onje_villa

BJC, mobile?!

As many have said, I'm fed up going to games watching all the other teams have the ball. Yes we need to learn to be more incisive (but hey, so do Arsenal) that will come but only if the system is given time. A bit of pragmatism will be needed now and then, we do have to pick up points but I am fully behind a manager who wants us to be comfortable on the ball and try and control games. With time we will get better used to it.

That's a fair point regarding Ireland. Is an attacking midfielder the same as a deep-lying forward though. I'm not sure. One may run on from midfield while the other will come deep from attack. Bent is the type of striker to get on the end of things. That has to be crosses, through balls or rebounds. Not going to see many crosses playing this narrow so it will have to be following up on long shots or someone making piercing through balls.

also think Clark deserves a score!

There is a reason why teams play a direct style, it reaps quicker rewards and is generally more solid. Many of us wanted rid of McLeish for playing this way, we wanted something different, a new style. It's better in the long run but takes longer to implement (certainly more than 1 match). Anyone who Swansea at our place last season witnessed the way football should be played.

Fair enough but a N° 10 is the type of striker who links up with the midfield and creates chances. If Bent (or any frontline) just stands up top waiting for a cross or a slide-rule pass, the team is not going to create many chances.

Nice to read something positive. I agree with a lot of what you say, I definitely think that we need a link up striker. If we're going to play a possession game through the middle (which I love!) we're going to need a way of linking the play all the way to the top.

I think what's often overlooked when people talk about getting in another striker is the type of player. Darren Bent is a decent all-round striker but definitely more of poacher. Carrol, Holt, John Carew, hold up strikers. Do we need just any good striker or do we need a specific type? For my money, we're crying out for a striker that drops deep and links up play and that has that bit of flair needed to unlock defences. Our midfield is actually pretty strong I think, at least in the middle but the gap between them and Bent is a big issue. Is it any coincidence that when we had Robbie Keane on loan last season we looked a much better team for it? I very much hope that if Lambert is looking for a new striker that it's a N° 10.

Thought he did OK to be honest, will get better with time as hopefully will the rest of the team. Bizarrely I'm now worried more about our attack than defence - the complete opposite of how I felt before the match

Think he's injured mate

We need a creative striker. A N° 10. A Rooney. A Robbie Keane, a Benny Carbone, a Paul Merson, someone who'll make something happen. Let Bent knock in the rebounds. That plus a winger has to be the priority, oh yeah and a LB! Shit Randy we need players!!!

Think he'll be a good player for us, put a shift in today, we'll see more from him I'm sure

Pretty much agree with Andym. Loved the way we kept the ball. If we ever want to be near the top of the league we're going to have to keep the ball. You can get quicker results by playing direct, the way Allardyce plays with West Ham, to be honest to a degree it's far more effective and quicker to get started. The thing is we're trying to build here and I think Lambert is right to play that way. The problem obviously was penetration, that will come with time (I hope he gets it) but it can't be denied that we're short on numbers and quality. That bench is not strong enough. Ireland seems to be pleasing some fans as he's raised his level to decent but we all need so much more from him, if we're going to play through the middle, we need someone in the hole behind Bent. I thought the whole back 4 did decently today all things considered. Baker is a young guy playing in not his favoured position I thought he did as well as could be expected. Lowton was pretty solid to be fair for his first game at this level, Vlaar was far from perfect but showed a lot to like, even going forwards, surely he will take over the captaincy role sometime soon. Clark, another young guy I think has a bright future, even if it is early days and Dunne may well come back in. KEA looked incredibly assured on his debut, hopefully a fixture in this side for years to come. Have to disagree somewhat about Holman. I think he's come in for some unfair stick here, he looked sharp early on, got involved and got into some good areas. Technically he's not outstanding but he's a threat in my book. Ireland decent but we need much more that that, Delph made me eat my words today, had a pretty decent performance but not sure if he's the long term answer. N'Zogbia, slightly better than last season but not too sure where he's supposed to be playing. Bent - a poacher that needs chances, didn't get any today

Agree with that mate, we need someone doing the job Robbie Keane did for us last year. We look great in the middle of the park but there's nothing up top or on the wings.

On the plus side, Vlaar is a legend in the making...

your embarrasing, this is a newly promted side and we can't create a chance this is a team we could be fighting with at the bottom end of the table not Man U hardly a good sign is it! Ever heard the expression "Early days yet"? "Get behind the lads"? **** hell just piss off and support Man U. Lambert's starting a process that will take time. People seemed to be behind this and now 60 minutes in, everyone's made their mind up. We definitely need a bit more quality but I'm sure Lambert knows it. you **** off and support man utd you prick I have been supporting Villa for 40 years. Who said I was writing the season off? I said it was shit that we have not created a chance against a team in over 70 minutes of football against a team widley tipped for relagation. clearing in the woods. Haven't created a chance? Think you'll find as much as we haven't played great we have had more attempts on target than West Ham. It is notoriously difficult to play away at a newly-promoted team on the opening day. Liverpool are 3-0 down against the Baggies, football isn't an exact science, get behind Lambert and the team.

Yep to be fair to him Delph has played pretty decently

your embarrasing, this is a newly promted side and we can't create a chance this is a team we could be fighting with at the bottom end of the table not Man U hardly a good sign is it! Ever heard the expression "Early days yet"? "Get behind the lads"? **** hell just piss off and support Man U. Lambert's starting a process that will take time. People seemed to be behind this and now 60 minutes in, everyone's made their mind up. We definitely need a bit more quality but I'm sure Lambert knows it.

1-0 down halfway through Lambert's first game of his Villa career and some of you lot are embarrassing.

it's all sideways stuff. Not actually doing anything. it's day 1 of lambert's reign. things won't happen magically overnight. holding onto the ball, moving, and playing lots of passes will yield rewards down the line. do you want to do it properly or do you want to do it fast? Spot on that man

**** hell we're a negative lot. What happened to knowing the process is going to take time. Lambert will still be learning about his players, tactics, we're 1-0 down we already look better than last season. Lambert's no mug, he knows how to change things round when needed.

Jeez, I think we should try and give the boys a chance. Only 45 minutes into the season, think we've looked OK defensively but been under a lot of long ball pressure. We're obviously trying to play a vastly different style of football. Football that most of us want to see, it's not going to happen overnight. Lambert's pretty canny too, he's not a one-trick pony, he'll react if necessary. I also don't think Ireland's looked any better than N'Zogbia to be honest. He's dropped deep into midfield and played a few passes, that's about it, yet people seem to think he's beyond reproach. I think we're playing decently, just need to mix the passing game with a bit more incision but as I keep saying, it will come!

Think we'll have to see one of Ireland or N'Zogbia sacrificed, someone needs to be higher up with Bent. Mind you, I'm pleased with the way we're trying to play. It will take time this playing proper football malarchy. Their goal looked ok to me.

Nuts

It's Terry Butcher! Re: the passing vs incisiveness debate, imagine how much better we'll be after a whole season of getting used to passing the ball around