Manager Paul Lambert

[samjp26]

Guzan > Given

Lowton/Bacuna > Hutton

Vlaar > Dunne

Okore > Collins

Luna/Bennett > Warnock

Westwood > Ireland

Sylla > Herd

Benteke > Bent

Kozak > Heskey

Helenius > Fonz

He has also arguably began to get the best out of Gabby, Weimann, Clark, Baker and Delph.

The average age of our squad has come down extremely and in turn the potential of our players improving is obviously better.

To suggest Lambert hasn't made our squad better since McLeish is ridiculous but he has had to overhaul the entire squad.

Next Summer we will not need to buy 6 or 7 players and he can concentrate on simply improving the quality of certain areas.

Edited September 25, 2013 by samjp26

[BOF]

Well both sides of this discussion are about to get a good idea of how well prepared Lambert is. We've long been accused of being a one man team by rival fans and of being one-dimensional by the more critical of our own fans. We now have 6 weeks to see just how well the rest of the players can adapt and how well Lambert can adapt to being without our talisman.

[AshVilla]

I'm starting to think that Lambert is a limited manager

 

Don't get me wrong i think he did a great job last season working within the tough constraints that were forced upon him but looking at the way we play its as if we only know how to play one way we lack creativity lack idea's and are rubbish at home we simply cannot break teams down

 

It was an epic clanger from either Lerner or Lambert for not getting in an ACM It was either a case of him not being given the extra funds to bring one in or he simply decided to sign a striker instead but we really are missing that creative spark in the middle of the pitch

 

More investment will be needed in January to bring in Popov or a similar player if were going to persist on playing this narrow formation all season

[Risso]

It's hard to argue that any of the defenders have improved us, given our appalling defensive record.  Also the midfield neither contributes anything in the way of goal threat, nor does much to protect the defence.

[BOF]

You don't think Okore looked good?  Or Luna has improved the left back spot? 

[smetrov]

You don't think Okore looked good?  Or Luna has improved the left back spot? 

 

Okore looked Good + Luna is a marginal improvement on Bennett - But still short at this level IMO.

[Zatman]

It's hard to argue that any of the defenders have improved us, given our appalling defensive record.  Also the midfield neither contributes anything in the way of goal threat, nor does much to protect the defence.

 

the defence has massively improved on the subsequent games last season. we conceded 15 goals in them 5 league games last season compared to 6 this season

[leviramsey]

Parity in spending?

I'd be shocked if Citeh's wage bill is more than ten times whoever has the lowest wages in the PL.

[BG_Villa_Fan]

Parity in spending?

I'd be shocked if Citeh's wage bill is more than ten times whoever has the lowest wages in the PL.

 

Oh I see you've rather conveniently only posted the MLB salaries. I'd rather wait for you to post all major leagues' salaries before I comment on the 10 times wages difference. 

[romavillan]

 

It's hard to argue that any of the defenders have improved us, given our appalling defensive record.  Also the midfield neither contributes anything in the way of goal threat, nor does much to protect the defence.

 

the defence has massively improved on the subsequent games last season. we conceded 15 goals in them 5 league games last season compared to 6 this season

 

careful, that sort of reasonable point is not welcome round here.

[Richard]

Isnt this just a knee jerk reaction to a heavy defeat that we see all the time?

[Feidhlim]

Isnt this just a knee jerk reaction to a heavy defeat that we see all the time?

 

Your point?

[Risso]

 

It's hard to argue that any of the defenders have improved us, given our appalling defensive record.  Also the midfield neither contributes anything in the way of goal threat, nor does much to protect the defence.

 

the defence has massively improved on the subsequent games last season. we conceded 15 goals in them 5 league games last season compared to 6 this season

 

 

That's totally missing the point though.  Keeping a clean sheet gives you a platform to win games, and the fact that they rarely do this means that whether we lose 1-0 or 8-0 gives largely the end result.

[momo]

Guzan > Given

Lowton/Bacuna > Hutton

Vlaar > Dunne

Okore > Collins

Luna/Bennett > Warnock

Westwood > Ireland

Sylla > Herd

Benteke > Bent

Kozak > Heskey

Helenius > Fonz

He has also arguably began to get the best out of Gabby, Weimann, Clark, Baker and Delph.

The average age of our squad has come down extremely and in turn the potential of our players improving is obviously better.

To suggest Lambert hasn't made our squad better since McLeish is ridiculous but he has had to overhaul the entire squad.

Next Summer we will not need to buy 6 or 7 players and he can concentrate on simply improving the quality of certain areas.

 

BUT:

Benteke > Bent > Kozak > Helenius = Delfouneso > Bowery. IMO.

[BOF]

I'm starting to think that Lambert is a limited manager

 

Don't get me wrong i think he did a great job last season working within the tough constraints that were forced upon him but looking at the way we play its as if we only know how to play one way we lack creativity lack idea's and are rubbish at home we simply cannot break teams down

 

It was an epic clanger from either Lerner or Lambert for not getting in an ACM It was either a case of him not being given the extra funds to bring one in or he simply decided to sign a striker instead but we really are missing that creative spark in the middle of the pitch

 

More investment will be needed in January to bring in Popov or a similar player if were going to persist on playing this narrow formation all season

I think we're about to see whether you're right or not while Benteke is out. I think it's reasonable to say we've been playing the way we've been playing because it best exploits our greatest asset. Benteke. With him out we may need to mix it up. I'd be a little disappointed and slightly worried if Lambert did nothing other than put Kozak directly into the whole left behind by Benteke, because he doesn't have the same ability and I doubt he'd have the same impact. And to use a South Park meme we're "gonna have a bad time" if we do that.

[ozvillafan]

 

 

It's hard to argue that any of the defenders have improved us, given our appalling defensive record.  Also the midfield neither contributes anything in the way of goal threat, nor does much to protect the defence.

 

the defence has massively improved on the subsequent games last season. we conceded 15 goals in them 5 league games last season compared to 6 this season

 

 

That's totally missing the point though.  Keeping a clean sheet gives you a platform to win games, and the fact that they rarely do this means that whether we lose 1-0 or 8-0 gives largely the end result.

 

 

Whether we have improved defensively is a function of goals conceded, not end results. A loss of 1-0 is a marked defensive improvement over a loss of 8-0 just as a win of 3-0 is a marked defensive improvement over a win of 3-2.

 

We may not be as good as we would like in defense - but the trend is towards improvement, which gives me confidence that we will actually get there.

[Woodytom]

Its been over a year now and from what I can see (bar the odd performance) not a lot has changed on the field. We still look uncomfortable on the ball, there still seems to be no plan, we still can't defend, we can't pass consistently, we look so easy to play against etc etc.

 

I like Lambert, like him a lot, but I havent seen much improvement (if any) from when Mcleish was here - on the field that is. certainly not in the games I have got down to see. 

 

Last night was bordering on embarrasing. The result I can live with. There a fantastic team and had about £100m quids worth of players playing. But we just made it easy for them. I fear another long season of struggles while we wait for another load of players to settle due to them being young, inexperienced and in the most part, shite.

[Zatman]

Its been over a year now and from what I can see (bar the odd performance) not a lot has changed on the field. We still look uncomfortable on the ball, there still seems to be no plan, we still can't defend, we can't pass consistently, we look so easy to play against etc etc.

 

I like Lambert, like him a lot, but I havent seen much improvement (if any) from when Mcleish was here - on the field that is. certainly not in the games I have got down to see. 

 

Last night was bordering on embarrasing. The result I can live with. There a fantastic team and had about £100m quids worth of players playing. But we just made it easy for them. I fear another long season of struggles while we wait for another load of players to settle due to them being young, inexperienced and in the most part, shite.

 

really . You think if McLEish was still in charge we would be a Premier LEague team still let alone won at Arsenal or have a player like BEnteke

[Woodytom]

 

Its been over a year now and from what I can see (bar the odd performance) not a lot has changed on the field. We still look uncomfortable on the ball, there still seems to be no plan, we still can't defend, we can't pass consistently, we look so easy to play against etc etc.

 

I like Lambert, like him a lot, but I havent seen much improvement (if any) from when Mcleish was here - on the field that is. certainly not in the games I have got down to see. 

 

Last night was bordering on embarrasing. The result I can live with. There a fantastic team and had about £100m quids worth of players playing. But we just made it easy for them. I fear another long season of struggles while we wait for another load of players to settle due to them being young, inexperienced and in the most part, shite.

 

really . You think if McLEish was still in charge we would be a Premier LEague team still let alone won at Arsenal or have a player like BEnteke

 

 

Im talking about in terms of performance. I take your point Zatman (however I we don't have a definite answer to your questions), however, on the field it is still absolutely dire (in the most part). That, last nigh was appalling. As was the 2nd half at Norwich. The players we had out there were not our best granted, but they need to be performing better than that. They look clueless.

 

I don't mind getting beat by a better team. I just hope we would look like we have half an idea how to play ourselves. I can't pick a team from our players. I don't know where anybody plays anymore, what they are good at etc. It just looks a mess on the pitch.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Woodytom

[Mantis]

Lambert is far from perfect but we're better in every single aspect barring the defence than we were under McDefend. Think people are forgetting how poor we played under McLeish the majority of the time.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Mantis