Houlston

 

Before it got weird?  Here is the threads very first post.

 

 

Not sure this one has been done before but I thought it could be interesting or funny to know stuff that you might be ashamed of or ordinarily wouldn't bring up.

 

I'll start with a fairly shameful and disgusting one, when at Uni I got so drunk I was sick in the sink in my room and decided to eat a piece of meat that came out, wasn't till I saw myself in the mirror over the sink that it dawned on me what I was doing.

 

I disgust me

You really think  - like so many fans sing of their Managers when stuff happens they don't like - that 'you dont know what you are doing' is a legitimate diagnosis ?

 

Graham Taylor really was a Turnip ?  Bobby Robson was cluless ?  Capello was an idiot ? 

 

They are just a few of the higher profile ones whose tactics and methods have baffled and infuriated media, fans and pros - is it really likely they were just all plain stupid ?  But after any game anytime you will have fans of both sucessful and unsuccesful teams saying similar.

 

Then all these Managers are guilty of a giant con trick ?

 

I think a more likely answer is that because WE dont know what they are doing, we suggest They dont know what they are doing.  I really dont think that just because I cant figure it out, he must be an idiot !!

No, its because they are human and humans make mistakes at any level however versed they are in their profession. They are not perfect, the problem is some make more mistakes than others.

This argument would of course hold more weight if these strange tactics and changes made came to fruition but more than often they don't.

Its even more surprising how often managers get sacked too given your argument I mean they obviously know best.

I think people overplay this right/left sided centre back thing.

Lambert obviously thinks there's something in it, his comments do indeed suggest that Okore would be a back up too. Course he could just be using it as an excuse as to why we've been so poor at the back.

I go to the VP in the hope that:

1. I will be entertained

2. See some good football played by AVFC

3. We will get a result

Edit and

4. I can support my team - however it's all one way and the love isn't returned!

The reality is that none of these have happened very often this season (or in any of the last three) but we still pay through the nose for the lack of pleasure

I know some go to see mates, have a piss up or a combination of both but ultimately you could do the same at the local pub and have more money to spend on beer and avoid all the angst and boredom!

This all day long Mike, it seems this bit is largely ignored and its better just to stare at the league table, snore.

Well done Paul you managed to improve us in the second half against a newly promoted side, who have gone through a managerial change and are incorporating more new players than us and who have the second worst defence in the league.

It's almost like that rally in the second half ignores Guzans saves and them hitting the woodwork, twice. A game is over 90 minutes and we didnt do enough in that 90 minutes to win or warrant winning that game.

442 worked in a second half against a team already 2 0 up, who knew this formation wouldnt work away from home with a player providing the width on the one side that isnt that good a player or indeed a winger or at least has not been in the past.

We are marginally in a better position, points wise, than last year but this time last year we did not have a March like we do this year. Will we be on 33 points come the end of March? I hope so but I'm not so sure.

Also this 'progress' we have seen is compared on a very like for like basis in terms of league position and I understand that. But we can also compare performances from the end of last season and in that respect we haven't moved forward at all only gone backwards. I don't see that form repeated either and at the moment we are struggling to even match last years 41 points tally.

Equally, we could've been completely overrun and behind if we had used the same tactics. Everton play a completely different way to Liverpool.

 

This is very true Mantis but sitting back and attacking on occasion and having 1 shot on goal is more than likely not going to win you a game, its McLeish-esque.

And yes Everton do play a different way to Liverpool they have more of the ball so yes I can see why he might have set up to counter attack but this is then completely negated by having Holt on the pitch. Also this was by no means a full strength Everton side and one that may have been susceptible to a team that was more positive in its thinking a team similar to the one that beat West Brom a team on a high and one that could carry continuity. Its all very well arguing but at the end of the day it was changed and we lost two games.

 

Gabby missed Everton game we could have went with Albrighton or Tonev or that lad from the Next Gen Robinson maybe who have pace 

 

so why start Holt?

None of them are anywhere near as effective as Gabby.

 

Holt actually worked in the first half. Lambert's line-up for that game was spot on, it was not adapting to the changes Martinez made where he fell short.

 

Just because we were winning in that first half does not mean his tactics were spot on. We were under pressure or at least in our own half nearly the entire game and Martinez just upped the ante by making even more positive changes. 

Had he kept continuity from the previous two games we may even have scored more than one goal which btw was our only shot on target that entire game. That is not exactly a tactic that will win you games.

Holt did almost nothing in that game so I dont know why you think he 'worked'

Friend so mine plays football with Crawley's dad. He reckons Arsenal offered £7k per week and Villa wouldn't go anywhere near to match it.

Sounds about right, thats what are well known for doing with youth players.

 

 

 

You know that stat and defence of Lambert that he's shored up our defence, well after 13 games at home last season we'd conceded 19 goals this season we've conceded 21. 

That's just at home though. What are the away defence stats like?

 

The point is Mantis is you'd want the defence improved both home and away not just improved so significantly away (in part down to an 8 0 thrashing) that it means the overall goal difference is better.

 

I couldn't really care less if our home defence was slightly worse - just so long our defence is better overall.

 

Pretty sure that if we had a worse defence overall this seaosn but a better defence at home then it would be laughed off if used to try and defend Lambert.

 

Be solid at home and build away, not useless at home and average away.

That 8 goal thrashing last season has somehow become an aid for Lambert this season. Its really not something to look at and think well done Paul you've avoided an 8 goal thrashing because bar the odd goal that's basically how its improved.

 

You know that stat and defence of Lambert that he's shored up our defence, well after 13 games at home last season we'd conceded 19 goals this season we've conceded 21. 

That's just at home though. What are the away defence stats like?

 

The point is Mantis is you'd want the defence improved both home and away not just improved so significantly away (in part down to an 8 0 thrashing) that it means the overall goal difference is better.

You know that stat and defence of Lambert that he's shored up our defence, well after 13 games at home last season we'd conceded 19 goals this season we've conceded 21. 

Holt was pretty effective against Everton as he made space for over players. After he went off, Everton took control of the game.

Well from my seat he hardly touched the ball and did pretty much nothing. His departure had no bearing on Evertons ascendancy, that was down to Martinez's subs.

TBH I'm not that fussed about his buys, I just think his coaching and performance come match days isn't good enough.

He just keeps making more and more baffling and wrong decisions I mean how many people on here would have started with Holt against Everton?

I think Lambert will resign before being sacked.

 

Fingers crossed

Lambert has done everything that has been asked of him from Lerner. 

 

RL - Hi Paul its Randy

PL - Hi Randy

RL - Could you lose at home to Sheffield United please?

PL - Aye no problem

he's had he has far less room for error than most other managers in this league.

Really? Losing 8 times at home is a shit load of room for error.

The argument that he brings experience to the dressing room is a weak one considering how bad a footballer he is and also how, in premier league standards, out of shape he is. I also imagine the experience he brings has been soured by the fact it must piss certain players off that he is higher up the pecking order than them and he is replacing certain players when used as a sub.

This signing was just a bad idea whether it cost little or not, my thoughts were he would hold people back and bring nothing to the pitch and so far that is all that has happened.

 

The truth is this is opinion and can never be proven right nor wrong due to too many unknowns and variables.  But given there are around 200k football clubs in the world each with a manager or coach it is statistically highly unlikely you are correct.

 

Be specific. Who would you like and think can do a better job than Lambert?

 

See above.

 

 What more credible than your "we play better when we go 2 goals behind argument"

 

All I am saying we had chances to equal the score. Why is that bad? I was ecstatic when we went two nil behind, obviously. 

 

I think what goes on during a matchday speaks volumes when it comes to arguments for sacking Lambert and there are probably at least a dozen stats to back them up

 

Who is this great manager to come in and rejuvenate the club? I want to know. The truth is there is nobody that will improve us. If you want Lambert out and a better manager in, Lerner needs to sell the club ASAP.

 

The truth is this is opinion and can never be proven right nor wrong due to too many unknowns and variables.  But given there are around 200k football clubs in the world each with a manager or coach it is statistically highly unlikely you are correct.

 

 

 

 

 

For those that moan about Lambert's post match comments, he said we were very poor and our defending for the goals was unacceptable.

The response after the second goal was good.

 

Great.

 

Seriously, we should have got back into game give the opportunities we created in the second half. I am sure Big Sam is thanking the woodwork for the victory tonight.

 

Great, we may, could have, possibly gotten a draw at home to a poor West Ham side.

 

West Ham are on form at the moment, we are not sadly. 

 

They had exactly the same amount of points in their previous 6 games as us...........

 

 

 

For those that moan about Lambert's post match comments, he said we were very poor and our defending for the goals was unacceptable.

The response after the second goal was good.

 

Great.

 

Seriously, we should have got back into game give the opportunities we created in the second half. I am sure Big Sam is thanking the woodwork for the victory tonight.

 

Great, we may, could have, possibly gotten a draw at home to a poor West Ham side.

Lambert's negatives far out way his positives

Pulis is having more of an impact at Palace in less time with probably less resources and quality yet he is definitely deemed a poorer manager than many on here and certainly a manager many wouldn't want at Villa Park. I wouldn't want him either but then I'm not banging the Lambert drum.

 

For those that moan about Lambert's post match comments, he said we were very poor and our defending for the goals was unacceptable.

The response after the second goal was good.

 

Great.

London

Bigger club

More chance of success

More money

Didn't particularly get on with Tony McAndrew

Nice lad too, not at all a runt, though he is little.

Why is he a worse manager?

 

 

 

Its true the defence is better than this time last year but the conceded 46 to 34 paints a much prettier picture when you don't take into account 13 of those goals came in 2 games.

But why wouldn't you take those 2 games into account?

 

Perhaps I've not put that very well, I'm just saying that if you look at the improvement of 12 goals its a very dramatic change but when 13 of those goals came in 2 games the consistent improvement form game to game cant be much better? I guess a nerdy scientist may consider those games as an anomaly if it were a science experiment for example.

 

I'm not saying we haven't improved, but in a football sense I don't think that the difference on the pitch is as great as that 12 goal swing could suggest.

 

But if you took out our two highest games this season in terms of goals conceded we'd be on 27 goals (I think... 34 minus 4 minus 3?) so the improvement would look fine again.

 

Anomalies or not, those games happened. The fact that we haven't had any results like that this season can't really be spun into a negative, it's testament to the defence improving that we've avoided those results.

 

I see what you are saying but I'm honestly not trying spin a negative. When I watch us I see a slight improvement over last year but at times we are still as bad. I just don't see as big an improvement on the pitch as that goal swing suggests and I think that's largely due to those two games.

 

Its true the defence is better than this time last year but the conceded 46 to 34 paints a much prettier picture when you don't take into account 13 of those goals came in 2 games.

But why wouldn't you take those 2 games into account?

 

Perhaps I've not put that very well, I'm just saying that if you look at the improvement of 12 goals its a very dramatic change but when 13 of those goals came in 2 games the consistent improvement form game to game cant be much better? I guess a nerdy scientist may consider those games as an anomaly if it were a science experiment for example.

I'm not saying we haven't improved, but in a football sense I don't think that the difference on the pitch is as great as that 12 goal swing could suggest.