Aston Villa v Sunderland Post-Match Thread

[N'Zimidy]

Benteke was absolutely dreadful. O'Shea and Brown had good matches but it wasn't like they were facing much. We looked better when we switched to a 4-4-2 but still woeful. Sunderland have nothing about them in all honesty. They were second best the entire match in what was probably the worst performance from a Villa team under Lambert. All they did was sit back and, as usual, against teams like that we couldn't break them down. I'm disappointed, it was a horrendous game but the future is still bright under Lambert in my opinion.

Looking on the plus side we're in the top half of the table as it stands. Plus we still have plenty of easy fixtures against shit like Fulham, Stoke and Palace before the New Year comes around.

[ozzjim]

People losing faith a third of the way into the second season shows how predictably fickle it all is.

Not defending the display, but if those of you who have lost faith can suggest a better replacement in the circumstances I would love to hear it.

[Deano's Mullet]

Wasn't today an "easy fixture?"

[kippaxvilla2]

I liken our side (the imports mainly) to being carried away on holiday in Greece. You know when it's a beautiful evening, and it's the last night of the holiday.  The Retsina wine is tasting absolutely fabulous so as a going home present you decide to push the boat out and bring home half a dozen bottles, that again in September taste ok once home.  Then the winter draws in and they turn into foul imports totally unconsumable and eventually get thrown out before you end up having a glass of vinegar.

[JUAN PABLO]

we needed quality bringing in and hes bought players in that are not good enough , we are even going back to the Albrightons to help us out and there are signings he bought last year that cant get into this poor team .
 He as had nearly 18 months and we are seeing too many of these performances , no tactics , no motivation , nothing , he is clueless .
we are going back in my opinion .

We wont go down as I think there is 3 other teams who are worse and thought Sunderland was one of them but this is not good enough.

[supertom]

Lambert has stopped me wanting to go. Today was my first Saturday I could make it for a while but I thought fuck it, we are shit at home anyway, not worth the money and effort. Im so glad I didn't. Gutted for my cousin who travelled up from Plymouth

We have been fucking awful at home since Martin O'Neill was here in all fairness.

Lambert has made some mistakes but slaughtering him alone for the home form is not really a true picture.

I thought we were average at home under O Neill. I'd take stinkin average at the moment over utterly piss poor.

We look totally clueless under Lambert. There's plenty of hard work, running and youthful exuberance, but tactically it's clueless, and we've been unable to do what we did from Feb-March because teams have worked us out. What we did then was hardly subtle either. It worked, but was always going to be short term because teams will wise up to it.

This season we're very much McLeish-esque. Fairly solid, tough to beat, no style whatsoever. We could nick the odd goal here and there. Under McLeish we were in a similarly solid and safe position until Jan. Then we lost Petrov, Dunne and Bent all between Jan-Feb and it went tits up. The defence wasn't as good. The guy getting the goals was gone, and our best midfielder had gone.
If we lose Vlaar for example, and 1-2 other better players longer term, would Lambert have an answer? I don't think he would. I think we'd implode as badly as we did under McLeish. Right now it's Vlaar and Clark largely responsible for getting us results because they've been pretty solid. We looked less solid last time out because of Baker playing centrally.

[pauliewalnuts]

Turgid stuff.

So many of our side have an atrocious first touch it's untrue. That, coupled with a scattering of truly half assed performances meant once again coming away from Villa Park fed up and underwhelmed.

The sad part is, its all starting to get incredibly, incredibly predictable.

One of the problems is that if you look at those who put in half-arsed performances, then look at the options to replace them, there aren't any.

I am as pleased as the next man that we are FFP compliant now, but look at the state of that squad. There are not many weaker squads in the league.

We are, however, tenth, somehow. If that is the basis on which we are going to start to play some good football, then fine, but that needs to start happening pretty quickly because, patient though we are, people are not going to put up with absolute guff like that at home for much longer.

[Singapore Villa]

Aimless, clueless, feckless, classless and useless. This was sub-McLeish.

I really don't see the big picture. We lack quality and Lambert is tactically clueless. The players are well short on ability and ideas. We work hard, we run a lot and it's getting some results, with no small amount of luck along the way. But what happens when the luck runs out and the results start getting worse?
I'm getting fed up with it to be honest. We'll probably finish comfortably safe from the drop zone this season, but with what ambition? With how much quality? We play wretched football. There's not an ounce of consideration or composure.
Being defensively more resolute this season is good, but much like McLeish's season, if we lose 2-3 key players throughout the team, we could well falter. We can't afford to lose Vlaar or Clark, because then the solidity is gone.
If Benteke continues to struggle and look like he couldn't give a toss, then we'll struggle to score.

We're awful at home. We grind out results away I suppose, but with no style whatsoever.

I've lost faith in Lamberts ability to put us in the right direction. His goal, which he made clear, was to have us playing football in the right way. Passing, movement, on the deck. That's nowhere near close. He's not even signed the right players to do that because right through our side we've got players with substandard ball control and passing ability.

As for today. Vlaar, Clark and Gabby did okay. Everyone else was poor.

I agree with all of that SuperT.  I would add that Benteke was garbage as he wasn't at the races at all.  He made O'Shea look world class!  Did Benteke win one header?  Not that I remember!

[Toronto Villa]

Wasn't today an "easy fixture?"

I expect us to beat Southampton away. That's how odd the season has been. Today was dire. Sack the manager talk is utterly ludicrous. We've gone from a team that opens up like your every day street tramp to one trying to figure out how to still remain creative while tight at the back. Days like this, shit though it feels are to be expected.

[VinnieChase84]

People losing faith a third of the way into the second season shows how predictably fickle it all is.

Not defending the display, but if those of you who have lost faith can suggest a better replacement in the circumstances I would love to hear it.
I don't think its fickle when we have been consistently serving up shit for a long period if time, with no attempt to alter it

[Irish villain]

People losing faith a third of the way into the second season shows how predictably fickle it all is.

Not defending the display, but if those of you who have lost faith can suggest a better replacement in the circumstances I would love to hear it.

Maybe they are losing faith because we don't seem to be moving in the right direction. When we saw the fixture list we knew this run was a chance to pick up points and build a bit of momentum at home given that we have been fighting relegation for three years and have won about eight times at home in those three years.

I think fans will be forgiving if they see effort and endeavor (as we did last year). They will be less forgiving when they see a lack of effort and displays that are boring as we are seeing as this season progresses.

[pauliewalnuts]

People losing faith a third of the way into the second season shows how predictably fickle it all is.

Not defending the display, but if those of you who have lost faith can suggest a better replacement in the circumstances I would love to hear it.

I haven't lost faith in him yet, but why must those who have done come up with a better man to replace him?

There are plenty of people saying they've lost faith but almost nobody saying we should sack him.

And that stuff about fickle is cliched nonsense, too. It's not like we started with a clean slate. Last season was abysmal too.

I still gave faith in him but to suggest those who feel otherwise are fickle or that there aren't reasons to do so strikes me as burying your head in the sand.

[hilts_coolerking]

People losing faith a third of the way into the second season shows how predictably fickle it all is.

Not defending the display, but if those of you who have lost faith can suggest a better replacement in the circumstances I would love to hear it.

Are you saying there is not one manager out there who could do a better job than Lambert?

[brontebilly]

The almost total lack of composure in possession is very worrying.

I also wonder what he sees in Luna, because what I see is a clown way out of his depth.

yeah luna is a charlatan of a footballer. No heart, brain, strength or positional sense

[Deano's Mullet]

Wasn't today an "easy fixture?"

I expect us to beat Southampton away. That's how odd the season has been. Today was dire. Sack the manager talk is utterly ludicrous. We've gone from a team that opens up like your every day street tramp to one trying to figure out how to still remain creative while tight at the back. Days like this, shit though it feels are to be expected.

 Right now I  look at a  trip to St Marys  as daunting as it would be to visit Old Trafford. Arsenal and Chelsea aside I cant think of any performances where we've looked solid and consistently good for 90 mins. I may be being unfair but we're going to get a hammering sooner or later and I can see it happening next week. We're hoping to snatch a goal at the minute and hope for the best. Lambert is tactically inept!