Villa's style of play

[PaulWinch again]

With their wonderful three-man attack, Aston Villa are one of the most entertaining sides in the league but while there is plenty to admire about the diligence of Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann, it is Christian Benteke whose goals grab the headlines. He has scored four of their goals this season, so the news that he will be out with a hip injury for six weeks comes as a crushing blow, putting pressure not just on Villa's other forwards but also a defence which is hardly renowned for its solidity. At least Benteke's replacement, Libor Kozak, scored the winner within minutes of coming on against Norwich last Saturday but the 6ft 4in Czech striker is less mobile than the Belgian and Villa's game is largely based around speed, especially on the break. Without his biggest goal threat, Paul Lambert may have to curb his attacking instincts and opt for a more cautious approach against City, whose defeat at Cardiff proved that they can toil against deep defences. Their best hope may be that City have one eye on the visit of Bayern Munich in the Champions League next Wednesday, though.

For today's Guardian.

Why the discrepency between how some on here see us, and the press sees us?

I think that applies away but not really at home.

[aj2k77]

With their wonderful three-man attack, Aston Villa are one of the most entertaining sides in the league but while there is plenty to admire about the diligence of Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann, it is Christian Benteke whose goals grab the headlines. He has scored four of their goals this season, so the news that he will be out with a hip injury for six weeks comes as a crushing blow, putting pressure not just on Villa's other forwards but also a defence which is hardly renowned for its solidity. At least Benteke's replacement, Libor Kozak, scored the winner within minutes of coming on against Norwich last Saturday but the 6ft 4in Czech striker is less mobile than the Belgian and Villa's game is largely based around speed, especially on the break. Without his biggest goal threat, Paul Lambert may have to curb his attacking instincts and opt for a more cautious approach against City, whose defeat at Cardiff proved that they can toil against deep defences. Their best hope may be that City have one eye on the visit of Bayern Munich in the Champions League next Wednesday, though.

For today's Guardian.

Why the discrepency between how some on here see us, and the press sees us?

I think that applies away but not really at home.

Because the lazy journalist most probably doesn't actually watch many Villa games.

[dave.woodhall]

With their wonderful three-man attack, Aston Villa are one of the most entertaining sides in the league but while there is plenty to admire about the diligence of Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann, it is Christian Benteke whose goals grab the headlines. He has scored four of their goals this season, so the news that he will be out with a hip injury for six weeks comes as a crushing blow, putting pressure not just on Villa's other forwards but also a defence which is hardly renowned for its solidity. At least Benteke's replacement, Libor Kozak, scored the winner within minutes of coming on against Norwich last Saturday but the 6ft 4in Czech striker is less mobile than the Belgian and Villa's game is largely based around speed, especially on the break. Without his biggest goal threat, Paul Lambert may have to curb his attacking instincts and opt for a more cautious approach against City, whose defeat at Cardiff proved that they can toil against deep defences. Their best hope may be that City have one eye on the visit of Bayern Munich in the Champions League next Wednesday, though.

For today's Guardian.

Why the discrepency between how some on here see us, and the press sees us?

I think that applies away but not really at home.

Because the lazy journalist most probably doesn't actually watch many Villa games.

Anybody with anything good to say doesn't watch us. Wonderful.

[FranzBiberkopf]

Anybody with anything good to say doesn't watch us. Wonderful.

Exactly.

Every team outside of the very top few would take our front three of our hands in a shot.

In the words of the song "You don't know what you've got 'til its gone".

[FranzBiberkopf]

Part of the problem with hoofing it is that while Benteke/Kozak will probably win most of the headers, there isn't enough movement from our other players to get on the end of flick ons and lay offs and whatnot

I do have to disagree with this. Certainly in terms of the front three. Weimann and Gabby never STOP moving.

The centre of midfield can be a little pedestrian admittedly, and certainly need to offer more in the way of goals. But I certainly don't think we are aimless of long ball by any stretch.

[dekko]

Because the lazy journalist most probably doesn't actually watch many Villa games.

Brilliant, that old cliche.

As patchy as the Grauniad's football coverage is, they generally have a good handle on whats going on at the Villa.  Heres what they wrote in the '10 things' section after the Newcastle game:

Aston Villa lacking goals and guile in midfield
These are early days and it should not be overlooked that Aston Villa played Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in their first three matches but it was still alarming to see Paul Lambert's side put on such a poor performance in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle United. Short of ideas going forward and fragile at the back, Villa were booed off. Take Christian Benteke out of the team and it is hard to imagine where the goals will come from. Certainly not midfield. Karim El Ahmadi, Fabian Delph and Ashley Westwood – the midfield three on Saturday – have played a combined 112 Premier League games. They have one goal (El Ahmadi) between them and seven assists (all Westwood). It would not be so bad if their presence gave Villa a more solid look defensively but the Midlands club have failed to keep a clean sheet in 26 league matches. The defence must take a large share of the blame for that record – the full-backs Matthew Lowton and Antonio Luna will not want to review footage of Newcastle's goals while there is always an air of vulnerability about central defence whatever pairing Lambert picks. At the same time it is hard to see how El Ahmadi, Delph and Westwood work as a midfield trio. El Ahmadi is the obvious fall guy. The replacement – a midfielder who is capable of breaking into the penalty area and has an eye for a killer pass – is harder to spot in the Villa squad.

Hard to argue with either article IMO

[dave.woodhall]

Their Villa man Stuart James is not only a top writer, he used to be on our books as a youth.

[PaulWinch again]

Because the lazy journalist most probably doesn't actually watch many Villa games.

Brilliant, that old cliche.

As patchy as the Grauniad's football coverage is, they generally have a good handle on whats going on at the Villa.  Heres what they wrote in the '10 things' section after the Newcastle game:

Aston Villa lacking goals and guile in midfield
These are early days and it should not be overlooked that Aston Villa played Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in their first three matches but it was still alarming to see Paul Lambert's side put on such a poor performance in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle United. Short of ideas going forward and fragile at the back, Villa were booed off. Take Christian Benteke out of the team and it is hard to imagine where the goals will come from. Certainly not midfield. Karim El Ahmadi, Fabian Delph and Ashley Westwood – the midfield three on Saturday – have played a combined 112 Premier League games. They have one goal (El Ahmadi) between them and seven assists (all Westwood). It would not be so bad if their presence gave Villa a more solid look defensively but the Midlands club have failed to keep a clean sheet in 26 league matches. The defence must take a large share of the blame for that record – the full-backs Matthew Lowton and Antonio Luna will not want to review footage of Newcastle's goals while there is always an air of vulnerability about central defence whatever pairing Lambert picks. At the same time it is hard to see how El Ahmadi, Delph and Westwood work as a midfield trio. El Ahmadi is the obvious fall guy. The replacement – a midfielder who is capable of breaking into the penalty area and has an eye for a killer pass – is harder to spot in the Villa squad.

Hard to argue with either article IMO

Seems pretty much bang on.

[olaftab]

It's a very fair article.

[McGraths Dry Cleaning]

Anybody with anything good to say doesn't watch us. Wonderful.

Exactly.

Every team outside of the very top few would take our front three of our hands in a shot.

In the words of the song "You don't know what you've got 'til its gone".

Cinderella ??

I think one of the main problems for us is lack of movement. When we're trying to press teams (at home) theres never an outlet which results in a) hoofball b) sideways running and passing back which makes the Holte End boil its pi*s collectively. This is the kind of stuff Lambert should be sorting out by now.

[supertom]

Anybody played Fifa 14 yet? We're bobbins on the game. Our playing style is long ball and the commentators always start with Alan Smith declaring that we're a mid-table club who have fallen below our place and will be lucky to stay up this season. Lol.
Granted that may well be true, but honestly, you'd think Smithy would have thrown the script away and been a bit more complimentary...mind you, he's never been one to be wildly positive about us.

[supertom]

Because the lazy journalist most probably doesn't actually watch many Villa games.

Brilliant, that old cliche.

As patchy as the Grauniad's football coverage is, they generally have a good handle on whats going on at the Villa.  Heres what they wrote in the '10 things' section after the Newcastle game:

Aston Villa lacking goals and guile in midfield
These are early days and it should not be overlooked that Aston Villa played Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in their first three matches but it was still alarming to see Paul Lambert's side put on such a poor performance in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle United. Short of ideas going forward and fragile at the back, Villa were booed off. Take Christian Benteke out of the team and it is hard to imagine where the goals will come from. Certainly not midfield. Karim El Ahmadi, Fabian Delph and Ashley Westwood – the midfield three on Saturday – have played a combined 112 Premier League games. They have one goal (El Ahmadi) between them and seven assists (all Westwood). It would not be so bad if their presence gave Villa a more solid look defensively but the Midlands club have failed to keep a clean sheet in 26 league matches. The defence must take a large share of the blame for that record – the full-backs Matthew Lowton and Antonio Luna will not want to review footage of Newcastle's goals while there is always an air of vulnerability about central defence whatever pairing Lambert picks. At the same time it is hard to see how El Ahmadi, Delph and Westwood work as a midfield trio. El Ahmadi is the obvious fall guy. The replacement – a midfielder who is capable of breaking into the penalty area and has an eye for a killer pass – is harder to spot in the Villa squad.

Hard to argue with either article IMO

Seems pretty much bang on.

A good summation definitely. I'd also agree, KEA seems to be the one who doesnt quite fit. Mostly I base that on Westy's form last season, that almost makes him undroppable from the current personnel. He's the only one who's capable of picking a pass for a goal. And as said that's evident from his 7 assists (only one of which is from this season, from a corner). That however is also not enough. He needs to deliver more.

ASAP I'd like to see us revert back to Delph, Sylla and Westwood together. It's the only midfield combo we've played that seems to work in any consistent manor.

[dekko]

Anybody played Fifa 14 yet? We're bobbins on the game. Our playing style is long ball and the commentators always start with Alan Smith declaring that we're a mid-table club who have fallen below our place and will be lucky to stay up this season. Lol.
Granted that may well be true, but honestly, you'd think Smithy would have thrown the script away and been a bit more complimentary...mind you, he's never been one to be wildly positive about us.

FIFA ratings have always been terrible.  I'll wait until Football Manager 2014 comes out before I start getting angry about being disrespected by computer games 

[danlanza]

Tomorrow, we will play like Brazil and smash these over paid, over rated tossers into next week.............................................grabs bible , falls to knees.

[onje_villa]

Lambert talks the talk, much like MON did about playing the right way but the facts are the facts. We also apparently have the lowest possession in the entire league.

It certainly doesn't point to us getting the ball down and playing it. I agree with Irish Villain, when Lambert started we were a passing team but more and more we seem to be going direct.

What is frustrating is that it's not even like we're any good at it. When you have Kojak and Helenius up front, you should be trying to get balls in to the box for them to get on the end of. Our direct stuff has been aimless in the last few matches.

I'd love to see more of an emphasis placed on getting in a few "cultured" players and being more comfortable in possession, especially at home.