Aston Villa v Swansea City Post-Match Thread

[PeterWithesShin]

Can someone please clarify who the players celebrated the goal with when they ran past  lambert near the dugout?

Well according to R5 and Pat Murphy it was Lambert they all ran to as a 'public vote of confidence'

When they replayed the goal on the screens they all went past him. No idea to who though.

[Stu]

We were attacking last season though. It just appears there has been a massive retrenchment in this style in favour of forming some sort of defensive solidity. Looking at the signing of Okore, and the appointment of a defensive coach, then there's a pretty strong case to say this where his priorities were at the start of this season. If this is the case, then he has been desperately unlucky with injuries.

This does not explain the alarming drop in offensive performances however, which is something that we all knew we were good at.

*this was in reply to eastie*

[Villa in Denmark]

The point about the style of play is really important. An oft-cited criterion for sacking Eck was that Villa deserved a 'compelling' style of play. If this is compelling then Lerner must be watching the wrong sport.

The only thing compelling about our style of play is in the same way you rubberneck when driving past a motorway accident.  You're compelled to look to see how bad it is and are thankful it isn't you.  Only it is us and it's everyone else rubbernecking.

[Monty]

The point about the style of play is really important. An oft-cited criterion for sacking Eck was that Villa deserved a 'compelling' style of play. If this is compelling then Lerner must be watching the wrong sport.

The only thing compelling about our style of play is in the same way you rubberneck when driving past a motorway accident.  You're compelled to look to see how bad it is and are thankful it isn't you.  Only it is us and it's everyone else rubbernecking.

It's really awful. Just heard Lambert's MOTD interview and he's practically celebrating the point. It's too much. I cannot believe he can stay with all this.

[Ad@m]

The stats look dreadful and the comments suggest another pitiful performance and a team going backwards. I wish we had a lovely passing game. All that huffing and puffing to put a mere 20 points on the board after 19 games?

What stats?  If you're pointing to possession it's utterly irrelevant against Swansea.  Everyone knows that Swansea are a passing team and have massive possession stats, however they don't turn that in to points.  Swansea have 'out-possessed' everyone this season - in the six games they've played against both Manchesters, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs they've had the majority of possession in every game and picked up 1 point out of a possible 18.

Despite all their possession today other than the goal their next best opportunity was a weak free kick that Guzan easily tipped over.  They had 3 shots on target to our 3 on target.  They had loads of corners and with the exception of the one early doors which they somehow managed to head down so hard it bounced over the bar they did nothing with them.

I'm certainly not saying it was a vintage performance but in the context of the run we've been on it's a decent point.  As for those booing at the end again, I think for some people they think that's just part of the matchday experience now.  It becomes meaningless if you do it after every game.

[Malandro]

I have never, ever seen a Villa team this bad (I'm only 37, so didn't see relegation) Without Vlaar and Benteke we are probably the weakest side in the division.

This isn't really helpful is it? Take the 2 best players out of any team in the bottom half and they'll probably be the weakest side in the division. It's a completely meaningless comment.

Especially as over the last few games you could probably make a reasonable argument for us being the worst side in the division anyway! At least we have some hope that these players coming back might improve us.

It may not be helpful, but its close to the truth. Vlaar could very well be injured for another ten games, if its anything like his last problem.

God help us against that Arsenal team

[adrenachrome]

At what point in the project will our players learn to take a throw-in, or a free kick in the middle of the pitch without giving it back to the opposition, or be within 20 yards of the big target man, or stay close enough to a winger that you are able to challenge them...

I have just looked at the project chart and the EET (earliest event time) for the Active Nodes you request are:
1. 30/5/20114
2. The Aquarius-Pisces Cusp of 20th Vertical
3. When hell freezes over
4. The twelveth of never

Thank you for your support and don't forget to get your tickets for The Blades, The Arse and The Tesco Bags.

[Ad@m]

At what point in the project will our players learn to take a throw-in, or a free kick in the middle of the pitch without giving it back to the opposition, or be within 20 yards of the big target man, or stay close enough to a winger that you are able to challenge them...

I have just looked at the project chart and the EET (earliest event time) for the Active Nodes you request are:
1. 30/5/20114
2. The Aquarius-Pisces Cusp of 20th Vertical
3. When hell freezes over
4. The twelveth of never

Thank you for your support and don't forget to get your tickets for The Blades, The Arse and The Tesco Bags.

20114?  I'm not sure I can wait that long...

[Irish villain]

Villa are at a real crossroads aren't we? Like, more of a crossroads than we have been at in a while McLeish just had to go, MOn had run his course, Houilier was a few years too late....this is a real crossroads.

Do we tick with the Lambert project in the hope he gets it right and we finally grow with stability and realise that we have finally found our Moyes? Or do we pack it in because things seem to be getting worse.

[Monty]

The stats look dreadful and the comments suggest another pitiful performance and a team going backwards. I wish we had a lovely passing game. All that huffing and puffing to put a mere 20 points on the board after 19 games?

What stats?  If you're pointing to possession it's utterly irrelevant against Swansea.  Everyone knows that Swansea are a passing team and have massive possession stats, however they don't turn that in to points.  Swansea have 'out-possessed' everyone this season - in the six games they've played against both Manchesters, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs they've had the majority of possession in every game and picked up 1 point out of a possible 18.

Despite all their possession today other than the goal their next best opportunity was a weak free kick that Guzan easily tipped over.  They had 3 shots on target to our 3 on target.  They had loads of corners and with the exception of the one early doors which they somehow managed to head down so hard it bounced over the bar they did nothing with them.

I'm certainly not saying it was a vintage performance but in the context of the run we've been on it's a decent point.  As for those booing at the end again, I think for some people they think that's just part of the matchday experience now.  It becomes meaningless if you do it after every game.

But who has created that terrible run? Who masterminded it? To say 'in the context of how shit he's made us it wasn't bad' is in fact the kneejerk reaction. It's much more accurate to say that we continue to get worse and worse and it could be forgiven even having this little possession if: a) we were rapier-like on the counterattack when we did get the ball (which we weren't, it was lump it and lose it stuff again) or b) it was a one-off against a strong possession side, except that we've had majority possession in two games this season, and lost both of them.

[eastie]

Can someone please clarify who the players celebrated the goal with when they ran past  lambert near the dugout?

Well according to R5 and Pat Murphy it was Lambert they all ran to as a 'public vote of confidence'

When they replayed the goal on the screens they all went past him. No idea to who though.

The guy who criticised culverhouse ?

[eastie]

The point about the style of play is really important. An oft-cited criterion for sacking Eck was that Villa deserved a 'compelling' style of play. If this is compelling then Lerner must be watching the wrong sport.

The only thing compelling about our style of play is in the same way you rubberneck when driving past a motorway accident.  You're compelled to look to see how bad it is and are thankful it isn't you.  Only it is us and it's everyone else rubbernecking.

It's really awful. Just heard Lambert's MOTD interview and he's practically celebrating the point. It's too much. I cannot believe he can stay with all this.

Any link please monty?

[Phil from the upper holte]

We can't win, we need investment. The buck has to lie at the chairman's door

[ronshirt]

Who did the players run to celebrate the goal with ?

They began by running towards the bench. But I think that on their way there it must have become obvious to the players that both Lambert and Culverhouse were too busy being assessed on their BTEC customer communications module to allow for any outside interference. The players then I think . unable to deal with the emotions involved in scoring a goal at Villa Park, ran towards the offices to collect their match-drawing bonuses. Luckily for all involved they have never been trained, nor given sufficient drugs, to run that far in one day.

[Irish villain]

The stats look dreadful and the comments suggest another pitiful performance and a team going backwards. I wish we had a lovely passing game. All that huffing and puffing to put a mere 20 points on the board after 19 games?

What stats?  If you're pointing to possession it's utterly irrelevant against Swansea.  Everyone knows that Swansea are a passing team and have massive possession stats, however they don't turn that in to points.  Swansea have 'out-possessed' everyone this season - in the six games they've played against both Manchesters, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs they've had the majority of possession in every game and picked up 1 point out of a possible 18.

Despite all their possession today other than the goal their next best opportunity was a weak free kick that Guzan easily tipped over.  They had 3 shots on target to our 3 on target.  They had loads of corners and with the exception of the one early doors which they somehow managed to head down so hard it bounced over the bar they did nothing with them.

I'm certainly not saying it was a vintage performance but in the context of the run we've been on it's a decent point.  As for those booing at the end again, I think for some people they think that's just part of the matchday experience now.  It becomes meaningless if you do it after every game.

When the other team has the ball for 70%+ of the time there is damn little villa can do with it. I know Swansea are a great passing side. When Lambert joined us I expected to see us develop along such lines but we have been very direct this season and stand just a point better off than we were at this stage last season, the one where we came perilously close.