Leicester City v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[PaulWinch again]

'We have to keep working hard and hopefully it'll turn'. Phew and I didn't think he had a plan on how to fix things.

[ChicagoLion]

I think he thinks we need to get better in the final 3rd, brilliant observation.

[Clampy]

And from the OS

Paul Lambert watched his team go down 1-0 away at Leicester and bemoaned a lack of clinical edge in the final third of the pitch.

Lambert was relatively happy with the possession and build-up play but accepted that his team need more creativity and invention going forward.

He said: "I thought the final third for us let us down.

"We never had enough in the final third. We had a lot of the ball but in the final third where it mattered we just didn't produce it.

"We have to put that right. We have to do better in the final third of the pitch.

"It's the last third of the pitch that is hurting us at the minute. We have to keep working hard and hopefully it will turn.

"You have just have to keep working hard, keep working hard at the training ground, keep everyone upbeat and keep the lads believing that it will come.

"As I said to them in the dressing room, the effort and commitment was there but you just need to be better in the final third.

"We need to find a way to get our good play goals."

Villa are currently 13th in the Barclays Premier League but Lambert is keen to stay away from the lower reaches of the table.

He continued: "You don't want to be down there. This is a massive football club.

"As I said to them in the dressing room, there are so many games to go and there will be so many twists and turns throughout the second half of the season.

"You just have to make sure you're away from all that."

Ciaran Clark was dismissed in the closing stages of the game at the King Power Stadium for a second booking while Foxes midfielder Matty James received a straight red for a late tackle on Jores Okore.

He added: "I saw the red card and I thought it was a red card.

"I don't know what Ciaran has been sent off for. Maybe the referee viewed it as a second yellow because Ciaran got involved. I don't know.

"I thought the tackle was pretty high."

The one thing he does say quite a lot is 'You don't want to be down there, this is a massive football club'.

I've read that a few times now.

[brian green]

One easy way of being in the attacking third more often is to get the offside rule into the heads of our "attacking" players.   We go side to side and repeat then when midfield possession should lead to a ball through the opposition the defence simply steps up and Benteke/Gabby/Weimann is offside.   The possession game is only as good as the breaks made from the possession.   A player running at a defender has two chances to the defender's one.  He can beat the defender or draw a foul.   The defender can win the ball.    Passing the ball across the pitch is to winning football is what chewing gum is to a healthy diet.

[adrenachrome]

Good point, bg.

Leicester's back 4 were playing us offside for fun yesterday. You would think our attackers were unaware that this is an often used defensive tactic.

[Witton Warrior]

One easy way of being in the attacking third more often is to get the offside rule into the heads of our "attacking" players.   We go side to side and repeat then when midfield possession should lead to a ball through the opposition the defence simply steps up and Benteke/Gabby/Weimann is offside.   The possession game is only as good as the breaks made from the possession.   A player running at a defender has two chances to the defender's one.  He can beat the defender or draw a foul.   The defender can win the ball.    Passing the ball across the pitch is to winning football is what chewing gum is to a healthy diet.

It's also a symptom of the slowness of play; when the through ball comes it is telegraphed and the defence step up.
Against Blackpool I watched players make three curving runs in the first half which begged for an early ball, none came and they stopped doing it second half. Weimann to his credit tries this occasionally

[silhillvilla]

Honorable mention to villa werewolf who made an appearance at the KP yesterday .

[paul_e]

And from the OS

Paul Lambert watched his team go down 1-0 away at Leicester and bemoaned a lack of clinical edge in the final third of the pitch.

Lambert was relatively happy with the possession and build-up play but accepted that his team need more creativity and invention going forward.

He said: "I thought the final third for us let us down.

"We never had enough in the final third. We had a lot of the ball but in the final third where it mattered we just didn't produce it.

"We have to put that right. We have to do better in the final third of the pitch.

"It's the last third of the pitch that is hurting us at the minute. We have to keep working hard and hopefully it will turn.

"You have just have to keep working hard, keep working hard at the training ground, keep everyone upbeat and keep the lads believing that it will come.

"As I said to them in the dressing room, the effort and commitment was there but you just need to be better in the final third.

"We need to find a way to get our good play goals."

Villa are currently 13th in the Barclays Premier League but Lambert is keen to stay away from the lower reaches of the table.

He continued: "You don't want to be down there. This is a massive football club.

"As I said to them in the dressing room, there are so many games to go and there will be so many twists and turns throughout the second half of the season.

"You just have to make sure you're away from all that."

Ciaran Clark was dismissed in the closing stages of the game at the King Power Stadium for a second booking while Foxes midfielder Matty James received a straight red for a late tackle on Jores Okore.

He added: "I saw the red card and I thought it was a red card.

"I don't know what Ciaran has been sent off for. Maybe the referee viewed it as a second yellow because Ciaran got involved. I don't know.

"I thought the tackle was pretty high."

How about employing a coach who knows how to coach forward movement, no amount of hard work is going to help if you keep coaching the way you have for the last 2 1/2 years.


If we're stuck with him he needs to accept that the coaching isn't good enough and take urgent action to address it, simply saying they need to work hard and the goals will come is as patronising as it is ridiculous.

[LeeB]

I would go further, possibly to the annoyance of some, but I think a manager as poor as Lambert has become, is worse than no manager at all.   I think the players are so demoralized and confused and Lambert is so covertly panic stricken, Lambert has a negative effect on the players and the results.
When I was working for the Army at Aldershot there was a situation which became much quoted in management and military circles.   The Army schools of physical training and of music were both in a shambles of ill discipline and under achievement.   In a blind stroke of genius somebody decided to make the head of the PT school and the head of the music school switch jobs.   The improvements were immediate and very impressive.   Each organization wanted anybody to run it, just not the incumbent.
I believe our players are so demoralized by Lambert the results would improve dramatically with anybody else in charge.   And as the old saying goes what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander the same probably applies to a change of ownership.
Aston Villa desperately needs the oxygen of change.

Brian, that perfectly sums up how I feel about the situation. He's filp-flopped on so many policies he's totally undermined himself, and even if he were the a fantastic coach (which I doubt) half the battle is making the players believe in what you're telling them.

[Pat McMahon]

.   A player running at a defender has two chances to the defender's one.  He can beat the defender or draw a foul.   The defender can win the ball.    Passing the ball across the pitch is to winning football is what chewing gum is to a healthy diet.

Brian, I am disappointed you forgot the third attacking option - kick the ball past the defender , give chase and watch the defender shepherd the ball out harmlessly for a goal kick.

[Steve67]

Make us better in the final third. Play with more width, use the whole 55 or so metres of the pitch, side to side. Buy wingers. Simples.

[olaftab]

.   A player running at a defender has two chances to the defender's one.  He can beat the defender or draw a foul.   The defender can win the ball.    Passing the ball across the pitch is to winning football is what chewing gum is to a healthy diet.

Brian, I am disappointed you forgot the third attacking option - kick the ball past the defender , give chase and watch the defender shepherd the ball out harmlessly for a goal kick.

The 4th option also known as the N'Zogbia method is to instead of  going past the defender  and head  for touch line to cross allow the defender to guide you inside and finally kick the ball against his shin and fall over.

[Toronto Villa]

I think Lambert tried the N'Zogbia method vs Sunderland and it was utterly pointless. At every opportunity the team fed the ball our our Charlie on the right and he balls it up time and again. Whatever Lambert has tried with this current squad has failed. He needs not only better players but to ditch the idea of using full backs to overlap and cross because they aren't any good. Hutton isn't bad, Cissokho useless. Go back to getting the ball out wide quickly to Sinclair and Gil have then run at the full back and deliver good crosses for Benteke. That has to be our way forward.

[adrenachrome]

.   A player running at a defender has two chances to the defender's one.  He can beat the defender or draw a foul.   The defender can win the ball.    Passing the ball across the pitch is to winning football is what chewing gum is to a healthy diet.

Brian, I am disappointed you forgot the third attacking option - kick the ball past the defender , give chase and watch the defender shepherd the ball out harmlessly for a goal kick.

The 4th option also known as the N'Zogbia method is to instead of  going past the defender  and head  for touch line to cross allow the defender to guide you inside and finally kick the ball against his shin and fall over.

You may well mock but how many players could do this with such relentless consistency? Masterful. Fucking masterful.

[villadelph]

I think Lambert tried the N'Zogbia method vs Sunderland and it was utterly pointless. At every opportunity the team fed the ball our our Charlie on the right and he balls it up time and again. Whatever Lambert has tried with this current squad has failed. He needs not only better players but to ditch the idea of using full backs to overlap and cross because they aren't any good. Hutton isn't bad, Cissokho useless. Go back to getting the ball out wide quickly to Sinclair and Gil have then run at the full back and deliver good crosses for Benteke. That has to be our way forward.

I agree with most everything except I don't think it's fair to label cissokho useless.