It's not Sherwood!

[PeterWithesShin]

The Benteke resurgence is down to Sherwood though. Same goes for the rest of the side.

[Matt Collins]

I think Sherwood isn't the long term answer. We are riding the wave at the moment and clearly there has been massive positivity since Lambert left, however I am not sure Sherwood can carry it for a full season, and am not sure he has any track record in the transfer market. A lot of the resurgence has been down to Benteke, without him Sherwoods plan A (and probably B and C) are gone.

Fair to say we don't know yet. But the transformation has been way, way better than I thought was realistic. In my most positive moments I hoped for a Gregory style bounce. Some of the recent performances have been some of the best in years.

[peter w]

That's just it, it hasn't been a bounce. We lost some games early on and looked poor at times. Then, when he got over what he wanted and how we were set up the team responded. that's tactics not a bounce. After every game you here the players, and him, saying that we had a game plan and we stuck to it. That says a lot for Sherwood.

[Toronto Villa]

That's just it, it hasn't been a bounce. We lost some games early on and looked poor at times. Then, when he got over what he wanted and how we were set up the team responded. that's tactics not a bounce. After every game you here the players, and him, saying that we had a game plan and we stuck to it. That says a lot for Sherwood.

agree and especially the bit about gameplan. We have approached each opponent with an idea to counter their best assets and emphasize the things we are good at. At the "it must be all bluster and Sherwood's personality" doesn't last forever. We've won against 3 very good sides lately and were very unlucky against the champions at their place being 2 down not to win. There's nothing flukey about how we stuck to our approach and it nearly paid dividends. The players see that and it starts to sink in that the manager knows what he's on about. It won't work every week, but if we plan for each opponent then we'll have more success than just winging it as were doing with Lambert.

[Dante Lavelli]

That's just it, it hasn't been a bounce. We lost some games early on and looked poor at times. Then, when he got over what he wanted and how we were set up the team responded. that's tactics not a bounce. After every game you here the players, and him, saying that we had a game plan and we stuck to it. That says a lot for Sherwood.

agree and especially the bit about gameplan. We have approached each opponent with an idea to counter their best assets and emphasize the things we are good at. At the "it must be all bluster and Sherwood's personality" doesn't last forever. We've won against 3 very good sides lately and were very unlucky against the champions at their place being 2 down not to win. There's nothing flukey about how we stuck to our approach and it nearly paid dividends. The players see that and it starts to sink in that the manager knows what he's on about. It won't work every week, but if we plan for each opponent then we'll have more success than just winging it as were doing with Lambert.

Through a combination of holidays and idleness I have not seen the recent matches, how have the tactics varied for the different clubs, e.g. v Liverpool, v Man City (saw some of this match), v Everton?

[PeterWithesShin]

Tim Sherwood is enjoying creating an entertaining claret and blue football side - but warned that it counts for nothing in the final three games.

Sherwood insists that his Villa team are "getting better" with every passing week and that's been clear to see with an attack-minded impetus.

He wants this model to continue in the coming weeks but he admits he'd take nine points in the remaining games regardless of performance.

He said: "We were delighted with the performance against Everton and the points were crucial.

"The performance was good but first and foremost it's about the points.

"We started well. We came out of the blocks well. A lot of people don't like playing at that tempo. We do.

"It affects other teams when we come out like that.

"If you look at the performances since I have been here, we are getting better.

"We don't want that to tail off now. We have a lot of hard work to be done.

"You are starting to see a Tim Sherwood side now which has a mixture of everything.

"We have pace. We have flair. We have goalscorers.

"Moving forward, we move the ball wide. We have players in the middle of the park who can tackle and break up play and they have flair.

"But there's an awful lot of hard work to be done. Three more wins and we will get over the line. It's going to go right to the wire.

"It helps when you entertain - but you don't want to entertain all the way to the Championship.

"We have to make sure we are doing the job and picking up points.

"I believe in that way of playing. But it doesn't mean we are not good defensively. I don't think there'd be much difference in goals conceded but there is a difference in the ones we'd score.

"In the last three games I would take three wins any way they come."

[peter w]

That's just it, it hasn't been a bounce. We lost some games early on and looked poor at times. Then, when he got over what he wanted and how we were set up the team responded. that's tactics not a bounce. After every game you here the players, and him, saying that we had a game plan and we stuck to it. That says a lot for Sherwood.

agree and especially the bit about gameplan. We have approached each opponent with an idea to counter their best assets and emphasize the things we are good at. At the "it must be all bluster and Sherwood's personality" doesn't last forever. We've won against 3 very good sides lately and were very unlucky against the champions at their place being 2 down not to win. There's nothing flukey about how we stuck to our approach and it nearly paid dividends. The players see that and it starts to sink in that the manager knows what he's on about. It won't work every week, but if we plan for each opponent then we'll have more success than just winging it as were doing with Lambert.

Through a combination of holidays and idleness I have not seen the recent matches, how have the tactics varied for the different clubs, e.g. v Liverpool, v Man City (saw some of this match), v Everton?

Its basically the same but with a higher energy from midfield. Sherwood already came out and said that his game plan isn't based on who we play but making sure we stick to what we're doing and getting that right. getting that right means we are very competitive when it works. it don't think it's a Keegan-Newcastle approach because the goals we have conceded in the last two games - and against Liverpool - have nearly all been down to poor defensive errors - sort that out and we'll be a very good team once again and I don't think that will take much. having a settled bloody team would be nice for once. have we had a season where we've only been beset by the odd injury here and there for a few weeks? because i can't remember one post-O'Neill.

[adrenachrome]

Birmingham Mail

Tim Sherwood on Aston Villa's improvement: 'I don't put square pegs in round holes'

Sherwood talks about bringing the best out of his Villa players

    12:50, 4 May 2015
    By Mat Kendrick

Tim Sherwood reckons his simple policy of playing players in their best roles has contributed to Aston Villa's vastly improved form.

Sherwood believes Tom Cleverley's transformation is evidence of the success of trusting individuals to play to their strengths.

Since being given licence to get forward more, Cleverley has had a new lease of life and has scored twice in his past two games.

Sherwood has also welcomed the strides Fabian Delph has made, and several other players after giving them clear instructions about how he wants them to play.

The Villa boss insists the only time he will play players out of position is when 'needs must' like when right-back Matt Lowton deputised at left-back during the defensive injury crisis.

"I think Tom enjoys it, I think he enjoys the role he’s been given, I think it suits him," said Sherwood.

"Thats where he should play, that’s where Delph should play.

"I don’t put square pegs in round holes. I don’t believe in that.

"I'd rather leave them out and bring someone else in who can do a job."

"Unless it’s a needs must situation like Matty Lowton who came in at left-back back when he’s a right back because we needed him."

[amfy]

.......and Leandro Bacuna being taught to play right back in a week!

[Matt Collins]

The big test will be the transfer market

He could need to replace vlaar, cleverley and benteke this summer. That's a big ask for anyone

[john e]

The big test will be the transfer market

He could need to replace vlaar, cleverley and benteke this summer. That's a big ask for anyone

I don't think you can replace Benteke
See Suarez and Bale

We will have to do the best we can but its gona be impossible to replace him

[Clampy]

I just like the fact that he's got us scoring again and looking like scoring whenever we break forward. Lambert's solution was just to sign Rickie Lambert.

[aev]

Got really grumpy earlier when talking to a Chelsea fan at work.

I said that we seem to have stumbled upon a perfect watch with Sherwood. At Spurs he had very little upside (5/6th place seems their limit despite their fans wanting CL football), whereas at the Villa we are a similar size but with an awful lot of upside, and that he seems to have a point to prove. He then said that they were a much bigger club than us.

fkn twt

[Monty]

I just like the fact that he's got us scoring again and looking like scoring whenever we break forward. Lambert's solution was just to sign Rickie Lambert.

*shudder*

Looking at it now, it is amazing that Lambert plugged away with Weimann on the wing every week rather than play Grealish. Just so gutless.

[Diablo]

Got really grumpy earlier when talking to a Chelsea fan at work.

I said that we seem to have stumbled upon a perfect watch with Sherwood. At Spurs he had very little upside (5/6th place seems their limit despite their fans wanting CL football), whereas at the Villa we are a similar size but with an awful lot of upside, and that he seems to have a point to prove. He then said that they were a much bigger club than us.

fkn twt

Chelski are a bobbins classless club with a history of racist fans (and arguably a racist captain). When Abramovich finally goes they'll no doubt go back to being the crap club they are (and possibly talk of introducing electric fencing to pen in their own fans again - another of their lowlights). Money doesn't make you a big club. Yep he's right in that Spurs are a big club they're a much bigger club than Chelski and whilst Spurs are certainly ahead of us at the moment and have been in recent years they're certainly not a bigger club than us. He has a point with the expectation level as we were doomed before Sherwood took over. But don't ever let a Chelsea fan upset you they're probably only the 4th biggest club in London.