sparrow1988

- 9th from X to Y - Arsenal in the same situation last year Seems like Stevie has been on VillaTalk reading the posts in defence of him.

In that West Ham system, yes. Let's see how he copes along with Mings and Kamara with the opposition 5 v 3 counter attacks which happen about 10 times a game.

2 -3 out: Guilbert & El-Ghazi. Who wants to tell Gerrard that he is the third?

What about one that uses the phrase "throwing subs at it to try to find that bit of quality to get back in the game" in his post-match interview?

We both know in our heart of hearts that Leon will be sent on in the 75th minute when 2-0 down and expected to turn the game around single-handedly while receiving the ball surrounded by Arsenal players and the nearest Villa player 20 yards away. Gerrard will then bemoan the lack of creative spark from the players on the pitch in his post-match interview. On the not knowing what to do with yourself, if it's villa-related, maybe just tune out until the match tomorrow. Get away from the noise.

I should hope that he sees more minutes than coming on in the 91st minute.

Ah yes, but those 2 tactically clueless ones played for teams at the highest level, just like Graeme Souness, Tony Adams, Tim Sherwood, Mark Hughes, Frank Lampard, and Roy Keane (although I think that he knows his stuff - it's the man management side which lets him down). Therefore, they must know what they're doing. All the above have had glittering management/coaching careers.

We were at our best under Gerrard without "his" players.

It's like the question 'what is the meaning of life?'. There is no answer. You're better off not trying to figure it out.

Better to do it then in case we pull one back. Sacking him after a 9-1 defeat would make us look bad.

Conte has a very clear and defined plan which he uses at every club, and in any case, the results improved immediately before any transfer window. If a club wants to employ him then they need to be prepared to bring in the players to enable him to play the way he wants. If I was in charge and Conte was here, I would say "what players do you want and how many?"and I would go and get them or do my very best. However, he has used players that weren't playing much of a role for previous managers beacuse they suit his style. Can you say what Gerrard's plan is and what players he needs to execute this plan? Goals scored by a team managed by Conte follow a pattern. Our goals are random, with no discernible pattern in how they are scored. City's goals all follow a pattern - patiently look for an opening, ball to the byline, cut-back, bang. Liverpool - high press create a bit of chaos in the defence and take advantage. West Ham - play for a set-piece and get the big lads up, or even soak up the pressure and use Bowen's/Antonio's (not so much now as he is older) pace on the counter. Brighton have a clear plan and build-up pattern to create chances- they just don't score enough of them. It is a shitshow, but when the manager keeps making decisions to worsen the shitshow then it's difficult not to direct the bulk of the criticism towards him. The Ramsey for Luiz sub at the weekend was a tactical change worthy of Tactics Tim Sherwood at the weekend. What was his thinking there? 'Ok, we finally have some control in midfield this season, I know what I'll do, I'll switch to the midfield that has been a disaster thus far and leave on the man who struggled in midweek against a League One side'. Just baffling. He somehow manages to set up the team with the plan of packing the midfield (2 holding side midfielders with a deeper central midfielder), yet when the opposition break, Kamara is left with an ocean of space to defend (was better at the weekend). The same issue as there was with Luiz last season, still he insists on playing Ramsey and McGinn together. We have a toothless attack. Nevertheless, we have players who can create and score. Buendia at Norwich (one of the worst teams in the PL and still manage to create chances), Ings, Watkins, Coutinho (in a system which compensates for the fact that he can't run anymore would still be useful), we are seeing recently what Bailey is capable of. That all points to a systematic problem in both attack and defence. I mean, wtf is the system in this picture below dispayed by the players' average positions? For comparisons here are the average positions of the Tottenham players under Conte. Look at how much more compact and organised they are as opposed to our "setup". It's worlds apart, and it is not just down to the players. If it is, then why does he keep playing the same players over and over and over? The biggest problem with this our shape and tactics is Gerrard's insistence on this "system" - if one could call it that. Although, I'm not sure he knows how to communicate how he wants the system to look like, which is another issue. Maybe the years of media training to provide the blandest possible answers to interviews has produced a person with no communication skills, which would be another massive obstacle to him becoming a competent manager/head coach. Our most important signing this season is not going to be a CB, DM, Winger or Striker, it's going to be a manager. FWIW, I hope that I am wrong and that Gerrard does somehow become a great tactician, with great man management and communication skills, and that this happens sharpish. I don't think it will though.

who can defend? - the same defence (minus Targett) that performed well under Smith (I think 15?? clean sheets in one season. Only bettered by Man City in that season). who can score? - Ollie broke double figures twice. Ings had a 22 goal season a couple of seasons back. who can hold a midfield together? - no one in this crazy system. The fact that we set up expecting one player to hold the midfield together is the definition of insanity. Look at how improved the midfield was on Sunday for the time that Luiz was on the pitch - worlds apart from the other games this season. who can head the ball, with any competence? - Mings maybe. However, it is one attribute of about 100 which make up the game. who has pace? - Bailey, Ramsey, Watkins is rapid - at least without the ball, Cash, Konsa and Mings can move when they have to. who can stay on the ball with the ability of Jack? - about 3 players in world football. There are issues in the squad, but it's not a bad squad. There isn't any doubt about that - it's a mid-table squad. However, the much more glaring issue is the manager. He may go on to become a good manager, although I highly doubt it. He sets up his team so that there is nobody covering the midfield. We are more susceptible to counter attacks that Lampard's Chelsea, and that is saying something. Furthermore, we have no creativity whatsoever going forward, no plan of how to get the ball into the danger areas. We have entered the oppositions defensive third more times this season than any other team apart from Man City and Liverpool, yet we rarely look like scoring. What was Gerrard's response as to why we couldn't break West Ham down at the weekend? "We were lacking that creative spark". Does he not think that he is responsible to create an attacking system which enables players to create chances or is it just a case of the players need to figure it out for themselves? He is tactically out of his depth in the PL, and probably would be in the championship to be honest. Add to that his apalling man management skills, and we have one of the worst managers we have had in a long time. When he leaves, he'll get a job somewhere else of course, but for one reason and one reason only - he is Steven Gerrard. It won't be based on ability, just reputation.

= Wednesday

Probably 99.9999999% nonsense but it would be very nice.

Our new Messiah.

They throw a lot of shit. Some of it happens to stick. Let's hope that this is one piece that sticks. Also some random 'Repórter de futebol' has tweeted that we have approached Poch. The tweet is in Portuguese so that's enough for me to declare its legitimacy

Probability of this being true - 0.00000000000001% Uplift in mood after reading a rumour from these cowboys stating that Potter is next choice as Villa manager - 100000% Uplift in mood after reading that Pochettino is also an option - priceless For everything else there's Master Card.

As manager?

A good WC for Argentina could see him an increase in demand for him though.

I don’t know. Poch is an arranging the lemons in a room and feel the energy type of guy. Maybe he would fell the vibe when he comes to villa park.

I don’t think that Kamara would be here either if it weren’t for Gerrard. Anyway I hope he’s out the door soon, and the players that he has signed can be utilised properly under a competent manager soon. Much in the same way that Lampard signed a bunch of good players who performed poorly under him, but then went on the win the CL under Tuchel.

He most definitely is. My point was he’s signed some stinkers as well and employing him shouldn’t be based on the players he has bought, rather on his coaching ability. In fact the one thing Gerrard has going for him is his ability to convince players that wouldn’t normally sign for us to sign.