Relegation

[smetrov]

As much as I think our defence could grow together and get better, at the moment it is so weak that unless we get some experience in there we will go down. There is not the time to carry players like Bennet, Stevens and even Clark. We can't accept that every game one of them will f*ck up.

I realise it isn't the only problem we have but other than a defensive midfielder who can tackle - it is definitely our main priority.

If we are going to be so useless at keeping possession and play hoof ball then we need to play three in central defence, maybe sacrifice a midfielder and play Dunne - let Vlaar or Clark play the ball out. I know people don't like Dunne but we need experience.

I wouldn't play any of the left backs we have if i had the choice.

I wouldn't play 3cb's - but agree entirley with the rest of your post. To many unproven players in that defence - you might get away with 1 - but a defence built mainly on players learning their trade is asking for trouble IMO.

[Mantis]

No mate you try to twist everything to make us look better than we really are at the moment and if you look at my point which you have responded to, you will note that i did admit that we played well in the first half against Man U.

No I don't. I accept when we play poorly but unlike some I don't try and downplay things when we play well and exaggerate them when we play poorly.

Why, are you adversed to meeting people?

I have no desire to meet Redknapp. Why you are so entranced by him is beyond me.

No Kompany is the better player because he has both attributes, experience=better positioning and can marshall a defence and quality.

Kompany is better because he's a better player. He was quality even before he gained all this Premier League experience. This is a really bizarre example.

You asked the question whether Lambert's signings had affected our positioning in the Premiership which was a stupid question in itself. I replied by stating that his signings have been playing in the team and of course they have affected our present position! Secondly, without them last season we weren't in the bottom three even with Mcleish as manager so my point is valid.

How is your point valid? You're comparing one season with one set of players amongst a league with another set of players with another season where we have a completely different set of players playing against a completely different set of other players, in different fixtures. It's a completely flawed comparison.

So now i see you are blaming our other players for KEA's poor form and you call other posters '**** embarrassing!' Hit a nerve about Adam haven't i especially when he is playing well and thanks but i'll continue to mention him and Redknapp as i please unless otherwise instructed by the mods unless you are a mod in disguise?

No, I'm blaming other players for our poor midfield. Nope, I just think you vastly overrate Adam and Redknapp. I'm not a mod nor was I trying to act like one, but your constant Redknapp worship in threads that have nothing to do with him are getting tiresome.

You keep mentioning the O'Neill experiment. Ok lets talk about that. We finished 6TH on how many occasions? We got to a final of a cup and didn't we qualify for europe as opposed to where we are now, 3rd from bottom and flirting with relegation over the last two seasons, so pray tell me, which is failure?

The "success" under O'Neill was financially unsustainable. We did the footballing equivalent of partying on a maxed out credit card. Wouldn't have been so bad if O'Neill had spent the money wisely but on the whole he didn't. We've been paying the price for O'Neill and Lerner's financial mismanagement.

But lets sweep all of that very tidily under the carpet so that, what have you accused other posters of 'try and twist everything to make us look bad' or should that now be 'try and twist everything to make Lambert look good.'

I don't try and twist everything to make Lambert look good.

Telling people they are wrong Mantis when they putting forward an opinion. Now where have i seen someone else criticizing posters for that?

You mate are one of the biggest feckin hypocrites on here.

Read my post and comprehend it before jumping to insults. I said people are entitled to not rate Lambert but if they view Lambert how I viewed McLeish (negative and plays shit football) then they would be wrong because for all Lambert's criticisms he cannot be accused of being negative or trying to play shit football.

[romavillan]

I wouldn't play 3cb's - but agree entirley with the rest of your post. To many unproven players in that defence - you might get away with 1 - but a defence built mainly on players learning their trade is asking for trouble IMO.

i think we have the players to play 3 at the back, don't know if PL has ever played that way though, it might help us in midfield too and could suit us. on the other hand though it doesn't resolve the fullbacks issue (although i think bennet and stevens will come good tbh). albrighton might work on the right, but you'd probably have to play zog on the left. we could then have KEA, westwood and bannan in the middle and ireland behind benteke/bent/agbonlahor. napoli play it well but with a diff formation up front to that. wouldn't be against trying it...

oh and can't either one of mantis/morpheus block the other one?

[VillaCas]

If we are still bottom three by January I'll join the panic, but in the same way that I was sure we would struggle last season I'm equally confident that we will be much further up the table by January and will finish 10th -12th (and do even better the following year)

Lambert has had to work within a tight budget - losing experienced (poorly performing) players and recruiting 8 new players for only £20m. In the scheme of things 12 games is a blink of an eye

The idiots on here calling for Lambert's head will be silenced by the New Year (actually they will probably still be complaining that we should be challenging for Europe lol)

[Big_John_10]

This thread is a little worrying, not because we might actually get relegated.

But that some people might actually have a breakdown if it does happen!

Its almost as if football outside the premier league doesn't exist, that the hundreds of clubs and thousands of fans are not there and if they do they're just topping themselves daily!

The Lerner effect.

Defend shit and accept anything that's served up.

[CI]

Lets fix it again - 'anyone who ignores results, majority of performances, league position, total points and other actual facts and statistics can see we are improving'

In 7 of the 12 games we've been as bad and arguably worse than anything McLeish dished up. On this basis and the fact we are now 18th and in freefall, I don't get the excitement over Lambert or what he's doing. His inexperience worries me , his tactics worry me, the quality of the squad is a concern.

[VillaCas]

In 7 of the 12 games we've been as bad and arguably worse than anything McLeish dished up. On this basis and the fact we are now 18th and in freefall, I don't get the excitement over Lambert or what he's doing. His inexperience worries me , his tactics worry me, the quality of the squad is a concern.

I agree that the quality of the squad is a concern but that is to do with the wastefulness of previous managers and the lack of finance for purchases - neither of which are PL's fault

We are playing far more adventurous and attractive football and working our socks off week in week out. It was unlikely that we were going to start the season all guns blazing with such a mix of youth and inexperience and inevitably we were never going to worry the top sides - the performance against MU though is a sign off things to come and should give us confidence for the future. We were well beaten on Saturday but I think the nature of the result was heavily influenced by the dodgy penalty

12 games is nothing in the scheme of things. Jose Mourinho couldn't have turned around the mess that was left at the end of the year

We are moving in the right direction and results will come - we will not be in the relegation places come January and a couple more astute signings will see us comfortably mid-table come season end

[AvfcTheObsession]

The big worry is the lack of experience even compared to last season. Dunne, Petrov and Bent were the spine of the team then. We now have none of them to call upon, Lambert needs to sort his disagreement out with Bent, rather than leaving us relying on inexperience in attack. We also need Dunne back to help our inexperienced backline, as unfortunately we have the likes of James Chester to look forward to in January rather than any experienced CB coming in.

[Mantis]

"Unfortunately we have James Chester to look forward to"? First of all it's just pure speculation and second of all have you actually seen him play?

[Morpheus]

No I don't. I accept when we play poorly but unlike some I don't try and downplay things when we play well and exaggerate them when we play poorly.

I have no desire to meet Redknapp. Why you are so entranced by him is beyond me.

Kompany is better because he's a better player. He was quality even before he gained all this Premier League experience. This is a really bizarre example.

How is your point valid? You're comparing one season with one set of players amongst a league with another set of players with another season where we have a completely different set of players playing against a completely different set of other players, in different fixtures. It's a completely flawed comparison.

No, I'm blaming other players for our poor midfield. Nope, I just think you vastly overrate Adam and Redknapp. I'm not a mod nor was I trying to act like one, but your constant Redknapp worship in threads that have nothing to do with him are getting tiresome.

The "success" under O'Neill was financially unsustainable. We did the footballing equivalent of partying on a maxed out credit card. Wouldn't have been so bad if O'Neill had spent the money wisely but on the whole he didn't. We've been paying the price for O'Neill and Lerner's financial mismanagement.

I don't try and twist everything to make Lambert look good.

Read my post and comprehend it before jumping to insults. I said people are entitled to not rate Lambert but if they view Lambert how I viewed McLeish (negative and plays shit football) then they would be wrong because for all Lambert's criticisms he cannot be accused of being negative or trying to play shit football.

No you downplay things when they go badly and exaggerate if we play well.

Not entranced by him at all. You asked me did i want to meet him.

My point is valid because you asked how did i know Lambert's signings have affected where we are at the moment. They are currently playing in the team are they not so how could they not affect where we are at the moment. How is that an invalid point?

Yes thats exactly what you stated. You inferred that KEA's poor form was due to the player's around him. Do you want me to embarrass you further by quoting your post, or are you for once going to man up and admit to talking shite?

And do you think Lambert has spent his money wisely? I mean we're currently in the bottom three rather than even mid table which would be acceptable. So its a bit rich to say that MON spent foolishly while Lambert apparently hasn't. One manager achieved consecutive top six finishes with a cup final appearance and the other has put us into the bottom three after spending 20m.

You shouldn't have to try to twist things to make Lambert look good. He should at the very least be able to produce enough good results to get us on a par with where McLeish had us and currently he has failed to do that.

Actually no. You did the very thing that you continually accuse other posters of and that makes you a hypocrite.

[CI]

Well let's hope it remains that. Pure speculation.

[Mantis]

No you downplay things when they go badly and exaggerate if we play well.

No I don't.

Not entranced by him at all. You asked me did i want to meet him.

You certainly go on about him a lot.

My point is valid because you asked how did i know Lambert's signings have affected where we are at the moment. They are currently playing in the team aren't they so how could they not affect where we are at the moment. How is that an invalid point?

It's an invalid point because you're comparing our performance so far this season to how we were doing at this point last seaosn and concluded that the reason why we are where we are this season is because of the new players despite all the variations I pointed out.

Yes thats exactly what you stated. You inferred that KEA's poor form was due to the player's around him. Do you want me to embarrass you further by quoting your post, or are you for once going to man up and admit to talking shite?

No I didn't. I don't even think KEA has been poor. As I said, I think the problem is the players around him.

Embarrass me further? If you want to talk about embarrassment look no further than yourself. The only person you've embarrassed is yourself.

And do you think Lambert has spent his money wisely? I mean we're currently in the bottom three rather than even mid table which would be acceptable. So its a bit rich to say that MON spent foolishly while Lambert hasn't. One manager achieved consecitive top six finishes with a cup final appearance and the other has put us into the bottom three after spending 20m.

It's too early to say whether he's spent the money wisely. I agree with his buys but as I said, it's too early to properly judge.

O'Neill's "achievements" were built on unsustainable spending. They were alright but certainly nothing special given the resources he had.

You shouldn't have to try to twist things to make Lambert look good. He should be able to produce enough good results to get us on a par with where McLeish had us and currently he has failed to do that.

I'm not twisting things to make Lambert look good.

Well let's see if he finishes the season with more points than McLeish shall we instead of just judging him after his first 12 league games?

Actually no. You did the very thing that you continually accuse other posters of and that makes you a hypocrite.

No I didn't. How?

Well let's hope it remains that. Pure speculation.

Have you seen him play?

[AvfcTheObsession]

"Unfortunately we have James Chester to look forward to"? First of all it's just pure speculation and second of all have you actually seen him play?

Nope and hopefully it stays that way. Enough with the lower league players, the only way we are going to stay up is with players who can make an instant impact.

[Mantis]

Nope and hopefully it stays that way. Enough with the lower league players, the only way we are going to stay up is with players who can make an instant impact.

So you hope we don't sign a player despite the fact that you've never seen him play?

Jesus **** Christ.

[briny_ear]

Must say I don't think much of the multiquote facility on the new site if it just allows two posters beginning with "M" to post absurdly long diatribes against each other.

[AvfcTheObsession]

So you hope we don't sign a player despite the fact that you've never seen him play?

Jesus **** Christ.

Ive seen Lambert's other young, lower league players enough this season to know that more of them isn't what we need to keep us in this league.

[Mantis]

Ive seen Lambert's other young, lower league players enough this season to know that more of them isn't what we need to keep us in this league.

You can't judge him without even seeing him.

[Morpheus]

No I don't.

You certainly go on about him a lot.

It's an invalid point because you're comparing our performance so far this season to how we were doing at this point last seaosn and concluded that the reason why we are where we are this season is because of the new players despite all the variations I pointed out.

No I didn't. I don't even think KEA has been poor. As I said, I think the problem is the players around him.

Embarrass me further? If you want to talk about embarrassment look no further than yourself. The only person you've embarrassed is yourself.

It's too early to say whether he's spent the money wisely. I agree with his buys but as I said, it's too early to properly judge.

O'Neill's "achievements" were built on unsustainable spending. They were alright but certainly nothing special given the resources he had.

I'm not twisting things to make Lambert look good.

Well let's see if he finishes the season with more points than McLeish shall we instead of just judging him after his first 12 league games?

No I didn't. How?

Have you seen him play?

I don't think KEA has been poor in fact I'd argue that the problem with midfield is the players around him.

You twist everything Mantis especially when you drive yourself into a hole.

I talk about a lot of things in life but that doesn't mean that i like them.

You asked me how i did i know Lambert's signings were affecting our current position. When players are playing in a team do they affect the result or not?

So you agree with his buys but 'it's too early to properly judge.' Make your mind up man. Are they good signings or not?

To my recollection O'Neill never had us in the bottom three even at the start of his tenure and neither did Mcleish yet you still criticized them but feel Lambert is still doing a good job by having us third from bottom.

You comment on KEA which i have now quoted is self explanatory and 'Briny is right so i'm out.

[VillaForever1970]

The Lerner effect.

Defend shit and accept anything that's served up.

**** all to do with Lerner, football does exist outside the premier league, with fans that celebrate goals and wins.

[CI]

KEA has been ghastly.