Popular Post markavfc40 Posted October 19, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) But and here is the rub for me, Everton like the 4 teams before them are simple better than us much much better than us. Both individually and collectively they are better than us irrespective of the league positions going into the game yesterday. I'm inclined to agree with this to a point. We can't just look at these games in isolation though. We have to consider that coming into this latest run of four fixtures we had gathered some very positive momentum which should have stood us in good stead coming into these games. There were huge positives in terms of the results and in terms of performance the way that we defended. Off the pitch Hutton and Gabby alongside the manager had signed new deals and on the back of a half decent summer in terms of transfers everything was looking more positive than it had in a long time. My worry now is that positive momentum has been completely lost. Not just due to the results but the manner of those defeats. As soon as going a goal down in each game it was pretty much game over. The lack of creativity is staring everyone in the face and in fairness does not just relate to the last four games but to almost every game we have played this season. During those first four games the lack of creativity wasn't as big a problem due to some very resolute defending. However we now have the worst possible combination of a lack of creativity resulting in a lack of goals alongside poor defending. Looking solely at yesterday I was hugely disappointed. As others have pointed out Everton are still on paper a better side than us. However they haven't started the season well and certainly look very vulnerable defensively and can most definitely be got at as even Leicester and Palace have shown. We just didn't threaten them though. I can accept defeat as long as I can see we have had a real go and it took a very good performance from the opposition to beat us. Neither happened yesterday and that was very much a throw back to what happened on numerous occasions last season. Going forward I do now worry about the effect recent results and performances will have on us. Many of the players now look like they are lacking in confidence and the positive momentum gained over the summer and in the first month of the season has been wiped out. Lambert getting sacked after having only just signed a new four year deal seems unthinkable. However a poor result at QPR next week and we go into the Spurs game on a dire run and you could easily envisage fans again on his back if things in that game don't go well. Following that we face West Ham and Southampton. It was never going to take more than a few poor results and performances this season for the performances and results of the past two seasons to be brought back fresh into supporters minds. It is the obvious thing to say I guess but for so many reasons we now need a win and we need it quickly. Edited October 19, 2014 by markavfc40 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntrimBlack Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 If Lerner was intent upon giving Lambert a new 4 year deal, surely, considering Lambert's record with us so far, and notwithstanding how any of us may feel about Lambert, he should have at least waited until the end of the year to see how things go. Lambert may do well enough in the next number of games, we may hope, to justify a new deal, but why make such an early and unnecessary move. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntrimBlack Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Who gives a **** about records? Records are meaningless - it's completely missing the point. What matters are the actual outcomes, not what happened or did not happen in the past. For example, going 4 games without scoring a goal concerns me - I couldn't give a shit if this has never happened before. Not that you did miss the point (I agree particularly about conceding early) but records are brought up way too often on here. Records are certainly not meaningless, in that they indicate the level of performance over a period. As we are looking at Lambert's tenure, then whatever the extenuating circumstances, his record is terrible. What is remarkable is that we managed to avoid relegation during that time. Don't get me wrong, I hope that Lambert will be everything that we all want him to be, but I do not think he is showing signs of that yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suttonpaul Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 1 point off 6th after playing all the top teams this many games in I would have took that on the first day of the season. People are going over the top 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post pacbuddies Posted October 19, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted October 19, 2014 Lambert has been a total disaster. In his tenure to date he has managed 84 league games and amassed a total of 89 points with a -50 goal difference. Manchester City amassed 89 points from 38 games a couple of seasons ago when they first won the title and recently the champions have regularly achieved almost as many points over 38 games. Now I am not for one minute suggesting that we should be competing for the title but for Christ's sake it should not take well over twice as many games to achieve the same sort of points total. The football is dire, the performances are dire, the results are dire and the league positions are dire. Now this numpty has been given a new contract I cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel whereas previously there was always the glimmer of hope that he would be sacked. Get used to the ride boys because it probably won't get any better for quite some considerable time. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoelVilla Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I must be alone in thinking we don't have much quality in our squad. Delph, Benteke and Vlaar are really the only outfield players we have who are good. Some of the others are decent but I doubt whether any top half club would be interested in signing them though. This This This Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodytom Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I must be alone in thinking we don't have much quality in our squad. Delph, Benteke and Vlaar are really the only outfield players we have who are good. Some of the others are decent but I doubt whether any top half club would be interested in signing them though. This This This Yep, I'm here too. Though reading this forum from time to time you'd think we had top class players front to back. Problem is, there is only one clown who keeps buying the garbage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I'm not particularly happy with how things are, but stooping to insults is just unnecessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isa Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Although it has predicably been overrated by many of our fans, this squad is still a lot stronger than those of the last two seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morley_crosses_to_Withe Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 He's currently on a worse win percentage than David O'Leary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastie Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 I guess this will get divided opinion but, would anyone prefer us to take a chance on Moyes right now, before some other Premier League club wields the axe and gets him in? I been saying for a while I would love us take Moyes. Or even Pulis. Or even bloody Sam Alladici. Change is needed. I agree change is needed and moyes may well be the right man - however I don't think he would come here until the ownership is sorted and I don't see lerner parting with Lambert either . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Although it has predicably been overrated by many of our fans, this squad is still a lot stronger than those of the last two seasons. Has it? I seem to recall people mentioning it a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isa Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) Although it has predicably been overrated by many of our fans, this squad is still a lot stronger than those of the last two seasons.Has it? I seem to recall people mentioning it a lot. I assume you meant to write "don't seem" and there was an entire thread just on this season's squad. Edited October 19, 2014 by Isa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvillafan Posted October 19, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted October 19, 2014 I agree change is needed and moyes may well be the right man - however I don't think he would come here until the ownership is sorted and I don't see lerner parting with Lambert either . I'll just take this moment to register my NO to Moyes. MON. McLeish. Lambert. Then Moyes? Sounds like MON's old scouting network: British or nothing! Can we look abroad? Please? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 He didn't have a lot of funds provided but he lost no important players and gained: Hutton, senderos, cissokho, cleverly, nzogbia, Cole and Richardson. We should expect better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Bunnski Posted October 19, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted October 19, 2014 Please just play The Rock at DMF and let the rest of our midfield push right up and have a proper go next week! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) 1 point off 6th after playing all the top teams this many games in I would have took that on the first day of the season. People are going over the top Its very early days. We are also just 3 points off 18th. I do agree though on paper we can't complain with 10 points from the first 8 games given the opposition. Aside from Chelsea and Man City though non of the sides we were playing have hit the ground anything like running this season. Arsenal have been out of sorts and have won just 2 of their first 8 games. Liverpool have been very hit and miss. Newcastle have been dire, Everton out of sorts and very poor defensively. I don't have too many complaints with the results. Not even having conceded 11 and scoring 0 in our last 4 games. It can happen certainly against Arsenel, Chelsea and Man City. It's the performances that worry me even when getting a result. Aside from Hull we haven't looked in control of any game this season. It is all a bit smash and grab and backs to the wall stuff when we do get a positive result and that has been the case, bar the odd exception, for all of Lamberts reign. We have created very little in 8 league games, 12 hours of football, this season and it is very worrying especially as the defense seems to have slipped back in to all too familiar habits. I do however believe that in Benteke, Cole, Cleverley, Gabby, NZogbia, Grealish, Westwood, Weimann and Delph we have players who can create and put away chances. Even Hutton and Sissokho look capable of being good fullbacks going forward. We just aren't going into games with an attacking mentality or game plan and we aren't getting the best out of those players who possess an attacking threat and for that you do have to point the finger at the coaching staff and ultimately the manager. That is one of my biggest disappointments with Lambert. When he came he had a reputation of someone who would send his teams out to go have a real go regardless of the opposition, happy to concede a couple and the expense of banging in a couple at the other end, and for a time he maintained that philosophy here. Now even against the mediocre and poorer sides in the division we rarely have a real go and go out all guns blazing trying to put the opposition on the back foot and control the game. Of course limited quality in terms of personnel does affect that but it isn't totally to blame and certainly now I believe we have a decent squad of players with the experience that was lacking and one that should be good enough to hold our own against two thirds of the teams in this division and not again be embroiled in another relegation battle. It requires the manager getting the best out of them though and for all our sakes I hope that happens. Edited October 19, 2014 by markavfc40 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacbuddies Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Why do people keep harping on about the opposition that we have had to face during our first 8 games and then use it as an excuse for our results and performances? We faced a very similar opening 8 games last season and although we didn't set the world alight and the season was a disaster we had a much better goal difference (albeit minus) and this season we have failed to score in 6 of our 8 games as opposed to 4 of our opening 8 games last season. Whichever way you look at it and any excuse you care to you use the fact remains that we have not progressed and as long as we continue to play the way we do we never will. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshVilla Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) 1 point off 6th after playing all the top teams this many games in I would have took that on the first day of the season. People are going over the top I agree we have played alot of tough teams but the football being served up really is dire we need to start holding the ball better move it with purpose and create more chances (Not pass it back to Guzan) On the footballing side we do not like we have improved and considering this is Lambert's 3rd season in charge i expect to see some kind of improvement. Edited October 19, 2014 by AshVilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted October 19, 2014 Share Posted October 19, 2014 Most of the teams below the top 7 are pretty even and often get periods of momentum throughout the season that keep them up in the end. It's encouraging that we managed it early on so we could do it again, but it's going to take some real quality management to pick the players up after this run of results. That's what worries me a bit. A result against QPR would be a big 3 points but it will be very tough I think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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