Aston Villa v Crystal Palace Post-Match Thread

[fredm]

Well after being an intermittant attender for years (shift work) then a ST holder for the last 17 years plus attending the majority of away games, including some in Europe, I sat at the Sunderland game and then on the 125 mile drive home and decided that enough was enough.  I was not going to bother attending any more matches when even the most basic of tactics and skill were missing from the team.  I put our tickets for the December/January games on Viagogo at knockdown price and sold them.  I will await to see what happens in the transfer window but I do not hold my breath that I will attend VP again anytime in the future or in the forthcoming seasons.

[Steve kirk]

The day after the Palace disaster and that last minute winner keeps appearing in my mind it just takes over your life doesn't it?, before the match you hope and pray for the win to pull us clear again and make for a good xmas but then you sit through 90 minutes of torture, as ive previously mentioned I think Lambert will stay on board even if our ship goes down so we just have to get on with it and hope we survive again, if next summer Vlaar and Benteke leave and are replaced by more lower league fodder then we will almost certainly drop next season, we deserve so much better than this.
Merry Xmas to you all.

[Legion]

Happy New Year to you, too!

MotD

[JUAN PABLO]

The day after the Palace disaster and that last minute winner keeps appearing in my mind it just takes over your life doesn't it?, before the match you hope and pray for the win to pull us clear again and make for a good xmas but then you sit through 90 minutes of torture, as ive previously mentioned I think Lambert will stay on board even if our ship goes down so we just have to get on with it and hope we survive again, if next summer Vlaar and Benteke leave and are replaced by more lower league fodder then we will almost certainly drop next season, we deserve so much better than this.
Merry Xmas to you all.

cant see Vlaar leaving . Whos buying an injury prone defender

[Steve kirk]

Happy New Year to you, too!

MotD

Thank you Legion for making me smile, up the Villa

[ClarrieBlue]

Yesterday I watched a great game of football. Paget Rangers 9-0 Polesworth.

Did you lot enjoy your day as much as I did?

It's a bit unfortunate if you follow the Villa and Polesworth as well !

[Dave Clark Five]

BB has gone to a club where he is held in high regard and will play well for them.   I wish him well in his future career.   He was the best player on the pitch yesterday.

I had £1 on him at 18-1 for first goalscorer and kept thinking I should have put more on as it looked like he would score.

[eastie]

Yesterday I watched a great game of football. Paget Rangers 9-0 Polesworth.

Did you lot enjoy your day as much as I did?

It's a bit unfortunate if you follow the Villa and Polesworth as well !

Shocked that you missed the visit of the mighty boro

[devilla]

Guzan Least shit player we've got
Lowton Shit
Clark Very shit
Baker Extremely shit
Luna Amazingly shit
Albrighton Averagely shit
El Ahmadi Monumentally shit
Weimann Outstandingly shit
Delph Pretty shit
Agbonlahor Medium shit
Kozak Massively shit
Bacuna Fairly shit
Bowery Championshit
Tonev Mildly shit
Lambert He picked us up and we were shit again

Thanks Leeg. At least that raised a smile with me in these trying times and I agree with your shitometer ratings. We all know that Lerner won't pull the trigger on Lambert. I honestly think this is the season when years of poor management will finally catch up with us.

Yes, I'd like to see Lambert walk now but realistically, I don't think that will happen. So we're stuck with him.

I think Lambert's first priority is to try to get the defence playing as a unit. Ok Vlaar and Okore (who is a big loss in my view) are injured. What have we got then? Clark, Herd and Baker. What do the defensive coaches at Bodymoor teach these guys? There needs to be a serious examination of that area first. Then, midfield. Where is the creativity? How are we going to create chances for our strikers? I'd love to be a fly on the wall at Bodymoor - what the hell do they tell them there? What motivational techniques are used? Somebody needs to do a complete review of the coaching set up.

Oh, and buy some premiership quality players. It's clear that the "young and hungry" approach cannot work without some experienced players in the team as well and if Lambert can't see that then he is not qualified to manage our club.

Once again, my Christmas and that of thousands of others has been ruined by people not doing their jobs. Four losses on the trot and five wins at home this calendar year. If I was that shit at my job, I'd quite rightly be sacked. I've tried to be constructive in my comments but basically, Lerner needs to grow a pair and sack Mr Mumbles now and he can "go again" with a club in League two where most of his players come from.
Rant over.

[silhillvilla]

I've had 22 hours to calm down now but did hit the Baileys coffees pre 11am today as I was still shaken with the events of yesterday afternoon.
I think we crossed a line yesterday, like houllier did with his antics at anfield, as mcleish did after the Bolton debacle. Yesterday's performance and loss coupled with the Culverhouse/Weimann shenanigans is the beginning of the end for Mr Lambert.
I won't shed many tears.

[Des Little]

Has that odorous little weasel Culverhouse apologised yet?

[brian green]

I am trying to make last as long as possible the numbness I have felt since yesterday's final whistle.   My present mind set is that I am powerless to do anything to stop the pain so I I resign myself to it.

I don't care whether we sack or keep Lambert.   I don't care whether Culverhouse abuses the fans I don't care whether Lerner knows or cares about what is happening to his business investment.   I don't care if we lose to Swansea tomorrow.   I don't care if Benteke stays or goes.   All I care about is that I have the health and strength to drive myself to the games and see the Villa play.   All else is just sound and fury.

If I did care I could only suggest minor things which might help ease the pain of the playing performances. 

Let's stop being so soft.   Craig Gardner is a hard and nasty piece of work there must be some of that in Gary.   Play him and tell him to make his presence felt.

Let's stop being so nice to Brad Guzan.  His individual performances are good insofar as he is a shot stopper of quality but he must stop slowing down the play and hoofing the ball down the middle of the park.   Roll it out.   Throw it out.   When a keeper has centre backs as young and as lacking in composure and confidence as Clark and Baker he knows they will take the soft option time and time again.   The soft, easy option is the ball back to the keeper.   WHAT THE KEEPER MUST NOT DO is hoof it way over the half way line where it becomes at the very best 50-50 ball and we come under pressure again.   The ball back to the keeper is a legitimate pass only if the keeper makes a pass with it.

We must break the predictable pattern of our passing -forwards, backwards, sideways, forwards, backwards, sideways until we lose possession and lunge in to regain possession and give away a free kick   LOOK FOR THE OUT BALL Make yourself a target for the out ball.    Don't keep covering the same small area of turf with your triangles, move for each other.   Look up when you are in possessions and see where your team mates are.

Do not play heading tennis.   When the ball bobs about in the air in the middle of the pitch do not get suckered into the belief that a telling and accurate pass can be made over distance by head.  The best you will achieve is to keep the ball in the air and the worst is that you will give the opposition the chance to skewer you.   Get the ball down to your feet and pass it quickly and accurately.   If you can't do that get it down to the feet of one of your own players.

Run with the ball.   Have the courage to make them try to take it off you.   If you can run ten or twenty yards with the ball run ten or twenty yards with it, don't off load it while you have acres of space in front of you.

Finally stop playing this stupid 4-3-3 at home until we can play with more confidence and precision.   Three strikers up front does not work, especially if those strikers are sadly out of form.   Leave one of them out, probably Weimann and play an extra midfield.   Three just get in each other's way.   Keep a striker, a proper one, not Bowery, on the bench for impact.

Finally I would suggest that Lambert plays an unchanged side against Swansea to give the Palace losers a chance to redeem themselves.

[PeterWithesShin]

Looks like I chose a bad week to stop drinking coffee.

[caster troy]

Has that odorous little weasel Culverhouse apologised yet?

I doubt it'll happen. A public apology would only draw attention to an incident that most fans are probably unaware of.

[Ron Manager]

Sorry. As I was still travelling back to the Midlands yesterday and wasnt at the game I have no idea what Culverhouse did or why he did it.

Could someone enlighten me please?

Somebody who was actually at the game and witnessed this incident please.