Carles Gil - loaned out again

[paul_e]

If he's prepared to admit we have nothing in the final third after losing to Leicester, he's obviously aware of the problem. I don't necessarily expect him to "confess" this to the press on every occasion.
But I do expect him to address the issue when it occurs, not several games later when the press decide to spot it and ask questions about it!
He's the MANAGER ffs. He's supposed to MANAGE his resources, not just throw them into a pot and expect a stonking curry/chilli/stew/vegan soup to emerge some random time later.

Exactly, that bit just reads too much like he thinks everything he's done until now was just a holding pattern making the best of it and suddenly his 22nd signing for the club is going to transform us, 2 1/2 years of decent tactical analysis and training to exploit teams was clearly never going to work but a young spaniard is the answer.  I hope he is, it'd be great to see the team completely transformed at the weekend and then for us to go on a run of great victories but I can't even dream that it's so far from possible.

[Sexual Ealing]

I appreciate that Lambert needs to trust his scouts, but surely Sanchez should have been one of the first people he consulted, by Tuesday the money was almost spent.

I remember that rumour from a few years back (hopefully false), that after Bouma got injured O'Neill didn't know where to turn for a new left-back - asked the players if they knew of anybody who might be good and Sidwell recommended Shorey. So O'Neill went out and bought him.

That wouldn't surprise me. I heard he signed NRC and then saw him in training and wondered what he had got himself into. If there's truth to that story, it shows how much research he did on players before spending £8m+salary on them. Also heard stories about how he would record NFL games and then watch them Monday morning whilst the players trained.

It's the sort of thing that makes you wonder - how did O'Neill do so well with Leicester and Celtic? How did Lambert do so well with Norwich?

Surely it can't have been years of luck and coincidence? Does just arriving at Villa make them forget how to manage?

It's almost as if stories like that that people hear are very probably apocryphal.

[Dave]

I appreciate that Lambert needs to trust his scouts, but surely Sanchez should have been one of the first people he consulted, by Tuesday the money was almost spent.

I remember that rumour from a few years back (hopefully false), that after Bouma got injured O'Neill didn't know where to turn for a new left-back - asked the players if they knew of anybody who might be good and Sidwell recommended Shorey. So O'Neill went out and bought him.

That wouldn't surprise me. I heard he signed NRC and then saw him in training and wondered what he had got himself into. If there's truth to that story, it shows how much research he did on players before spending £8m+salary on them. Also heard stories about how he would record NFL games and then watch them Monday morning whilst the players trained.

It's the sort of thing that makes you wonder - how did O'Neill do so well with Leicester and Celtic? How did Lambert do so well with Norwich?

Surely it can't have been years of luck and coincidence? Does just arriving at Villa make them forget how to manage?

It's almost as if stories like that that people hear are very probably apocryphal.

True, I expect a lot of them are - the one above included.

But we have seen both our current manager and the unpleasant one from that story both have great success and their teams show impressive tactical acumen and yet we have seen with Villa both of them make decisions which anybody can see are absolutely without any logic at all. Decisions that can't be put down to apocrypha.

[Sexual Ealing]

I agree. My (unoriginal)theory is that managers can do great things with smaller clubs by fostering a bond, an us-against-the-world mentality. Even MON at Celtic, a bigger club than Villa by most metrics, could use Rangers' near-total dominance in the previous 20 years to do the same. And there was only one club to catch.

Villa is a stately home. IKEA furniture can look pretty good in a 2-bed semi but it won't ever rise above the level of functional when you move here.

Apparently stately homes are a fucking nightmare to maintain!

[dave.woodhall]

I agree. My (unoriginal)theory is that managers can do great things with smaller clubs by fostering a bond, an us-against-the-world mentality. Even MON at Celtic, a bigger club than Villa by most metrics, could use Rangers' near-total dominance in the previous 20 years to do the same. And there was only one club to catch.

Villa is a stately home. IKEA furniture can look pretty good in a 2-bed semi but it won't ever rise above the level of functional when you move here.

Apparently stately homes are a fucking nightmare to maintain!

You're right there.

[maidstonevillain]

I agree. My (unoriginal)theory is that managers can do great things with smaller clubs by fostering a bond, an us-against-the-world mentality. Even MON at Celtic, a bigger club than Villa by most metrics, could use Rangers' near-total dominance in the previous 20 years to do the same. And there was only one club to catch.

Villa is a stately home. IKEA furniture can look pretty good in a 2-bed semi but it won't ever rise above the level of functional when you move here.

Apparently stately homes are a fucking nightmare to maintain!

Often taken on by ambitious owners, who run out of funds, lose interest, and then leave them to decay and collapse.

[Olof's Beard]

I hope he does well but I can't help thinking that only a special individual player could make a big difference to the team and for the price we have paid, he is unlikely to be that.  Our problems are due to the system being employed and the ethos of the players and management team.  The stubborn persistence with a ridiculously narrow system, the chronic lack of movement, the entirely flat midfield and complete lack of players who seem willing to take responsibility for making something happen.  Gil could make a difference to a couple of those, but how much of a difference is debatable.  As others have said, Lambert's comments were concerning, suggesting he doesn't see a problem with the way we set the team up tactically and strategically and just throwing in someone who can turn and run (when we don't create space) will make the difference.

[SashasGrandad]

I agree. My (unoriginal)theory is that managers can do great things with smaller clubs by fostering a bond, an us-against-the-world mentality. Even MON at Celtic, a bigger club than Villa by most metrics, could use Rangers' near-total dominance in the previous 20 years to do the same. And there was only one club to catch.

Villa is a stately home. IKEA furniture can look pretty good in a 2-bed semi but it won't ever rise above the level of functional when you move here.

Apparently stately homes are a fucking nightmare to maintain!

It depends how harshly you thrash the servants.  Do it hard enough and they say thank-you.

[mr underhill]

that's exactly what I found on my last visit to Downton

[The Left Side]

Anyone see the AVFC youtube video of his first training session yesterday, they showed the usual drill of standing in a circle, one player in the middle with a bib trying to get the ball. Hopefully they do more than that for 2 hours and Gil remembers his training from the continent otherwise we will soon bring him down to our level.

[Ads]

They do that at half time and the players always have a smile on their face. Its just a warm up drill.

[TheMalandro]

They do that at half time and the players always have a smile on their face. Its just a warm up drill.

I'd permanently have a stupid smile on my face if I had that going into my bank account every month

[Monty]

Isn't that piggy-in-the-middle celebrated as the 'Rondo' in Barcelona and described as the secret of La Masia's success?

[Ads]

Isn't that piggy-in-the-middle celebrated as the 'Rondo' in Barcelona and described as the secret of La Masia's success?

I can't answer that question, but it seems to me as a layman to be a useful way to introduce a drill where players will enjoy themselves, while learning to use the ball quickly in tight spaces/under pressure.

[paul_e]

Isn't that piggy-in-the-middle celebrated as the 'Rondo' in Barcelona and described as the secret of La Masia's success?

I can't answer that question, but it seems to me as a layman to be a useful way to introduce a drill where players will enjoy themselves, while learning to use the ball quickly in tight spaces/under pressure.

I'd bet it's great for the player doing the closing down so long as they put the effort in, given how little tackling actually happens in football being able to close down players and force them to pass where you want is a key skill.