The, he's finally GONE! Tell us your thoughts Thread

[lexicon]

I wouldn't go as far as saying that the death of Gary Speed is a lame excuse but we still should have won that game.

[macandally]

Do I give a monkeys to those who seem oblivious to these facts and therefore trot out one lame excuse after another..............NO

Surely you do, as you spend the vast majority of your posts valiantly rebutting said people. You're like the opposite side of the coin to makouns_grin.

Two posts you mean? Two in two different threads? How very dare I.

As you can see, my desire to ridicule those who do not share my opinions holds no bounds.

I only wish I had Makouns_Grins desire to selflessly hunt down those who disagree with my veiw.

[macandally]

I wouldn't go as far as saying that the death of Gary Speed is a lame excuse but we still should have won that game.

Your right, a little OTT, but some really appear to be scratching for reasons to justify what is happening at the club.

I meant no disrespect to the late Gary Speed or anyone associated with him. RIP.

[Keyblade]

Do I give a monkeys to those who seem oblivious to these facts and therefore trot out one lame excuse after another..............NO

Surely you do, as you spend the vast majority of your posts valiantly rebutting said people. You're like the opposite side of the coin to makouns_grin.

Two posts you mean? Two in two different threads? How very dare I.

As you can see, my desire to ridicule those who do not share my opinions holds no bounds.

I only wish I had Makouns_Grins desire to selflessly hunt down those who disagree with my veiw.

No not just this thread, pretty much any thread you post in. makouns gets a lot of stick on this site, but you're really no different. You even called someone's McLeish's brother for simply having a valid, but different opinion to yours.

[Dale]

Story on the OS he is quoting as saying the players gave him everything they had.... If that's his view of their potential its time to pack up and go.

[Richard]

Awful manager. Team is playimg like they cannot be arsed, which basically sums us up at the minute

Owner cannot be arsed

Players cannot be arsed

Fans cannot be arsed

[nazvfc]

Just had a call from WM - They want me on tomorrow morning to respond to Paul Faulkner and his Europe comment. Wants to know my (our - the fans feeling).

They asked whether PF was right and I said no - and mentioned that the majority of the fans are of the same opinion. Dunno why they did not ask someone from the forums - but I think they had my number from the AVISA and VFC days.

I did mention that the supporters groups (apart from the Trust) have disbanded and that the voice of the fans in now on the forums. Mentioned Villa fans are unhappy with the brand of football as the team is set up not to lose - where we have players not playing that should be and that I would not mind if we lost but at least had a go at playing football.

[Pilchard]

Naz - would appreciate it if you make the point that Faulkner's words about Europe is just the latest in the long line of either unfortunate statements to make or ones made to deliberately mis-lead fans and that a number of us no longer can believe what comes from him - talks of having a manager who is right for Villa and brings in a manager nobody wants who plays the opposite kind of football to what was being implemented last season. We then get General K saying that McLeish would be spending to improve the squad (ha!). And now this bullshit statement about Europe.

[Jon]

Team is playing like they cannot be arsed

Not sure where you get that from Trickie?

IMHO the exact opposite is true.

The limp display against Spurs was IMO down to the players following the instruction of Eck to the letter (get behind the ball and don't dive in).

The players looked arsed to me against Swansea, in spite of the distraction. They were certainly getting 'stuck in', which is 1 such gauge of 'being arsed'.

[Stevo985]

I'd half agree with you Jon.

I don't think they "can't be arsed". Bu ton the other hand I certainly don't think they look completely up for it.

Against Swansea we had a good setup, but the movement off the ball was really terrible. Only Warnock, Gabby and sometime n'Zogbia were really moving around off the ball and giving options.

All our passing followed the same pattern. DM --> advancing fullback --> winger, and that's where it usually got stuck, because no-one was moving to give options.

Warnock sometimes overlapped Gabby and most of our attacks seem to come down that side, but Hutton never really got advanced to help N'Zogbia and Heskey isn't exactly Iniesta in the ACM role.

So yeah, there was a lack of enthusiasm I think. Not many players seemed to want the ball. They used it when they got it, but only a couple as i've mentoned really seemed to want to move around and make themselves available.

[villabromsgrove]

Just like watching the Blues!!!!

Not my words but the words of a good friend who is a Blues season ticket holder. I asked him in what way and he said that AM's priority was protecting the back four with two sitting midfielders rather than possession, and he wondered why a more talented squad like Villa's was doing the same instead of playing to our strengths.

He based his comments on the last two TV games and said that in his opinion we should be a lot more positive on the pitch with the players available to us.

I'm not criticising, just passing on an unbiased opinion.

[jacketspuds]

We need to get more creativity in our midfield. Heskey must be dropped for Bannan, with Petrov back in for Herd and Jenas for Delph.

If we don't start creating chances for Bent as opposed to launching it up to him we will lose him in January.

[Majkee]

We need to get more creativity in our midfield. Heskey must be dropped for Bannan, with Petrov back in for Herd and Jenas for Delph.

If we don't start creating chances for Bent as opposed to launching it up to him we will lose him in January.

I am fully behind Herd. First two names on the first XI should be Gabby and Herd in these days. I was bored of general play last match so I watched how many times Herd took over the ball from opposition. He was very successful doing this job. And to be honest, he was still one of our most creative players on the pitch (!!!) until Bannan stepped in.

[villabromsgrove]

We need to get more creativity in our midfield. Heskey must be dropped for Bannan, with Petrov back in for Herd and Jenas for Delph.

If we don't start creating chances for Bent as opposed to launching it up to him we will lose him in January.

I am fully behind Herd. First two names on the first XI should be Gabby and Herd in these days. I was bored of general play last match so I watched how many times Herd took over the ball from opposition. He was very successful doing this job. And to be honest, he was still one of our most creative players on the pitch (!!!) until Bannan stepped in.

Good post.

[Zatman]

I asked him in what way and he said that AM's priority was protecting the back four with two sitting midfielders rather than possession, and he wondered why a more talented squad like Villa's was doing the same instead of playing to our strengths.

but what is our strengths? under MON we had pacy wingers and used them effectively. Now our only weapon is Gabby

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

If Heskey starts the next game, I'm going to **** punch a pensioner.

[villabromsgrove]

I asked him in what way and he said that AM's priority was protecting the back four with two sitting midfielders rather than possession, and he wondered why a more talented squad like Villa's was doing the same instead of playing to our strengths.

but what is our strengths? under MON we had pacy wingers and used them effectively. Now our only weapon is Gabby

If you look at our full squad we have more players suited to attacking football than defensive imo.

If you look at the midfield we have N'zogbia, Bannan, Petrov, Ireland, Jenas, Delph, Albrighton, and Gardner, who are all to a greater or lesser degree attacking midfielders. The only one who is thought of as a defensive midfielder is Herd, but that's only because he has been forced to adopt this role. I've watched him for the academy and reserves over a number of seasons and he loves to go on marauding runs, plus he's dangerous in and around the box.

You may not consider the players that I've mentioned as "strengths", but my point is that playing ultra defensive football with these players is not an option imo.

[TheDrums]

McLeish also praised his side’s effort in a match that saw Villa get back into the game after Swansea had started brightly, with his theam seeming to have recovered from a convincing defeat away to Tottenham on Monday.

"The lads gave me absolutely everything they had. The application was certainly there,” McLeish continued.

"Sometimes the final touch or a beautiful killer pass goes astray but application is the least the Villa fans expect and the Villa manager.

"I thought they got a wee bit of their reputation back after having it lambasted in the week - and rightly so."

WTF is this man on about? They got a bit of their reputation back after a scoreless draw away to Swansea City?

[Stevo985]

We need to get more creativity in our midfield. Heskey must be dropped for Bannan, with Petrov back in for Herd and Jenas for Delph.

If we don't start creating chances for Bent as opposed to launching it up to him we will lose him in January.

I am fully behind Herd. First two names on the first XI should be Gabby and Herd in these days. I was bored of general play last match so I watched how many times Herd took over the ball from opposition. He was very successful doing this job. And to be honest, he was still one of our most creative players on the pitch (!!!) until Bannan stepped in.

You're both right, imo.

Herd is fine. And the combination of Herd and another DM (Delph yesterday, Petrov last week) is fine if they have someone else in there with them to create attacking opportunities, i.e. add creativity.

Against Spurs we didn't even have anyone playing that position.

Against Swansea we took a small step, we had someone in that ACM position. But that somebody was Emile Heskey. Which obviously isn't the solution.

If that was Bannan or Jenas for the whole game I'd say we'd have had a much better chance of breaking Swansea down.

if we're playing a midfield 2, like against Spurs, it can't be Herd and Petrov (or Delph).

As I've said before, that combination against norwich worked because of the quality of the opposition and the attacking threat our wingers offered (gabby and N'Zogbia). Without proper wingers and/or against better opposition, that central midfield pairing is useless.

[Mantis]

There's an article on the OS about how Bannan and Jenas have given him "food for thought". Nice to know the muppet has FINALLY realised that he has better options than Heskey.