Nathan Baker - Sold

[Lastfootstamper]

The thing is and we saw it fleetingly at the weekend, we can knock it about and string a few passes together. I genuinely we have players that can do that and actually want to. It's the complete lack of movement in the final third that leads to us just whacking it aimlessly to the flanks that kills us all too often. With a more technical manager who would address that problem I think the likes of Cleverley or Westwood would improve no end. Fuck, even Pulis would figure it out.

Infuriating, isn't it? We just have no grasp of the basic understanding that a forward is as much a part of the team ethic as anyone else. Drop into space, receive, give it, turn, MOVE, your side now has possession ten yards further up the pitch. It's so simple that I'm confident even the current incumbents of our jerseys could manage it. The way it is at the moment, even when we do (briefly) keep the ball, we're effectively playing with just eight or nine men. It's little wonder when it then, almost invariably, goes tits-up, and we relinquish possession whilst still in our own fkn half.

[pauliewalnuts]

Baker is starting to look like some sort of member of a U-boat crew with that beard.

*insert predictable 'we are going down like one' style joke here*

[Lastfootstamper]

I'm confident that with the right coaching we could become a possession based team but Lambert keeps coming out with this line about possession not mattering. Whilst games can be won with the minority of possession, having that as your ruling tactic is crazy.

As is expecting people to continue to part with their hard-earned to come and watch you when that's what's on offer.

[adrenachrome]

Baker is starting to look like some sort of member of a U-boat crew with that beard.

*insert predictable 'we are going down like one' style joke here*

[Ian.]

The thing is and we saw it fleetingly at the weekend, we can knock it about and string a few passes together. I genuinely we have players that can do that and actually want to. It's the complete lack of movement in the final third that leads to us just whacking it aimlessly to the flanks that kills us all too often. With a more technical manager who would address that problem I think the likes of Cleverley or Westwood would improve no end. Fuck, even Pulis would figure it out.

Infuriating, isn't it? We just have no grasp of the basic understanding that a forward is as much a part of the team ethic as anyone else. Drop into space, receive, give it, turn, MOVE, your side now has possession ten yards further up the pitch. It's so simple that I'm confident even the current incumbents of our jerseys could manage it. The way it is at the moment, even when we do (briefly) keep the ball, we're effectively playing with just eight or nine men. It's little wonder when it then, almost invariably, goes tits-up, and we relinquish possession whilst still in our own fkn half.

Remember back to that first season under Lambert?

We started off trying to knock the ball around, this was the reason Bent (apparently) didn't fit in. He wasn't  a modern day striker who helps with ball retention. So what the hell happened?

Last season I put it down to too many players picked from lower leagues just simply not good enough. Confidence was a major issue along with major injuries.

This season we look stronger than ever (under Lambert), on paper anyway, however while we have a ice rink as our training ground the injury crisis is still there, but saying that the main core of players are better than the last two seasons, so why are we so useless with keeping the damn ball and creating anything that resembles an effort on target?

[adrenachrome]

Oh that the training ground was just an ice rink. It is also a refuge for psychopathic bone crunchers, sociopathic relatives of the manager  and a germ warfare site stocked with virulent virus cultures. 

[peter w]

The thing is and we saw it fleetingly at the weekend, we can knock it about and string a few passes together. I genuinely we have players that can do that and actually want to. It's the complete lack of movement in the final third that leads to us just whacking it aimlessly to the flanks that kills us all too often. With a more technical manager who would address that problem I think the likes of Cleverley or Westwood would improve no end. Fuck, even Pulis would figure it out.

Infuriating, isn't it? We just have no grasp of the basic understanding that a forward is as much a part of the team ethic as anyone else. Drop into space, receive, give it, turn, MOVE, your side now has possession ten yards further up the pitch. It's so simple that I'm confident even the current incumbents of our jerseys could manage it. The way it is at the moment, even when we do (briefly) keep the ball, we're effectively playing with just eight or nine men. It's little wonder when it then, almost invariably, goes tits-up, and we relinquish possession whilst still in our own fkn half.

Remember back to that first season under Lambert?

We started off trying to knock the ball around, this was the reason Bent (apparently) didn't fit in. He wasn't  a modern day striker who helps with ball retention. So what the hell happened?

Last season I put it down to too many players picked from lower leagues just simply not good enough. Confidence was a major issue along with major injuries.

This season we look stronger than ever (under Lambert), on paper anyway, however while we have a ice rink as our training ground the injury crisis is still there, but saying that the main core of players are better than the last two seasons, so why are we so useless with keeping the damn ball and creating anything that resembles an effort on target?

Tempo. When we pass the ball from the defence into midfield you see a lot of good passing and movement and done with a good tempo. Then, as has been mentioned the lack of movement up front means that we then have to go backwards and the tempo drops. The lack of a technically proficient forward and movement up front means that we lose the ball all to frequently.

[dcdavecollett]

It isn't just Benteke's goals that make him so important to the team but his ability to keep and rotate the ball as well.

[tomd2103]

The thing is and we saw it fleetingly at the weekend, we can knock it about and string a few passes together. I genuinely we have players that can do that and actually want to. It's the complete lack of movement in the final third that leads to us just whacking it aimlessly to the flanks that kills us all too often. With a more technical manager who would address that problem I think the likes of Cleverley or Westwood would improve no end. Fuck, even Pulis would figure it out.

Infuriating, isn't it? We just have no grasp of the basic understanding that a forward is as much a part of the team ethic as anyone else. Drop into space, receive, give it, turn, MOVE, your side now has possession ten yards further up the pitch. It's so simple that I'm confident even the current incumbents of our jerseys could manage it. The way it is at the moment, even when we do (briefly) keep the ball, we're effectively playing with just eight or nine men. It's little wonder when it then, almost invariably, goes tits-up, and we relinquish possession whilst still in our own fkn half.

Remember back to that first season under Lambert?

We started off trying to knock the ball around, this was the reason Bent (apparently) didn't fit in. He wasn't  a modern day striker who helps with ball retention. So what the hell happened?

Last season I put it down to too many players picked from lower leagues just simply not good enough. Confidence was a major issue along with major injuries.

This season we look stronger than ever (under Lambert), on paper anyway, however while we have a ice rink as our training ground the injury crisis is still there, but saying that the main core of players are better than the last two seasons, so why are we so useless with keeping the damn ball and creating anything that resembles an effort on target?

Tempo. When we pass the ball from the defence into midfield you see a lot of good passing and movement and done with a good tempo. Then, as has been mentioned the lack of movement up front means that we then have to go backwards and the tempo drops. The lack of a technically proficient forward and movement up front means that we lose the ball all to frequently.

We've been lacking that player who can find space and link things up in the final third.  I honestly think that a player capable of doing that would make a massive difference to us.  I still think that some of our defensive players (Hutton, Baker and Cissokho in particular) are very suspect in possession, which doesn't help.   

[PeterWithesShin]

This is from a few days ago in the Mail. More great news on the injury front.

Just when will Aston Villa’s injury list relent?

Today we can reveal the news that Nathan Baker will be out for at least two months with a knee injury.

[Matt C]

With five centre halves this year I thought we stood a chance of managing the odd amounts of injuries we get in that position but it's going to be tight again.

[Goldie.7]

Baker out for the season

Manager Tim Sherwood admitted Baker's injury is too severe for him to play any further part during the run-in.

 

[ozzjim]

Just said on the pst match thread, where the fuck is Senderos? Baker going off injured again is a massive shame for him, and he is now in fairness a decent premier league centre half when fit, but we are not reliant on Vlaar staying fit for 6 more games, and 7 more weeks this season. More chance of Bill Gates buying us this summer.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

He looked brilliant today. Gutted for him.

[SoccerHQ]

Hopefully playing just one game a week will help us now but yeah Vlaar getting injured before a final would be a disaster for us as he's shown he's capable of great performances in big games for club and country.

Senderos is actually suppose to be training now so he needs to be put back on the bench.