Aston Villa v Blackpool Post-Match Thread

[Witton Warrior]

Media staring to crank it up a bit? From the guardian:

14) Lambert risks the wrath of a forgiving Villa faithful
The discrepancy between Paul Lambert’s press conference assessment and the FA Cup tie witnessed at Villa Park yesterday left the attendant media somewhat bemused. The Holte End had just turned on the Aston Villa manager for the first time in his tenure, three minutes before Christian Benteke’s winning goal broke Blackpool’s resistance. Lambert said he found their vehemence “strange”. With 12 goals from 22 games this season, and three wins from the last 17, it is stranger that Villa fans have remained supportive of Lambert. In these days of short-term reigns and so little loyalty, strange but laudable. It is as if, with Randy Lerner hitting stony ground thus far in his attempt to sell up, the Villa crowd have become accustomed to mediocrity.

After the relatively heady days of three successive top-six finishes and two Wembley visits under Martin O’Neill, Villa fans never bought into Gérard Houllier. They positively howled at the moon until delivered with Alex McLeish’s head on a plate. Yet after finishing 15th in the Premier League in each of the past two seasons, with one run to the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup (where they lost to Bradford City from League Two), and now facing a third successive campaign endeavouring to keep their heads above the relegation parapet, Lambert has received very little grief from the crowd.

Benteke was a superb signing, even if he has flattered to deceive in the past 18 months, and the likes of Ashley Westwood and Fabian Delph have developed into good Premier League midfield players. The players work hard for him and are now trying to adapt to a preferred passing game, but still lack touch and movement. Lambert is deluded if he thinks maintaining harmless possession in recent games against Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Blackpool equals progress. Lambert has been fortunate to avoid too much criticism thus far. But if he continues to praise Villa’s performances every week, not distinguishing between the good and the bad games, then he risks alienating supporters further. In these dour, difficult days for Villa he needs to keep a forgiving fan base onside. Peter Lansley
[/endquote]

Just because it is the first time the media have heard us complain doesn't mean we have been happy for over a year!
Sign a wide-player and a play-maker (a year late) and then let's see...

[silhillvilla]

Singing lambert out at burnley away will go unnoticed but when the Holte all sing it in unison it gets noticed as it was on MOTD and now in the nationals .
He's running out of time and his post match remarks are now being scrutinised .

[Witton Warrior]

Singing lambert out at burnley away will go unnoticed but when the Holte all sing it in unison it gets noticed as it was on MOTD and now in the nationals .
He's running out of time and his post match remarks are now being scrutinised .

I think it is because the media have picked up on how shite our "new way" actually is - the stats are there for all to see - he has had it easy with all that "young and hungry" blx they bought into

[LTA]

You only have to look at his demeanour in the press room and on the touchline to see that he's under no pressure from our weak owner and even weaker CEO.  Plus the likes for Charlie Nicholas and Alan McInally keep banging the drum of, "he's doing fine, he just has no backing".

Businesses that don't accept the reality of their situation invariably go to the wall. in the same way, football clubs in denial over poor results and form invariably end up sliding through the trap door.

[Ads]

There is something ironic in that if it had been a league game, there probably wouldn't have been any Lambert out chants, just stoney silence.

There were none of the season ticket holder regulars by me, yet the people that had turned up for the day all joined in the song. Cheeky bastards! You need at least a full blown season of watching us flounder before you can complain!

[silhillvilla]

I don't know , for those of us who had done all 3 parts of the Christmas Nilogy , it was very much tipping point yesterday .
It just boiled over and it had to after 80 mins of hapless sideways passing against Blackpool .

[joe_c]

The "harmless possession" quote in the Guardian is spot on. Possession without purpose is how I have termed it as I like alliteration.

[Chris Smith]

You only have to look at his demeanour in the press room and on the touchline to see that he's under no pressure from our weak owner and even weaker CEO.  Plus the likes for Charlie Nicholas and Alan McInally keep banging the drum of, "he's doing fine, he just has no backing".

Businesses that don't accept the reality of their situation invariably go to the wall. in the same way, football clubs in denial over poor results and form invariably end up sliding through the trap door.

A new contract in the summer demonstrated that he is under no pressure from above. Mid table plodding is enough to keep Lerner happy for now and that is what is being delivered.

[Legion]

Paul's purple patch producing purposeless possession.

[Ads]

We look like we're defending a goal the way we play. We take the sting of matters and keep the opposition at arms length, the major problem being its 0-0 at the time.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

That's a good article and sums the situation up extremely well.
It's good to know that there are some proper journalists out there who display insight and perceptive analysis of our team/club rather than short, sharp, sensational soundbites that mean little or nothing.

bit of alliteration in there for you joe! 

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Paul's purple patch producing purposeless possession.

You've got too much time on your hands Leeg!

[Meanwood Villa]

The "harmless possession" quote in the Guardian is spot on. Possession without purpose is how I have termed it as I like alliteration.

Preposterously pointless passing

[Ads]

The passing isn't pointless at all. We look even less like conceding a goal now than we did at the start of the season when we were defending well. Which is the point.

This is football played under fear and the fear of being relegated is all that motivates 12 clubs in this league.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]