CI Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 It seems Bentekes miss was a turning point. Then again if he'd scored I'd expect spurs would have gone up a gear ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCforever1991 Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 It seems Bentekes miss was a turning point. Then again if he'd scored I'd expect spurs would have gone up a gear ? Probably, but at least if we had a 1-0 lead, we could have sat back and countered spurs.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 We look lightweight and easy to bully in midfield. I can't see this being sorted by waiting for the players to learn to play together better, as some are suggesting. We need new personnel in midfield - one or two bigger characters who can boss things. The defence still looks very inexperienced and a bit heavy footed against a pacy side like Spurs. El Ahmadi is a bit of a disappointment for me so far. And Benteke, tbf. We've lost quite a few points that we might have expected to get if we were to settle in mid table. Unless we are going to get so much better that we can start taking points off top 10 sides, we may struggle a little. Although as I've said before we won't really get a proper picture until around Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMcKenna Posted October 8, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 8, 2012 Probably, but at least if we had a 1-0 lead, we could have sat back and countered spurs.. Exactly although Spurs were always a threat by the end of the first half they had gone very flat. Their flukey goal meant we had to push on and the 2nd, although a very good strike by Lennon was partly we were pushing forward. Had Benteke scored I think we could have got at least a draw against a very good Spurs side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coda Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Reading other sites I can say a lot of Spurs fans are more optimistic about our prospects than much of VT. Many of them have commented on the contrast between our last two games at WHL. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I think for much of this season we will be in and around the bottom three but I am hopeful come the final third of the season we will eventually pull away. I don't think that we should be under any illusions though that we are going to be involved in the battle to stay up. The squad is full of unknowns. We started yesterday with only Gabby having any real experience of playing in this league. The rest of the players I wouldn't have thought have started 100 Premier League games between them. Lowton, Bennett, Benteke, Clark, Delph, Albrighton all look promising players but as things stand they lack experience and are very hit and miss in terms of level of performance. You throw in that KEA, Holman and Vlaar are new to this country/league and we have a team that we simply can't be sure will be able to perform consistently at this level. I have no problem with us having inexperienced players in the team but there is a happy medium I guess and I am concerned that the balance is not right and we need more experience in the side. That could be helped by the return to fitness of Ireland and Dunne and by Bent returning to the starting 11. Lambert of course needs to pick them first. It will be interesting to see how the players react if we do find ourselves in a relegation battle and the pressure for every point is immense. Lambert has been very gung ho so far and whilst after last season it is welcomed if the run we are on continues there will come a time when it will all be about securing 3 points regardless of performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 To be honest this was the sort of start i expected - had we not signed the extra players on deadline day. My comments Bent - should always start - think Lambo has dug himself a hole here - be interesting to see what he does Albrighton - can't really see what he has done to justify his selection Clark - would prefer Dunne to be honest Guzan\Given - said in the close season we should have invested in a top keeper - and I stand by that view. Guzan hasn't done much wrong - but I just don't see him having 'wall' type games where nothing gets past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I think for much of this season we will be in and around the bottom three but I am hopeful come the final third of the season we will eventually pull away. I don't think that we should be under any illusions though that we are going to be involved in the battle to stay up. The squad is full of unknowns. We started yesterday with only Gabby having any real experience of playing in this league. The rest of the players I wouldn't have thought have started 100 Premier League games between them. Lowton, Bennett, Benteke, Clark, Delph, Albrighton all look promising players but as things stand they lack experience and are very hit and miss in terms of level of performance. You throw in that KEA, Holman and Vlaar are new to this country/league and we have a team that we simply can't be sure will be able to perform consistently at this level. I have no problem with us having inexperienced players in the team but there is a happy medium I guess and I am concerned that the balance is not right and we need more experience in the side. That could be helped by the return to fitness of Ireland and Dunne and by Bent returning to the starting 11. Lambert of course needs to pick them first. It will be interesting to see how the players react if we do find ourselves in a relegation battle and the pressure for every point is immense. Lambert has been very gung ho so far and whilst after last season it is welcomed if the run we are on continues there will come a time when it will all be about securing 3 points regardless of performance. Fully agree with this, Mark. Being a grim-face pragmatist, I would like to see us starting to scrap for points from now, however ugly it has to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted October 8, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted October 8, 2012 Reading other sites I can say a lot of Spurs fans are more optimistic about our prospects than much of VT. Many of them have commented on the contrast between our last two games at WHL. To be fair, my sunday league team after a night on the piss could have turned up at WHL and put in a better performance than Villa did last season. Even after nearly a year (I think) to reflect, I genuinely think that's one of the worst Villa performances I've ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 We miss Petrov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I guess we will now see how stubborn lambert is with the bent situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.I.C.O. Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 This side still looks too easy to score against. I'd echo what others have said about the lack of a midfield destroyer and the lead-footed nature of our defenders. Add into the mix wingers who can't cross and a new striker who can't hit a cows arse with a banjo and you see a very poor team. I worry how this squad would react to being dragged into a relegation scrap that could last most of this season. I don't think I can take any more after the last two awful seasons! Where is this Villa revival we were promised....as this is our worst ever Premier League start to a season. I am also starting to get a bit concerned about Lambert. The stuff with Norwich is a bit of a side-show, and he's alienated our best striker. The results are'nt coming for him either. That's no way an early call for his head but its not been the good start we were all hoping for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 We miss Petrov Very true. I don't think Lambert should abandon his philosophy and start "scrapping" for points yet. We've needed to change our style for a very long time and yes there will be some pain along the way but it'll all be worth it for the long term benefits, mainly a Villa team that is technically proficient and can actually pass the ball as well as close games out and kill teams off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Re: midfield destroyer, read should have signed Nzonzi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Oh no, not this again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Re: midfield destroyer, read should have signed Nzonzi He would have been a good signing, however Diame who went to West Ham was a bad miss. I cant believe we ended up with Westwood as a midfield signing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Yes Diame is a good shout Too & a realistic one. Remember we had certain posters suggesting Essien and De Jong this summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginko Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 The words 'midfield destroyer' and 'N'Zonzi' have never before been used in the same sentence and with good reason. He has a bad attitude and he's really not very good. I agree with Diame shout, solid enough player and scored a nice goal at the weekend. I'm not getting too worried just yet. There's no shame losing to that Spurs side away from home. We are still very much a work in progress but I think we'll survive this season and build on it. Very bad call benching Bent again though. I can't wrap my head around that one. I'd rather if you didn't upset the best striker we've had at the club since Dwight Yorke thanks Mr. Lambert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Diame is an extremely limited player - like a taller version of Reo-Coker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheltenham_villa Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 My concern is our lack of goals. 4 in 7 league games. Add in the fact that our best goalscorer has been sidelined it is worrying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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