Manager Paul Lambert

[Kwan]

I'm tired of this fluke result thing. Is arsenal also a fluke result?

The team can play much better than this. We've seen them play better than this. Yet, we're still getting results when we're not playing well. It's much better than last season when we would play well and come away with nothing.

This team is not even close to playing at top form yet.

[StefanAVFC]

I'm tired of this fluke result thing. Is arsenal also a fluke result?

The team can play much better than this. We've seen them play better than this. Yet, we're still getting results when we're not playing well. It's much better than last season when we would play well and come away with nothing.

This team is not even close to playing at top form yet.

 

Exactly. Some would have us believe we're a terrible team who only gets wins through flukes.

[Big_John_10]

While man city clearly out played us I think we were well worth the win.

We restricted them to chances from set pieces and crosses in the box and took our limited chances with 3 fantastic pieces of play.

We need to improve how we play at times but I don't think you can complain about yesterday.

[Folski]

Points progress ? Definitely

 

Football progress ? Not at all

 

You need to fix the latter to achieve things, unexpected results happen all the time (see Man City's result yesterday and at Cardiff for proof) but we need to improve MASSIVELY if we're ever going to trouble the top 6/8 ever again

 

The football is at times, is frankly dire as yesterday showed once again.

 

It's got to be fixed

 

I was very critical of the performance against Norwich, we misplaced so many easy straight forward passes, we also had 36% possession against a team who had a similar figure the week before against Spurs. While I understand we are not a possession team, it's much harder to concede with the ball than it is without it, and our inability to keep the ball allowed Norwich so many opportunities, which thankfully Guzan some how dealt with. However, I did not see all of the 90 mins yesterday, but from what I can gather is that we scored 3 goals. Lambert set the team up to frustrate City as much as possible, he played 5 defenders and 3 hard working centre mids who don't score or create a lot. City did not score from open play and from watching MOTD I can't recall too many clear cut chances. We should also look to the fact we were missing Agbonlahor & Benteke, who were responsible for 28 of our 47 (60%) Premier League goals last year, and we still managed 3 goals against one of, if not the best defence in the league. I will expect to see a massive improvement in terms of performance from the Norwich game to the Hull game but I'm willing to allow a poor footballing performance against a side with that much quality in exchange for 3 points.

[Ulver]

So you expected us to outplay City? Wah bloody wah, get a great win and still moan moan moan.

 

it's not a moan, it's a glaringly obvious point. 

 

just because you win a game (or indeed lose one) it doesn't make everything 'right' (or wrong)

 

we aren't playing well. simple as that. and the longer it goes on the more we'll suffer if we don't get a grip of things

 

that's hardly a contentious opinion

[Dodgyknees]

Points progress ? Definitely

Football progress ? Not at all

You need to fix the latter to achieve things, unexpected results happen all the time (see Man City's result yesterday and at Cardiff for proof) but we need to improve MASSIVELY if we're ever going to trouble the top 6/8 ever again

The football is at times, is frankly dire as yesterday showed once again.

It's got to be fixed

I was very critical of the performance against Norwich, we misplaced so many easy straight forward passes, we also had 36% possession against a team who had a similar figure the week before against Spurs. While I understand we are not a possession team, it's much harder to concede with the ball than it is without it, and our inability to keep the ball allowed Norwich so many opportunities, which thankfully Guzan some how dealt with. However, I did not see all of the 90 mins yesterday, but from what I can gather is that we scored 3 goals. Lambert set the team up to frustrate City as much as possible, he played 5 defenders and 3 hard working centre mids who don't score or create a lot. City did not score from open play and from watching MOTD I can't recall too many clear cut chances. We should also look to the fact we were missing Agbonlahor & Benteke, who were responsible for 28 of our 47 (60%) Premier League goals last year, and we still managed 3 goals against one of, if not the best defence in the league. I will expect to see a massive improvement in terms of performance from the Norwich game to the Hull game but I'm willing to allow a poor footballing performance against a side with that much quality in exchange for 3 points.

The thing is, for the budget Lambert has, he has to find a solution and we will not be lucky to get 5 top quality players for that money, it will take time for them to shine.

I think we really needed to look at one or two premium, ready to go players who can put their foot on the ball and dictate, plus get goals, use the ball wisely and make things happen, otherwise it is constant drudgery which causes problems.

If we had brought in a Kiyo type player and an enforcer (similar to Tiote) I think it would make us a lot better quality wise.

Edited September 29, 2013 by dodgyknees

[StefanAVFC]

No it's a moan.

 

While we didn't do well in ball retention or the technical aspects of the game, as John rightly said we stifled City to shots outside the box and set pieces.

[Butterfingers]

 

PL has had a pretty rough ride this past week

No he hasn't. He has massive support at games and mostly the media write nothing but positive things about him.

A few people share their opinions on this site. If that's a rough ride how would you describe what Mcleish dealt with?

 

 

I meant exclusively on this site. I've read some crazy stuff over the past few days that beggars belief. The progress has been clear for anyone to see statistics prove this. We have only lost to a team outside the top 7 on one occasion (Newcastle) since mid January yet you'd think we were in dire trouble reading this thread over the past week.

 

The Mcleish stuff was far worse admittedly but he never had a chance with many from day 1 did he?  I accept it didn't work out but a yardstick I often use is the first 2 seasons Everton had under Moyes. Everton fans were up in arms over the standard of football they played. I honestly think PL & Villa have passed through the worse period & the 8-0 defeats to Chelsea are a thing of the past. We are now at the next stage in the rebuild. I enjoy watching our away games & think we've played some great stuff & contributed to exciting matches. The home form hasn't been great but at some point, I'm convinced we'll turn a corner with this. If we can maintain the away form, we might have a very good side on our hands.

[TRO]

Points progress ? Definitely

 

Football progress ? Not at all

 

You need to fix the latter to achieve things, unexpected results happen all the time (see Man City's result yesterday and at Cardiff for proof) but we need to improve MASSIVELY if we're ever going to trouble the top 6/8 ever again

 

The football is at times, is frankly dire as yesterday showed once again.

 

It's got to be fixed

 

 

its not any easy argument to get over, but your right.

 

However there is also another argument, saying enjoy the result, enjoy the day.

I thought there was absolutely no chance of us getting anything from that game, funny ole game football.... but we can't keep relying on desire alone.

 

having said that I thought Bacuna showed some technical prowess.

[Dodgyknees]

No it's a moan.

While we didn't do well in ball retention or the technical aspects of the game, as John rightly said we stifled City to shots outside the box and set pieces.

Which is great. The next step is to do this and cause problems for them.

[StefanAVFC]

Which we did, as we scored 3 goals

[villaguy]

I'm tired of this fluke result thing. Is arsenal also a fluke result?

The team can play much better than this. We've seen them play better than this. Yet, we're still getting results when we're not playing well. It's much better than last season when we would play well and come away with nothing.

This team is not even close to playing at top form yet.

 

Exactly. Some would have us believe we're a terrible team who only gets wins through flukes.

It's a sign of a team with a winning mentality, United over the past few decades have got a lot of (fluke) results playing poorly

[Dodgyknees]

Which we did, as we scored 3 goals

Yes but my point is when we struggle, we need to restrict and be able to be a threat, to pin teams back. We were good yesterday but a little less luck would have seen a draw or defeat. Progression needs us to be more forceful.

Edited September 29, 2013 by dodgyknees

[praisedmambo]

 

Football progress ? Not at all

 

I'm not 100% sure what this means and from when you're basing it on, because if you think there's been no football progress since McLeish was manager then you've got a funny memory. We might not have been outstanding offensively yesterday but we were playing Man City, and we were missing Gabby, Benteke and Westwood. Since January there have been loads of games where we have clearly shown football progress, without argument. It's a shame you can't see that. We've not been great every game, but we've been far from poor most games and very good in a decent number of games too. WIth McLeish we were only dire. 

[Kwan]

I think that's what Tonev and Helenius can be used for. Players with a little bit of skill that can threaten in ways that gabby and andi just can't. I kind of wish we'd would play some home game without Benteke as I think we're guilty of trying to play through him too much.

[StefanAVFC]

As I stated a few pages back,

 

we must be playing really badly if we've scored the 3rd most goals in the league. Suppose they were all flukes though?

[praisedmambo]

 

Which we did, as we scored 3 goals

Yes but my point is when we struggle, we need to restrict and be able to be a threat, to pin teams back. We were good yesterday but a little less luck would have seen a draw or defeat. Progression needs us to be more forceful.

 

A draw against Man City wouldn't have been that bad. 

[vandaq]

Damn, I bet this drives many members away and coming members who lurk before they sign up. Shame. Beating city should not results in this the day after, no matter how you try to put it. 

btw, Kiyotake scored once again. Seems like Lambert was spot on about that one too, even if we didn`t get him. 

[Rovers13]

Here's the thing, i don't know what people consider entertaining football. To me, creating more chances and more goals is entertaining, and fewer chances and fewer goals is less entertaining. Even if the team plays a little bit long at times, I prefer to watch that than 40 intricate build up passes only to give the ball away at the edge of the area. Yes, the 40 buildup passes means you concede less goals because the other team can't score when you have the ball, but I find incredibly boring to just watch a team stroke the ball around in the midfield aimlessly for a while just to keep possession and then eventually go forward. 

 

Under Lambert, most of the games are pretty thrilling, regardless of whether purists think that there is enough proper passing football being played. The games always keep you on the edge of your seat because anyone could score at any time, and I just think that's better than a team that does slow short passing. So personally I think the style's about as fun as it can get because it leads to so  much scoring and so many chances getting created for both sides. Obviously as time goes on the side will look to evolve into one that creates just as many chances while conceding fewer goals, but saying the style is dreadful and Lambert is a longball manager that makes a team play like Stoke is not correct at all.

 

Villa go long sometimes with an eye towards scoring and actually do score a lot of goals, Stoke go long and try to suffocate the game with no freedom given to the players (or at least did under Pulis)

 

So maybe you have an issue with the style, but for me being third in the league in goals scored means the team can't be playing in a dreadful way. It's actually a pretty fun way.

[samjp26]

As I stated a few pages back,

 

we must be playing really badly if we've scored the 3rd most goals in the league. Suppose they were all flukes though?

 

Worth mentioning also Stefan that the only teams above us in regards to goals are Arsenal and Man City. We've put 3 past each of them already.

 

We're crap though obviously.