romavillan

That wasn't really the main point, name your two CBs as you prefer, do we get a better back four with Richards at RB? Will Garde be free to do it?

The talk in the Clark thread threw up Richards at right back. Sherwood was obliged to play him centrally and made him his captain in that position. He's looked good there but doesn't a back four of... Richards ----- Okore ----- Clark ------ Amavi ....look better than what we've been putting out? Obviously only possible when Okore is back to match fitness but the main point is this, will Garde play Richards at RB? He never promised Richards anything and surely Richards can't refuse to play there?

Well everyone has looked poor with Lescott, and it probably didn't help that he was playing right center back when he is left footed. I still think Clark would make a good defensive mid. The problem of him being left on the right side played a major part in his positioning. If it had been on the other side of the field, I don't think he would have got around him. He tried to to force Dembele onto his own strongest foot (left), but this left an opening on his right hand side. A right footed player would have been positioned different, and would have should him the line, and I don't believe he would have got through. This doesn't hide the fact he should have done better, and it was poor defending. Yes it was poor from a good player IMO out of position. However I think it should be underlined that in no way should that mistake have led to such an easy goal. Lescott should be much more alive to the danger ad at the very least just get in the way of the straight run at Guzan once Clark was rolled. It feels like 10 times the howler because it resulted in a stupidly easy goal after 3 mins. Clark has been written off before and was one of our best players last season. In a settled back four, playign in his best position he is an asset and not a liabilty.

It's definitely doable, we're looking at 1 and a third points a game (so WDL every three games on average) to get to 40 points or 1.2 points a game to get to 36/37 points. 1.2 is 6 points every 5 games, so either WWLLLL or WDDDLL. That's surely not that hard if Garde can hit the ground running and impose a style and get this group working together. If he is to be a success here and keeps us up, surely we'd be looking at more like 1.5 points a game in the near future over a season. If we stay up we just cannot consistently be as bad as we have been over the past 4 years. At least not if Garde is a success. If Garde fails then the best we can hope for is coming straight back up or staying up by the skin of our teeth followed by more of the same next year....

Traore could be used up top as part of the two, or as an attacking change for Veretout, or as the tip of the diamond. Grealish competes with Gil for a place. Gabby and Gestede are competition for places up top. Gabby didn't turn up yesterday, so I don't see how you can be sayign he should start right now, Gestede doesn't work in that formation for me.

"He creates the environment in which players can express themselves, and favours attacking, possession-based football. It will be interesting to see if he reprises the 4-4-2 formation which got the most out of talent like Lacazette and playmaker Clement Grenier at Lyon." If he goes down the 4-4-2 possession route with Villa it could get quite interesting rather quickly We would be abysmal playing that system. Would we? I think his 4-4-2 was a diamond so maybe we'd get (when all fit) ------------------------ Guzan --------------------------- Hutton----- Richards ------ Okore ---------Amavi ----------------------- Sanchez ------------------------ --------Veretout---------------------Gana------------ ------------------------- Gil ----------------------------- -------------- Ayew ---------- Sinclair --------------- That's not bad is it? Richards, Okore, Amavi, Sanchez, Veretout, Gana, Gil, Ayew all with a good first touch and a decent pass on them. I'd back us to keep the ball better at least.

Yup, anyone thinking Garde had anything to do with playing a pretty flat 4-4-2 with those players is on better drugs than I ever had the pleasure of trying. Clearly KMac's side, same shape as Southampton. If we can take anything from it then it was that when Sanchez's brain is switched on he's a very good asset, Gil looked very good and sparked our best period of the game, and if he's doing that in training why the fudge didn't he start? Clark apart from the howling awfulness of being so easily out muscled (admittedly on the wrong side of the pitch for him) was good. Lescott still a mixed bag, no cover for Clark for the first goal but some great interventions when he was last or near to last man. Whatever Kmac's instructions were to Gabby he clearly didn't carry them out as he got (rightly) hooked at half time. Either Gabby didn't understand what he was supposed to be doing or he wanted the night off as he completely disappeared. All in all poor from KMac but I can understand him wanting to use a system he knows well given such a short space of time to work with the players. Pochetino would have been rubbing his hands at us playing 4-4-2 though, ripe for playing in between the lines. Tactically outdone but I don't want to be too harsh on KMac, he had a thankless task and he just tried to play it safe I think. Long way back from here now.

GOD HELP US God help us indeed. A 4-4-2 against Pochetino with stronger players is likely to get a shoeing, that line up is likely to get a bumming, then a shoeing, then some more bumming followed by a kick up the bollocks.

Tim got him the job he loved back, KMac is villa to his bones, Tim brought him back into the fold, he really isn't gonna say Tim was a cockney gobshite is he?

Does anyone know if Lambert was one of the longest serving managers in the premier league at the time of his sacking?

It not being one player is pretty normal too giving the run of results we've had. Confidence can be the difference between taking one or two touches of the ball, quite often in this league at a crucial moment you don't get two touches. Repeat that for 90 minutes and we've lost again.

Rodgers to Chelsea would remove a good plan B if he would have come here. Garde being a free agent should really mean we have more cash to throw at Lyon in compo surely?

Worrying lack of end product, though. Yup and for all the perceived solidity we quite tamely went down to 2-0. Last min penalty makes it another 1 goal defeat but we really looked very devoid of ideas up top. Ball down the channel for Gabby was abotu a dangerous as it got till Grealish came on and even then, there was really only the ball across the 6 yard box and another couple of threatening things but nothing really clear cut. I hope the 4-4-2 was protecting players for Monday and we won't see that system again. Looked like damage limitation to me and we really, really don't look like we can keep a clean sheet at the moment so neutering the attack isn't going to help much, Hopefully they are working hard on a less rigid and predictable line up now they have more than 48 hours to prepare. KMac only got the call on Sun night so lets give a bit of time with the group before caning him too much

An article on Sky's website with no quotes or any kind of suggestion as to how they arrived at their conclusions, click bait for anyone vaguely interested in the AVFC tragicomedy,

Yeah, not a spectactular suicide but a suicide nonetheless after some good hard work. 0-0 at half time it was there for the taking really, they were not all that. Sat off them for the first goal and then you could just see the belief disappear really. Amavi should have stayed on and not Richardson, but the 4-4-2 just was not going to trouble a Koeman team overly much. We did make some chances but never looked really likely to do any damage. Westwood was good, Amavi looked bright but lacked the end product, Crespo did some good things and then was caught trying to hold a retreating line instead of putting pressure on the ball. Gestede, meh, Ayew nice run fo rthe penalty but gave the ball away a lot. Gabby, same old Gabby, nice shot after the Grealish air shot, stretched them more than Gestede did. Sinclair got his goal but him and Gabby up top is not going to win us games in a 4-4-2, as 2 of a 3 maybe worth it but in a 4-4-2 I just don't see it. Hutton worked hard, Bacuna got in good positions but lacked quality at times, Grealish is a talent but I'm not sure he's a winger really (in the 4-4-2 sense anyway). Sanchez good enough, Clark I think can still be a good player for us. Guzan, solid but should he be getting beaten from that distance, even if it's in the corner? Overall, I still think we have the personnel to get out of the shit, they need to believe though and that will take a good manager demonstrating he knows his onions everyday on the training pitch and getting them organised in a system that gets the best out of them.

When Lambert was sacked they did a similar thing, picking people around New Street and asking them who should take over. I saw an acquaintance of my brother on midlands today around that time. He said he wanted Klinsmann for the Villa job. However he failed to mention that he supported Wolves. A late and great mate of mine from my time in north london who was a full on gooner, went down to white hart lane (we lived like 5 mins walk away at the time) specifically to slate Klinnsmann and say he'd let the fans, the club etc. down by going and he should be ashamed. got on the telly. all spurs fans idolised him at the time as some sort of god. then there was the pissing on the center circle incident...

Source?

So out of the current candidates who would you want?

Even if Appy Arry was right about 10%, if you think about our games this season, had we had 10% more from the players we'd be on 10 points easy atm and 4 points clear of the bottom three. 3 points at Leicester for sure, then take your pick for 3 of the one goal defeats to turn into draws. Margins are very fine at this level. 10% is enormous when you think about it.

Sherwood was with us for 8? No-one knows what is happening in the "advanced talks", it would appear Fox has moved quickly to get who he wanted though, 48 hours isn't a long time, almost not long enough to bumble I'd say.

Good.

Purposely trying to antagonize someone or upset them is never ever funny. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it actually can be **** hilarious.

Ah Collymore, as Xela mentioned before a million Garde puns, what could have been if he had enough support in his life to not have broken down mentally. All his debut goals show what talent he had, Liverpool too IIRC, his feet were good enough shame the head didn't have enough help I spose. His criticism of Lerner is warranted to a degree but he's looking for attention too I guess. ReGARDEless. Any confirmation news imminent?

Totally and if he went from us to managing Arsenal it would mean we would be doing well in the league, so win-win.

7 years an assistant too. 3 as head coach.