Steven Gerrard

[Sam-AVFC]

21 minutes ago, villanmac said:

It's a fair point that the players aren't good enough. The midfield 3 isn't up to it whatever combination you concoct. Cash isn't, neither are the strikers. We have two brilliantly talented but lightweight creative players with no one to play off. 

Good enough for what? To beat Watford? To beat Newcastle? To finish top 4?

[Rightdm00]

7 minutes ago, Xela said:

Some of these players haven't delivered under two managers this season. 

This goes beyond not delivering.  Last year this team with El Ghazi on the left generated an xG of 5 versus Palace with only ten men. Only the 2nd team to ever do that in the PL. Now we struggle to generate a single shot on goal. 

Our side that finished 1 point above relegation would have their way with the team that played today. 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Rightdm00

[Lerner's Driver]

13 minutes ago, Aston_Villan4 said:

He deserves a full summer of signings and practicing his system before the discussions of firing him legitimately begin. Assuming we stay waffling around mid table though. 

Yes, that clause you added in there makes all the difference.

[rbcuk]

2nd half was crying out for some width everyone was in the middle, he needs to make more than one change against brighton but no doubt it’ll be pretty much the same 

[Mark Albrighton]

24 minutes ago, NurembergVillan said:

When Smith first arrived we started brightly and then fell away dramatically - 3 wins in 16 games, including drawing 5-5 with Forest and 3-3 with Sheff Utd, AND losing 0-3 against Wigan.

I'd have sacked Smith right before we went on to win 10 games in a row.

Let's not pretend it was a bed of roses until this season under Deano, and let's not also expect miracles of Gerrard.  Things take time, as frustrating as that may be in the modern world.

I’ve said before, it was positive to begin with under Smith, then when bad for the winter period, before taking a huge upturn.

And in fairness to him, Bruce started well, had a decent opening dozen games, then proceeded to draw two and lose seven of the next nine, before winning seven of the next eight. 

Both of those took a severe kicking on here at the time.

All three managers have had positive starts before having a piss poor winter period. Each time, I’ve not been happy but told myself the season is now a write off, let’s see what they can do for the remainder. 

Bruce and obviously Smith did enough to make most think “Yeah there’s something there to work with next season”. Up to Gerrard to do likewise now.

[Dale]

Just now, Mantis said:

Sherwood comparisons are a bit silly and childish IMO. Don't even make much sense either as Gerrard has significantly more experience than Sherwood did prior to coming to us.

He managed 28 league games for Spurs before coming to us and won half of them. 

[messi11]

Get Potter and Bisoumma in the summer,
We will win the league 

[Villarcana]

The 2 7 1 formation isn't working is it?

[KentVillan]

3 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

The being a winner narrative is pointless. Roy Keane was a win at all costs player. It doesn't make you a good manager. 

Yes it’s bullshit. I like Gerrard’s attitude, but managing players is a skill. Playing football is a skill. Some things overlap, but a lot of things don’t.

Sometimes those players who really left everything on the pitch every week struggle to man manage players who need a bit more love and attention. We’ve seen it before with Keane, Shearer and Souness.

Klopp, Tuchel, Mourinho, and many other elite managers had mediocre playing careers. Do we think they aren’t “born winners” because they didn’t win trophies as players?

I was watching the Shane Warne documentary last night. He failed in his first ambition to become a professional Aussie rules football player… he wasn’t a born winner in that sport. Then be became one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

It’s almost as if you can be a “born winner” in one setting, and very average in another. Maybe what you credit to your never say die attitude is also heavily a question of natural talent, which varies from context to context.

I’m not attacking Gerrard, he has some good ideas, I’m just annoyed that some people were so deluded about what a massive instant upgrade he’d be on Smith. First I thought it was unfair on Smith, and second it was based on pure wishful thinking.

[Adman]

If I was the villa board if tell Gerrard there is no money to spend in summer as they can't justify it based on current performance.  It might make him try harder to work with what he's got.

[Mantis]

1 minute ago, Dale said:

He managed 28 league games for Spurs before coming to us and won half of them. 

And Gerrard had over three seasons with Rangers, proving my point about this being a dumb comparison.

And once again, this isn't a defence of Gerrard, just a rejection of this ridiculous "Gerrard is Sherwood Mk2" thing which has been forced by certain posters.

[Blasterpocket68]

I don’t normally leave games early but I did today before the Watford goal . After Newcastle performance I was expecting the changes SG said would happen and a reaction from the squad . Didn’t get anything we were out fought by WATFORD TEAM who were dreadful. Really not sure we can persist with the 4 3 3 much longer it simply isn’t working with the light weight midfield we currently have . 
SG needs to seriously review where we go from here and the formation , we can’t continue to generate nothing with the attacking options we have . 

[AVFCforever1991]

9 minutes ago, Sam-AVFC said:

Good enough for what? To beat Watford? To beat Newcastle? To finish top 4?

Yeah we should 100% be beating Watford with this team of players, we've got Coutinho ffs , literally no excuse for that kind of performance

Edited February 19, 2022 by AVFCforever1991

[AVTuco]

8 minutes ago, AndyM3000 said:

Judging by how dreadful we were at Newcastle and the changes he made after that I fully expect to see an unchanged team next week.

He made the only sensible change (Ings) and got a reaction from the players. We weren't able to score, but it wasn't because of not trying.

Ings should continue up top alone, and Konsa probably will be back in. Our midfield options are so poor that Luiz and McGinn select themselves.

[foreveryoung]

We blame him, but then have players like McGinn, Luiz, Cash, Watkins and Ramsey all giving no more than 50% performances.

[picicata]

6 minutes ago, foreveryoung said:

We blame him, but then have players like McGinn, Luiz, Cash, Watkins and Ramsey all giving no more than 50% performances.

Is that because they're shit or because they have no faith in a rubbish manager?

[hippo]

23 minutes ago, Aston_Villan4 said:

He deserves a full summer of signings and practicing his system before the discussions of firing him legitimately begin. Assuming we stay waffling around mid table though. 

Well his 3 players in the first 11 didn't look much better than the other 8. 

If you give countinho a value of £40m - thats £65m spent in the summer window - with no improvement.

[Rightdm00]

Just now, Villarcana said:

The 2 7 1 formation isn't working is it?

Nah we wouldn't lose the midfield like that if we had 7 in the middle. It's a 2-5-3 which if I check my records was the tactical innovation of the 1920s.  Steven read "Inverting the Pyramid" and didn't get past the 2nd chapter. 

[Dale]

1 minute ago, Mantis said:

And Gerrard had over three seasons with Rangers, proving my point about this being a dumb comparison.

And once again, this isn't a defence of Gerrard, just a rejection of this ridiculous "Gerrard is Sherwood Mk2" thing which has been forced by certain posters.

Its levels though isn't. Neil Lennon has managed in and won the SPL more than once. No one would want him here. The SPL is a difficult league to gage in terms of managerial quality unless someone does something very impressive outside of Glasgow. Gerrard's successor up there won the league and domestic Cup (three times) in Netherlands with Feyenoord against a financially dominant Ajax (but AZ and PSV are also hugely competitive over there. So it's a bit of a feat)... 

[Davkaus]

I'm not saying it'd change the result, our performance, or anything other than my perception, but it really **** rubs me up the wrong way that old man Hodgson is stood up shouting to his players, while our manager is sat down having a **** sulk looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.