avfc1982am

Thought he looked poor in the first half but who didn't? much better in the second half though and as with tonev and hilarious(Helenius) just think he will need time to adjust.

Luna and Okore appear the 2 players most ready for the first team right now.

 

Liking Luna very much right now, ever since second half of Arsenal game. His attitude is great, the guy hates to loose.

Plus whenever we gets possession his desire to get forward is great to see. His energy levels are top notch. He also a bit of a pretty boy, not that I'm gay or anything.

 

You sure?

 

 

Edit: reply to smetrov: Helenius?

Yep - I had overlooked him. But from what I hear - he either plays as a central striker - or in the hole.

Same as weimann .. we should try him wide ..

 

The chance of seeing any player who stands 6.5+ playing out wide is pretty remote.

If that happens, he needs to be covered. They need good communication, which I thought didn't happen on the goal yesterday. A simple switch in sides by Sturridge allowed him to walk in unmarked. I can understand when people say it was Okore's fault exactly from your point of view, but I'm not sure if he should've followed his man or take his position. He took his position so I assume Vlaar told him to do it.

Personally I think Okore had to press the initial ball for the goal. If you look at the second ball in Okores back in position when Vlaar mis-times his interception to allow sturridge in for the goal. If I'm honest I think Vlaar is the weaker of the two on the ground yet better in the air. Vlaar's passing out from the back is bloody attrocious at times and he has this tendency to follow the ball into midfield leaving gaps behind himself.

Although early days weve not looked to bad through the middle or down the left.  The right side with Lowton and Wiemenn however has not been great and these two need to pick up their game as our right side is slowly turning into last seasons left.

Kepping the front 3 fit is key this year I feel especially Gabby and I think it was no coincedence that when he came back from injury at the end of last season we started scoring goals again. Both him and Weimenn make so much room for Benteke when they burst forward at pace. Hopefully the signings of Tonev and Bacuna take some of the pressure of them both though and allow more rotation keeping them fresher.

Still slightly concerned however about the CM position and when we come up against a physically stronger midfield

 

The whole back four (five, actually, including Guzan) looked ropey in the first half. I thought Vlaar looked nervous even in the tunnel before the team came out, which didn't fill me with confidence. Surprisingly (for me anyway), it was Clark coming on that seemed to have a calming influence, and in the second half Vlaar, Luna and Guzan all seemed markedly more assured and confident and most important, CALM.

 

This is what I find encouraging, though. A year ago, we would not have held out for a draw, let alone secured a win. We threw away a lot of points late in the game last season, we all remember that. Yesterday, our defense kept us in it in the second half, although Arsenal had several dangerous attacks and good chances. It wasn't just Guzan with excellent saves, both Vlaar and Clark had several crucial blocks, and Luna barely let Walcott out of his sight. Lowton didn't have his best game by the high standards he set for himself last season, but he made some great interceptions. Both Gabby and Weimann were excellent in tracking back and helping out the defense.

 

This is improvement. There's still a ways to go, but this is improvement.

 

 

I agree

 

but largely, you defend as a TEAM and attack as a TEAM.

 

We are undoubtedly improving and that result against Arsenal and Malaga was testimony to the improvement.

We still need to improve our control of the football, to help keep control of the game.

 

Arsenal, despite their singular goal was still dangerous mainly due to their quality play on the ball. Arsene Venger was right in his defence of the lack of transfer market activity when he said "that team was good enough to beat villa"...It was, but it didn't.

 

what some people forget is other attributes like doggedness, team spirit, youthful energy, effervescence, intensity, passion, will to win....was all in Villa's favour..in short Villa wanted it more than Arsenal.

 

some want to learn to give a bit of credit where its due.....on our doorstep.

 

I agree with this.

One thing that was very noticeable yesterday day was for the first 20mins we were defending more a little more zonally and hence slower to close the ball down. We seemed to get a bit more of a grip with the pace of the game then which was pretty frantic.We started to close the ball down quicker and became more physical which I think really rattled Arsenal.

Vlaar and Lowton both got pulled out of position on numerous occassions especially Lowton who I thought was our poorest player yesterday. Luna although positionally poor early just seemed to get better and better and keeping Walcott quiet is no easy task. Guzan was shaky early but a beast as usual as the game wore on.

If we continue with the high energy closing the ball down with good movement I think we wont do too badly this season Although it will be interesting to se how we deal with crosses and set-pieces.

Alex Mcleish very closely followed by Jermaine Jenas - £45,000 a week, season long loan, 3 appearances! Argue with that??

For a 22 year old lad who had never played above the French 2nd division until a few weeks ago given today was just his second start for us I think he did pretty well.

 

Overall from what we have seen of him so far I think he could be a very decent signing.

 

Delph will be back for the Liverpool game so its between Sylla and Bannan as to who will be dropped. Personally I'd start him alongside Delph and Westwood.

I'm not understanding the comparison between Delph and Bannan. They are very different players. Delph is more defensive, like Sylla. Delph does have an attacking surge in him, perhaps Sylla does too. So Delph is competing with Sylla for his place. Sylla has won the last two games so keeps the spot.

 

In terms of crossing and creative passing Bannan is considered better than Delph and Sylla, which is why Delph never takes the corners, and Sylla won't take the corners. N'Zogbia can take corners and cross the ball. He might come in for Bannan if Lambert decides to change the team to play counter-attack.

How do you work out that Bannan is more attacking than Delph? Sure delph has more energy defensively but in all honesty he is far more attack-minded than Bannan who either goes sideways or backwards 99% of the time.

Delph and Sylla offer more than Bannan both defensively and offensively IMO. The trouble is with bannan as was yesterday, he picks the short passes up out of defence then forgets to turn and play forward and if I'm correct he was the attacking midfielder on the pitch yesterday with Sylla and Westwood holding. NZog came on and did more in 15 min than Bannan did all game. Bannan offered nothing going forward so to say he's more attacking is just utter bollocks.

And get who in excatly ? You saying he should leave because he is a yes man, if he wanted to come and manage this club, revive our fortunes around despite the severe financial restraints randy has implemented I have nothing but respect and admiration for him. He is a top coach working under ridiculous conditions.

 

People conterminously question his signings, it is clear that when he arrived people had to leave, he had to bring 1/3 of a squad in on 20 million pounds and minimum wages. When people question his signings, which they are entitled to do it seems they completely forget the hoops he has to jump through.

 

Im not saying he hasnt made mistakes, he has. I want him as manager even if we go down, only coaches who are far far out of our league could do much better than Lambert and the crap he has to put up with. 

First of all, what is it Lambert has done for you to have nothing but admiration for him? Did you believe that at the beginning of the season Villa were destined to go down anyway and therefore Lambert has punched above his own weight with the results he has achieved, has the team been playing above themselves and is he doing a fantastic job?

As for the "top coach you mention", What is it has he done to deserve this wonderful accolade you have bestowed on him. Is it the confusing team selections and tactics week after week? The way he has been unable to coach the defensive errors from set pieces out of the team? The fact that the players appear to be as confused as the fan's during games as to what they are supposed to be doing?

I understand Lambert hasn't come into the club at the best time with the reduction of wages investment etc. However you go on like he's god! He has been shit at best and you have this idea that he is the best manager out there that Villa could get! He has had decent money and arguably has only spent 10-12m wisely, failed to strengthen in the right areas with quality instead opting for youth, especially on the flanks, and then also choosing a formation that exposes them. Absolute genius!

Lerner is most to blame for our current situation due to his typical yank gung ho attitude and inability to hire the right staff. Lambert however has done exactly the same thing with the team, gets paid a shit load of money in the process yet has an expectancy level of zero?! And to claim he has put up with a load of shit is nonsense. He has had massive backing from everyone at the club, especially the fan's.  He is very much to blame for our plight and the words admiration or top coach would be the last in the english dictionary I would use to describe him.

Cause this word removed of an owner is killing his career

You crackers. Don't you think Lambert has done enough this season to damage his own career or is Randy also picking the team and tactics? Not many manager's have had approximately 25m to spend this season. It's ok to chant on about the owner should keep throwing money at the manager to sort this and that but Lambert IMO has still had more than enough money to keep Villa up and our current position is very much of his doing . Randy is proving to be a useless rocket polisher especially at hiring but you people still hugging Lambert like nothing's his fault make me laugh. He might turn out to be a fantastic manager in a few years but right now he's proving no more useful than a chocolate fireguard. 

I do think P3te is right though regarding the signings. I would expect this young lad sylla to add more strength to the centre in a 442 which I think Lambert has to switch to now. If he plays 532/352 again and we get shafted like Tuesday night I think the fans will turn instantly. I just wouldn't expect too much too soon from sylla, and if he comes in and lights up the place all the better. I think he is one for the future personally but you never know. Either way the signings are not a statement of intent that the Villa board or management are willing to pull out all the stops to increase the chances of staying in the prem.

From what he has signed i can only take that as Lambert thinks we're defensively sound.

No! He thinks we are down. We are getting ready for the championship.

Can you elaborate?

Basically, One of my best friends who works in football. He's also a villa fan and has connections at Villa through different sources which I cannot mention so please don't ask. Anyway the story is Lambert has put a few faces out of joint within the club. The academy was also mentioned and from what I have been told Lambert is not a big fan. I was wondering if anyone who is ITK regarding the academy had heard anymore. I will find out more in time but it was a quick convo so didn't get too much.

Heard some interesting news last night from a very very good source. From what I have been told Lambert has virtually cut connections with the academy pushing a few faces out of joint. Anyone else heard anything along these lines?

Quote from lambert;

"We never played well in the first half,
but I couldn't fault the players in the second half. We changed it
around. Some people can hide behind tactics, but the game is about
players.

"The first goal was really poor. But second half we looked like we
could pull it back. The response gives us hope, because it's in our
capabilities to go and do that. Credit to them [his Villa players] in
the second half. They came out and they were relentless, but it was too
little too late."

That's right it's not about tactics - what a retard! If he had of got the tactics and selection correct in the first place the players may have had a chance to win the game before it was to late.

What is really starting to bother me about this clown is the way he is now trying to deflect the criticisms of his decision making onto the players!

To be fair. The system played in the first half didn't help Bent or Benteke.

protest this week if you want Lerner to spend our only hope, if Lambert not going.

Foreign then? or computer?

Really a good manager no chance he taking this club in one place championship.

You pissed mate?

The 5 stayed back and the few times the FB tried to get forward they were up against 2 players.Meanwhile Westwood and Bannan were left in the middle chasing shadows.Meanwhile the front free we basically left there to work their way to goal themselves.It was a shambles.

 

The second half it was 4-4-2 Brian Little commented that now things were simply the players knew what they were doing.

Spot on Nabby!

Whatever happens Darren Bent is gone in the summer 100%! I have it on good authority.

Thing is for me after seeing the second half tonight I'm not of the opinion the players aren't good enough. I firmly believe Lambert is the problem.

So many football tactical geniuses on here.

 

Formations are not rigid and haven't been for a long time. Games are so dynamic and players are so athletic that 5 at the back is 4 at the back with a spare midfielder. Lambert and O'Neill and many other managers have said this. It's the best 11 players and the 'system' is secondary.

 

Newcastle spent a lot on players in January and we haven't. They already had a much better team than us. It's as simple as that.

Lambert and O'Neil you say?  That's all right then after all you can't get better tacticians than them two?! ITS ALRIGHT EVERYONE, WE'VE GOT IT! STOP WHAT YOUR THINKING OR ABOUT TO WRITE, TACTICS AND FORMATIONS DON'T MATTER! That must be why Newcastle battered us in the first half and we in the second? I didn't realise we had actually swapped shirts at half time!

Its ok having 23m to spend when you can give players decent wages but when your restricted to having to get players in on shit wages then it obviously makea a big difference. the biggest mistake lambert made was taking this job in the first place.

I disagree with you mate. As shit as this Villa team is Lambert is just not organising or getting the best out of them. **** Lamberts mistakes there's that many of them, the biggest mistake was Villa thinking he was the answer to our manager and stability problems. He will stabilise us though- in the championship!!

One thing that was cleanly obvious tonight was Lambert cost Villa the game with his shit 5-3-2. Changed to 4-4-2 far too late. Played Bent in a system that was to narrow and then took him off when we started to play with width. I think most managers could get our team more organised than this idiot. Deserves all the stick he gets IMO. If Vila don't sack him we are down!

Don't seem right does it - one canny businessman who micromanaged the club and made himself a fortune at the cost of our success and one dopey businessman who rarely visits and lost himself a fortune at the cost of our success. 

Well put. I would say this though. At least the fan's had a relationship with Ellis even if a love, hate one. We hated him, he loved himself. Doug would never gamble hence he broke my heart(you know what I mean) when letting Juninho go to Middlesborough for the sake of £1m - The biggest rick ever IMO. Countless times he proved to be a stubborn old bastard who more often than not didn't give a shit about the fan's. 

When I think about things and the way the club is now I though believe that although Ellis had his faults he gave more of a shit than Lerner after all Villa were his principle interest for many years, yet Lerner it appears got himself a toy and is now bored of it. We were under Doug's tenure very much like the Everton of now without the David Moyes. We were a tight ship, although lacking ambition not wanting to visit better places, instead happy doing day trips.

Now under Lerner however we are a like a ship that was heading for sunnier climates(ChampLeague), got lost on the way(MON), hit an iceberg(GH), became rudderless(AM) and is heading straight towards the rocks(Championship). Worst of all the Captain(Lerner) has just jumped on the only helicopter and **** off with the officers(Krulak and Co) leaving the cook(Paul Lambert not steven segal!) and the washer-upper(Paul Faulkner) in charge. If anyone's wondering about lifeboats(plan B.) The Captain in his wisdom never thought we would need them after all he'd been on the journey before - silly bastard forgot though, he nearly sunk the last boat!  Rough seas ahead on the HMS Aston Villa.