Manager Paul Lambert

[Villarocker]

But he isn't solely to blame for the defence. The actual players have to take some of the responsibility too.

Who built said defence?

 

Lambert of course, but are the players not also responsible for their own performances?

If you went solely by that basis no manager would ever get sacked. It's the manager who takes ultimate responsibility for results and performances and that's the way it should be. It's Lambert's job to get the mistakes coached out of them or move them on so he can replace them with players who can defend better. Either that or set the team up in a way where they aren't so vulnerable defensively.

[Mantis]

 

 

 

But he isn't solely to blame for the defence. The actual players have to take some of the responsibility too.

Who built said defence?

 

Lambert of course, but are the players not also responsible for their own performances?

If you went solely by that basis no manager would ever get sacked. It's the manager who takes ultimate responsibility for results and performances and that's the way it should be. It's Lambert's job to get the mistakes coached out of them or move them on so he can replace them with players who can defend better. Either that or set the team up in a way where they aren't so vulnerable defensively.

 

 

Well no because I'm not saying the manager is blameless, just that the players share some of the responsibility.

[Isa]

It's the complete ditching of Sylla that has pissed me off

When he contributed so massively to our good run

Drop kea ffs and let's protect our limp dick defence a bit

Shouldn't Sylla replace the guy who does the least to protect our defence then?

[VillaCas]

 

 

 

 

Liverpool have long had far more resources at their disposal and probably will for the foreseeable future. Unlike some I'm not going throw a tantrum just because Lerner can't afford to spend huge money on us every year.

That's good. You just throw a tantrum when someone disagrees with what ever view you've taken at certain points.

One minute you saying a limited budget has nothing to do with some of our problems and now you're saying that a limited budget is the reason why Lambert can't compete with Rodgers.

So Lerner's limited budget has effected us then?

 

 

Where have I thrown a tantrum? You're just taking what I said (and I wasn't even referring to anyone specifically) and throwing it back at me.

 

What I'm referring to here is not the temporary cost-cutting but the two clubs in general. Liverpool are a bigger club as much as I hate to admit it. They have long had more resources than us in the form of a better squad, more money and more drawing power. Now they may not be as relevant as they once were but they're still way ahead of us. Even when we were spending big in Lerner's first years Liverpool were still outspending us and attracting higher calibre players.

 

 

So now you are agreeing that you need to spend more money to get higher quality players and all the people who were saying our signings were too cheap to be real quality were right all along?

 

 

 

Not necessarily true....but could be.

 

The important thing is signing the right players.

 

It lends itself that the more money you have the odds are you will get it right....the less money you have you need great scouts to find something that others could not see.

 

Sissoko cost 2.2 Million....far more effective that anything we had....so these players can be found at low prices...first you need to spot them, next you need to know you NEED them..

 

My point is a "good big un" will beat a "good little un" all day long why do we persist in signing "lightweight" players in midfield .ie Holman, KEA

 

 

It is very well known that we spotted Sissoko before Newcastle but wouldn't pay the £65k a week he demanded

 

It's not just about "low prices", it's also about reasonable wages

[Nabby]

65k is a lot but then we have lost 6 points to them and they finished higher than us last season so looks cash well spent.

[Mantis]

Actually, we finished higher than Newcastle on goal difference.

[VillaCas]

65k is a lot but then we have lost 6 points to them and they finished higher than us last season so looks cash well spent.

 

No, we finished above them! but not sure what your point is anyway....spending £10m on one players wages was never ever an option for us

 

In general, teams that spend more money finish higher up the league but Newcastle are an example of a team that has spent hugely for minimal return

 

Early days yet - Saturday was disappointing and if it should become a trend then questions need to be asked. Generally there are six teams that we will do very well to get anything from, six or so teams where we should really take most of the points and then 7 or 8 teams where the better or luckier team will take the points. Newcastle were the first of these middle teams we have faced and it could have gone either way. Ben Arfa looked the difference on Saturday but we had our chances to win the game

 

We are progressing (generally, not in every game) but improvement will be much slower than most on here will have patience for - 10th to 12th this season, a final clear out of the deadwood and further progress after that

[Zatman]

wow. did people really expect more points from our 1st 4 games? Chelsea and Arsenal away and the league leaders at home 

[Risso]

wow. did people really expect more points from our 1st 4 games? Chelsea and Arsenal away and the league leaders at home 

 

 

Liverpool....league leaders! Let's not pretend that they're title contenders though, eh? 

[Isa]

wow. did people really expect more points from our 1st 4 games? Chelsea and Arsenal away and the league leaders at home 

No but I doubt people expected us to be dominated on all fronts at home to Newcastle.

[pacbuddies]

I think it was reeasonable to expect 4 to 6 points at home to Liverpool and Newcastle unless people believe we have sunk so low that a draw in each game at home is the best we can expect!

I think it was reeasonable to expect 4 to 6 points at home to Liverpool and Newcastle unless people believe we have sunk so low that a draw in each game at home is the best we can expect!

I think it was reasonable to expect 4 to 6 points at home to Liverpool and Newcastle unless people believe we have sunk so low that a draw in each game at home is the best we can expect!

[briny_ear]

If it's any comfort, we are still 3 points up on the equivalent games last season.

 

Arsenal A 1-2

Chelsea A 0-8

Liverpool H 1-2

Newcastle H 1-2

[Risso]

The next five games are a bit of a mixed bag.  Two winnable away games against Norwich and Hull, and three much more difficult home games against Spuds, Everton and Man City.  I can't see us getting any more than 5 points out of that lot, probably a win away at Hull, and a point against Norwich and Everton, although the way this season has started, who knows.....

[BOF]

This is Lambert's first challenge of the season. We played well against the better sides because they came at us and that suits our style. Newcastle came into our backyard with a different gameplan and it's a gameplan we're likely to see more often than not. They stopped us from playing and let Ben Arfa do his thing. Lambert needs to address our current inability to break sides down who are; shall we say; less than adventurous in their tactics. I think we need a plan B at home. We need to sacrifice one of the strikers; possible an Austrian one; and bring in a central midfielder in a creative attacking role. Maybe put Tonev at the sharp end of a midfield diamond behind Gabby & Benteke and see how that works.

[VillaGoMarching]

We've long struggled to beat anyone apart from relegation fodder at VP.

We've got a team that can counter attack brilliantly but now the pressure is on for us to control games. More than anything I think the team and Lambert need to stick to there beliefs and not listen to the grumbles from the stand when a ball gets passed backwards. The echos of the Bradford game were there for everyone to see.

I think we all need to be patient, just like our progress last season it's a long process and we'll suffer some setbacks along the way.

[TrentVilla]

I'm not sure why people are focussing the discussion on our pattern of play or ability or otherwise to break down sides, we rarely struggle to score thanks to Benteke.

 

The real issue is the fact we can't keep clean sheets and need to look to score 2 in a game to stand any change of winning, that is the real issue.

 

Or single biggest problem is the collective and individual errors within our defence and that simply has to improve.

[Risso]

This is Lambert's first challenge of the season. We played well against the better sides because they came at us and that suits our style. Newcastle came into our backyard with a different gameplan and it's a gameplan we're likely to see more often than not. They stopped us from playing and let Ben Arfa do his thing. Lambert needs to address our current inability to break sides down who are; shall we say; less than adventurous in their tactics. I think we need a plan B at home. We need to sacrifice one of the strikers; possible an Austrian one; and bring in a central midfielder in a creative attacking role. Maybe put Tonev at the sharp end of a midfield diamond behind Gabby & Benteke and see how that works.

 

Lambert's lack of Plan B is even worse than O'Neill's, because at least O'Neill's was effective for a lot of the time.  For the 4-3-3 to work, it needs all of the players doing it to be in good form.  Weimann for example isn't, so it's almost like it's a 4-3-2.  With out full backs also not being the best defensively, Gaby and Weimann are having to try to cover, and it isn't working, as it leaves Benteke too isolated up front.

[BOF]

I'm not sure why people are focussing the discussion on our pattern of play or ability or otherwise to break down sides, we rarely struggle to score thanks to Benteke.

 

The real issue is the fact we can't keep clean sheets and need to look to score 2 in a game to stand any change of winning, that is the real issue.

 

Or single biggest problem is the collective and individual errors within our defence and that simply has to improve.

On the clean sheets thing. I really think Sylla needs to be in instead of El Ahmadi. As well as KEA has been playing (Newcastle game not included), we miss Sylla's protecting of the defence. I suspect and hope we'll see him back in the fold for the Norwich game.

[TrentVilla]

 

I'm not sure why people are focussing the discussion on our pattern of play or ability or otherwise to break down sides, we rarely struggle to score thanks to Benteke.

 

The real issue is the fact we can't keep clean sheets and need to look to score 2 in a game to stand any change of winning, that is the real issue.

 

Or single biggest problem is the collective and individual errors within our defence and that simply has to improve.

On the clean sheets thing. I really think Sylla needs to be in instead of El Ahmadi. As well as KEA has been playing (Newcastle game not included), we miss Sylla's protecting of the defence. I suspect and hope we'll see him back in the fold for the Norwich game.

 

 

I agree and would have said that ahead of the Newcastle game, offering the defence more protection though doesn't solve the problem that a lot of the time both collectively and as individuals our defenders can't defend so it doesn't solve the problem.

 

I would though just like to point out that perhaps the inclusion of KEA ahead of Sylla was intended to give us more ability on the ball and ability to unlock a team intent on sitting back.

 

I struggle to see how we can become better at breaking teams down if we have to have players in the side who are there largely to do the job those behind them are consistently failing to do.

[BOF]

Lambert's lack of Plan B is even worse than O'Neill's, because at least O'Neill's was effective for a lot of the time.  For the 4-3-3 to work, it needs all of the players doing it to be in good form.  Weimann for example isn't, so it's almost like it's a 4-3-2.  With out full backs also not being the best defensively, Gaby and Weimann are having to try to cover, and it isn't working, as it leaves Benteke too isolated up front.

Lambert had a plan B, C & D at Norwich so I don't think we can accuse him of being as limited as O'Neill yet. I think he will be acutely aware after that game that we need to mix it up going forward. The introduction of Kozak was a sign of it, although I think he was the wrong change at that time. It'll be interesting to see what; if anything; changes the next time we play a lesser side at VP.