Aston Villa vs Everton Post-Match Thread

[PeterWithe]

When we signed him I was surprised at Bents lack of pace, I was expecting him to be quick but he hasn't been since coming here, won't argue that he's put a few pounds on mind.

[Tom_Mc9?]

Bent and N'Zogbia. £100k a week going on shit all.

[PeterWithesShin]

I reckon Bent is more of a busted flush than Zog is. Bent is never going to get the pace back he has lost which was a big part of his game, those first few yards. Best examplke I can think of is against Orient there was a great ball played through to him and the Bent of a few years ago would have 100% got away from the defender and got a shot away, probably on target, as it was he just about managed to keep possession and had to turn away from goal.

In fairness, he hasn't played a lot of football of late, he probably needs games. I'm not saying he's the answer but I wouldn't totally write him off just yet either.

He's played more than Zog and hasn't had a year out injured.

[PeterWithesShin]

When we signed him I was surprised at Bents lack of pace, I was expecting him to be quick but he hasn't been since coming here, won't argue that he's put a few pounds on mind.

He had pace over a short burst, just a few paces, but that was made him deadly on through balls as well as his goal hanging.

[supertom]

Apart from anything else, when you look at Bent and Zogbia, their overall application and determination just don't seem there. Neither looks particularly bothered, or like they'll bust a gut. Conversely, the way Hutton has applied himself has been exemplary.
I can in part understand Bent and Zogbia etc, not having much respect for Lambert given how they've been treated. I know Zog was injured last year but he was probably a cert to be put in the bomb squad were he fit.
However for the sake of professionalism, and your career, much like Hutton has, you have to put some things behind you and keep working your bollocks off. Bent and Zogbia should really be playing for their careers at this stage. Come the end of the season they're going to want to attract a decent wage from somewhere else. As things stand, they won't have too many takers.

Pretty damn sharpish the pair of them need to take a leaf out of Hutton's book, otherwise Lambert needs to re-bomb them if they're offering nowt.

[Clampy]

I reckon Bent is more of a busted flush than Zog is. Bent is never going to get the pace back he has lost which was a big part of his game, those first few yards. Best examplke I can think of is against Orient there was a great ball played through to him and the Bent of a few years ago would have 100% got away from the defender and got a shot away, probably on target, as it was he just about managed to keep possession and had to turn away from goal.

In fairness, he hasn't played a lot of football of late, he probably needs games. I'm not saying he's the answer but I wouldn't totally write him off just yet either.

He's played more than Zog and hasn't had a year out injured.

That's a fair point.

[Goldie.7]

Bent and N'Zogbia. £100k a week going on shit all.

Probably slightly more going by how we were dishing out in 2011. Bent is a free agent soon though, as for N'Zog he's here for another couple years yet because who's going to buy him and pay his wages?

[supertom]

Bent and N'Zogbia. £100k a week going on shit all.

Probably slightly more going by how we were dishing out in 2011. Bent is a free agent soon though, as for N'Zog he's here for another couple years yet because who's going to buy him and pay his wages?

Bents probably on 60-80k. He came here because we offered him a massive wage. Zogbia's reasoning was similar too. I'd guess he's at least on 50k, maybe more.

[silhillvilla]

We have scored 4 goals in our last 11 competitive games and conceded 20. That's the massive concern for me.
That must be another record of sorts for lambert.

[supertom]

We have scored 4 goals in our last 11 competitive games and conceded 20. That's the massive concern for me.
That must be another record of sorts for lambert.

Probably. The only thing Lambert is good at is breaking unwanted records.

[PeterWithesShin]

Bent and N'Zogbia. £100k a week going on shit all.

Probably slightly more going by how we were dishing out in 2011. Bent is a free agent soon though, as for N'Zog he's here for another couple years yet because who's going to buy him and pay his wages?

Zog is with us until summer 2016. So one more season after this one. At just 28 you'd hope he'd start playing soon even if it is just to get another contract somewhere else.

Bent is in his last season with us and is on a reported 65K a week.

[Toronto Villa]

the thing with N'Zogbia is that when the system isn't set up for him to thrive he really struggles and looks very poor. There needs to be a lot of things going right around for him to perform. I'm not entirely sure all of what we are seeing from him is him or as a consequence of the system we are playing that doesn't encourages players keeping the ball, moving into space and thus allowing the likes of N'Zogbia the time and room to attack defenders. He's as much a part of the problem as he is a victim of it.

[Goldie.7]

Bent and N'Zogbia. £100k a week going on shit all.

Probably slightly more going by how we were dishing out in 2011. Bent is a free agent soon though, as for N'Zog he's here for another couple years yet because who's going to buy him and pay his wages?

Zog is with us until summer 2016. So one more season after this one. At just 28 you'd hope he'd start playing soon even if it is just to get another contract somewhere else.

Bent is in his last season with us and is on a reported 65K a week.

So next year and half the year after. I should of put it in seasons though like you did.

[Goldie.7]

I'm struggling to think of a single game when after it finished I thought to myself, yeah zoggy did alright in that one

[adrenachrome]

Ellis and Lerner. It's like finally getting rid of Thatcher and finding out after a few years what Tony Blair was really like. All that hope dashed. I think that's one of the reasons for the apathy. The feeling that we're rotten from the top but whatever happens I can't see someone else coming in and fixing it.

We've got massive problems in the way we're run, but footballs so rotten beyond us that I don't have a massive amount of hope whatever happens to us. Even if s new owner came in and threw his money around like early days Lerner, I don't think we'd have any dreams of finishing in the top 4. So what's the point?

Looking at Southampton now, wow they must be having a great time, good manager, stumbled on a great team. Will they finish top 4? No. Top 6. No I don't think so. Will all those players be there next year. No. Will the manager? Probably not. They then have to hope beyond all hope that their next roll of the dice turns up 6's again, because what's happening now is as good as it gets. Not even finishing top 6 is as good as it gets. No wonder people are apathetic.

I am not one of life's optimists and so am usually prepared for fortune's setbacks, but the Thatcher/Blair analogy is enough to finish me off.

I still hope the analogy is false.