Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[eamonn]

Actually I think our possession stats are quite good, we usually have more than the opposition not that it means much in our case. But it would be interesting to compare the table for distance covered with average possession per game to see if there's any truth with the old adage ''letting the ball do the work'' and not having to run as much.

[AV89]

I notice Merson has pointed the finger for Remi for saying the performance was rubbish against Norwich.

Granted we weren't fantastic, but all he said was it wasn't our best display.  Surely that's no excuse for players to sulk? It's hardly throwing them under a bus like Sherwood did.

[mr underhill]

but actually, they need throwing under a bus - all ofthem

[LeeB]

I notice Merson has pointed the finger for Remi for saying the performance was rubbish against Norwich.

Granted we weren't fantastic, but all he said was it wasn't our best display.  Surely that's no excuse for players to sulk? It's hardly throwing them under a bus like Sherwood did.

I said the yesterday in reply to Brian that I reckon that's what had put their noses out.

And we're expecting the manager to get a tune out of them?

[adrenachrome]

1 Bournemouth 3060.6
2 Tottenham 3003.8
3 West Brom 2917.5
4 Liverpool 2910.2
5 Man Utd 2903
6 West Ham 2881.9
7 Leicester City 2874.3
8 Arsenal 2871.5
9 Southampton 2863.6
10 Crystal Palace 2860.6
11 Watford 2859.7
12 Sunderland 2858.8
13 Newcastle 2854.5
14 Everton 2837.9
15 Norwich City 2812.9
16 Swansea City 2812.8
17 Chelsea 2802.7
18 Man City 2795.5
19 Stoke City 2789.2
20 Aston Villa 2750.8


Still rock bottom of distance covered by players this season.

At almost every level of the club, we just can't be arsed.

When I said that the players should have been made to run up and down Worcester Beacon in the pre season I was roundly derided. Who is laughing now?

How the hell Garde picks players like Gill and Westwood in a North Easterly gusting at 29 miles per hour is beyond comprehension. Lightweight doesn't begin to describe them. He probably thought Gabby with his immense girth could do a bit of sumo wrestling but he didn't fancy it. Can't blame him, I got dizzy watching from P6.

On that subject, how did 3 Scandinavian Scousers get tickets in the row in front of me on the half way line? When they scored the first goal the bearded hipster dufus with the little pony tail leaped in the air and did a little jig of delight.  There was a rumble of disapproval and generl pointing in the area and I felt I compelled to tap him on shoulder and advise him that this behaviour was unwise and there would be ructions if he and his merry men continued in this vein for the ensuing goals. 

In fairness, they kept firmly seated and quiet for the next five goals but it harshed my mellow as I  had hardly slept for 2 weeks and I was dozing off in a pleasant patch of sun from  low over the Trinity and I had to stay till the end which resulted in a long wait on Aston station in the freezing wind.

I was so bored hanging around being marched up and down by people in orange jackets with walkie talkies  changing the length of the train every few moments that I walked to the back of the platform.  When I got there there were 2 Alsation guard dogs tethered in a large yard which appeared to be a resting home for RV's. They went berserk and when I talked to them in my dog voice they were momentarily confused before resuming their racket. This resulted in them being freed and they went bouncing round the yard like Phosphorus thrown down a bog hole. 

A strange day.
 

[oswald funkletrumpet]

but actually, they need throwing under a bus - all ofthem

the bus went under guzan

[LeeB]

but actually, they need throwing under a bus - all ofthem

the bus went under guzan

Cold, man.

[aj2k77]

Actually I think our possession stats are quite good, we usually have more than the opposition not that it means much in our case. But it would be interesting to compare the table for distance covered with average possession per game to see if there's any truth with the old adage ''letting the ball do the work'' and not having to run as much.

Average possession - Distance covered Rank

Man Utd 56 - 5th
Arsenal 55.8 - 8th
Liverpool 55.2 - 4th
Man City 55.1 - 18th
Tottenham 55 - 2nd
Chelsea 54.5 - 17th
Swansea 52.5 - 16th
Everton 52.1 - 14th
Bournemouth 52 - 1st
Stoke 49.7 - 19th
Southampton 49.6 - 9th
Aston Villa 49.5 - 20th
West Ham 48.6 - 6th
Newcastle 47.1 - 13th
Crystal P 46.8 - 10th
Norwich 46.7 - 15th
Watford 45.9 - 11th
Leicester 43.3 - 7th
Sunderland 42.7 - 12th
West Barcelona Albion 42 - 3rd


Thing that obviously stands out is if you don't have the players to unlock defences then all the teams that are doing surprisingly well ie Palace, Leicester, West Ham and Watford let the other team have the ball and play counter attack.

[andyh]

Even if our possession stats were 20 points better it wouldn't make an ounce of difference because we do so little with it.

We are the team of meaningless possession

[olaftab]

Stats explain that  other teams let us keep the ball and we do not have enough movement and running to do anything constructive  and the opposition know that  inevitably we will make a fatal mistake. Yes seen enough of that this season.

[brontebilly]

I was one of those that was a cheerleader for getting Garde in. Sherwood had been exposed as a clown and a divisive one. I was firmly of the belief that an experienced progressive coach could get the best out of what I thought was a reasonable group of younger players with promise (Okore, Clark, Amavi, Gueye, Veretout, Traore, Gil, Ayew and Grealish) and also solid enough experienced pros (Guzan, Richards, Sanchez, Gestede, Hutton).

To be honest I was already of the view by the time Garde came in that Sinclair, Gabby and Lescott were finished and I dont think any of us expected a dying kick from the likes of Senderos, Nzogbia, Kozak or any of the rest of the stiffs. Still a few signings in Jan to supplement a revitalised dressing room was a reasonable objective for Garde to keep us in the league.

Now obviously I have been proved wrong, plus the board has pulled the rug under him but I dont think Garde is getting the best out of the players he has, limited as all as they now appear. Okore/Clark was a solid partnership for us previously, Grealish flickered brilliantly this time last season, he has seen improvements in some of last summer's additions and injuries have impacted some of the others. The experienced pros appear to have downed tools, no other word for it really. Fair enough Garde is only thinking and talking the same we largely are but we arent employing him to be a pundit. He is employed to manage the resources at his disposal.

For a new manager, its bizarre the not trying a leg mob that has showed up on at least three occasions under him already, Everton, City and Liverpool. Even our two wins under Garde were largely down to goalkeeping errors. There was also shambolic performances that we got away with like the first half at Southampton, even last 20 mins against Norwich.

I fear Garde came into the dressing room with the same attitude Houllier did. But that dismissive attitude rarely works mid season. In truth, we were in an awful state in the Houllier season with a miles better group of players until McAllister brought some of the experienced players back into the side and with Bent on board we eventually cruised to safety.

[A Northern Soul]

Can anyone remind me, have we played well for most of a single game yet under Garde? We have had a couple where we were 'a bit unlucky' (WHU & Leicester H), a couple where we have 'put a shift in' (Norwich & Man City H), but have we actually walked away from any game with a memory of good football? Not saying we haven't but it is lost on me amongst the dirge

[adrenachrome]

Can anyone remind me, have we played well for most of a single game yet under Garde? We have had a couple where we were 'a bit unlucky' (WHU H), a couple where we have 'put a shift in (Norwich & Man City H), but have we actually walked away from any game with a memory of good football? Not saying we haven't but it is lost on me amongst the dirge

I take your point, but I think this has been happening for a long time before Garde's arrival. We can play quite well for certain periods of a game but are hardly ever able to sustain it.  The skill is there but the leadership and the spine are conspicuous by their absence.

[ROBBO]

I think Gabbys attitude sums it up, put a shift in against Norwich but couldn't raise a smile when he scored showed no emotion at all, then against Pool he resorted to type until he went off. With his history at the club he should be leading the effort but I think he is just waiting for
Garde to go so he can play the way he thinks he should. One big sulk.

[brian green]

There is a lot of truth in what you say Rob.  Gabby, Bacuna, Westwood and other non performers are sitting on long contracts while speculation grows that Garde will leave sooner rather than later.  The non triers can, to coin a phrase, go home and count their money and wait for another manager to rock up who they can take the piss out of.

I am very pro Garde, I remain convinced that he will have a glittering career in the top level of football but after Sunday I begin to suspect that there is no part of him that can handle the dumb insolence of Sunday's team. He is like a sheep dog handler trying to round up a flock of dead sheep.

I continue to wrestle with the question of how the reversion from small but steady improvement in the team imploded back into headless chicken mode in the run up to Valentine's Day.  Bunn fell apart, Richards fell apart, Lescott dismantled himself, Bacuna fell apart, Gueye fell apart, Westwood disintegrated, Okore went mad, Gabby deserted, Gil was like a leaf in a hurricane, Cissoko was shell shocked and the referee gave the slop a good stir with the usual you-cant-get-a-decision-because-you-are-shit performance we have got used to.

It was a day for a manager with a volcanic temper and a tongue like a butcher knife.  Not the sort of manager to patiently rebuild a squad given the time and the money but one to stop the club being humiliated there and then.