Ratings and Reactions: Villa - Fulham

[CrackpotForeigner]

 

If you want to look up the information and check if I'm right, then do so, but I'm certainly not wasting my time.

We aren't good enough in my opinion. If you're happy with things as they I then excellent!

 

 

I'm not wasting my time either, but you aren't right

 

If you think I'm happy with things as they are then you really haven't understood what I've said.

 

This is the only point I'm trying to get across here: Things are crap, but we have by far the best manager we could possibly attract on this tiny budget. We should get behind him, because if he goes I seriously shudder at the many, many possible worse options we might end up with. Just remember what he did for Norwich - he hasn't turned into a bad manager overnight.

[hycus-flange]

WE GO AGAIN!!!!!!!!!   FFS

[donnie]

Three GOOD players bought for 6-7 million each and better luck with injuries would see us finish top half comfortably. I'd bet my house on it.

Go on then 'mr know-it-all' if we sign 3 players in that price bracket, bet your house, or your mommy's, house on it

[chappy]

Holt motm. Marc was alright. We're not going down. **** atrocious that we have let Fulham do the double over us.

[nobler]

Three GOOD players bought for 6-7 million each and better luck with injuries would see us finish top half comfortably. I'd bet my house on it.

Every team in the bottom half of the table could say that though as there's not much between each club other than an obvious lack of quality that three 7 million quid players could fix. Strange statement. 

[donnie]

If you want to look up the information and check if I'm right, then do so, but I'm certainly not wasting my time.

We aren't good enough in my opinion. If you're happy with things as they I then excellent!

I'm not wasting my time either, but you aren't right

If you think I'm happy with things as they are then you really haven't understood what I've said.

This is the only point I'm trying to get across here: Things are crap, but we have by far the best manager we could possibly attract on this tiny budget. We should get behind him, because if he goes I seriously shudder at the many, many possible worse options we might end up with. Just remember what he did for Norwich - he hasn't turned into a bad manager overnight.

Look what owen coyle did with burnley. Look what paul jewell did with wigan. Look what george burley did with Ipswich. Yes it is possible he turned a bad manager overnight.

The best manager we could get with our budget?!?! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Harry]

 

The fact that, regardless of the players we bought in, we struggled without just 2 players, shows that the squad isn't good enough.

We've managed to win a handful of games against the big teams, yet he doesn't seem to motivate the players for the games that we actually should win...

He's spent money that he's had badly, Helenius is a prime example. If you can't buy well, don't buy at all. He's spent £50m since he's been here and he's actually weakened the team. Don't just buy for the sake of it...especially when he brings in Bennett-shit and Bowery-terrible.

If you're happy to accept another season of this, I'm happy for you. I'm certainly not happy to accept this. I didn't renew this year and I've only been to 2 awful games...it won't change next year. I'm not paying to watch the crap football we play.

We all love Villa, but I just cannot see how Lambert has proved he can take us forward.

 

 

Do you know for sure that Helenius is fit? He was certainly injured pretty recently. He's been on the pitch for us for about 70 minutes and scored 1 goal. Your "prime example" is a prime example of nothing.

 

So now he's spent FIFTY million, eh? Wow, it keeps going up. I'd be fascinated if you could back up that claim with a factual list of our purchases and their prices.

 

Your claim that Lambert "can't motivate the players" would be perfectly reasonable if he had enough quality at his disposal. He doesn't because he hasn't had nearly, nearly enough money to spend. Bottom line, end of story. Why can't people take that into account?

 

I don't blame you for not renewing your season ticket. Aston Villa have really served up some rubbish lately, but the manager has not had a fair chance to show what he might be able to do because WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY. And the fact that we don't have any money should be making us realise that we aren't going to attract a better manager than Lambert in a million billion years.

 

I'm sorry but I can't let that pass. As I keep on saying on this forum the minimum I would have expected from Lambert is a well organised side that is difficult to beat. We are neither and under him I see no prospect that we ever will be. I honestly don't think he has any idea what to do tactically in most games. If it comes off it comes off, otherwise there is just no Plan B. I have been to all the home league games this season and I am utterly pig sick of watching the utter **** shite that is Aston Villa playing football. Just occasionally it comes off but 11 home defeats this season is statistic that does not lie.

 

Having no money is a non argument. I have not done the maths but the generally accepted figure he has spent is £40m. Yes he has made some good signings but he has also bought some complete dross along with some very very average players. Personally I think that money could have been spent better.

 

If the owner was at all bothered or had any balls whatsoever he would have fired Lambert at Christmas and got someone /  anyone to replace the clown

[JoshVilla]

Absolutely pathetic (3rd game in a row that I've written that). Well done Villa, we've let the worst team in the league do the double over us this season. Now I really am struggling to see what progress we've made. We're dropping extremely valuable points here, as per usual.

 

Another Saturday ruined. Cheers...

[Harry]

Oh and amusingly the PA announcer was telling everyone about next seasons season tickets. I can hardly contain my excitement as to the delights of us playing Bournemouth.

[Danwichmann]

 

 

People keep blaming injuries...have people forgotten that we've been dog shit pretty much all year...

Okore's been injured for just about the whole year. Benteke for about a third of it - remember, he's the guy that saved us from relegation last season.

We haven't been dog shit all year, we've had good times and bad times. We're having bad times particularly now because the injury list is actually so bad it's taking the piss.

The fact that, regardless of the players we bought in, we struggled without just 2 players, shows that the squad isn't good enough.

We've managed to win a handful of games against the big teams, yet he doesn't seem to motivate the players for the games that we actually should win...

He's spent money that he's had badly, Helenius is a prime example. If you can't buy well, don't buy at all. He's spent £50m since he's been here and he's actually weakened the team. Don't just buy for the sake of it...especially when he brings in Bennett-shit and Bowery-terrible.

If you're happy to accept another season of this, I'm happy for you. I'm certainly not happy to accept this. I didn't renew this year and I've only been to 2 awful games...it won't change next year. I'm not paying to watch the crap football we play.

We all love Villa, but I just cannot see how Lambert has proved he can take us forward.

 

 

I don't claim to be Stephen Hawking, but I'm pretty sure Okore, Benteke, Kozak, Gabby, Delph, N'Zogbia, Helenus and KEA is more than two injuries.

 

Also had Vlaar out for key games this season. Okore, Kozak, Gardner, N'Zogbia and now Benteke not just injured but serious long term injuries. We can't make excuses for everything but you can't ignore injury problems like that. 

[CrackpotForeigner]

Guzan: A brilliant, vital signing

Bowery: A shockingly bad player who cost nothing.

Sylla: A defensive midfielder when we needed one. Speculative purchase, hasn't worked out, didn't cost much.

Westwood: A semi-speculative purchase, has worked out very well, didn't cost much.

Bacuna: Another speculative purchase, has been excellent at times, poor at other times, didn't cost much.

Luna: A speculative purchase when we needed a LB to cover for the developing Bennett, didn't cost much.

Bennett: A speculative purchase, young and promising LB, hasn't worked out so far, but didn't cost much.

Lowton: A RB when we needed one, can't defend too well, but otherwise excellent, didn't cost much.

Steer: A backup goalie when we needed one, cost nothing.

Benteke: Hang on, what's this??? More than 5 million to spend??? Okay, we'll get this guy. A reasonable success?

Vlaar: Wait! a bit more money to spend? Not a fortune. Yes let's get this one too. Success!

Okore: Four million for a defender who was very highly rated and performed brilliantly in pre-season and before his injury. A proper signing coup by Lambert.

Westwood: Hang on, haven't we seen you somewhere before?

El alhmadi: A successful signing for the money we paid, I don't think anyone can really argue with that.

Kozak: Backup striker, 1 in 3 record for us so far: Cost either 7 million (in which case it's a qualified success) or 4 million, (in which case it's a brilliant signing)

Holt: Loan: Success.

Tonev: A speculative purchase, young and promising winger, hasn't worked out so far, but didn't cost much.

Bertrand: Loan: Success

Helenius: A speculative purchase, young and promising striker, injured recently, hasn't worked out so far, but he's young and didn't cost much.

 

Edited with summary of players.

 

So about 8 million of the alleged 40 million has been badly spent. Any manager with an 80% success rate in the transfer market deserves a medal, especially when you consider that cheap players are likely to be more of a gamble than expensive ones.

[Rugeley Villa]

Anyone that thinks we can't go down is seriously wrong. Today proved that, the next 3 games are absolutely huge

[villa4europe]

Right back / midfielder in central midfield, left back in central midfield, striker on the left wing...

6ft 5" centre back who is great in the air so we play long ball...

Bring on a big man to score with 4 minutes left, take off the player providing all the crosses...

Utterly **** clueless from lambert, the result lied firmly at his feet for me, got it horribly wrong today, and the worst of it was it was easy to see and if he'd gone 4-4-2 with Bertrand left mid it was also easily rectifiable

Baker had a shocker rushed everything and had a toblerone head on, weiman did his Malaysian airline routine, Bennett was a nervous wreck, the whole team looked devoid of confidence, which seeing as we were playing Fulham it's really not good enough

[The_Lions_Roar]

Going to struggle to drag myself down there for the remaining home games, my season ticket will go unused.

[Hanky]

33 year old Grant Holt on loan from Wigan was our best player. Shocking performance. Outplayed by bottom of the league.

[S-Platt]

Having read this thread and been to the game Westwood seems to be getting off lightly for gifting them the ball for their 2nd Goal.

Did not expect much when the line up was announced and to be honest it was fairly entertaining 2nd Half.

Lambert frustrates me with his tactics though from what he had to work with today I would have swapped Bennett with Bertrand as one can defend and one is good at going forward. Bennett tries a pass and messes up they are in on goal but if he does that with Bertrand covering he gets away with it. That seems obvious to me!

Put Delph and El-Ahmadi in that midfield and we would have walked that game I am sure.

Squeeky bum time for the rest of season now.

[CrackpotForeigner]

 

Three GOOD players bought for 6-7 million each and better luck with injuries would see us finish top half comfortably. I'd bet my house on it.

Go on then 'mr know-it-all' if we sign 3 players in that price bracket, bet your house, or your mommy's, house on it

 

 

Classy.

[CrackpotForeigner]

 

Three GOOD players bought for 6-7 million each and better luck with injuries would see us finish top half comfortably. I'd bet my house on it.

Every team in the bottom half of the table could say that though as there's not much between each club other than an obvious lack of quality that three 7 million quid players could fix. Strange statement. 

 

 

Except that the rest of our squad is young and developing, so assuming every team in the bottom half gets 20 million to spend, we will be in the better position to actually move FORWARD with our purchases.

[chappy]

Oh and amusingly the PA announcer was telling everyone about next seasons season tickets. I can hardly contain my excitement as to the delights of us playing Bournemouth.

Are Bournemouth mounting a late push for the play offs?

[One For The Road]

 

Guzan: A brilliant, vital signing

Bowery: A shockingly bad player who cost nothing.

Sylla: A defensive midfielder when we needed one. Speculative purchase, hasn't worked out, didn't cost much.

Westwood: A semi-speculative purchase, has worked out very well, didn't cost much.

Bacuna: Another speculative purchase, has been excellent at times, poor at other times, didn't cost much.

Luna: A speculative purchase when we needed a LB to cover for the developing Bennett, didn't cost much.

Bennett: A speculative purchase, young and promising LB, hasn't worked out so far, but didn't cost much.

Lowton: A RB when we needed one, can't defend too well, but otherwise excellent, didn't cost much.

Steer: A backup goalie when we needed one, cost nothing.

Benteke: Hang on, what's this??? More than 5 million to spend??? Okay, we'll get this guy. A reasonable success?

Vlaar: Wait! a bit more money to spend? Not a fortune. Yes let's get this one too. Success!

Okore: Four million for a defender who was very highly rated and performed brilliantly in pre-season and before his injury. A proper signing coup by Lambert.

Westwood: Hang on, haven't we seen you somewhere before?

El alhmadi: A successful signing for the money we paid, I don't think anyone can really argue with that.

Kozak: Backup striker, 1 in 3 record for us so far: Cost either 7 million (in which case it's a qualified success) or 4 million, (in which case it's a brilliant signing)

Holt: Loan: Success.

Tonev: A speculative purchase, young and promising winger, hasn't worked out so far, but didn't cost much.

Bertrand: Loan: Success

Helenius: A speculative purchase, young and promising striker, injured recently, hasn't worked out so far, but he's young and didn't cost much.

 

Edited with summary of players.

 

So about 8 million of the alleged 40 million has been badly spent. Any manager with an 80% success rate in the transfer market deserves a medal, especially when you consider that cheap players are likely to be more of a gamble than expensive ones.

 

I applaud your positivity but to suggest that Lambert deserves a medal for his transfer dealings really only serves to discredit your wider point. Lamberts signings have been largely appalling and I am seriously worried that we will see more Tonevs and Bennets than Bentekes and Guzans in the next window. I am a Lambert fan but i worry about him in the transfer market. SYLLA FFS!!  

Edited April 5, 2014 by One For The Road