Con

I laughed! You have got to laugh. Maybe the manager will improve and prove the doubters wrong.

Found this on another forum ... not a Villa one

Four defenders: Sunderland 0 - 1 Villa (Vlaar, Clark, Lichaj, Lowton) http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20107448 Villa 0 - Arsenal 0 (Lichaj, Clark, Stevens, Lowton) http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20374580 Villa 0 - 0 Stoke (Clark, Lichaj, Baker, Lowton) http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20564749 Villa 1 - 0 Reading (Clark, Baker, Lichaj, Lowton). http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20405324 Then the game we had 3 at the back Five defenders: Liverpool 1 - 3 Villa (Lowton, Baker, Herd, Clark, Lichaj) http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20650106 That was the first PL game 3 at the back. We also did it against Norwich in the midweek CC game. What happened? We were looking solid with 4 at the back. Lambert got over-confident, went more aggressive 3 at the back - and after a couple of good games against Liverpool and Nowich, we've not looked back since. I was mistaken, McHugh scored.

Clark was doing better with a back 4 in 442. Since Liverpool we have been 352/343. The effect of this on the team's defence and individual performances cannot be stressed enough. Having said all this, the two Millwall goals (Lichaj, Lowton), the Bradford goal (Vlaar), the two West Brom goals (Delph, Bennett), the Southampton penalty (Stevens) were not Clark's error. Clark's taking a lot of stick for the James Hanson goal in the first Bradford game.

You are calling me a troll for calling you on your claim Clark "loses the majority of his headers" which was obviously complete bullshit? I'm not making stuff up. You have been. When did this happen? How many times did this happen? You're guessing again. Don't patronise me. I've said nothing out of order. I've just corrected you on your claim that Clark loses the majority of headers and disagreed with another person who thought Clark was a "shockingly-bad" central defender. I'm free to have my own opinion and not be called a troll.

So why did PL change from a winning/clean sheet getting 442 to a getting annihilated 343/352 ? We won the Liverpool game with 3 CBs - Herd, Baker, Clark - but we could have been 5 down in that one after 20 minutes, and, given what's happened since with that formation, if it wasn't for the brilliance of Benteke would probably have lost.

Nonsense cliche. I can't use Van Persie's stats to prove he is a bad striker. I can't use Bannan's stats to prove he is as good as Iniesta. Morrison is more experienced and ahead of Bannan. The "odd rose" you admit exists would be his crossing ability. The rest of his game needs to step up but compared to other Premier League CMs he's not as far behind as you are suggesting. You could compliment him for working hard rather than belittle his effort. If you want to complain about people who earn a lot of money for little effort I wouldn't start with footballers.

Does anyone know why Lambert changed from a defensive back 4 which got clean sheets against Swansea, Sunderland, Reading, Stoke and Arsenal to a back 3 which is getting thumped by everyone? He doesn't seem to be changing from his 3 CB system. I thought the rule was you don't change a winning system not that you don't change a losing one.

Sorry if I offended with my use of the phrase "over-emotional". I think "shockingly-bad" is an exaggeration. Before the bad run of results we had from Chelsea we had clean sheets against Arsenal, Stoke, Reading, Sunderland and Swansea. Clark played all those games. What I find interesting, Lichaj also played in those games, and we played a back 4 not a back 3 with Bennett and Lowton pushed on which exposes our flanks. I would use "shockingly-bad" to describe Lambert's tactics. Clark is not "great" but he's not "shockingly-bad" more like a victim at the moment.

No he didn't, Villa released him when he was 15. Doh!

I'm really glad some of our Villa supporters don't actually have a position on the Villa board... you'd accept £15m for Benteke? you're giving him away for Elephant feed. on the Weimann thread, some would snap your hand off for £8m. AGGGGGGGHHH!! Weimann is worth more than the £20m we paid for Bent and Benteke is worth far more than we paid for Bent. With all the big clubs interested, £30m should be easy if he can continue to impress for the rest of the season.

I think you are getting over-emotional after a run of bad results. The goals against Millwall weren't Clark's fault yet Clark gets the blame? Ciaren Clark is the new Barry Bannan. Bad result, but not responsible for the loss and had actually a decent game? Blame Clark!

Pay attention. That wasn't Bannan's heat map. It said "WBA: Action Heat Map" Please read my posts and the heat map before criticising my use of it and giving me a lecture about statistics. This map didn't take very long to do but it took more effort than 99% of posts on here have taken.

How did the journalist "get personal" - what was the printed offence?

What's your point though? I've proved that it is typical for Champions League CBs - Kompany, Ferdinand, Evans - to lose 4/10 headers. Yes, I'm pleased Vlaar wins 71% of his headers (one of the best CBs in the league for this, if not the best) but simply winning 71% of headers doesn't make you a Champions League CB.

Don't be silly. Tomaszk said Clark loses the "majority of his headers". He made a statistical claim that was untrue. When you look at the actual statistic, it turns out Tomaszk was lying. Unintentionally, for sure, probably going off a personal estimate, but what he said was in fact a lie. Clark is not so shit he loses the majority of his headers he is in fact better in the air than two Champions League defenders. That doesn't make Clark a Champions League defender - Ferdinand and Evans are better decision-makers, and better at many other things. Defending is more than just a heading competition. A lot of shit is said about our players that is totally untrue that doesn't help anyone understand what our team is like and where our team is going.

you have to do that. otherwise you lose great players. you can't be negative. if you can't make the big decisions, if you can't handle the possibility of being wrong, you will never have success. you are not going into much depth of research before potentially offering someone a contract worth a lot of money. you need to know what they are like as a person - is this person a troublemaker, is he popular with other players, is he a leader, does he set a good example off the pitch, does he have the physical attributes for his position of striker (strength, height, speed), natural finishing, decision-making skills, passion for the game? if Weimann ticks all those boxes you shouldn't be assuming he is going to fail. you should assume he is the PL's next Alan Shearer and act accordingly.

to be fair, you don't know what you're talking about, mate, you're just guessing. Clark wins 58% of his headers so you are precisely wrong. Clark wins a greater percentage of his headers than Rio Ferdinand and Johnny Evans of Man Utd. He wins about the same % of his headers as Vincent Kompany of Man City (59%). Stop criticising our players for things top players wouldn't be criticised for.

The guy 'marking' Marquis for the winning goal was number 34, which is Lowton. I know the ITV pundits mentioned Clark but he wasn't actually directly at fault for either goals last night.

Since about 1987-88. of course disagree. there is a reason why a player might forgo the immediate salary increase another couple of years to stay on a lower salary, if it is already a decent amount. Consistent football to build your reputation (and potential future salary). When you're just getting established, striker scoring goals, changing club quickly might not be the best thing for your development. You could be going to a big club where you will be sat on the bench for most of the games and used out of your favourite position. even if Weimann is worth £25m 2014 he wouldn't be a starter at the big 5. If he stays and builds a solid reputation at Villa over 4-5 years when he eventually moves to the next level he'll command not only a higher salary than he would have received moving at 23, but a starting spot. Moving at 23 for 60k a week on a 5 year deal is £15.6m, moving at 26 on a 5 year deal at £90k is £23.4m. In those 2 extra years at villa on £30k rather than 60k he'd lose £3.1m but if he waits he gets a shot at an extra £5m. Sure you get the idea. Pitch too low and the first big offer becomes relatively more attractive. I don't believe he's that kind of player. That's the risk you take with footballers. If you don't believe in him, don't pay him. Let another club take that risk.

pay him according to what you think his value is, not with what you can get away with. if he is as good as we think he is, and we cheapskate, we will have top teams coming in tempting him with the amount he is really worth within a couple of years. If you give him what he is really worth now, you won't have that problem, and we'd keep him for a bit longer - maybe all his career if Villa pushes to the next level.

if he's a 20 goal a year guy I'd want 30k. if less, the promise of renegotiation on back of achieved target. I think we know if we eventually sell him he'll go for £20-30m. at 21 is still learning. there is no reason why he'd want to risk a move at the end of the season whatever happens. he'll be just happy to be a starter at this age. 25-26 is the finished article. he may move on then if Villa can't match his ambitions.

Great professional. An influential player in the Swansea team last year and this year. Very tidy. 92% pass accuracy. Links up play, helps the team to keep possession until an opportunity to attack appears. For a possession player Bannan's 80% pass accuracy is - to be honest - woeful. He's criticised for his crosses, which he is best in the PL at, but the simple pass which can be the staple of his footballing career is letting him down. Trying too hard, possibly.

I'm not so sure. Bannan has a football personality. It's not finely polished but you can tell he's trying to do something it's just he too often fails to do what he wants to do. Being the best in the PL at crosses over half-way through the season is a great achievement. Nobody can deny him that one. The rest of his game needs to step up. If he wants to be the next Leon Britton his passing accuracy needs to improve significantly from 80%, which means making fewer silly mistakes.