Paul Lambert

[Woodytom]

Hmmm, not sure I agree here. I understand what your saying but if we're playing the game the way you describe it (which I don't believe that we are btw) then we are living a dangerous game. I'm all for being able to shut up shop and see the game out but that, for me, is for the final periods of the game.

For me, bar the plop game (where I have zero complaints with the approach), we simply run out of ideas far too soon. The hull game not so much, but certainly the Newcastle game (which now looks a bad result), we looked completely clueless.

It's not that I think we could have had loads of shots on target but our approach was specifically designed to have few attacks. We'd have had relatively few whether we were winning or losing, it's just that the stats have been skewed even further by the fact we've spent more time in the lead than not this season.

I agree that the Newcastle game we didn't have enough attacking creativity but we are missing Kozak and Benteke. I'm sure most teams look crap going forward without their two best strikers.

We're also still lacking a number ten (at least one that can accumulate enough fitness to play) in those kinds of games.

Fair points that I agree with

[AntrimBlack]

Just watched yesterday's press conference.

Doesn't seem as grim as previous - amazing what a good run  and a bit of the old feel good will do.

Liking the beard.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

We look more solid but the lack of shots on target, never mind goals, is a concern. We won't go a whole season keeping clean sheets.

[Dr_Pangloss]

Yep we really could do with some creativity going forward. 

 

Benteke coming back will be a massive boost to us being a threat going forward though.

[TrentVilla]

We look more solid but the lack of shots on target, never mind goals, is a concern. We won't go a whole season keeping clean sheets.

 

While I understand the anxiety caused by our lack of shots on goal in reality there is no more reason to think that this will continue all season than there is to think our clean sheets won't. 

In reality its likely neither thing will and both stats, which are both in the extreme will normalise as the number of games increases.

 

Obviously it goes without saying we would all like to see us being more effective up front and having more shots. But, with our two best strikers out and changes in the midfield it is perhaps not really surprising.

 

It is also asking rather a lot of Lambert for people to expect him to have taken a side that finished where we did, spend £10m, sort the defence out while making us more of an attacking threat and to do it within 4 games.

 

So while to an extent I understand the focus on this stat, at this stage I see it as being little more than a curiosity than a real concern.

[Folski]

Was going to put something up the last day in the smells like team spirit page but there's one thing they talk a lot about in the NBA that you'll never hear mentioned by Neville, Carragher, Shearer, Redknapp and co. Intangibles. Something that you can't simply measure, in a short 360 minutes I've seen enough intangibles to tell me this team (and that's the key word) has improved massively from last year. Look at Sanchez coming on the last day, you had Ashley Westwood roaring at Carlos Sanchez telling him to get set, Sanchez is 29 & has 44 caps for Colombia. Senderos, as I have already stated was given a lower whoscored rating than both Lovren & Sakho the last day but he's presence on the pitch was absolutely immense. His header set up the goal, he had another header that he should have stuck, which will go down as a shot off target in all these stats bibles.

[Stevo985]

We look more solid but the lack of shots on target, never mind goals, is a concern. We won't go a whole season keeping clean sheets.

Whilst I agree, like I said on the previous page, this is without our 2 best strikers.

 

If there's one stat I expect to improve once Benteke is back in the team, it's efforts on goal.

[Kingman]

Lovin how he's gone from being called Lamberk to Lamborghini in 4 games.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Kingman

[bobzy]

Haven't done every club but when you look at this it'll tell you the kind of restraints Lambert has had to work under.

 

Starts by youth graduates between 12-14 in Premier League:

 

269 - Aston Villa

176 - Liverpool

166 - Arsenal

161 - Southampton

145 - West Ham

140 - Man Utd

124 - Newcastle

65 - Everton

64 - Swansea

60 - Chelsea

55 - Tottenham

11 - Man City

 

Whilst this looks crazy, can we actually determine what a "youth graduate" is?  For example, Gabby Agbonlahor is a "youth graduate" and would've started quite heavily in our side whereas, for Everton, John Stones was bought from Barnsley(?) and probably isn't a "youth graduate" - just as an example.

 

Obviously, Lambert has had a lot of constraints to work under, but I'm guessing our youth are Agbonlahor, Clark, Baker and Albrighton for the majority of those 260 starts.  I highly doubt it means we've started with a load of kids each game.

Edited September 19, 2014 by bobzy

[CrackpotForeigner]

More Wibble about stats from Gobby Cabbage on the beeb

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29262223

 

He's hilarious. I particularly liked the last bit, after a reasonably good little ramble about why playing such awful football works oh so well for us:

 

 

I want to get one thing straight - I have not tipped this Villa side to go down.

Before a ball was kicked this season, I looked at who they had signed, which at that stage was Philippe Senderos, Joe Cole and Kieran Richardson, and, with Christian Benteke out with a long-term injury, I thought they would end up in the bottom three.

But after the transfer window had closed, when the likes of Tom Cleverley and Carlos Sanchez had been brought in, I tipped them to finish 15th.

[pacbuddies]

Anyone who thinks he's getting the contract just because of the last four games is having a laugh. I can tell the 'negative' types are never going to change their minds, to appreciate that Lambert has had one of the toughest jobs in the league for the last few years - if not the toughest. There is so much evidence out there that Lambert's job so far has included the tasks of fixing our dangerous financial state and totally overhauling the squad.

Buying cheap young players, no matter what's happened to a proportion of them, was part of that process. Young players on low wages - like Sylla or Luna are night and day, problem-wise, to players like Given and Bent. Out of all of Lambert's signings about the only true duds (as in they have made barely any contribution to our survival on a shoestring) have been Helenius and Tonev. Everyone else has played a part.

Bomb squad wise - don't forget that it was a success to some degree that it moved on the likes of Warnock and Ireland. As far as most people are concerned Hutton is the only one who has been brought back into the team that has actually made a difference, although I do think N'Zogbia has a role to play too - anyway he was injured.

The more negative are never going to give Lambert any credit. Even if we do well this season you'll all put it down to Keane or something. You'll never put it down to stability, and that's a huge shame. You'll never accept that Lambert's job really has been practically epic in difficulty.

The proof is in the pudding. Even forgetting the league position just see the quality of our squad now compared to when Lambert arrived. Also, consider that he has taken us from losing 50 mil a year to being on a sound footing (extra Tv money helps, of course). We are in a vastly improved position now. If you factor in the financial constraints, and we're talking money available for wages as much as transfer fees, Lambert has done an exceptional job. Lambert did all of that.

Who knows where we'd be if the Lambert out brigade had had their way? Maybe we'd have Pulis...lol, if there was any idea more ridiculous...we'd have all kicked off if Pulis had joined us from Stoke, but a good run with Palace - who had bought far more players than us in a comparable time, by the way - and suddenly he was people's saviour.

Anyway, I don't want to tempt fate or anything, so I'm going to shut up now.

A new contract for Lambert is great news. I'm glad Lerner doesn't make knee jerk reactions. Indeed, since Lerner knew more than us about Lambert's financial limitations, then maybe he too appreciated that Lambert was doing well in turning the club around - however slow that might have been.

You're glad Lerner doesn't make knee jerk reactions! What do you call the appointment of McLeish then?

[Folski]

 

Haven't done every club but when you look at this it'll tell you the kind of restraints Lambert has had to work under.

 

Starts by youth graduates between 12-14 in Premier League:

 

269 - Aston Villa

176 - Liverpool

166 - Arsenal

161 - Southampton

145 - West Ham

140 - Man Utd

124 - Newcastle

65 - Everton

64 - Swansea

60 - Chelsea

55 - Tottenham

11 - Man City

 

Whilst this looks crazy, can we actually determine what a "youth graduate" is?  For example, Gabby Agbonlahor is a "youth graduate" and would've started quite heavily in our side whereas, for Everton, John Stones was bought from Barnsley(?) and probably isn't a "youth graduate" - just as an example.

 

Obviously, Lambert has had a lot of constraints to work under, but I'm guessing our youth are Agbonlahor, Clark, Baker and Albrighton for the majority of those 260 starts.  I highly doubt it means we've started with a load of kids each game.

 

 

Stones wasn't, Sterling (purchases from QPR) was however as he represented the Liverpool u18 side. Gerrard, Lallana, Giggs & Scholes etc all were.

 

Clark, Lichaj, Baker, Albrighton, Bannan, Herd, Agbonlahor, Weimann, Delfouneso all started games under Lambert in the Premier League. It shows that the club have been more willing to promote graduates then actually go out and buy a player to do a job. Lambert has on average played 3.5 academy graduates per game the last 2 seasons.

[nazvfc]

 

Anyone who thinks he's getting the contract just because of the last four games is having a laugh. I can tell the 'negative' types are never going to change their minds, to appreciate that Lambert has had one of the toughest jobs in the league for the last few years - if not the toughest. There is so much evidence out there that Lambert's job so far has included the tasks of fixing our dangerous financial state and totally overhauling the squad.

Buying cheap young players, no matter what's happened to a proportion of them, was part of that process. Young players on low wages - like Sylla or Luna are night and day, problem-wise, to players like Given and Bent. Out of all of Lambert's signings about the only true duds (as in they have made barely any contribution to our survival on a shoestring) have been Helenius and Tonev. Everyone else has played a part.

Bomb squad wise - don't forget that it was a success to some degree that it moved on the likes of Warnock and Ireland. As far as most people are concerned Hutton is the only one who has been brought back into the team that has actually made a difference, although I do think N'Zogbia has a role to play too - anyway he was injured.

The more negative are never going to give Lambert any credit. Even if we do well this season you'll all put it down to Keane or something. You'll never put it down to stability, and that's a huge shame. You'll never accept that Lambert's job really has been practically epic in difficulty.

The proof is in the pudding. Even forgetting the league position just see the quality of our squad now compared to when Lambert arrived. Also, consider that he has taken us from losing 50 mil a year to being on a sound footing (extra Tv money helps, of course). We are in a vastly improved position now. If you factor in the financial constraints, and we're talking money available for wages as much as transfer fees, Lambert has done an exceptional job. Lambert did all of that.

Who knows where we'd be if the Lambert out brigade had had their way? Maybe we'd have Pulis...lol, if there was any idea more ridiculous...we'd have all kicked off if Pulis had joined us from Stoke, but a good run with Palace - who had bought far more players than us in a comparable time, by the way - and suddenly he was people's saviour.

Anyway, I don't want to tempt fate or anything, so I'm going to shut up now.

A new contract for Lambert is great news. I'm glad Lerner doesn't make knee jerk reactions. Indeed, since Lerner knew more than us about Lambert's financial limitations, then maybe he too appreciated that Lambert was doing well in turning the club around - however slow that might have been.

You're glad Lerner doesn't make knee jerk reactions! What do you call the appointment of McLeish then?

 

A f***g mistake (we have all made them even the holier than thou lot) that he rectified and has moved on - why can't us fans. I've moved on from Bradfors, Milwall and the rest - so should the fans. To me EACH season is a FRESH start and from what I see now we have stability and continuity - this bodes well for Villa - let us all embrace it and move forward and get behind everyone!

[avfc1982]

Anyone who thinks he's getting the contract just because of the last four games is having a laugh. I can tell the 'negative' types are never going to change their minds, to appreciate that Lambert has had one of the toughest jobs in the league for the last few years - if not the toughest. There is so much evidence out there that Lambert's job so far has included the tasks of fixing our dangerous financial state and totally overhauling the squad.

Buying cheap young players, no matter what's happened to a proportion of them, was part of that process. Young players on low wages - like Sylla or Luna are night and day, problem-wise, to players like Given and Bent. Out of all of Lambert's signings about the only true duds (as in they have made barely any contribution to our survival on a shoestring) have been Helenius and Tonev. Everyone else has played a part.

Bomb squad wise - don't forget that it was a success to some degree that it moved on the likes of Warnock and Ireland. As far as most people are concerned Hutton is the only one who has been brought back into the team that has actually made a difference, although I do think N'Zogbia has a role to play too - anyway he was injured.

The more negative are never going to give Lambert any credit. Even if we do well this season you'll all put it down to Keane or something. You'll never put it down to stability, and that's a huge shame. You'll never accept that Lambert's job really has been practically epic in difficulty.

The proof is in the pudding. Even forgetting the league position just see the quality of our squad now compared to when Lambert arrived. Also, consider that he has taken us from losing 50 mil a year to being on a sound footing (extra Tv money helps, of course). We are in a vastly improved position now. If you factor in the financial constraints, and we're talking money available for wages as much as transfer fees, Lambert has done an exceptional job. Lambert did all of that.

Who knows where we'd be if the Lambert out brigade had had their way? Maybe we'd have Pulis...lol, if there was any idea more ridiculous...we'd have all kicked off if Pulis had joined us from Stoke, but a good run with Palace - who had bought far more players than us in a comparable time, by the way - and suddenly he was people's saviour.

Anyway, I don't want to tempt fate or anything, so I'm going to shut up now.

A new contract for Lambert is great news. I'm glad Lerner doesn't make knee jerk reactions. Indeed, since Lerner knew more than us about Lambert's financial limitations, then maybe he too appreciated that Lambert was doing well in turning the club around - however slow that might have been.

You're glad Lerner doesn't make knee jerk reactions! What do you call the appointment of McLeish then?

A f***g mistake (we have all made them even the holier than thou lot) that he rectified and has moved on - why can't us fans. I've moved on from Bradfors, Milwall and the rest - so should the fans. To me EACH season is a FRESH start and from what I see now we have stability and continuity - this bodes well for Villa - let us all embrace it and move forward and get behind everyone!

It's easy to say you've moved on from the Bradfords and Millwalls, but then we go and get ourselves knocked out of this season's league cup by yet another lower league club.

We've had some decent results in the league so far, but let's not pretend all is well at Aston Villa. It's not like we won those games playing brilliant attacking football while dominating possession. We won them by the skin of our teeth, which is pretty much how we won our games last season as well.

Lambert didn't deserve the contract he was given. That's unless his only remit at Villa is to keep us in the Premier League, and that would be a very sad state of affairs if true.

[Mantis]

How was McLeish a knee jerk reaction? It was a huge mistake but there was nothing knee jerk about it.

 

It's easy to say you've moved on from the Bradfords and Millwalls, but then we go and get ourselves knocked out of this season's league cup by yet another lower league club.
We've had some decent results in the league so far, but let's not pretend all is well at Aston Villa. It's not like we won those games playing brilliant attacking football while dominating possession. We won them by the skin of our teeth, which is pretty much how we won our games last season as well.
Lambert didn't deserve the contract he was given. That's unless his only remit at Villa is to keep us in the Premier League, and that would be a very sad state of affairs if true.

 

It's disappointing to go out of the cup (who you go out to doesn't make a whole lot of difference as the net result is the same) but our league performances more than make up for it so far.

 

We haven't played brilliant attacking football (understandable given our attacking injuries) but they haven't been won by the skin of our teeth either. I didn't see much of the Stoke game but by the sounds of it it was reasonably comfortable, Hull was incredibly comfortable for the majority of the game - they got a lucky goal and that changed the game but that sort of thing often happens when teams are 2-0 up and concede 1. As for Liverpool, they dominated possession but did very little with it and barely tested Guzan.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Mantis

[villan501]

The big fault i have with lambo is the playing style i just dont fancy us when were at home.

[The_Steve]

More Wibble about stats from Gobby Cabbage on the beeb

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29262223

 

Hilarious. The butthurt is strong in Savage.

 

Oh, and comparing stats from an ENTIRE season with 4 games is utterly redundant. The only stats that matter are 3 clean sheets out of 4 and 10 points.

[villa4europe]

Yep, strange how under a heading of how are villa second he chose to ignore the stat that most clearly indicates our improvement and why we are second...

[The_Steve]

Hahaha..... Savage is so basic.

 

Robbie Savage @RobbieSavage8

Villa fans some great stats on your team

[Neil]

Someone should reply with the gif of him being nutted at villa park lol.