Steven Gerrard

[ozvillafan]

I hate the pundits that commentate on our games (except for Lee Hendrie - always got time for him).

But there is one thing I hear from them often that kinda sums up Gerrard's reign so far:

"He's still not certain of his best 11"

I don't think that's particularly true - we can mostly pick the lineups before games - but it's true that the 11 on the pitch look like strangers rather than the team they should be, which is probably why the pundits use that phrase.

[Tomaszk]

2 hours ago, Zatman said:

Oh Collomosse seems very ITK these days so this sounds promising

 

2 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Don't think he would have written this without info.

Alot of strategic little hints in there without saying much.

 

1 hour ago, Keyblade said:

Technically results have improved though. You know Purslow will turn an inch into a mile. These 5 points in 3 games will probably net him another 6 months lol

It's an interestingly worded article for sure. I think it's come from Purslow to be honest.

My take is it's saying we know we're shit, but we are sticking with him. He's done enough.

Purslow knows he's in trouble with the owners if we have to sack Gerrard and it's costs us £15-20m.

[Keyblade]

1 hour ago, ozvillafan said:

I hate the pundits that commentate on our games (except for Lee Hendrie - always got time for him).

But there is one thing I hear from them often that kinda sums up Gerrard's reign so far:

"He's still not certain of his best 11"

I don't think that's particularly true - we can mostly pick the lineups before games - but it's true that the 11 on the pitch look like strangers rather than the team they should be, which is probably why the pundits use that phrase.

They say it like it absolves him of responsibility. If he doesn't know his best XI after a year in charge, that's a problem isn't it?

[Lerner's Driver]

Gerrard is the footballing equivalent of Brexit. The only question is how long it takes to admit that choosing he and it was a mistake. 

[romavillan]

9 hours ago, Tom13 said:

I'd even be willing to give him more time if he showed he had a clue how to set up a team. But he literally has no clue.

Totally, if results were bad but you could see that there was a plan, that the performances weren't getting the results they deserved and the potential was there etc. Then I'd be behind him 100% with the same results as he's managed over the last year.

Trouble is though, football wise we look rudderless, even ignoring the destruction of the team spirit we had and lots of other stuff, that alone after a year of coaching this group and signing his own players is not good enough.

[DCJonah]

I don't understand why for some, these last few results somehow make the rest of what we've seen not matter.

Yes, we've been able to grind out a small u turn points wise. But let's be honest, this isn't the result of him implementing his long term strategy, this isn't the result of the villa way running through all aspects of the club. This is ugly, uninspiring football so the manager can cling onto his job. 

Why on Earth would that make you forget the previous games or think he deserves more time I'll never know. 

Our likely win tonight will do nothing to change what it looks like under him. 

[CVByrne]

12 minutes ago, DCJonah said:

After having one of the easiest fixtures and playing awful, ugly football. 

You think that position will last?

I think playing three of last seasons top 7 including the current top two in form teams. 

We've been over this before. Points wise on paper we should have got 3 from Bournemouth (who are in 8th right now). We should have drawn with West Ham and lost to City. Losing away to Palace, we should expect to lose plenty of away games in the league. 

So on paper we should be 3 points better off than we are now. 

Our performances haven't been good enough but a win today and an improvement in our performances along with continuing to pick up points and we are in the hunt for top half and possibly Europe. 

It's a big if of course. It requires Gerrard to realise his system doesn't work and look to change it. 

 

[Zhan_Zhuang]

8 hours ago, Zatman said:

We had 19 shots we didnt create 19 chances

Indeed, think about it? 

[Zatman]

9 minutes ago, Zhan_Zhuang said:

Indeed, think about it? 

McGinn popping a shot 20 yards over the bar from 25 yards out is a chance?

Gerrard is as persuasive as Scientology to some

[Tom13]

59 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

I think playing three of last seasons top 7 including the current top two in form teams. 

We've been over this before. Points wise on paper we should have got 3 from Bournemouth (who are in 8th right now). We should have drawn with West Ham and lost to City. Losing away to Palace, we should expect to lose plenty of away games in the league. 

So on paper we should be 3 points better off than we are now. 

Our performances haven't been good enough but a win today and an improvement in our performances along with continuing to pick up points and we are in the hunt for top half and possibly Europe. 

It's a big if of course. It requires Gerrard to realise his system doesn't work and look to change it. 

 

Can you honestly see Gerrard improving our performances?

[Zatman]

4 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Can you honestly see Gerrard improving our performances?

I am still waiting to hear from his supporters what he has done to gain his trust except he was good for Liverpool once

[Mark Albrighton]

58 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

I think playing three of last seasons top 7 including the current top two in form teams. 

We've been over this before. Points wise on paper we should have got 3 from Bournemouth (who are in 8th right now). We should have drawn with West Ham and lost to City. Losing away to Palace, we should expect to lose plenty of away games in the league. 

So on paper we should be 3 points better off than we are now. 

Our performances haven't been good enough but a win today and an improvement in our performances along with continuing to pick up points and we are in the hunt for top half and possibly Europe. 

It's a big if of course. It requires Gerrard to realise his system doesn't work and look to change it. 

 

I think this highlighted section is very defeatist. I certainly don’t expect us to lose plenty of away games, I seriously doubt either the club or the majority of supporters feel that way either.

If we want to be in the hunt for European places, like your post later says, then writing off a large proportion of away games as literally pointless is contrary to that ambition.
 

[Zatman]

6 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said:

I think this highlighted section is very defeatist. I certainly don’t expect us to lose plenty of away games, I seriously doubt either the club or the majority of supporters feel that way either.

If we want to be in the hunt for European places, like your post later says, then writing off a large proportion of away games as literally pointless is contrary to that ambition.
 

Its the low expectations that Gerrard has brought to some parts of the fanbase

[ender4]

1 hour ago, Spoony said:

What I would say for Gerrard is that say we win and go mid table, is the squad actually any better than that? Recruitment has been so poor since promotion and I think we only have one or two players that are above mid table standard. 

7th (or 8th) highest wage bill in the league. That's the level we should be achieving with our squad.

[CVByrne]

32 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

Can you honestly see Gerrard improving our performances?

I really don't know. I think if I had to pick an answer I'd lean towards probably no. Specifically because of his own stubbornness to ditch the ultra attacking full backs providing our width in a back 4. 

[CVByrne]

30 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said:

I think this highlighted section is very defeatist. I certainly don’t expect us to lose plenty of away games, I seriously doubt either the club or the majority of supporters feel that way either.

If we want to be in the hunt for European places, like your post later says, then writing off a large proportion of away games as literally pointless is contrary to that ambition.
 

I'm not saying we write off those games. I'm saying we should always try to win and pick up points but given our position we should not get too frustrated if we lose away from home against teams we fancy ourselves to beat. The league is very competitive. I'd say we'll lose at half of our away games this season 

[VillaParkAvenue]

23 minutes ago, ender4 said:

7th (or 8th) highest wage bill in the league. That's the level we should be achieving with our squad.

This is it. The correlation between wage bill and results is usually strong.

If we really don't believe our current squad can achieve 7th or 8th, questions should be asked around recent player recruitment.

[Pinebro]

Been so reminiscent of Villa under Bruce in the last month. 

Only thing that is missing is him saying "Hopefully that will shut a few people up" after an unconvincing and boring win. 

[AshVilla]

4 minutes ago, Pinebro said:

Been so reminiscent of Villa under Bruce in the last month. 

Only thing that is missing is him saying "Hopefully that will shut a few people up" after an unconvincing and boring win. 

He will have to wait for the next home game for the cabbages.

[Pinebro]

6 minutes ago, Reivax_Villa said:

Posted in the Michael Beale thread.

He was on talksport and two most telling things he mentioned were that;

1.) He speaks to SG 3 times a week about ideas and tactics..

2.) Villa need a strong identity.

It is clear in the football world that Villa do not have a particular style or identity..

Purslow said it will take 15 years to build a philosophy (LOL)

I wonder how long we will continue to have a mixed, non cohesive way of playing post Gerrard.

Maybe Purslow appoints managers based on how well it makes the club look..

DS fitted the image of local boyhood fan & Gerrard is the football legend with the big name and image..

Eddie Howe needed a few weeks to build an identity. 

Let's not overcomplicate this. Gerrard is just a bad manager, that is all.