At home but where is the comfort?

[eastie]

My simple minded view is we haven't got very good players.

I'm increasingly inclined to agree with you

We've got some very good players (Benteke, Guzan), we've got a lot of average Premier League players, and we've got some poor players.  We've probably got an average-to-below average Premier League team and squad (although I worry a lot at how we'd fair without Benteke!).  We'll probably finish lower mid-table which is slightly better than last year.  Lambert's record so far suggests that given time he'll improve us again next season.

Short of throwing a billion pounds at the squad I don't really see what some fans expect.  Man City have spent over £500m and didn't win the league last year.  Is chucking lots of money at the problem really the answer (and think really hard about the MON years before you answer that!)?

Randy could spend £50m on the team and we may go from lower table to 7th or 8th - a rise of possible £5m in prize money .

Would you spend £50m to win £5m ?
I think if its £20m randy has put in this summer then that should be enough to keep us in lower midtable - perhaps he realise it would cost multi millions to try and challenge  the top sides and has decided the aim is to stay in the league.

Newcastle fans are up on arms after Ashley said he's not worried about the cups and the aim is staying up - maybe we are similar .

Either way i believe randy has given lambert enough financial backing to comfortably finish midtable.

[SoccerHQ]

My simple minded view is we haven't got very good players.

I'm increasingly inclined to agree with you

With respect that's quite a lazy view I think. SHA under TSM had a shite squad but they went unbeaten at home at the temple of doom for I think a year, Southampton are unbeaten at home this season, West Ham had a good home record last year and they were a newly promoted team and when Stoke came up in 2008 they won 10 home games that year.

You don't have to have great squads to be difficult to beat at home and win a few games. I'm not even asking to win at home every week as a) it's not possible and b) we win regularly away from home which many clubs in this league don't.

[SoccerHQ]

End of last season we were playing well, scoring goals, winning crucial games and were actually good to watch, I enjoyed a lot of the games at the end of the season even if some like Chelsea at home we actually lost and others were excruating regarding actually getting the result given how close we were to going down. It just seems like the squad actually realised "oh fcuk we're probably going down, better start playing well" and hey presto we accumulated enough points to survive in the run in.

This season apart from the first two games, second half against City and first half on saturday I can't really say we're passing the ball that well at all which is disappointing as we were improving significantly in that respect from March onwards.

[PeterWithe]

Another thing I have noticed is that, last year, and even this year at Arsenal, when we didn't have the ball, we'd work like fuck to get it back - harrying and closing down the opposition.

Against Everton for the first ten minutes of the second half I made a point of mentioning to my mate how well we were pressing them and how much fitter we looked, then it seemed to dwindle before stopping altogether when Tonev was subbed.

[edgysatsuma89]

I'm just wondering whether a signing like Arteta might make a big difference. Arsenal are kind of overrun with players at the moment. They've got so many in good form, particularly in midfield that his chances might become increasingly rare. Might be worth a punt and he could be good for us for a year or two. He's at Arsenal so his wages wouldn't be astronomical. A player like that we're crying out for. If not him there's probably a few others similar we might be able to get from Spain or Italy.

One person in my head who might be useful for us is Zaha. Moyes has come out and said that he may be moved out on loan in January.

I was just about to post this myself, luckily I read your wisdom filled post beforehand otherwise I would have looked like a right plum.

I doubt he's on that much either going from palace (Andros's new contract only 16k? Ay?!) so subsidising wages shouldn't be an issue.

He's got a point to prove. Is he fancied as well? He's playing an 18 year old in Januzaj. So he can see how wonderful we are and move to us permanently.

I know a lot on here don't like loans to the mighty Villa. But we're not exactly that mighty anymore. Sacrilege!

[SoccerHQ]

Conceding a goal just seems to knock the stuffing out of us at home, heads certainly dropped when Everton took the lead as there were still over 20 minutes remaining but we only created the Gabby chance and nothing when it went 2 nil.

It was like that against Spurs aswell, I was happy with how we played for the first 30 mins in that game but as soon as Spurs scored they controlled it from then on and we rarely looked like getting an equaliser bar the five minutes when Benteke came on.

Man. City is just looking like a fluke, we really need to be beating Cardiff and Sunderland in our next two home games. Can't help feeling one of those will be a frustrating draw. Not winning either isn't really an option, for Lambert as much as anybody.

[eastie]

End of last season we were playing well, scoring goals, winning crucial games and were actually good to watch, I enjoyed a lot of the games at the end of the season even if some like Chelsea at home we actually lost and others were excruating regarding actually getting the result given how close we were to going down. It just seems like the squad actually realised "oh fcuk we're probably going down, better start playing well" and hey presto we accumulated enough points to survive in the run in.

This season apart from the first two games, second half against City and first half on saturday I can't really say we're passing the ball that well at all which is disappointing as we were improving significantly in that respect from March onwards.

A lot of that resurgence was helped by yacouba sylla.

[supertom]

The trouble when we concede is that we don't have much experience. A bit of that nous that can help steady the ship and then get back into the game. Then most of our opposition will have few older heads in their side who can help keep their lead and keep our youngens expending energy in areas that won't hurt them. Spurs had the quality and the nous to do this. Everton likewise did. Soon as we went behind we never looked remotely like getting back into it. Then second killer goals put it comfortably beyond doubt.

[nick harper]

Another thing I have noticed is that, last year, and even this year at Arsenal, when we didn't have the ball, we'd work like fuck to get it back - harrying and closing down the opposition.

Against Everton for the first ten minutes of the second half I made a point of mentioning to my mate how well we were pressing them and how much fitter we looked, then it seemed to dwindle before stopping altogether when Tonev was subbed.

We are either not fit enough to play the high pressing game or Lambert tells them not to press sides in their own half. Either way, I think it is a game we should adopt at home to stop sides getting their comfy slippers on and making themselves at home at VP.

Admittedly we were more on the front foot against Everton but that worsened as the game went on. Against Liverpool, Spurs (twice) and Man City in the first half, we made life so easy for them.

Southampton play the high pressing game very effectively and are reaping the benefits but it needs players closing down in twos all over the pitch. It can be very effective if done well, particularly against better sides.

[olaftab]

Absolute rubbish.

Yes utter codswallop!

[citizenDJ]

Another thing I have noticed is that, last year, and even this year at Arsenal, when we didn't have the ball, we'd work like fuck to get it back - harrying and closing down the opposition.

For most of this season, though, there doesn't seem to have been anything like enough of that. It is almost as if they've been reading the papers about how dangerous they are on the counter attack and have decided they don't really need to do that any more, they'll just let the opposition keep the ball and do what they want with it.

This has infuriated me a fair bit too. Most of the time, they don't look too 'young and hungry' to me. I wonder if being so poor, so often is beginning to dent their self-belief at all?

[eastie]

Absolute rubbish.

Yes utter codswallop!

Poppycock

[olaftab]

I see how this thread is going. Anything good we have done this season is down to pure luck and all bad stuff is due to Lambert's no good, we are just crap, we have too many young players, need and old head etc etc.

And oh yes we go to pieces when the other team scores, our heads drop as was when Arsenal, Newcastle and mancity twice took the lead?
 

[usav]

My simple minded view is we haven't got very good players.

I'm increasingly inclined to agree with you

With respect that's quite a lazy view I think. SHA under TSM had a shite squad but they went unbeaten at home at the temple of doom for I think a year, Southampton are unbeaten at home this season, West Ham had a good home record last year and they were a newly promoted team and when Stoke came up in 2008 they won 10 home games that year.

You don't have to have great squads to be difficult to beat at home and win a few games. I'm not even asking to win at home every week as a) it's not possible and b) we win regularly away from home which many clubs in this league don't.

Lambert has decided on a style of football he wants to play and has brought in players accordingly.   The problem is the players aren't good enough to get us anywhere other than where we are.   Nobody should be surprised at this, especially when you see the type of money other teams are throwing around.

[SoccerHQ]

Another thing I have noticed is that, last year, and even this year at Arsenal, when we didn't have the ball, we'd work like fuck to get it back - harrying and closing down the opposition.

Against Everton for the first ten minutes of the second half I made a point of mentioning to my mate how well we were pressing them and how much fitter we looked, then it seemed to dwindle before stopping altogether when Tonev was subbed.

We are either not fit enough to play the high pressing game or Lambert tells them not to press sides in their own half. Either way, I think it is a game we should adopt at home to stop sides getting their comfy slippers on and making themselves at home at VP.

Admittedly we were more on the front foot against Everton but that worsened as the game went on. Against Liverpool, Spurs (twice) and Man City in the first half, we made life so easy for them.

Southampton play the high pressing game very effectively and are reaping the benefits but it needs players closing down in twos all over the pitch. It can be very effective if done well, particularly against better sides.

I remember last season we did it against Swansea early on and it worked very well. We had a routine 2-0 win which must have been the last comfortable league win we've had at VP and that was September 2012!