Popular Post CVByrne Posted August 14, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted August 14, 2014 To do an assessment of the past two years, the problems we've had on and off the pitch. The performance of the manager, everything. Understandably people fear it just takes one or two more defats than last year and we're gone. Firstly Paul Lamber I think he's had to do a very odd and difficult thing with the club. Forced to get rid of the big earners and replace them with lower wage replacements. The only people you can get on lower wages are not experienced Premier League players, they are young inexperienced players. So he took over a club that had just survived its worst manager in it's Premier League history and survived by a sheer miracle. He made two excellent signings in Vlaar and Benteke, along with Lowton & Westwood who are good too. We had as expected a tough first season, we survived with a game to spare. Then last summer he went out and had to buy within his wage constraints, so in came 6 players without a minute of Premier League experience. 3 of them turned out to be poor, unfortunately 2 of the good ones were stuck down by season ending injuries when they were in the team and in form. Last season we also had a crucial injury to Benteke with Kozak already out and Bent at a different club our 3 centre forwards were gone. The points to games ratio of the club with Benteke in it meant we would have possibly ended 4 league places higher had he stayed fit. So now we come to today, due to lowered wage bill in conjunction with higher income from TV our wage bill is healthy and experienced players were first on the shopping list. 4 come in and our next addition is a very experienced international coming from an equally good league. We get Hutton, Bent & N'Zogbia back too, so say what you want about their current abilities or usefullness, paying someone to not play is daft as I believe all 3 of these would have been assets last season. Not to mention experience, Hutton on at right back to close out a game instead of a tired inexperienced Bacuna for example? I am certain the team got complacent after our defeat of Chealsea last spring. We thought we're safe now, and too many players knew their place was safe regardless, well not anymore. People seem to remember the end of last season and that alone, but take that team and add, Benteke, Kozak, Okore, Senderos, Richardson, Sissoko, Sanchez, Cole, N'Zogbia, Bent, Hutton. Hell Grealish too. The drive and respect Keane will command, he won't let complacency seep in like after Chelsea. Competition for places, voices in the dressing room, experienced players. It's a completely different place now, it looks like a Premier League squad and I'm sure it will feel like one too. Where we after we beat Chelsea is what we could achieve last season, instead of tailing off we will push on this time. No more tirdness, no more complacency as your replacement is sitting on the bench waiting for his chance. Prepare for the turning point, enjoy this season. UTV 33 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Nice post, I don't agree with all of it but I do think this season we should see improvements. I'm not sure it will be enjoyable much but I am expecting Lambert to finally start showing us something better than what we've seen from him so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CVByrne Posted August 14, 2014 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 14, 2014 Take a look at the players available for our end of season slump. Not to mention tirdness of those players too. Now we have the following available this season to add to that. Sissoko, Okore, Senderos, Hutton N'Zogbia, Sanchez, Cole, Richardson Bent, Benteke, Kozak With the "loss" of Bertrand, Helenius, Tonev & Luna & Sylla. Get the Villa you saw at the end of the season out of your head. This squad is a world away from that now. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArteSuave Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Put short, we are stronger than last season. That's as much as we can hope for these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtkinsonWonderGoal Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I'm glad someone else has posted the exact same thoughts that I have been having. I understand the doom and gloom, and have had to fight against it myself many times over the years (more so the last couple), but I guess I am a glass half full kind of fan, and just don't understand being negative about things unnecessarily before they have even happened. I have a really good feeling about the experience that has been added and the different formations that we will now be able to use for different opponents. Keane will add much needed honesty and experience during this season, especially for the midfielders, and he will definitely come into his own during half time rollockings! The players re-integrated back into the squad would be a benefit to most PL teams, and have looked eager and sharp during pre-season. That is great news to start with. Okore and the rest of the treatment room are mostly back or not far off, and that is a blessing too. Some big names and players have been living in that room for too long, it will be good to get them all back and fighting for places! We are still a couple of players away from being a 10th upwards team, but with the Colombian and another decent signing (hopefully someone who can can cross a ball well), I think we will be ok this season regardless of the first result on saturday. The only thing I am slightly negative over is how much you now have to spend in the market to even stand still. Whilst I write the above being the positive fan I am, I also feel a slight nagging worry about this, and can only live in hope that a new owner comes in before Jan and allows us to move forward player wise. Lets face it, the ground, pitch, training and academy are all much better than they were 10 years ago and the finances and are too, so we are in a good position off the turf. Lets get behind the boys and give them the support they deserve this weekend, and drive them on to perform for those that pay them to wear our shirt... us! UTV 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post coda Posted August 14, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted August 14, 2014 I'm more pessimistic and disinterested than ever going in to this season. This might be because of football in general rather than Villa in particular. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 im surprisingly optimistic for start of this season, I don't know why that is. Maybe as a lot of media has us down for relegation already and the last time we were penned In as automatic for relegation we played out best football at end of 2012/13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermon Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 The first question one must ask is...Are there 3 shitter teams than us in the premier league, possibly Burnley, Leicester but these newly promoted sides do seem to play surprisingly well. Most the bottom teams are strengthening so it will be difficult to predict who the bottom 3 will be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-Reacho Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I was hoping that the dramatic decline after the Chelsea game was to do with the Culverhouse and Karsa issue - which came to a head with their sackings. There was a slight bounce when they went - I'm hoping that'll continue with all the extra players we now have as above. Really hope the added experienced players will give this team a backbone and some attitude - I obviously don't know exactly what happened with the two coaches but I really can't imagine many other clubs where the players would go and complain because they're being bullied (if this is is what actually happened). You can't imagine Keane, Terry, Yaya being bullied by anyone. Hopefully a strong team spirit and some big characters would stop this happening again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted August 14, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted August 14, 2014 I'm still pessimistic. But, if we hold onto Vlaar then the fact is we're stronger than last year. Yes we haven't exactly signed world beaters. But Richardson is an improvement on our left hand side, Senderos is better than Clark or Baker (probably). Joe Cole is past it but he's still a different kind of player than anyone else we've got if played in the middle, and if Sanchez signed he'll fill a position we've been crying out for for 2 seasons. Then when you factor in Okore coming back, Benteke being fit (eventually) and the re-integration of players like Bent, Hutton and N'Zogbia then actually we're not looking too bad,. Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting us to be qualifying for Europe, or even troubling the top half. But I do think we'll be pleasantly surprised. That being said, there are a lot of assumptions in there. Will Bent, N'Zogbia and Hutton be any good upon their return? Will our new signings perform anywhere near well enough? Will Vlaar stay? Will Benteke be the same when he's fit? Will Okore realise his potential? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisagg75 Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 maybe the culverhouse/karsa stuff had a bigger impact than we know.we have a better back room staff and a better squad.add the young players as well to the experience we have got and i think we'll be ok.i look at other squads and i think ours is better.the final thing is that with the signings our defence should be better and we shouldn't be such a pushover,if you add cole,nzog there's the creativity we've needed to break sides down at home.if you look at our forwards we have 3 who can get goals.i don't see many sides(potentially lower end of the league) with strikers who are better than ours.we have the best squad lambert has had in his time here.look at palace,leicester,albion,sunderland,saints,fat sams boys,swansea,do they really have better squads than us? not in my book.think there's more cause for optimism than anytime since lambert/mctit have been here.utv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted August 14, 2014 Author Share Posted August 14, 2014 That being said, there are a lot of assumptions in there. Will Bent, N'Zogbia and Hutton be any good upon their return? Will our new signings perform anywhere near well enough? Will Vlaar stay? Will Benteke be the same when he's fit? Will Okore realise his potential? Yep but the good thing is we don't need all those assumptions to turn out correct. Half will do tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I've been genuinely optimistic for the last two seasons that we might progress - last year in particular. I think we would have done without key injuries, especially to Benteke, but like most of us I would like to see more of the sort of football we saw towards the end of Lambert's first season in charge. Hopefully with a sturdier back 4, protected by Sanchez, the rest of the team can feel free to express themselves a bit more and we can pick up a few results. It's still very hard to imagine a top half finish, but 11-14th would be an improvement. Really though we just need to stay safe until we can find a new owner and new impetus as there is no future to buy into under Lerner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I'm more pessimistic and disinterested than ever going in to this season. This might be because of football in general rather than Villa in particular. Just thought about this and I was more pessimistic before the McLeish season for obvious reasons. This season is more apathy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feidhlim Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 We have gotten rid of 2 bullies too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 The first question one must ask is...Are there 3 shitter teams than us in the premier league, possibly Burnley, Leicester but these newly promoted sides do seem to play surprisingly well. Most the bottom teams are strengthening so it will be difficult to predict who the bottom 3 will be I think that Newcastle, possibly Southampton, Sunderland, West Brom, possibly West Ham in addition to the promoted clubs could be weaker... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Take a look at the players available for our end of season slump. Not to mention tirdness of those players too. Now we have the following available this season to add to that. Sissoko, Okore, Senderos, Hutton N'Zogbia, Sanchez, Cole, Richardson Bent, Benteke, Kozak With the "loss" of Bertrand, Helenius, Tonev & Luna & Sylla. Get the Villa you saw at the end of the season out of your head. This squad is a world away from that now. If the end of last season was the only time we've looked poor over the last two years then I might be with you. I agree we should expect better than last year because the squad is stronger, we have a high profile assistant manager and we have the experience we've badly needed. Still questions hang over certain aspects but overall we should be expecting more and because of that i am looking forward to the season and seeing what we can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P3te Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 We'll finish with 45-47 points this season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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