Aston Villa v Sunderland Post-Match Thread

[Toronto Villa]

Caption competition sir if ever there was one

[Dave Clark Five]

We're in tenth spot and the ship is being steadied after a couple of years of serious turmoil. Lambert is doing a fine job in my view.

If you are happy to watch that sort of drivel then fair play to you - it was crap and yet you think he's doing a fine job ?
Words fail me !

You're on good form, Eastie. I totally agree with you.

[Legion]

[Fin Feds Dad]

Caption competition sir if ever there was one

Westwood is going to float every corner in towards Benteke - every single one - and we will have all of our 11 players back every time we defend a corner , never leaving a forward up to break quickly and occupy a couple of defenders.

Easy - I can tell what's going on with my eyes shut - and I've never been here before .

[Legion]

Hold your horses! Caption Competition thread will be started shortly.

[Dave Clark Five]

Sign him up!

[Villafirst]

Sell up Lerner! You've clearly got no ambition or passion for the club. Investment has all but dried up.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Lucky Sunderland were shit because we definitely were, I'm not saying I want Lambert out but it's gotta improve. We were lucky they hit the bar and missed a sitter because we created fuck all. Midfield is awful and there is a severe lack of quality. I could go on but I can't be arsed

[Brian Taylor]

Sign him up!

We had God on our side today J.

[SashasGrandad]

We're in tenth spot and the ship is being steadied after a couple of years of serious turmoil. Lambert is doing a fine job in my view.

If you are happy to watch that sort of drivel then fair play to you - it was crap and yet you think he's doing a fine job ?
Words fail me !

Well, Eastie, I'm trying to look at the bigger picture and the job that I hope/think Lambert is trying to do.  If, in two/three years' time, we are playing awful football and we haven't progressed under Lambert, I would understand fan frustration.  I agree it was a stinker of a game from us but look at how Lambert is trying to build us up again and make us stable. We are taking - in my opinion - small, assured steps in the right direction.   Hitting tenth spot is not what a club like Villa should aspire to but, for the moment, I'll take it.  For the first time in three seasons I feel as though we are moving back on an upward curve.

If we are still playing terrible football in 3 years time he would have had 5 years of poor results and there is virtually no chance we would be in the top flight anymore. I'm personally not willing to let someone have 5 years of poor performances.

I'm not willing to let someone have five years of poor performances either.  I am, however, prepared to give a guy who has been in the job barely one and a  half seasons a chance.  Let's not forget the state of the club when he took over. It's not as though Lambert  took over a club with a top six squad and a hundred million quid burning a hole in its back pocket.  We're playing a long term game here and re-building in a structured, measured way as far as I can see.  I'll take the dire nil-nils at the moment as long as I feel and see overall progress.

Agree with this

[eastie]

Lucky Sunderland were shit because we definitely were, I'm not saying I want Lambert out but it's gotta improve. We were lucky they hit the bar and missed a sitter because we created fuck all. Midfield is awful and there is a severe lack of quality. I could go on but I can't be arsed

The sad thing is that most post match home threads are very similar and yet still the abysmal home displays continue.
4-3-3 rarely works at home and kea and Westwood in the same midfield at home is too negative.

[eastie]

Paul Lambert on Black Cats draw.



Paul Lambert looked to the positive after the 0-0 draw with Sunderland.

Lambert admitted frustration that his team were unable to break down a resolute Black Cats defence.

But he was pleased with the defensive sturdiness of his team as they clocked up their fifth clean sheet this season - the same amount as the whole of the last campaign.

He said: "It was frustrating, yes. I don't think we deserved to win it or lose it. But it was another clean sheet on the positive side of it.

"It's now the same amount of clean sheets as last season.

"Some lads have come back and got more game time, which is another positive. But on the whole we didn't deserve to win the game. We didn't do enough to win. I didn't think we were going to lose it either.

"You have got to keep building. That's four unbeaten now. You always look to the positives. That's the beauty of it.

"It's another game that we might have lost last year. That's the good thing.

"Lads have come back from injury, it's another clean sheet, it's another point and it's another game unbeaten. There's ways to look at it.

"Yes I am disappointed not to win the game. But you always have to be positive."

Lambert was pleased with the contributions of Gabby Agbonlahor and Marc Albrighton - and backed Christian Benteke to come through his own personal barren spell in front of goal.

He continued: "Gabby was a spark who could make things happen.

"Gabby has done very little. He only trained on Friday and he's been out a long time. But the 90 minutes will do him the world of good. He looked very good.

"Since I have been here Marc has been unfortunate with injuries. I let him go to Wigan to get some games and I think he did really fine.

"I thought he deserved to be back in the squad and he looked alright.

"He needs a little run. He can certainly cross the ball, that's for sure. He just needs a break where he can sustain it.

"Christian has not scored. He's having a bit of a barren spell as all players do but I have never seen a player alive who has not had a barren spell.

"You have to keep going. That's football. It builds up your character. He will come through it."

Lambert also spoke of his pride at seeing HRH, the Duke of Cambridge, in the crowd for the clash.

He joked Prince William wouldn't be watching be highlighting of the goalless encounter.

He added: "I don't think he will watch Match of the Day.

"It's the first time he's been here. It's a great thing.

"It was probably not an ideal one to come and watch.

"I knew he was coming to watch. It's a really nice thing for the football club."

[russon]

That's an afternoon of my life i'll never get back. Dismal.

[CJ]

How can Lambert say "It's another game we may have lost last year" when we won that game 6-1?

[Steve kirk]

Things are mediocre, dull, dreary and we all want so much more, when we are all so miserable it is worth reminding ourselves how we were doing at this point last season.
2012/13 season played 13 games 10 points GD -12
2013/14 season played 13 games 16 points GD -1
I know its a long slow road were travelling on but we are improving, today it may not have felt that we are but those stats dont lie, CHIN UP FELLOW VILLAIN'S