Steven Gerrard

[Tomaszk]

3 hours ago, nick76 said:

C’mon guys this isn’t hard stuff unless you are being disingenuous!

I mean, you've answered what's happening yourself here. Just enjoy the wins. I'm glad for fans who have a team to support again.

Really good result yesterday.

Glad Buendia finally been picked, don't think he should be leaving the side for anyone if he's fit and available. I hope Gerrard saves money on Coutinho and sells it to Carney Chuk as him and Emi for the 10 spot next season.

Doug seems a lost cause contract-wise, but I'd like to think the boss could sell himself as a decent mentor for a guy that wants to play at World Cups and in European competition. Doug should have a look at where he's going in his career IMO. Reigning it in for us then getting a "upward" move to sit on the bench when you can play here under one of the best midfielders around might not be sensible.

[CVByrne]

If we get 2 more wins we should be 7th in the table since Gerrard took over on 39 points from 27 games. Behind only the big 6

[osmark86]

4 minutes ago, jim said:

Rubbish. Almost everyone in the game talks about league position.

”Villa will be looking to improve on x position this season” 

“Villa will be looking to improve on x points this season as the season before they finished on x points but their league position wasn’t as good” Said no one ever.

 

Guess it's worth adding that league position is relative to the overall quality of the league any given year too.

"It might only require X pts to be safe from relegation"

"Team Y won the league with the highest point tally in years.."

etc

Edited May 8, 2022 by osmark86

[useless]

Gerrard has taken more points in his time with us than we did over the same period last season.

If we take another four points from the final four games, Gerrard will have taken 37 points from 27 games, which is the exact same amount of points as we took from the final 27 games last season.

That's with him coming into a struggling side, to manage a team he hasn't had a pre season with, having injury problems with Bailey, Traore, and Nakamba missing months, no Grealish, no advantage of playing in empty stadiums.

[useless]

4 minutes ago, useless said:

Gerrard has taken more points in his time with us than we did over the same period last season.

If we take another four points from the final four games, Gerrard will have taken 37 points from 27 games, which is the exact same amount of points as we took from the final 27 games last season.

That's with him coming into a struggling side, to manage a team he hasn't had a pre season with, having injury problems with Bailey, Traore, and Nakamba missing months, no Grealish, no advantage of playing in empty stadiums.

Not trying to take anything away from last season, my point isn't that it was a bad one, it was our best season in ten years, the point is there were so many unique factors to it that it's pointless comparing it to this season.

[MrSmirch]

The haters will say that masterminding wins against the giants of Burnley and the giants of Norwich aren’t worthy of untapped adulation and human sacrifice levels of praise. I disagree. I think he’s so good that one day BT Sport will do a 55 minute documentary about us with Jake Humphrey narrating. 

[YLN]

26 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

Remember those 3 years of progression under Martin O'Neill? A better points tally every season, I recall how delighted we were by the continuous improvement  

I liked the players then though. Carew, Mellberg, Petrov etc.

Compare that to the players we have now. Nothing to do with Gerrard. I just think the fanbase is very detached to the current set of players. 

[Xela]

You wouldn't think we had won yesterday!

Cheer up everyone. 

 

p.s League position over points. It gives a truer reflection on how you compare to the other 19 teams in the division. 

[Davkaus]

Just now, YLN said:

 

Compare that to the players we have now. Nothing to do with Gerrard. I just think the fanbase is very detached to the current set of players. 

I think what we have now is a set of quite good, likeable players, that's suffering compared to the squad we had a year or two ago - a group of really likeable individuals that had dragged us back up to the PL, lead by two Villa fans. It's a hard act to follow.

They're better players, we just don't have that emotional connection because we've not really been through much. 

[VillaChris]

1 hour ago, Dale said:

But surely points dictate that we are a worse team than last season, just the league is relatively weaker than it was last. 

I suppose if you're looking at it, last season we were unfortunate not to be top 8 on points. This season the inverse would be true. 

It's not about dressing things up, progress is about winning more football matches. 

Depends what we finish on now.

A few weeks back getting much past 40 points looked a pipe dream and that would've been lower bottom half and so overall really poor.

My target from about Feb was top 10 and 50 points. There's still a small chance we could do that. I think if Man. City win today Liverpool will know the league is gone and rest a few ahead of the cup final so I think if we don't give stupid goals away we could get a draw from that now. Beat Burnley again and Palace and that would be 50 points.

We might only finish 5-6 points off europa qualification so with that metric cant say it's been a disaster season.

[YLN]

3 minutes ago, Davkaus said:

I think what we have now is a set of quite good, likeable players, that's suffering compared to the squad we had a year or two ago - a group of really likeable individuals that had dragged us back up to the PL, lead by two Villa fans. It's a hard act to follow.

They're better players, we just don't have that emotional connection because we've not really been through much. 

Can't argue with that. I actually like McGinn, Buendia, Martinez and Mings. There's just something missing and i think you might have hit the nail on the head. 

[hippo]

Not a fan and probably never will be.

But to be fair his points haul since taking over mid season is decent. He's done it in a weird - a run victories followed by a run of defeats.

I can't really criticise his points haul so far. My fear has always been that he will undertake a massive overhaul in the summer - rather than add to what imo is already  decent squad of players.

We definitely need a CDM - Ollie + Ings have recently found there shooting boots - but another striker wouldn't go amiss in my book.

I don't think the current squad is far off being a decent team. I just hope we don't tear it up and start again based on a whim from Stevie G.

 

[Villa_Vids]

The GOAT & OG.  (Martinez gutted about clean sheet )

[Villa_Vids]

17 minutes ago, hippo said:

Not a fan and probably never will be.

But to be fair his points haul since taking over mid season is decent. He's done it in a weird - a run victories followed by a run of defeats.

I can't really criticise his points haul so far. My fear has always been that he will undertake a massive overhaul in the summer - rather than add to what imo is already  decent squad of players.

We definitely need a CDM - Ollie + Ings have recently found there shooting boots - but another striker wouldn't go amiss in my book.

I don't think the current squad is far off being a decent team. I just hope we don't tear it up and start again based on a whim from Stevie G.

 

But you don't have to be his enemy.

[blandy]

Posts moved (and some removed).

This is the Gerrard thread.

Summer transfers is here

Tactics and selection is here

League position is here

STAY ON TOPIC please.

[briny_ear]

9 hours ago, hippo said:

Not a fan and probably never will be.

But to be fair his points haul since taking over mid season is decent. He's done it in a weird - a run victories followed by a run of defeats.

I can't really criticise his points haul so far. My fear has always been that he will undertake a massive overhaul in the summer - rather than add to what imo is already  decent squad of players.

We definitely need a CDM - Ollie + Ings have recently found there shooting boots - but another striker wouldn't go amiss in my book.

I don't think the current squad is far off being a decent team. I just hope we don't tear it up and start again based on a whim from Stevie G.

 

I suggest you pop over to the Justin Lange thread to read an informed discussion about how recruitment actually works at the club. The chances of Gerrard “tearing up the squad” “on a whim” are fairly remote if not non-existent.

This is a non-issue.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

10 hours ago, YLN said:

I liked the players then though. Carew, Mellberg, Petrov etc.

Compare that to the players we have now. Nothing to do with Gerrard. I just think the fanbase is very detached to the current set of players. 

Funnily enough, yesterday on my YouTube Autoplay, Carragher Keane Neville etc were talking at some sort of forum with fans of different clubs.

Carragher made a point that if fans LIKE the players, manager and general direction of the club, they are likely to get behind the team and be happy regardless of results.

Especially when homegrown players are involved etc.

The main problem SG has is that alot disliked him before he came through the door.

The other problem is that with all the uprooting, new faces, Jack + Dean leaving etc it will take time for any sort of relationship to redevelop.

The club need to work extra hard at this.

As I'll admit that, results aside, the togetherness and unity amongst fans, players and hierarchy is crucial.

Note: As you can imagine, Keane kind of said that was Bollox and if results are shite they will tear you apart regardless. Lol

Edited May 8, 2022 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

9 hours ago, Villa_Vids said:

The GOAT & OG.  (Martinez gutted about clean sheet )

Why does Purslow look like he's been photoshopped into this the wrong size? Lol

[hippo]

20 minutes ago, briny_ear said:

I suggest you pop over to the Justin Lange thread to read an informed discussion about how recruitment actually works at the club. The chances of Gerrard “tearing up the squad” “on a whim” are fairly remote if not non-existent.

This is a non-issue.

I don't know who Justin Lange is !!!  

If you mean Johan Lange - sporting director - they are pretty interchangeable until you find one who does what you want (remember susso)

Kudos to JL for plucking Countinho + Digne from obscurity ! (You really think Stevie G didn't recruit those two ? - wow)

Not saying what you have heard re Lange and recruitment isn't true - but like any other hearsay - it's just that hearsay.

All we know know (from Purslow) is that Stevie G wanted to increase the age of the squad - and the club did this is the Jan window. And Stevie G has said the final decision on players rests with himself (probably subject to financial sign off)

If Stevie G wanted to sell for example Konsa or Ming's  and bring in Joe Gomez - I don't really see anyone at the club stopping him.

 

[Villa_Vids]

24 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Why does Purslow look like he's been photoshopped into this the wrong size? Lol

I like how Purslow is cosplaying Steve Gerrard. Or is it SG who is cosplaying the GOAT Purslow - we will never know.