Lambert's Vision for Villa

[Smirker]

It's never been 700m mate.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24943476

They were predicting a record turnover of 420m this year based off the first three months. They don't have as much money as people think though cos of the situation with the debt and their owners.

[Ad@m]

Absolutely. Last year's turnover was the highest it's ever been.

You might be thinking of their level of debt which wasn't far from a billion when the Glazers rode into town.

[paul_e]

It must be that then, my apologies.

[Ads]

I meant Man United.

For pretty much most of the past 20 years, they have been able to spend more than nearly everybody else in the land.

[sonlyme]

Sometimes – watching Villa play this season – I too feel like someone has ‘laid a brick’ – a big brown smelly one – all over my club.

Home performances have been dire – unless we have played like an away team (and yes I am referring to the Man Citeh game) – while away games have been the same as last year – brilliant support for a dour defensive scrap that looks to hit and hurt on the counter – and sometimes does.

Many seem to feel that we are going backwards - some say we are stagnating – but believe it or not we are moving forwards – albeit slowly and without much in the way of  visible evidence.

Our turn of the year fixture for the last three years has been Swansea.  In 2012 – under the manager who shall not be named – we lost at home – 0 – 2.  Then under Lambert on 1 Jan 2013 we drew 2 – 2 at Villa Park.  This Christmas– we drew 1-1.

So this would suggest that while Lambert is better than another Scottish manager – he is only treading water.

Yet if we compare where we are now – with where we were in the previous season – then a brighter picture emerges.

This time last year we endured a December that saw us get beaten 8 – 0 by Chelsea, 4 – 0 by Spurs, and then 3 – 0 to Wigan (yes – the same Wigan who got relegated).

Indeed – so bad were we that we wouldn’t record a win until mid February when we narrowly beat a weak West Ham side at Villa Park. 

This time last year we were hovering around the relegation zone – had conceded 41 goals giving us a goal difference of -24 and we had managed to win only 4 games since the season began.  It was truly dire – even with Mr Benteke on form.

This season we are mid table – have conceded 25 goals to give us a goal difference of -6,  and have six wins under our belts – some of them over top sides – and all without the aid of Mr Benteke who has so far failed to ignite.

I’m not saying the football is great – or that we will be pulling up trees any time soon – but I am saying that there has been some improvement as these figures show.  We are getting better at not getting hammered – and if Mr Benteke can find his feet and his form – then perhaps mediocrity is within our grasp - and top eight to placate the terraces.

I laughed at my mate Chris who thoroughly enjoyed getting on Barry Bannan's back last year - eating a large slice of humble pie after the Palace fiasco.  Bannan ran the midfield - but not for us.  Sometimes we at Villa Park are too quick to judge - and condemn - though to be fair - we are too often given just cause.

We are were we are at Villa.  We won’t be signing any £20million plus players soon.  Lambert will be mooching about in the bargain basement for the foreseeable – but he is improving our fortunes – and while he was not my first choice either I think he is a man who can do a job on a budget.    I just wish it was easier to watch.

UTV.

[eastie]

I heard somewhere that Bolton had posted losses of £50m- thats staggering and shows just how important survival is to clubs. Overall debts of £163m.

[eastie]

Info is in Other Clubs' Debts thread in Other Football.

Cheers leeg!

[Ian.]

Good post Sonlyme.

[curlytailavfc]

its a case of spend big time or go

[Chipsticks]

Sometimes – watching Villa play this season – I too feel like someone has ‘laid a brick’ – a big brown smelly one – all over my club.

Home performances have been dire – unless we have played like an away team (and yes I am referring to the Man Citeh game) – while away games have been the same as last year – brilliant support for a dour defensive scrap that looks to hit and hurt on the counter – and sometimes does.

Many seem to feel that we are going backwards - some say we are stagnating – but believe it or not we are moving forwards – albeit slowly and without much in the way of  visible evidence.

Our turn of the year fixture for the last three years has been Swansea.  In 2012 – under the manager who shall not be named – we lost at home – 0 – 2.  Then under Lambert on 1 Jan 2013 we drew 2 – 2 at Villa Park.  This Christmas– we drew 1-1.

So this would suggest that while Lambert is better than another Scottish manager – he is only treading water.

Yet if we compare where we are now – with where we were in the previous season – then a brighter picture emerges.

This time last year we endured a December that saw us get beaten 8 – 0 by Chelsea, 4 – 0 by Spurs, and then 3 – 0 to Wigan (yes – the same Wigan who got relegated).

Indeed – so bad were we that we wouldn’t record a win until mid February when we narrowly beat a weak West Ham side at Villa Park. 

This time last year we were hovering around the relegation zone – had conceded 41 goals giving us a goal difference of -24 and we had managed to win only 4 games since the season began.  It was truly dire – even with Mr Benteke on form.

This season we are mid table – have conceded 25 goals to give us a goal difference of -6,  and have six wins under our belts – some of them over top sides – and all without the aid of Mr Benteke who has so far failed to ignite.

I’m not saying the football is great – or that we will be pulling up trees any time soon – but I am saying that there has been some improvement as these figures show.  We are getting better at not getting hammered – and if Mr Benteke can find his feet and his form – then perhaps mediocrity is within our grasp - and top eight to placate the terraces.

I laughed at my mate Chris who thoroughly enjoyed getting on Barry Bannan's back last year - eating a large slice of humble pie after the Palace fiasco.  Bannan ran the midfield - but not for us.  Sometimes we at Villa Park are too quick to judge - and condemn - though to be fair - we are too often given just cause.

We are were we are at Villa.  We won’t be signing any £20million plus players soon.  Lambert will be mooching about in the bargain basement for the foreseeable – but he is improving our fortunes – and while he was not my first choice either I think he is a man who can do a job on a budget.    I just wish it was easier to watch.

UTV.

Very well said.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I heard somewhere that Bolton had posted losses of £50m- thats staggering and shows just how important survival is to clubs. Overall debts of £163m.

Yup.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/dec/31/bolton-wanderer-record-debts-163m-relegation

There but for the grace of god go Villa.

[gpbarr]

Good post Sonlyme - I concur. The dissatisfaction seems more connected to the style and quality of football (possession in particular) than the net results because the latter is certainly statistically an improvement. I also don't much like what I see between 3pm and 5pm most weekends but we are 11th, one win from a top half team, and as others have posted, the top 6 are light years ahead because of the finances they possess which we don't. So net, apples for apples so to speak, we are doing ok (and by the way better than many that have tried to spend their way out of trouble - WHU, Sunderland, and Fulham for example.

I think Lambert's vision is just fine, 18 months in. We will be better judges 18 months from now.

[villa kicks]

The vision and progress be clear when we finish around 9th to 11th . It's a massive transistional season and the rebuilding will continue . It certainly showed yesterday villa are capable and like to think this time nextryear villa at home will be managed as effectively as some of our away performances. Being a massive football club there is a lot of pressure and expectation I do think there are game changing players out there less than £20 mil that could be brought in . At the moment its about doing what we do with wjat we have got. And we are doing ok in grand scheme of things

[KevinGage]

OK VK, that's almost a normal post.  What gives?

[Nastylee]

in response to the Sonlyme's post: Benteke has scored exactly the same amount of goals as at this point last year. His superb run came between Jan and May so although I agree we are better than last year we had also seen little of Benteke at this point either.