David-Copenhagen Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 TBH I wouldn't be bothered if he wasn't our manager next year. I would I really like him. That said he is no miracle worker and if his hands are tied financially then we can't expect him to compete. I have said it before, but the only way to judge a manager is by how well he does compared to the money at his disposal. And in that context PL is doing just fine. I don't think his hands are 'tied financially'. He is building a squad, buying more potential than we have done in the past. This takes time, and that means periods of poor results due to players gaining experience. Unless u are competing for the very best players, throwing money at it just doesn't work...never has. He's doing a steady job Well it depends on how you look at things. Compared to a lot of clubs he has limited funds at his disposal. That is what I meant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaForever1970 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 We’re not safe till we have 40 + points.We’ve Villa, we could go and lose our next 5! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pez1974 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 WIth our goal difference, I think 3 or 4 more points will see us just fine - and we will get that becuase our defence is so much tighter than last year. However - just a warning - the problem with playing teams below us is that if we lose - they win (well duh!!!). So they are 3 points closer. Do that too often, and we could get dragged back in. I just don't believe we will. With regards the financial ties - I think they are real, but also across many facets of the club. He needs to bring total wages down, which means players have to leave, and in many cases replaced. So those coming in must earn less, so they must be operating at a 'lower' level than the Premier League. I suspect there isn't £10m's to spend, but even if there was, the impact on wages would be horrific, so it wouldn't happen. We have found out that our youth team from the past 5 years isn't bringing in many genuine first teamers as many had hoped, but can produce a few squad players (both here and those we have moved on). As a result, we need to buy more players. And we know we haven't scoured other teams to pick up their best young players in recent years (Delph aside, but his fee hardly reflects what I mean), like we have in the past with Ehiogu and Barry, and even Weiman, so we aren't bolstering the youth team that way, meaning we are buying these players when they are older, and more expensive. But, over the past couple of years, we seem to have started to sort this out. The result of this, over the next couple of years will be less need for the Luna's and Sylla's and more focus on the genuine first team starter type purchases. I hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyAnty Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 WIth our goal difference, I think 3 or 4 more points will see us just fine - and we will get that becuase our defence is so much tighter than last year. However - just a warning - the problem with playing teams below us is that if we lose - they win (well duh!!!). So they are 3 points closer. Do that too often, and we could get dragged back in. I just don't believe we will. With regards the financial ties - I think they are real, but also across many facets of the club. He needs to bring total wages down, which means players have to leave, and in many cases replaced. So those coming in must earn less, so they must be operating at a 'lower' level than the Premier League. I suspect there isn't £10m's to spend, but even if there was, the impact on wages would be horrific, so it wouldn't happen. We have found out that our youth team from the past 5 years isn't bringing in many genuine first teamers as many had hoped, but can produce a few squad players (both here and those we have moved on). As a result, we need to buy more players. And we know we haven't scoured other teams to pick up their best young players in recent years (Delph aside, but his fee hardly reflects what I mean), like we have in the past with Ehiogu and Barry, and even Weiman, so we aren't bolstering the youth team that way, meaning we are buying these players when they are older, and more expensive. But, over the past couple of years, we seem to have started to sort this out. The result of this, over the next couple of years will be less need for the Luna's and Sylla's and more focus on the genuine first team starter type purchases. I hope! The thing with playing lower teams now is that they have to go for it, we dont. Suits us down to a tee. There is a reason why we have beaten City, Arsenal, Chelsea and drew with Liverpool. They have to attack us and we hit them on the break. When a team sits behind the ball and we cant break them down as we dont have a number 10, then the probs begin. Also explains why our home form is poor. Onus is on home team to dictate the play. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danceoftheshamen Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 For me we should just set up as we did against Chelsea at home until safety is guaranteed but then try experimenting with the likes of Gardner and a couple of youth players like Grealish to see if they can do a job..But only once we are definitely safe of course. May end up in some dour 0-0 draws but hey ho so long as we stay up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie09 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Heard a stat yesterday that we have the 9th best defensive record in the PL this season. For me that reassures me that progress has been made and why relegation is no longer an issue this season. We'll be safe by the end of March and leave us to enjoy the remaining games stress free. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bose Posted March 18, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted March 18, 2014 After 29 games last season we had 27 points and had conceded 54 goals in those games. This season after 29 games we have 34 points and have conceded 38 (Only 3 goals more than Liverpool for example). That is progress. 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nazvfc Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 After 29 games last season we had 27 points and had conceded 54 goals in those games. This season after 29 games we have 34 points and have conceded 38 (Only 3 goals more than Liverpool for example). That is progress. Not for some it's not. For me we have taken small steps of progress. Gradual and steady. Suppose some have to find a negative. Let them. Although there are negatives there are many positives too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AValon Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 You don't need stats to see how better defensively we've been this season. Theres cohesion, confidence and evidence that this group of players actually like playing together. Next year will be even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 After 29 games last season we had 27 points and had conceded 54 goals in those games. This season after 29 games we have 34 points and have conceded 38 (Only 3 goals more than Liverpool for example). That is progress. Not for some it's not. For me we have taken small steps of progress. Gradual and steady. Suppose some have to find a negative. Let them. Although there are negatives there are many positives too. I agree that the positives, particularly defensively, are plain to see and that over all, in terms of league position mainly as well as in the performances against the better sides, that there's clear progress. But you don't have to look *too* hard to find some negatives also, particularly with the quality of football on display being hit and (mostly) miss, the inconsistencies tactically (we've no really identity, still) and the home form (which perhaps is turning?). It's just a shame we can't all be a little more balanced. Discuss the various positives and negatives like adults rather than cage each other in and sling mud through the bars. That's football though eh, tribal in every sense... Anyway, we're not going down. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oaks Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 There's definitely been progress. If you don't believe there has been, I think your expectations are to high considering the financial restraints he's working under. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Definite progress and we play exactly how an inconsistent, young, mid-table PL side should be expected to play. If we'd have played like we did against Chelsea all season, then we'd be up fighting for a Europa League place. A bit more consistency (which comes with experience) could see us progress towards that next year. We're not going down. 0 chance. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3te Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 In case anyone's still a little worried we'll be dragged into it, if we win one and lose the rest of the games left this season: (Not including today's fixtures) Fulham need to win 4 and draw 1 from 8 games to pass us - Can safely write them off Cardiff need to win 4 and draw 1 from 8 games to pass us - Can safely write them off Sunderland need to win 4 and draw 1 from 11 games to pass us - Possible, but not hugely likely Palace need to win 3 and draw 1 from 9 games to pass us - Possible West Brom need to win 3 and draw 1 from 9 games to pass us - Possible Norwich need to win 3 from 8 games to pass us - Possible but unlikely given their fixtures Swansea need to win 3 from 9 games to pass us - Possible but unlikely given their fixtures Taking Fulham and Cardiff as statistically pretty much unable to pass us given form and fixtures remaining, then Sunderland, Palace, West Brom, Norwich and Swansea ALL need to do the above, and Hull, West Ham and Stoke would also need to pick up 7, 5 and 4 more points respectively over the remaining games (the latter things are very likely, though) 3 more points and we're good. We are probably good right now to be honest given our goal difference 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 If we win tomorrow, we will be closer to Newcastle than we would be to Sunderland. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Another positive about this season is that we've progressed without being utterly reliant on Benteke as we were last season. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Only disappointment Is we can't catch any of the teams above us unless we win pretty much all our games left. It's bizarre to me that with 9 games to go the gap between 9th and 10th is currently 13 points, never known a season like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3te Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Only disappointment Is we can't catch any of the teams above us unless we win pretty much all our games left. It's bizarre to me that with 9 games to go the gap between 9th and 10th is currently 13 points, never known a season like it. One of them might head to the beach early, but we certainly can't catch both of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David-Copenhagen Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Another positive about this season is that we've progressed without being utterly reliant on Benteke as we were last season. Good point and the defense is better, as long as Vlaar is fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSV Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Definite progress. We havent lost 8-0 yet. Knock on wood we have been in most games (score wise) Our defence is better. Our attack seems to have gone backwards a little but that may have been to tighten up the back. Young players are 1 year older/wise/more experienced. Lets see how they get on next season with a few quality signings. Next season is a big season for PL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted March 23, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted March 23, 2014 Another positive about this season is that we've progressed without being utterly reliant on Benteke as we were last season. This. we still look really poor without him but at least we are not guaranteed to get beat! (One more season please Mr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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