Richard Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 People are fixating on the scoreline far too much. Before today we were unbeaten in 5 games. Up until today we were playing some good football. I'm more interested in how Lambert and the players react in the next game. Nobody loves losing heavily but it's one of those things. Onwards and hopefully upwards from now on. absolutely, trouble is there are fans who have been highly critical throughout the season and 8 - 0 suits that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andym Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Don't let this result somehow affect your memory of last week. We played Liverpool off the park last week and thoroughly deserved a victory. Don't say that was luck just because we got annihilated today. we didnt play liverpool off the park last week. we had many of the same issues as we had this week- attacking midfielders running from deep and cutting us open, unable to keep the ball for large spells in the game. positioning and communication very suspect as fullbacks and midfield were pulled all over the place at times. however we beat liverpool because our finishing was far far better than theirs, and as TRO has pointed out, we showed some really committed last ditch defending. and because of that we deserved the 3 points. however, getting a win like that from that style of play is the exception rather than the rule and that was shown today. If you keep giving the opposition room, if you let them cut through you and fashion chances you will get beaten more often than not. especially if you lack commitment in terms of pressing and tackling. the formation was clearly not working today (i wasnt a fan of it either last week although we got the result) - the players were all over the place and didnt seem to know who to mark. it was disappointing that lambert did nothing to change it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 So if we'd won 8-0 you wouldn't have mentioned the scoreline? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted December 23, 2012 Moderator Share Posted December 23, 2012 We really desperately need a six foot four destroyer who can place himself in front of our back four and steady the ship. The youth of our defence means that they aren't able to close out a defeat and protect a scoreline like older players do - when we're losing, we're always in danger of losing big - today's result was like a reserves result and there's a reason for that - it's a bold gamble to persevere with, and the danger is that in learning the lessons we'll destroy the players. We looked like a team that had read lots of nice things about themselves this week and decided they'd made it, Chelsea on the other hand looked like a team with something to prove. They are a top class outfit, possibly the best in the country, but we made it easy for them today - maybe this slap in the chops will be good for our players in the long term - at the moment though, it just feels like sore chops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 I have every respect for a young inexperienced side. We all know they have a long way to go. But If I was the manager in that dressing room the **** hairdryer would be a blessing. They would have got both barrells. There is an excuse for being out played, but no excuse for making the oppositions job so easy by standing off. It was shabby and dissapponting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 This is just a very small point and we obviously deserved to lose regardless but I thought both penalties were soft. Typical fat word removed Dowd at it again. So if we'd won 8-0 you wouldn't have mentioned the scoreline? Of course I'd mention the result. How often do you see Villa win by more than 3? It's very rare. Unfortunately us being hammed by 5+ goals has been far more common over the past few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briny_ear Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Liverpool were just complacent in front of goal and too wimpy when dealing with Benteke. By rights they should have been about 3 up before we even had a sniff of an attack, just like Chelsea actually were today. The Chelsea defence was tougher and more robust with CB and showed his limitations more clearly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Yes and conceding 8 has never ever happened in our top flight history as a club. So losing 5 or 6-0 could be argued to be more common but quite clearly conceding 8 isn't so your point makes absolutely no sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Liverpool were just complacent in front of goal and too wimpy when dealing with Benteke. By rights they should have been about 3 up before we even had a sniff of an attack, just like Chelsea actually were today. The Chelsea defence was tougher and more robust with CB and showed his limitations more clearly. We were deserved winners at Liverpool. Just because we were shit and deserved the beating we got today doesn't mean last week's result wasn't deserved. Yes and conceding 8 has never ever happened in our top flight history as a club. So losing 5 or 6-0 could be argued to be more common but quite clearly conceding 8 isn't so your point makes absolutely no sense. So? Fact is we've been hammered by 5 goals or more quite a few times over the past few years. Yes 8-0 is obviously the worst but that doesn't change the fact that we've been prone to getting hammered way before this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 We played to our game plan and it worked. What's the problem with that? I don't believe that we have to have more possession to be the better team. you believe what you want. My stance is simply this you, ignore possession football at you peril. part of that possession football requires pressing and denying the opposistion space....watch Man U thats what they do. If you want Aston Villa to Progress that what we have to aim for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 We really desperately need a six foot four destroyer who can place himself in front of our back four and steady the ship. The youth of our defence means that they aren't able to close out a defeat and protect a scoreline like older players do - when we're losing, we're always in danger of losing big - today's result was like a reserves result and there's a reason for that - it's a bold gamble to persevere with, and the danger is that in learning the lessons we'll destroy the players. We looked like a team that had read lots of nice things about themselves this week and decided they'd made it, Chelsea on the other hand looked like a team with something to prove. They are a top class outfit, possibly the best in the country, but we made it easy for them today - maybe this slap in the chops will be good for our players in the long term - at the moment though, it just feels like sore chops. top class reasonable post Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulver Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Don't let this result somehow affect your memory of last week. We played Liverpool off the park last week and thoroughly deserved a victory. Don't say that was luck just because we got annihilated today. Sadly there's not even a shred of truth in that. We came nowhere near playing Liverpool off the park last week. We just happened to score 3 great goals and they faffed around missing their chances. You make it sound like we bossed the game and ran the show. I can only assume you either weren't there or didn't watch it on the box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 We played Liverpool off the park last week. We really didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ponky Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 I don't think any fan can be blamed for ripping into the players for that particular performance. It was even inept in its ineptitude. Nothing went right and no-one stood up to take ownership and be counted, which is disappointing to say the least. However, whether this is a sign of things to come or just a freak unfortunate blip is yet to be determined. With only two days to turn it around and give the lads a shot of confidence this will be a real test of Lambert's abilities as a man manager. Tactically, I think the 3-5-2 is worth persisting with. The problem today was no presence or closing down in midfield, woeful ball retention & passing, and Benteke's inexplicable inability to remain onside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 you believe what you want. My stance is simply this you, ignore possession football at you peril. part of that possession football requires pressing and denying the opposistion space....watch Man U thats what they do. If you want Aston Villa to Progress that what we have to aim for. To be fair we are trying to pass it more but it takes time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Can i also add that ive never been an advocate of a winter break, but i am now if only to stop another Christmas in a sulk cus the villa have AGAIN been **** shit in December. We always are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir_gary_cahill Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Thought we were decent first half and certainly didn't deserve to be 3-0 down at the break, Chelsea are a class side and were quite clinical although Guzan made several good saves in the second half. Barry bannan was wretched, he isn't even close to being a pl midfielder, I thought Westwood was decent particularly in the first half, we'll struggle to hold onto him, he's superb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulver Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 absolutely, trouble is there are fans who have been highly critical throughout the season and 8 - 0 suits that Alternatively, it's because not everyone can see where we are going, well apart from down potentially. 3 of our unbeaten run consisted of woeful displays against QPR, Reading and Stoke. Are we all supposed to see those performances and think WOW ? Today has been coming, even last week against Liverpool we could've conceeded 4. Against a better side, we would have, We are not bossing the midfield or using the ball well enough to my mind. Defensively we've had to shunt 3 centre backs in to do the job of 2 as none of them are good enough to play in a central pairing week in week out. Today was garbage from the first whistle. Defensively we didn't seem to have a clue how to play against their one striker, and lost the midfield battle completely. We couldn't hold the ball up top and apart from Guzan, who himself wasn't great they'd all get a 2/10 from me That's the worst result in our entire history. A proud day for sure. Some people think Lerner, Faulkner and Lambert know what they're doing. But I look at the table and have my doubts. BIG doubts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Bannan - 6. Thought he was one of our lot that looked like he cared today, did not stop running. Bennett - 0. Worst player on the pitch. Sorry to pick out bits of your post, because I pretty much agree with the rest of it, but really not sure what you saw in Bannan's game. Maybe he did run around a lot, but it might have been better if he'd stayed in the same spot and never got the chance to give away posession. Whenever we needed to slow the game down, up he popped with one of his wonder balls. Amazed how there are always people who think he had a good game, no matter what he does. He never scores, and almost never provides assists. What exactly is he there for? A deep-lying playmaker? Well then above all he should keep posession, but he should still provide assists and score goals. He has had enough chances to show he has it in him. He doesn't. Bennett, I thought, showed some nice bits of skill. There was some stiff competition for worst player on the pitch. Once he's taught how to perform the LB role properly he might be a decent player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted December 23, 2012 Moderator Share Posted December 23, 2012 Somewhere out there is some poor bastard who has spent the whole day dragging round the shops with the missus and studiously avoided the result so that he can watch it on Match of the Day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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