Ratings and Reactions: Villa - Palace

[chappy]

Sanchez was so much better than everyone else on the pitch. It was my first time in the lower North today, won't be going in there again (after Sunday as I've already bought my tickets), back to the upper Holte for me.

Nice passing, absolutely toothless up front. Gabby and Weimann get special mentions for being utterly awful today. I hope we don't sign Cleverley. Bacuna deserves to keep his place.

Above Everton, lol.

[AVTuco]

Darn am I sorry I couldn't watch this. Sounds like real entertainment.

It's getting very worrying. I don't know what needs to be done, but clearly something. Over to you Lerner.

[smetrov]

. I wouldn't put too much blame on lambert we are creating chances ans having possesion in the right parts of the pitch. We just don't have the players or confidence atm to put the ball away.

Sorry, if we don't hold the manager responsible for results, it makes you wonder what's the point of having one?

I honestly think we have turned a corner with this new style of play but we are obviously missing the talent to score. Its not like previously where our intention wasnt to attack. Lambert is clearly setting the team up to win, attack and score. Its just the crap in the team cannot produce it.

I actually we have gone backwards with this possession slow game. If you pass the ball sideways you wont score. We don't have great players but playing them in the slow sideways game isn't helping anyone...only the opposition. Hopefully it will canned as we slide down the table.

[VillaChris]

I can't think of a worse game I've seen all season. Two really shit sides that barely deserve to be in the league. 

 

Chuckling at this one...I went to one four days ago at Villa Park!

[villa_shere]

. I wouldn't put too much blame on lambert we are creating chances ans having possesion in the right parts of the pitch. We just don't have the players or confidence atm to put the ball away.

Sorry, if we don't hold the manager responsible for results, it makes you wonder what's the point of having one?

I honestly think we have turned a corner with this new style of play but we are obviously missing the talent to score. Its not like previously where our intention wasnt to attack. Lambert is clearly setting the team up to win, attack and score. Its just the crap in the team cannot produce it.

I actually we have gone backwards with this possession slow game. If you pass the ball sideways you wont score. We don't have great players but playing them in the slow sideways game isn't helping anyone...only the opposition. Hopefully it will canned as we slide down the table.

When we were playing with little possession we always looked vulnerable to conceeding. Our defence looks in much better shape even tho we have chopped and changed the back line due to injuries.

The problem lies in the players up top. Lambert tried addressing this last season but failed. Bowery was poor, hellinus didnt get a break, bent way off the pace, grant holt was panic/emergency signing and kozak been unfortunate. I would have hoped we had tries to sign a striker in the summer but none of us know what happened there. So we are stuck with gabby n weinmann to support benteke

[cosofsaunders]

Haven't read the thread guys sorry so forgive me if this has been said but, even with the lack of goals and wins, we have definitely progressed. It's clear to see the defence is as tight as its been for as long as I remember. A few tweaks up top and were not far off being a decent outfit again. If u ask me, I can really see progression there. Just need that bit of 'spark' as they say.

Another thing I will say is he's never lost the dressing room. You can't fault them for their work rate

[smetrov]

. I wouldn't put too much blame on lambert we are creating chances ans having possesion in the right parts of the pitch. We just don't have the players or confidence atm to put the ball away.

Sorry, if we don't hold the manager responsible for results, it makes you wonder what's the point of having one?

I honestly think we have turned a corner with this new style of play but we are obviously missing the talent to score. Its not like previously where our intention wasnt to attack. Lambert is clearly setting the team up to win, attack and score. Its just the crap in the team cannot produce it.

I actually we have gone backwards with this possession slow game. If you pass the ball sideways you wont score. We don't have great players but playing them in the slow sideways game isn't helping anyone...only the opposition. Hopefully it will canned as we slide down the table.

When we were playing with little possession we always looked vulnerable to conceeding. Our defence looks in much better shape even tho we have chopped and changed the back line due to injuries.The problem lies in the players up top. Lambert tried addressing this last season but failed. Bowery was poor, hellinus didnt get a break, bent way off the pace, grant holt was panic/emergency signing and kozak been unfortunate. I would have hoped we had tries to sign a striker in the summer but none of us know what happened there. So we are stuck with gabby n weinmann to support benteke

So we have pacey forwards...but build up slowly ...cant ever see that working. I think you are over complicating a simple game. Basically if the ball is being played square across the middle pitch ...you wont score.

Watch the historic goal clips before the game...most of the goals come from pacey moves from wide positions...none come from this back and forth walking pace lunacy..

[turnbull]

We just pass like Butch Wilkins is playing, sideways left, sideways right or backwards.

 

Then, if we do manage to get a cross in, Benteke with his his new 50p shaped head can't get a header on target.

 

It's obvious that our new Tika Taka (Villa Version) style isn't working. so we need either a team that CAN play this way or a serious rethink.

 

Oh yes and it also needs Wiemann and Gabby dropping and "Clever"ly sending back, pronto.

 

As peeps have said, the back 6 looks ok, so at least there's a positive in all this.

[GeordieVillan]

 

 

Bacuna-----Sanchez----Cleverley

 

We don't score any goals and none of these three players ever ventures beyond the forwards - Cleverley worked hard and I thought we missed him when he went off, Sanchez is looking like an excellent holding midfielder and Bacuna can take a set piece. If they were one player, he'd be good.

 

 

 

 

This is the thing for me. We don't have a single midfielder in our squad that actually runs beyond the strikers. Even Cole and Grealish are more wide or number 10 type players. We are crying out for an Ian Taylor type player who can run into the box and make the opposition think about marking someone other than the front 3.

 

Fair play to Weimann, whatever you think of him in terms of ability, he actually moves around, and when he gets the ball he tries to play with pace and inject a bit of speed into our play. He is currently the only players in our squad that seems to want to play quick and direct football.

 

If Benteke is going to standstill, thats fine, but then the other 2 players up front and at least 2 of the central midfield 3 should be running non-stop and creating space and havoc.

 

We are just a boring team. Our defence is good yes, but any team playing with 3 holding midfielders every week is going to be decent defensively.

[meregreen]

Haven't read the thread guys sorry so forgive me if this has been said but, even with the lack of goals and wins, we have definitely progressed. It's clear to see the defence is as tight as its been for as long as I remember. A few tweaks up top and were not far off being a decent outfit again. If u ask me, I can really see progression there. Just need that bit of 'spark' as they say.

Another thing I will say is he's never lost the dressing room. You can't fault them for their work rate

If this is progress, then God help us. Worst football I have seen at VP in over 40 years. Sack the prat  now.

[foreveryoung]

Haven't read the thread guys sorry so forgive me if this has been said but, even with the lack of goals and wins, we have definitely progressed. It's clear to see the defence is as tight as its been for as long as I remember. A few tweaks up top and were not far off being a decent outfit again. If u ask me, I can really see progression there. Just need that bit of 'spark' as they say.

Another thing I will say is he's never lost the dressing room. You can't fault them for their work rate

You need to read the thread mate. Anyone who went to the game are saying it was possiby the worst game they have seen. We haven't progressed 11 goals this season says we haven't. The reason the defence is good is with sacrifice to the attack, almost every player now defensively minded. We need balance something I think Lambert as manager will never find.

Edited January 1, 2015 by foreveryoung

[GeordieVillan]

I went up today and my god, I hate villa fans.

Nasty, venomous, neanderthals make the whole experience terrible.

I heard the holte chant twice before, during and after the game, the team were booed off half time/full time, people spitting feathers at players making mistakes. People crying to "get it in the **** box" - only to tell lambert to bacuna to **** off when their giant defenders clear it.

The "supporters" of the club don't actually do any supporting, they just criticise in their furrowed brow, club dragging, single brain celled way.

We had a few chances in the 90 mins, for one reason or another the ball didn't go in, another day it would have.

 

Firstly, fair to play you for going.

Secondly, yes you are right, from the games that I've been to in the last 2 years, the atmosphere has become quite poisoness at times.

Thirdly, and this is where I disagree with you - this wasn't just one of those days. We create very very little. I'm currently watching MOTD, and seeing Leicester and Burnley creating a load of chances from passing footbal, long balls, wide play. We don't seem to do any of this! We are though good at keeping the ball in areas which don't hurt the opposition.

[Villanun]

Haven't read the thread guys sorry so forgive me if this has been said but, even with the lack of goals and wins, we have definitely progressed. It's clear to see the defence is as tight as its been for as long as I remember. A few tweaks up top and were not far off being a decent outfit again. If u ask me, I can really see progression there. Just need that bit of 'spark' as they say.

Another thing I will say is he's never lost the dressing room. You can't fault them for their work rate

There are certainly a couple of players whose work rate can't be questioned, but I don't see how that could be said about Gabby or Benteke's performances today. And while Weimann's work rate is great, he hasn't done anything of note with that effort all season.

[briny_ear]

So that's last on MOTD and looks like we'll get a couple of minutes at most.

[villa4europe]

didnt show bacuna's 1st half free kick

[Villanun]

Lambert's post match interview - thinks we got booed because villa are a big club and the expectation is high. No, you got booed because we've scored 11 goals in half a season and everybody is bored brainless. I just want to shake the guy.

Edited January 2, 2015 by Villanun

[The Fun Factory]

So that's last on MOTD and looks like we'll get a couple of minutes at most.

It's a case of a few mins of a half empty Villa Park and the pundits basically saying we are shit.

[VillaAndLoyal]

Haven't read the thread guys sorry so forgive me if this has been said but, even with the lack of goals and wins, we have definitely progressed. It's clear to see the defence is as tight as its been for as long as I remember. A few tweaks up top and were not far off being a decent outfit again. If u ask me, I can really see progression there. Just need that bit of 'spark' as they say.

Another thing I will say is he's never lost the dressing room. You can't fault them for their work rate

 

You are Paul Lambert and I claim my £5. And no, what you have posted had definitely not already been said.

 

One of our biggest problems (that is crystal clear for all to see) is a massive, alarming lack of movement when we have possession and a real lack or urgency in our passing. And yet you praise the team for their work rate? I used up more energy watching that game than Gabby & Benteke offered combined.

 

If passing the ball around in pointless triangles between the midfield and defence is "definite progress" then why don't we get Houllier back? Because that's what he tried (and failed) to do. This is THE worst football I can ever remember in my 25 years as a season-ticket holder. The whole club, from the players to the fans to the management to the owners is LIFELESS... and yet you think there's some kind of progress? Not just some kind of progress but "definite progress"? We must be watching different teams.

 

We'll be lucky to get 15,000 on Sunday, as Blackpool aren't bothered about the match either.

[VillaAndLoyal]

The highlight of today's game for me (watching from the Holte upper) was also the half-time target competition although it sounds like I really missed out by not being in the lower Doug.

 

Speaking to the old man after the game, apparently a Haribo sweet packet caught a gust of wind during the game and was lifted 30/40ft off the ground. By all accounts everybody in the vicinity was amazed and it provided them with a real talking point during the match with plenty of 'ooo's' and 'ahh's'..

 

Fascinating stuff!

[SeanO]

That was the worst game I have seen since the last game...............I could almost write that after every match.

 

Serious question but does anyone still want Lambert in charge?