Con

Leaderboard for last week's prediction contest

kurtsimonw 46

leviramsey 28

Con 27

PaulC 20

Steve985 (Con's nemesis) 18

dodgyknees 16

useless 14

 

 

If Lambert's remit was to play dull football and nearly get us relegated 2 seasons on the bounce then I would agree, he has fulfilled his remit.

It's like you haven't been following the news for the past six months. Aston Villa has had an injury crisis. The only goalscorer we can talk about, has been out injured. So has many other important players. What do you deem to be acceptable for a squad like Villa with these injuries to key members of the squad? 5 more points? 8? So Villa sack a manager for events he has no control over and because Villa lack 1-3 more victories?

 

 

Every club gets injuries but you only seem to think it applies to Villa.

 

You say "every club gets injuries" but don't appreciate that some clubs get more injuries than other clubs.

Every year half the teams in the league are luckier than average and half the teams are unluckier than average for injuries. There is always one team that is the unluckiest of all, and one team that is the luckiest. That's how it goes.

This season the worst-hit team was our club. Next season we might be the luckiest. 

Injuries make the job of managing a team and setting out tactics far more difficult. Manager has fewer effective choices to choose fro,.

A manager that can successfully work through an injury crisis is doing a good job.

Good to see him in a debut.  Did nothing to scare me about his talent or ability.... but come on, son, pull up your socks.  Not only do you look ridiculous, but when I played a bit of an enforcer role, I would know just how high to aim my studs and hit ya'.  Don't give the beasts a target, son!

I suspect it is strategic rather than for fashionable reasons Grealish wears his socks like that. (Some journalist will eventually ask him a question about that).

If he pulled up his socks the refs won't get to see the damage done to his shins by nasty players, and he can use that evidence - and his obvious vulnerability - to persuade the refs to give him more protection.

Also, a larger shin pad would not stop him getting an Aaron Ramsey or Eduardo leg breaker injury - so why bother if wearing one would negatively affect your playing performance?

The downside are more scrapes and bruises from accidental collisions and a reluctance to "get stuck in" the tackle.

Reading all those bad buys at other teams and the millions it cost them, puts into perspective how consistantly good Lambert has been in the transfer market.

Season 1

Benteke

Westwood

Vlaar

Season 2

Kozak

Bacuna

Okore 

Maybe I'm a bit behind, but is that how Kozak got injured?

Got injured in training. I read on these forums it was in a challenge with Ciaran Clark. I'm sure it was pure accident, one of those freak injuries.

TEN WORST SIGNINGS OF THE SEASON

 

ERIK LAMELA - £30m Roma to Tottenham

Arrived as one of the brightest young talents in Europe but is now a forgotten man.

 

ANDREAS CORNELIUS - £8.5m FC Copenhagen to Cardiff

The striker played 11 times, scored no goals and was sold at a huge loss.

 

IAGO ASPAS - £7.5m Celta Vigo to Liverpool

One of seven Anfield signings last summer but the striker has scored only once.

 

MAROUANE FELLAINI - £27.5m Everton to Man Utd

A panic buy, the Belgian midfielder has never settled into life at Old Trafford.

 

RICKY van WOLFSWINKEL - £8.6m Sporting to Norwich

Scored on the opening day but has had just nine shots on target all season.

 

DANI OSVALDO - £15m Roma to Southampton

Scored only three goals, punched a team-mate and was loaned to Juventus in January.

 

ROBERTO SOLDADO - £26m Valencia to Tottenham

Arrived with a big reputation but has scored only 11 goals at a cost of £2.3m each.

 

KOSTAS MITROGLOU - £12.4m Olympiacos to Fulham

Just three appearances since his big-money move in January.

 

MAMADOU SAKHO - £18m PSG to Liverpool

In 19 games here, the defender has kept only one clean sheet.

 

JOZY ALTIDORE - £6m AZ Alkmaar to Sunderland

Only scored two all season and outshone by Connor Wickham.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2623613/Erik-Lamela-bought-club-record-30m-hes-barely-kick-Spurs-ANY-value-Argentinian-dud.html#ixzz31ASCA5Si 

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Lambert signings of the season

Libor Kozak - £7 million

Scored 4 goals in 8 starts and was becoming a legend when he broke his leg in training 

Leandro Bacuna - £1 million

 

 

 

It looks to be mortally wounded for me and Im not sure he has the fight in him for another season.

 

If there is no takeover and no increase investment from the owner he would be best walking as ultimately we will be relegated next season anyway.

 

I've seen this a lot on here and I'm not sure I totally agree. Let's say Lambert get's 3 £7m players in the summer, let's say a LB and two central midfielders, one more defensive and one more a trequartista. Add to that Benteke, Okore, Kozak, Carruthers, Gardner, Zog and Gabby back to fitness. Plus Grealish, Robinson and maybe DJ and one or two more pushing through from the academy and the current crop being a year older and wiser. I'd say we'd be mid-table barring another Culverhouse/Karsa mental happening and a crazy injury crisis or two.

 

Hmmm- has any of our kids bar Gabby been good enough to play for any other side in the prem in the last 10 years? I don't think hoping the kids will be alright is a good tactic any more. I won't get fooled again on that one.

 

Gardener (Blunderland), Cahill (Chelsea), Bannan (Palace). Davies(Southampton), Ridgewell(West Brazil).

 

Gareth Barry (Everton).

Peter Wittingham (Cardiff).

No team that has spent > 150% of the PL season's median wage spending has ever been relegated from the Premier League.

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21601873-good-managers-matter-not-much-money-does-everything-play

Netherlands and Italy. France have 2 good ones too in Benzema and Giroud but that's not many. When you say 'raft' how many do you mean?

I should think you'd need at least three to make a raft, two would be just a little bit unstable.

I like Brazil's defence. Best at the world cup? Experienced too.

I'd pair Thiago Silva with Dante, Dani Alves at right back, Maxwell at left back.  David Luiz can slot in to a 3 CB system.

Against Man City I think Lambert's tactics were designed to maintain the integrity of the league and that bullshit. So he kept it tight for 60 minutes (didn't go for the win from the start which would have looked cavalier) then went for it.

 

Our front line was missing Benteke, Kozak, Gabby and Albrighton!  I don't see what other option the manager had than to try and keep it tight and hopefully sneak a goal.  It's unbelievable the tripe that people come out with on here to try and justify their opinion!

Isn't this how he sets us up for every game?

 

No. We took the game to Liverpool in the away fixture.

Puts some great crosses in. Bowery should have done better with one in the first half.

Man City were very patient against us and first scored with 30 minutes to go... then scored 3 more. West Ham probably will get a bit of bad luck and concede in the first half and it'll go pear-shaped much earlier.

Liverpool will set out to thrash Newcastle to make up for losing the league and maybe they'll do that but I think they'll leave gaps at the back like against Crystal Palace.

all Notts County games are over for the season. this is all additional experience for Jack.

Jack and Callum could have come on earlier but then who do you take off?

remember you are playing Man City and 80% time you don't have the ball and even when you're set up defensive they create 1 chance every 5 minutes.

you can't really take Westwood, Delph or El Ahmadi out of the midfield.

 

After 37 games Liverpool can no longer claim to be the most entertaining team in the Premier League Man City having scored 1 more goal to this point (100 vs 99).

 

Still one game to go though...

 

There won't be any drama this year. City are too experienced, too comfortable and on great form.

I expect both teams to rack up big scores but City will score a couple more because they are on good form where as Liverpool are stuttering, and also Liverpool are playing Newcastle just after they've broken their losing streak.

 

After 37 games Liverpool can no longer claim to be the most entertaining team in the Premier League Man City having scored 1 more goal to this point (100 vs 99).

I'd argue that Liverpool are still the more entertaining team. Yes City has one more goal, but Liverpool's defense keeps things interesting! 

 

Yes, but not for their own fans! 

Why is conceding 2 extra goals crucial?

 

If you concede 2 extra goals I think it is fair to say that can have some impact on how the defence has done when the performance of the defence is being judged.

 

Interestingly those 2 goals could cost the club over £1m in prize money if we finish level on points with a team and our goal difference is inferior because of them.

But we gave two youth products who could be worth multiple millions each valuable real game experience at a moment when it doesn't threaten our league status.

(Did you miss the bit when two defenders were subbed for 2 18 year old attackers?)

Conceding 4 goals is not a good defensive performance!

It was until the 3rd and 4th goal went in, by which time we made those attacking substitutions and were playing for shits and giggles.

Great news then apparently ? Only 4 ? I must have missed these great tactics where our defenders coped valiantly, our midfield battled hard, our 2 forwards worked the defenders relentlessly and by some great mystery we only let in 4 ? Whale spunk is less thick than some of these people...

It was only 2 until the final 5 minutes once Lambert had subbed off 2 defenders and replaced them with 2 attackers.

It was a good defensive performance. Against Man City. Think about that. If you expected us to whallop Man City to nil you are being very creditably optimistic but to blame Lambert for it not happening as you planned is very harsh.

Thanks for that post and for mentioning Van Persie.

I nearly said his left foot reminds me of Van Persie but I kept that one to myself because I thought people would think I was trying to wind them up... 

After 37 games Liverpool can no longer claim to be the most entertaining team in the Premier League Man City having scored 1 more goal to this point (100 vs 99).

You cannot play Man City any other way. Even Chelsea played the same tactics.

We were 2-0 down until the last few minutes when Lambert went attacking (and gave academy players some experience) and took of two defenders.

We then conceded another two goals.

"great player" based on 1 game? If it's not based on 1 game, is there a reason you've not mentioned him before? Hype nowadays is stupid.

Let's put what I said in proper perspective. By great I don't mean world class. I don't know enough about him to say he is potentially world class like Januzaj.

If you look at the goal compilation on the Man Utd site I linked to in the last post there is a natural finisher there.

Also, I watched the hattrick in this game. Goal 1 2.22. Goal 2 4.30 (natural finisher right there)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNHbvQ_1ENQ

 

I'd argue that James Wilson's goal compilations, and number of goals he has scored, show he has these marks of a natural finisher.

 

I've not been able to find a single compilation of his goals, let alone "compilations".

 

Here you go - it's embedded in the Man Utd site. I found it via google.

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Features/2013/Sep/james-wilson-tipped-for-the-top-by-nicky-butt.aspx