The Paul Lambert thread - poll reset after our capitulation to Hull

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm with Saunder's Heroes on this. One win that keeps us up and too many people are seeing the world through rose coloured spectacles all of a sudden.

Great day yesterday, abs loved it, was the last to leave the ground, massive relief etc etc.

But wake up and smell the coffee please. Our team is shite. Our squad is shite.

I'd be with you on that one result thing, too, if there was a single shred of evidence that that was what people were thinking.

If you had asked anyone, at any point, through the season what they thought of Vlaar and Guzan, you'd have got exactly the same comments you are getting now.

Suggesting that, because people think those two are more than decent (incidentally, are we allowed to think Delph is good too?) means that they are pretending we were anything other than awful this season or that the squad is not piss poor is quite frankly utter, utter nonsense.

Saunders_heroes problem is that he just takes it too far. Yes, he's right, the squad is fucking abysmal. To suggest that Guzan is "average", though, is taking it too far.

[PeterWithesShin]

So anyone thinking Guzan and Vlaar are decent players needs to wake up and smell the coffee as they looking through rose tinted spectacles? And only think so based on one result?

Well, that's told us then.

That's what you've told then, I didn't mention either of those two players merely the team and squad in general. I think the Premier League table will back me up on that next Sunday night.

The posts you quoted only mentioned those 2 players.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

Guzan is really underrated. He's as good as Begovic, who everyone goes on about.

Vlaar is alright. Will probably look better with a Premier League quality CB next to him.

[dl9]

So anyone thinking Guzan and Vlaar are decent players needs to wake up and smell the coffee as they looking through rose tinted spectacles? And only think so based on one result?

Well, that's told us then.

That's what you've told then, I didn't mention either of those two players merely the team and squad in general. I think the Premier League table will back me up on that next Sunday night.

The posts you quoted only mentioned those 2 players.

Ok, well I've not read the full history of the posts. I wasn't referring to those two players more the overall picture.

For the record ( & in my humble opinion) Guzan, Vlaar, Delph and Benteke, you are all invited round to my house for tea whenever you want, shite season but you four can come in.

The rest, sorry, you're going to have to go hungry.

[pauliewalnuts]

So anyone thinking Guzan and Vlaar are decent players needs to wake up and smell the coffee as they looking through rose tinted spectacles? And only think so based on one result?

Well, that's told us then.

That's what you've told then, I didn't mention either of those two players merely the team and squad in general. I think the Premier League table will back me up on that next Sunday night.

The posts you quoted only mentioned those 2 players.

Ok, well I've not read the full history of the posts. I wasn't referring to those two players more the overall picture.

For the record ( & in my humble opinion) Guzan, Vlaar, Delph and Benteke, you are all invited round to my house for tea whenever you want, shite season but you four can come in.

The rest, sorry, you're going to have to go hungry.

Which is a stance pretty much nobody has disagreed with on this thread!

[PeterWithesShin]

Bowery is fucking ace mind!

[dl9]

So anyone thinking Guzan and Vlaar are decent players needs to wake up and smell the coffee as they looking through rose tinted spectacles? And only think so based on one result?

Well, that's told us then.

That's what you've told then, I didn't mention either of those two players merely the team and squad in general. I think the Premier League table will back me up on that next Sunday night.

The posts you quoted only mentioned those 2 players.

Ok, well I've not read the full history of the posts. I wasn't referring to those two players more the overall picture.

For the record ( & in my humble opinion) Guzan, Vlaar, Delph and Benteke, you are all invited round to my house for tea whenever you want, shite season but you four can come in.

The rest, sorry, you're going to have to go hungry.

Which is a stance pretty much nobody has disagreed with on this thread!

Cool, you can come as well then. Chocolate eclair anyone?

[TheEgo]

Apologies if this has already been posted. Couldn't see it anywhere.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/aston-villa/10807968/Aston-Villa-manager-Paul-Lambert-admits-he-fears-being-given-the-sack-if-new-owners-come-in-this-summer.html

[tomd2103]

Dunne and Collins were a disgrace towards the end.

One was a fat wreck, the other was a prick who thought it was ok to lay into the club's coaching staff, including Sid.

Both were O'Neill signings and looked disinterested after he left. 

[brontebilly]

Dunne and Collins were a disgrace towards the end.

One was a fat wreck, the other was a prick who thought it was ok to lay into the club's coaching staff, including Sid.

Think they were both fat pricks to be fair

But their best was better than anything Ron Vlaar has shown in a Villa shirt. Their worst is probably even a touch too high for Nathan Baker.

Both have done ok since Villa. Not sure what we got back on Collins, was probably enough to cover Vlaar's fee.

In hindsight keeping Dunne and selling Collins was a mistake from Lambert. Dunne never played again while Collins has been solid for West Ham.

When you consider the crew of Makoun, Ireland, Hutton, Beye, Warnock, Bent, Given and many more I cant recall, costing the club millions at least we got a few quid back from Collins. A solid British centre half, nothing more nothing less.

Cuddly Carlos Cuellar was the real loss though 

[tomd2103]

I'm with Saunder's Heroes on this. One win that keeps us up and too many people are seeing the world through rose coloured spectacles all of a sudden.

Great day yesterday, abs loved it, was the last to leave the ground, massive relief etc etc.

But wake up and smell the coffee please. Our team is shite. Our squad is shite.

I'd be with you on that one result thing, too, if there was a single shred of evidence that that was what people were thinking.

If you had asked anyone, at any point, through the season what they thought of Vlaar and Guzan, you'd have got exactly the same comments you are getting now.

Suggesting that, because people think those two are more than decent (incidentally, are we allowed to think Delph is good too?) means that they are pretending we were anything other than awful this season or that the squad is not piss poor is quite frankly utter, utter nonsense.

Saunders_heroes problem is that he just takes it too far. Yes, he's right, the squad is fucking abysmal. To suggest that Guzan is "average", though, is taking it too far.

I think some of the criticism of Vlaar has been a little harsh during his time at the club, especially when you take into account those who have featured alongside and in front of him.  I do have a concern about Vlaar, but it is more to do with his injury record than his playing ability.  Maybe two seasons isn't enough time to tell if it is a pattern, but I don't think we can afford to have one of our main defenders and captain out for a third of the season like Ron has been.  If it happens again next season, then it might be time to consider replacing him.

[Pete3206]

I'd like to see Vlaar alongside Okore next season. We also need better quality of cover than Clark and especially Baler.

[peter w]

Well I'd still like to have a first-choice centre-half coming in. Vlaar has been mostly good but has had games where he has slipped back to the performances of last season. Okore, well none of us really know. He started to look okay and settle in to the 'game' (I'm now typing this with an Omar voice in my head). But it's by no means certain that he'll be back up and running and playing at a level that we want within a couple of months or so again. So, I think we're potentially gambling with injuries which has seen us caught out a couple of times already.

it's all in the game y'all

[tomd2103]

Well I'd still like to have a first-choice centre-half coming in. Vlaar has been mostly good but has had games where he has slipped back to the performances of last season. Okore, well none of us really know. He started to look okay and settle in to the 'game' (I'm now typing this with an Omar voice in my head). But it's by no means certain that he'll be back up and running and playing at a level that we want within a couple of months or so again. So, I think we're potentially gambling with injuries which has seen us caught out a couple of times already.

it's all in the game y'all

Would also give us the option of going to a back three if necessary. 

[Mister E]

Well I'd still like to have a first-choice centre-half coming in. Vlaar has been mostly good but has had games where he has slipped back to the performances of last season. Okore, well none of us really know ...

Definitely need a proven high performer to come in at CB, even if Okore and Vlaar probably are first-team quality.
I think Vlaar has done pretty well this season, given the nightmare at both left and right back and the car crash that is Baker. Anyone dissing him is, I think, massively under-estimating the circumstances in which he's been playing.