It's not Sherwood!

[bob]

Tim's tactics are working really well and have our best players on the ball most of the time and.doing what they do best.

I don't want to think about how a Lambert side would approach the game on Sunday but it is obvious to all that Sherwood's side have a much greater chance of victory.

Tactically similar, they ain't.

[ozzjim]

I hope he gets the chance to build on it oo TV, but think Ramsey changing to 3-5-2 and Sherwood not having a scooby do of what to do following it shows his tactical weakness. The good thing is 3 days later away in a potentially more difficult game he got the same defence to go out and perform much more cohesively and picked up Richardson from possibly one of the poorest displays in a Villa shirt this season to have a solid game at left back. That suggests he may well have worked on a few things between then and now and it worked well.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I am not sure we wants to be a reactive tactician Ozzijim. For better or worse he keeps saying he doesn't pay attention to other teams, he wants them to worry about us. In two recent interviews with him I have seen him repeat this.  I believe him.

He wants us to be like Barcelona under Guardiola (his comparison not mine) , they always played a certain way, it was up to other teams to try and stop them.

I am not saying he is right, but at least he is consistent in what he has been saying.

[Richard]

He's a breath of fresh air after the last few managers I actually look forward to watching us play again

[peter w]

I don't think it's totally that he doesn't care what the other team are doing, but he backed us to still win the game. Which we should have done. If it was 3-5-2 in a tight game where we were surrendering possession and coming under increased pressure then it's right to change a formation. Just doing it because someone else has done it isn't always the correct approach. It was Sherwood's call and although we didn't go on to win the game I don't think that should be used against him.

[Monty]

He has one part of his tactical make-up - obsession with attacking - which suits us better than Lambert's negativity did, but that's not really 'better', just more suitable. He's done some things better than Lambert so far, like the diamond midfield and Grealish, and also some things which I'm not sure even Lambert would have done, such as the flat 4-4-2 against Stoke (that was terrible). So, overall, a draw I think.

What he's got that Lambert didn't is simply mentality, and that sort of emotional difference can be enormous in a relegation fight. Under Lambert, the players were individually so timid, always passing backwards and not making runs. With Sherwood, the emphasis is so far the other way that they attack and attempt things almost irresponsibly. It's much more likely to get us out of trouble and it's also so much better to watch. Long term? I'm still not convinced, but I always thought he'd have a better shot at keeping us up than Lambert, so let's hope for that at least.

[Villa in Denmark]

He's a breath of fresh air after the last few managers I actually look forward to watching us play again

100% this.

I wasn't impressed when he was appointed, but if he keeps us up from where we were then mission accomplished.
If he manages to win the "other 2 games" as well, then he'll have achieved legend status in less than 4 months and maybe the ghost of the temperamental Irishman can truly be exorcised.

It's a pleasant change looking forward to the weekend wondering how we'll do instead of approaching it with trepidation wondering how depressing the game will be.

[brian green]

With the best will in the world Mont, I don't think you will ever be convinced about Sherwood. But that is your prerogative which I accept without demur.

[Clampy]

I think he's come in and done well under the circumstances. It would be nice to be a few points better off obviously but I like what he's trying to do and more importantly, the players have responded to him as well.

[fredm]

If we stay up and he is given a few quid in the summer, it will be interesting to see the type of player he brings in.  From his comments so far I think he will be looking to bring in some strong personalities; people who are not afraid to give it a go, make things happen, not be timid and frightened of the opposition.  For too long the team has been brainwashed and been beaten before we have even stepped onto the pitch.

[not3bad]

If we stay up and he is given a few quid in the summer, it will be interesting to see the type of player he brings in.

This. He never got a transfer window with Spurs so he is very much an unknown quantity here.

[pauliewalnuts]

The biggest thing he seems to have done is make us less fearful.

That and realising that if you want to get the best out of Benteke, you need to get the ball to him in the first place.

[dave.woodhall]

I watched MotD Extra this morning and we got a positive mention. The general agreement amongst the panel was that football can be over-theorised and there's too much store set by philosophy whereas Tim's does it a lot simpler - play to your best players' strengths. 

[Monty]

I watched MotD Extra this morning and we got a positive mention. The general agreement amongst the panel was that football can be over-theorised and there's too much store set by philosophy whereas Tim's does it a lot simpler - play to your best players' strengths. 

While that's obviously true, I don't think the problem with English football has ever been a shortage of simplicity.

[john e]

He has one part of his tactical make-up - obsession with attacking - which suits us better than Lambert's negativity did, but that's not really 'better', just more suitable. He's done some things better than Lambert so far, like the diamond midfield and Grealish, and also some things which I'm not sure even Lambert would have done, such as the flat 4-4-2 against Stoke (that was terrible). So, overall, a draw I think.

What he's got that Lambert didn't is simply mentality, and that sort of emotional difference can be enormous in a relegation fight. Under Lambert, the players were individually so timid, always passing backwards and not making runs. With Sherwood, the emphasis is so far the other way that they attack and attempt things almost irresponsibly. It's much more likely to get us out of trouble and it's also so much better to watch. Long term? I'm still not convinced, but I always thought he'd have a better shot at keeping us up than Lambert, so let's hope for that at least.

What ever the differences are, Sherwoods team is totally unrecognisable from the one we have been watching under Lambert
The biggest thing for me is not only is he gaining enough points to keep us up, and got the team scoring again, we are doing it in style
I honestly couldn't have asked for more