The underlying problem...

[Billy Walker]

At the moment there is no winning culture, desire or mindset to compete at the very top of the game and for this the buck must stop with Randy Lerner.

[LTA]

Completely agree OMVF. For the last 5 years or more where there should have been a captain on the pitch bollocking and driving and marshalling our players we have had a vacuum.  The role of captain has been relentlessly devalued up to the point of nothing but calling the coin toss.

The captain is the manager's voice on the field.  When the language being used by the manager is foreign, incoherent or non existent a voice of authority in the thick of the fight is even more necessary.

Add to that the current arrogance and the at-my-discretion attitude of referees and more than ever you need a captain to calmly and respectfully get on the referee's case to demand a level playing field. The big bee I still have buzzing in my bonnet is the kicking our most gifted players are getting. This utterly abominable concept of taking one for the team legitimising the non-football of people like Pulis. We need a hard, strong captain more than ever but seem to be blind to the need.

Some of the great Villa sides of the past have had several leaders on the field, and not just as captain.  We've lacked this for years now.

However it all stems from the top.  Lerner is never here and shows no leadership.

I remember when Graham Taylor left in 2003, he said that if you get a club right at the top then it has a good chance of flowing down throughout the rest of the club.

[Clampy]

To play devil's advocate, Randy's name wasn't being mentioned when we signed 5 players inside a week.

[CT Villan]

I think Randy must bear some of the blame, but as an owner, I don't think it is a necessity for him to be actively involved with the club. Where he lets himself down is making a statement about appointing a Chairman if we aren't sold, then not doing it (yet).

[DB]

To play devil's advocate, Randy's name wasn't being mentioned when we signed 5 players inside a week.

True, but he had the cash from players that had left. If he had invested and we have kept those players, then maybe he would get mentioned for the right reason. He is damned either way though. I just wish he gave the impression of taking an interest, rather than just turning up for the cup final.

[LTA]

To play devil's advocate, Randy's name wasn't being mentioned when we signed 5 players inside a week.

True, but he had the cash from players that had left. If he had invested and we have kept those players, then maybe he would get mentioned for the right reason. He is damned either way though. I just wish he gave the impression of taking an interest, rather than just turning up for the cup final.

And only then to crawl around the arse of the future King while the team he's supposed to be chairman of were getting royally dicked on the field.

[pauliewalnuts]

To play devil's advocate, Randy's name wasn't being mentioned when we signed 5 players inside a week.

True, but he had the cash from players that had left. If he had invested and we have kept those players, then maybe he would get mentioned for the right reason. He is damned either way though. I just wish he gave the impression of taking an interest, rather than just turning up for the cup final.

And only then to crawl around the arse of the future King while the team he's supposed to be chairman of were getting royally dicked on the field.

In fairness, what else is he supposed to do while we're getting beaten?

Sub himself on? Have a word in Sherwood's ear?

Anyway, his "Oh yes, I'll definitely be there for THAT match!" gloryhunterish plan certainly didn't pan out very well for him, did it?

[bob]

He jinxed it

[dave.woodhall]

To play devil's advocate, Randy's name wasn't being mentioned when we signed 5 players inside a week.

True, but he had the cash from players that had left. If he had invested and we have kept those players, then maybe he would get mentioned for the right reason. He is damned either way though. I just wish he gave the impression of taking an interest, rather than just turning up for the cup final.

And only then to crawl around the arse of the future King while the team he's supposed to be chairman of were getting royally dicked on the field.

What was he supposed to do - ignore him?

[silhillvilla]

One of the biggest blows I felt was when Barry slapped in a transfer request. That was more or less at the high point of the halcyon days under the bespectacled pube head and the new Lernarian period, yet our club captain decided he wanted out and it set a tone . Barry very roundly put the club in its place as a gig well below the big boys even when we were up and amongst them .

Or was it simply that he'd been here for over 10 years and fancied a new challenge?

Either way it set a depressing tone and Young and Downing and Milner all quickly followed suit

[LTA]

To play devil's advocate, Randy's name wasn't being mentioned when we signed 5 players inside a week.

True, but he had the cash from players that had left. If he had invested and we have kept those players, then maybe he would get mentioned for the right reason. He is damned either way though. I just wish he gave the impression of taking an interest, rather than just turning up for the cup final.

And only then to crawl around the arse of the future King while the team he's supposed to be chairman of were getting royally dicked on the field.

What was he supposed to do - ignore him?

No.  Nonetheless it was not good to see him getting so cosy considering what was unfolding on the field. 

[dave.woodhall]

Damned if he does...

[Yossarian]

To play devil's advocate, Randy's name wasn't being mentioned when we signed 5 players inside a week.

True, but he had the cash from players that had left. If he had invested and we have kept those players, then maybe he would get mentioned for the right reason. He is damned either way though. I just wish he gave the impression of taking an interest, rather than just turning up for the cup final.

And only then to crawl around the arse of the future King while the team he's supposed to be chairman of were getting royally dicked on the field.

What was he supposed to do - ignore him?

Not sing the national anthem.

Sorry, wrong guy.

[old man villa fan]

A couple of more problems we have are (i) very poor at defending from the front (ii) too many players that have to take two touches (and that is being kind) before passing the ball.

Defending from the front rarely involves tackling or charging around like a mad man.  All it takes is understanding how the opposition bring the ball out from the back and positioning to cut the angles for passes and then applying pressure so that the opposition player makes a poor pass.

One thing you notice about foreign players is usually how comfortable they look playing short one touch passes in triangles when in tight positions.  I even think back to Makoun and Sylla (who were not brilliant by a long way) when they first came in and how they could play one touch football.  I have seen the same between Gueye, Amavi and Veretout in the early games.  Sanchez looks very good when he plays this way and it is only when he starts holding on to the ball too long that things go wrong.  The key to this, however, is movement by the player receiving the pass.  Contrast this to how Westwood plays who always seems to receive a pass, repositions himself with a couple of touches before looking for the next pass, by which time any gaps have closed up.

[peter w]

A couple of more problems we have are (i) very poor at defending from the front (ii) too many players that have to take two touches (and that is being kind) before passing the ball.

Defending from the front rarely involves tackling or charging around like a mad man.  All it takes is understanding how the opposition bring the ball out from the back and positioning to cut the angles for passes and then applying pressure so that the opposition player makes a poor pass.

One thing you notice about foreign players is usually how comfortable they look playing short one touch passes in triangles when in tight positions.  I even think back to Makoun and Sylla (who were not brilliant by a long way) when they first came in and how they could play one touch football.  I have seen the same between Gueye, Amavi and Veretout in the early games.  Sanchez looks very good when he plays this way and it is only when he starts holding on to the ball too long that things go wrong.  The key to this, however, is movement by the player receiving the pass.  Contrast this to how Westwood plays who always seems to receive a pass, repositions himself with a couple of touches before looking for the next pass, by which time any gaps have closed up.

In defence of Westwood he has shown briefly that he can pick a pass. Problem is is that there is so little movement ahead of him there's little he can do. When we were doing well last season he was an excellent part of it.