Stevo985 Posted November 27, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 27, 2012 To be fair to CI if houllier or Mcleish were currently in charge I think a lot more fans would agree with what he said there. But if they were, then they wouldn't bring to the tabel everythign which the positive amongst us believe Lambert brings to the club. So your point is basically meaningless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarpie Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I think current formation with Benteke playing in the role where Ireland has usually played (just below the main striker) and Bent as main striker could work but that probably should be tried in some FA Cup tie if we get suitable opposition for experimentation. But I'm kinda surprised Lambert haven't tried that yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted November 27, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 27, 2012 I don't think Benteke would work in Ireland's role whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarpie Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I don't think Benteke would work in Ireland's role whatsoever. Would probably work just behind Bent as second striker instead of attacking midfielder as Ireland plays, but come to think of it, then it might leave hole into the formation between attack and midfield unless we play diamond four which didn't work when Lambert tried that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted November 27, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 27, 2012 Second striker possibly (although I disagree, I think if he has a partner he'd be the focal point and his partner would play off him, not the other way round) but certainly not Ireland's position Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morpheus Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I'm not!!! I don't think i'll lose any sleep. Sunderland were in an awful position before MON took over - 18th I believe - and he really has had only one transfer window to right the ship. Not much different to me,. The comparison that could be made is in transfer strategy. Sunderland and Villa spent about the same amount of money, but Sunderland bought all "proven" premier league talent - Johnson, Saha, Fletcher - while we purchased young. We are in about the same position, but I feel our team is improving while theirs is stagnate at best. Interested what you think of that Morpheus. All very fair points and it is an excellent comparison but Sunderland are ahead of us in the table and i would have more faith in O'Neill and his team to climb the table than us at the moment due to O'Neill being the better manager and having a better squad of players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I think current formation with Benteke playing in the role where Ireland has usually played (just below the main striker) and Bent as main striker could work but that probably should be tried in some FA Cup tie if we get suitable opposition for experimentation. But I'm kinda surprised Lambert haven't tried that yet. I'm not surprised at all!! What have you seen of Benteke to give the impression he is a playmaker???? He's an out and out target man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I don't think i'll lose any sleep. All very fair points and it is an excellent comparison but Sunderland are ahead of us in the table and i would have more faith in O'Neill and his team to climb the table than us at the moment due to O'Neill being the better manager and having a better squad of players. We will finish comfortably ahead of Sunderland this season. O'Neill is a one trick pony and looks a broken man to me - his reputation is on the wane. O'Neill will struggle at Sunderland and will never be linked to a top side again....good!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 The comparison that could be made is in transfer strategy. Sunderland and Villa spent about the same amount of money, but Sunderland bought all "proven" premier league talent - Johnson, Saha, Fletcher - while we purchased young. We are in about the same position, but I feel our team is improving while theirs is stagnate at best. PL bought 7 players for £18m and MON bought 2 for £22m, so for me not comparable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villan_007 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 We will finish comfortably ahead of Sunderland this season. O'Neill is a one trick pony and looks a broken man to me - his reputation is on the wane. O'Neill will struggle at Sunderland and will never be linked to a top side again....good!! I agree - your not a good manager if you spend the money he did and never finish higher than 6th. That's his maximun level, and sunderland will prob be his last club. The Villa job would have been his stepping stone to the big jobs had he cracked the top 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarpie Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I'm not surprised at all!! What have you seen of Benteke to give the impression he is a playmaker???? He's an out and out target man I didn't mean as playmaker, I meant as second striker as someone for Bent to play off from, probably should've been more clearer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-Reacho Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Bent's lack of dropping deep is the real problem. When Benteke and Bent play together they both need to be right up the pitch and that's a luxury we can't afford right now. I think that's what happened when we got destroyed by Southampton IIRC. Weimann and Gaby will track back and cover the full backs, Gaby has pace, and Weimann can carry the ball past people. Bent can't/won't do any of those things. To play Bent I think we'd have to drop Benteke and play Ireland behind him, so Weimann, Gaby and Ireland will put a shift in when we don't have the ball, and can create for Bent when we do. Bent doesn't give us the safety net of being able to hoof it up field when we're under pressure that Benteke does, because he'll barely even challenge for it let alone win anything. I can understand why Bent wouldn't be starting over Benteke - but I can't understand why Lambert would have Bowery on the bench over him though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 But if they were, then they wouldn't bring to the tabel everythign which the positive amongst us believe Lambert brings to the club. So your point is basically meaningless. Correct. Different circumstances, different managers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holte_k1 Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Just been looking at our relegation rivals starts as i've seen in a few places some people say we've had a pretty easy start. Not true. Out of all the bottom nine clubs we've had the hardest home fixtures if you take into account the position of the teams we've played, where as Sunderlands have been the easiest. Home fixtures: Average Position of teams faced Aston Villa 6.16 Newcastle 8.42 Wigan 8.71 Norwich 9.66 Reading 10.16 QPR 10.33 Stoke 10.50 Southampton 10.57 Sunderland 12.20 Away, we haven't had it quite so hard, but it's your home form that normally keeps you up Away fixtures: Average position of teams faced QPR 6.28 Southampton 7.33 Sunderland 7.42 Stoke 10.12 WIgan 10.16 Reading 10.33 Aston Villa 10.57 Norwich 11.00 Newcastle 12.33 Using this scientific method I am now going to place a £50 quid bet on QPR, Southampton and Reading to go down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 This is what I said a few pages back. To have played 9 of the current top 10 at this stage of the season can hardly be classed as an easy start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 PL bought 7 players for £18m and MON bought 2 for £22m, so for me not comparable That is exactly the point Cas. Some on here are advocating the MON way, but look where Sunderland are. We are choosing a different path but find ourself in the same position as Sunderland. The real question is which team kicks on in the second half. I think Villa will, thereby vindicating the transfer strategy of PL, but only time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 This is what I said a few pages back. To have played 9 of the current top 10 at this stage of the season can hardly be classed as an easy start. Haven't you been saying league placings at this stage mean very little ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 Haven't you been saying league placings at this stage mean very little ? Yes, and how does that contradict my statement that we haven't had an easy start? The league placings don't tell you who's going to finish where at this stage but they do tell you who's in form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.Bear Posted November 27, 2012 Share Posted November 27, 2012 I havent been this nervous before a Villa game since Bolton (h) last season. And we know how that went Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted November 27, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted November 27, 2012 I havent been this nervous before a Villa game since Bolton (h) last season. And we know how that went That was such a depressing night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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