Scientific Experiment V2 #9 - MON(thly) Approval Ratings

[commander]

YES!! That's it in a nut shell for me if he tries something (logical) and it doesn't work fine, but if we're not even trying things then what's the point?

* For starters, he could try a 442 with a right back and right winger.

* He can try something rather than 2 big lumbering centre forwards

* He can introduce a proper squad rotation and swap peopel around in order to keep them fresh. Whilkst we'd all like to see Gabby, Yopung Milner etc in the team every week, if in soem games especially against weeker opposition wolves etc, have one on the bench. Just imagine, Downing has been terrorising the rightback all game, then for the last 20 mins, he makes way and a fr4esh Ashley Young comes on the defenders will be shitting themselves. Imagine Gabby used in some games like Vassell was used for England. Delfouneso or whomever runs himself into the groujnd for 65 mins, defender start to tire, then Gabby comes on fresh. Defender would shit it.

* He can make substitutions. You have to keep the opposition guessing.

* He can try the huigely successfuly 451/433 in some games. Evewn at home, it can be an attacking formation, if we have a solid 3 in the middle and give say the front 3 of say Milner, Gabby & Young and give them a licence to roam, then that woudl be very exciting to watch. These 3 in poarticular will run their arses off all day and if we had a solid 3 in the middle, we could over run the opposition.

* Sometimes playing players out of position for a specific reason and on extremely limited occasions can work wonders but it has to be for a specific reason (eg Dalian Atkinson playing right wiong in CC Final 1994 - Sir Alex never saw it coming so couldn't prepare his team to counter it until the game commenced). This is tactical, taking advantage of teh opposition, and exploiiting oppositions weaknesses. Cuelalr at right back if he's against a tall left winger and the opposition has lots of 6ft + players is a good tactical decision as there is loigic behind it. We can all discuss the pluses and minuses of doing iot but the decision is logical.

There is nothing logical about playing Cuellar rightback for say 10 games in a ROW ESPECIALLY WHEN HE IS NOW BECOOMING A LIABILITY.

* I want a plan B, C & D. Same with transfer window, we should now have a list of say 15-20 potential considerations for strikers, number them in priority if we can't get option A, move on. What is totally acceptable is oh the first chociue rightback moved elsewhere so we didn't bother.

* I want someone who **** up to admit it. Or at least acknowledge WHY fans may see it that way. All this Gabby was booed etc - he wasn't it was aimed at you Martin. Accept it, heck, even say fans were wrong but don't start talking about us fans booing Gabby cos we weren't - we were booing you.

* Don't be soo stubborn- like vs Wolves, Luke Young & Delfouneso warm up - huge cheer the fans want them both on cos we are so visably disjointed - what happens he stops em warming up and there in that instasnce he decides he won't bring them on.

You are so right. I thought I'd posted this myself under a pseudonym!

I'm loathe to really get involved in this but, sadly, 'Honey theres someone wrong on the internet' has ascendency. I'm going to say that commander and Barry'sboots are, surprise surprise, largely (note, largely) wrong.

- 442 with a RB and a RW. We do already. You'd have a point if we didn't play anyone at RB and played some bizarre argumentation of 442 with a LB a sweeper and 2 CBs, but sadly Carlos is our RB. He may not look comfortable there, he may not always look brilliant there, but our RB he is and that is that. There will be a reason O'Neill plays him ahead of Luke Young, I'll not speculate that he's fallen out with Luke Young or whateve (I doubt he has mind), but I'll say the the figures, information, whatever, gives O'Neill a reason to play him. I'd hypothesis it's the extent to which he's useful at set pieces at either end, coupled to the fact that he oftne has Downing ahead of him who isn't as comfortable tracking back on the right and thus O'Neill wants a more solid backing on that wing.

As for RW, we switch so much that natural positions don't matter so much, and mixing up inswinging deliveries from a left footer on the right is mirror of what has made Ash so successful on the left.

- 2 lumbering cente forwards who happen to be our only fit CFs and only play together when Gabby, our other senior experience CF, is unfit. The Fonz came on yesterday and didn't do terribly, but by all accounts also struggled at times. Might give a hint why he's not playing.

- He clearly doesn't have the same faith in our squad that our fans have. I suspect he's right not to. I don't think we're in the position to just rest as we please yet. We're in the position to not be as weakened, in some positions, by injuries as we have been. But that doesn't mean we can rest players as we please, especially given our style of play clearly suits the first XI more than any other player filling in.

- Subs I'll agree wholeheartedly with. He seems loathe to use them. Might refer back to the above.

- 451 has been done to death before now. It's not the be all and end all and we've moved on from it. It's very limited.

- The playing players out of position thing I think is over played. We only really do it with Cuellar, who, despite being poor recently, still hasn't totally embarassed himself there and obviously brings other advantages to the table. I'm not overly bothered who plays there from Young to Cuellar, both have their plus points.

- Very few teams, I'll maintain, have a genuine Plan A/B/C. The best they usually do, and by this I mean really top level teams like United, is have a player that can come on and have the game adapt to them. We don't have that capability yet because, well.. look at the squad. Someone who's going to make that much difference is going to be starting for us. But genuinely different ways of playing? Don't think it happens, sorry.

- No manager, in the top level, these days, is going to go before the media and say he got it wrong. It just invites pressure they don't need. Behind the scenes, I'm sure he'll be making sure they work on areas that have gone wrong or having a word with a player performing badly. But admit it? Rarely happens. John Gregory is long gone.

- The Delfouneso cheering warm up - changed sub is maintain is rubbish. Wolves changed their own style to a more defensive one, he reacted to that. Nothing more to my mind.

Nail on head.

Is it?

* My point was RB and RW in 442. We don't do this.

* We had more tahn 2 fit strikers. Delfouneso was fit - so there were 3 options. If MON made him 4th choice by shipping out Harewood on loan. If he wasn't / isn't good enough to be 3rd choice - thsi should have been adressed in transfwer windoe. Milner, Doening and young could all play as support striker and have doen in the past.

* It's his squad. He's had 4 years to build if it's not good enough. There is only 1 person to blame.

* Playing players out of poistion for any non-logical reason is stupid. It can work as one offs to confuse oppostion, but can't work consistently unless players have tah attributes to do it. A non ball playing centre half - who's not comfortable on the ball and isn't particularly good at crossing - isn't sensible. He lacks the basuics of a right back such as positioning.

* Downing o the right, can't use his right foot particularly well; He can't beat a man ion the outside he has to cut it. It's predictable and easily defended.

* He has all week to plan for an A,B,C,D etc approach. That's what training and he's paid to do.

* Well instead of talking the critiscim like a man - he's pushed the bal;me to the players. it's cowardly and will serve to diminish relations with fans / media/ and t eh players and fans.

[briny_ear]

* He can try something rather than 2 big lumbering centre forwards

Just thought I would pick up on this as an example of what is wrong with your post that some seem to think is a penetrating analysis of our problems.

He's started Agbonlahor in 26 of our league games this season. He has by and large only not started when he has been injured. I can't imagine you are describing Gabby as big and lumbering, so I suggest you are not talking complete sense in your discussion of MON's policy on centre forward selection.

Also, if you think of Carew as "big and lumbering" you really need to watch a bit more carefully how he plays. He is big, I'll give you that bit.

Carew, you may also have noticed, has scored 6 goals in the last 5 games he's started, so I wouldn't be dropping him just now.

I would say that, injury apart, MON reckons his best CF pairing on present form is Carew and Agbonlahor, as started at Wigan.

You can call them big and lumbering if you like - anyone is entitled to an opinion, as we are constantly being reminded - but I don't think you'll find many to agree with you.

EDIT

Oh, and BTW

* Well instead of talking the critiscim like a man - he's pushed the bal;me to the players. it's cowardly and will serve to diminish relations with fans / media/ and t eh players and fans.

Can you point me to where MON "blames" his players for anything. I think I missed where the coward did that!

[mykeyb]

I should have elaborated, limited in our disposal. Again, as I've had enough, frankly, I'll not debate it further.

442 or 451?

Heskey isnt playing as a 2nd striker though is he?.

I would much prefer to see Delph, NRC or even Sidwell play as the extra midfielder, making us more solid and build from there.

[Hanky]

I should have elaborated, limited in our disposal. Again, as I've had enough, frankly, I'll not debate it further.

442 or 451?

Heskey isnt playing as a 2nd striker though is he?.

I would much prefer to see Delph, NRC or even Sidwell play as the extra midfielder, making us more solid and build from there.

Ah the old 4-5-1 debate again.

This time I agree though, even Sidwell could do a job in a three with Petrov and Milner allowing the latter to push further forward.

[alienvillan]

* He can try something rather than 2 big lumbering centre forwards

Just thought I would pick up on this as an example of what is wrong with your post that some seem to think is a penetrating analysis of our problems.

He's started Agbonlahor in 26 of our league games this season. He has by and large only not started when he has been injured. I can't imagine you are describing Gabby as big and lumbering, so I suggest you are not talking complete sense in your discussion of MON's policy on centre forward selection.

Also, if you think of Carew as "big and lumbering" you really need to watch a bit more carefully how he plays. He is big, I'll give you that bit.

Carew, you may also have noticed, has scored 6 goals in the last 5 games he's started, so I wouldn't be dropping him just now.

I would say that, injury apart, MON reckons his best CF pairing on present form is Carew and Agbonlahor, as started at Wigan.

You can call them big and lumbering if you like - anyone is entitled to an opinion, as we are constantly being reminded - but I don't think you'll find many to agree with you.

EDIT

Oh, and BTW

* Well instead of talking the critiscim like a man - he's pushed the bal;me to the players. it's cowardly and will serve to diminish relations with fans / media/ and t eh players and fans.

Can you point me to where MON "blames" his players for anything. I think I missed where the coward did that!

I think Gabby is big and lumbering.

I think Carew is big and lumbering.

I think Heskey is big and lumbering.

Gabby is fast and Carew is good in the air but that's it. None of them is a dribbler, none of them is "Bergkamp" or "Keane".

Ibrahimovic is big but he's not lumbering.

If we had one creative, prolific and playmaker type striker there wouldn't be any talk about lumbering centre forwards.

[Ryan.]

I'd say yes but I don't necessarily beleive he can take us any further.

[mr_nice!]

I hope the general doesn't look at these posts. We have a team that is playing on average far better than the decade before. We are having decent cup runs (although apparently that doesn't mean much) and we are up there.

I love the fact that Villa are properly a top 8 side now but I was also proud when we were rubbish, our fans had dignity and our club had history and was respected.

If you want to support a team that is a top four side, I have heard that Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool have all the credentials.

[slowandlow]

cuellar dont even go up for corners half the time these days so that point is nonsense

often we have 2/3 player on the half way line when the opposition has all its players back

negative beyond belief

[Risso]

I hope the general doesn't look at these posts. We have a team that is playing on average far better than the decade before. We are having decent cup runs (although apparently that doesn't mean much) and we are up there.

I love the fact that Villa are properly a top 8 side now but I was also proud when we were rubbish, our fans had dignity and our club had history and was respected.

If you want to support a team that is a top four side, I have heard that Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool have all the credentials.

I don't care whether the General reads the thread or not, the fans were here a long time before he was, and they still will be a long time after he's gone.

And your last point is simply "if you don't agree with my point of view, bog off and support someone else" which is a little bit pathetic.

[smetrov]

I really can't see MON walking in the summer. I think he's devoted to the club and as others have mentioned, where else could he go with a better chairman?

I think the issue is - that top won't come to VP. Were he to go to liverpool he may have more chance of pushing things on.

I just can't see MON being happy with Villa always around 6th ot 7th - so he either has to take a few more chances in transer market - or just say 'that's as much as I can do'

Personsally I think the chance was lost a couple of seasons back - when he started messing about with Daft signings like Zat Knight, Harewood, - and later on Heskey. Whilst the likes of Crouch, Defoe, Bent and keane moved elswhere.

Now actually think top six is the best we can hope for - .....

[briny_ear]

I think Gabby is big and lumbering.

I note, however, you are an alien, so maybe not best placed to judge.

[Risso]

I wish I could lumber as quickly as Gabby!

[mr_nice!]

I suppose what I can't understand is how booing a the team after wolves is going to help, how on earth would we get a manager of the quality of MON if we are doing as well as we have been and the fans still aren't happy and what are the expectations of fans similar to the views expressed here.

If we got fourth would we be happy or would we not be happy because we didn't get first, would we be happy if we won the league or would we not be happy because we didn't do well in the champions league.

We have a lovely stable respected family club with a good history and fan base. For the most part we play an attractive game with a team that the manager of England regularly watches and we have a number of players that are internationals or on the fringes.

I hope this doesn't come across as aggressive, controversial or like I am playing devils advocate, but if the current situation doesn't make the fans happy then I am not sure anything will

I hope the general doesn't look at these posts. We have a team that is playing on average far better than the decade before. We are having decent cup runs (although apparently that doesn't mean much) and we are up there.

I love the fact that Villa are properly a top 8 side now but I was also proud when we were rubbish, our fans had dignity and our club had history and was respected.

If you want to support a team that is a top four side, I have heard that Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool have all the credentials.

I don't care whether the General reads the thread or not, the fans were here a long time before he was, and they still will be a long time after he's gone.

And your last point is simply "if you don't agree with my point of view, bog off and support someone else" which is a little bit pathetic.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I wish I could lumber as quickly as Gabby!

[beasley14]

cuellar dont even go up for corners half the time these days so that point is nonsense

often we have 2/3 player on the half way line when the opposition has all its players back

negative beyond belief

The set piece part is something i agree with, one of the 3 cb`s on the park doesn`t go forward for corners so we don`t even benefit from that in the attacking sense.

[guyavfc]

61% said MON can take us forward before todays game, wonder if it goes down today

[fifa09don]

i hope it does go more votes to no, but i cant influnence any further as i already voted no before todays demolition

[Big_John_10]

People boo him for not playing young and changing things, my guess is the same people will be giving him shit today

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

People will be givnig him shit I guess, not for playing Young though.

[avfc89]

Time for a change, he has no fresh ideas to move the club forward, we are playing some really bad football at the moment also.