players to play football with a proper passing game like Swansea/Barcelona/Spain instead of Counter attacking game. We could keep counter attacking as another option.

[pauliewalnuts]

If I were Paul Lambert I would add John Gregory and Brian Little to coaching staff as JG can make us more solid as a team while we can keep the attacking football.

I think we need to learn to pass the ball and use the Ball like Spain/Barcelona to progress. Is there any good coach from Barcelona we could use to put Barcelona footprint.

Lambert has added to his staff in the summer- lets give it at least a few months before questioning things, yes he could have put out a stronger side on Tuesday but we would probably still have lost - i have great concerns about our home form and the style of football at home but our heaviest league defeat has been by the odd goal and we have 2 away wins in the bag having had a tough fixture list .

True.

Would the result have been any different had we played our strongest side? Almost certainly not much, no.

However, I do recall Houllier saying the same thing after a cup defeat at Man City, and he got slaughtered for it.