Morpheus Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Morpheus, the guy who mentioned top-4 was messing around, but not surprised you take it literally. I think you'll find there have been others who have also mentioned qualification for Europe and I'm not surprised you've missed quoted again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted December 17, 2012 Moderator Share Posted December 17, 2012 Actually the best and most complete performance from a Villa team for some considerable time, even better than the one against Man City in the cup for obvious reasons and for the very first time in many a season, I have now reserved excitement about our future. When are you reserving your excitement for? We played against a Liverpool team without a recognised striker. Yes I know all about bugsy and how good he is but he is more of a link striker than anything else. With that striker Liverpool probably would have taken one or two of their chances in the first fifteen minutes. It should not however detract from our performance which I have already desribed above You say it shouldn't detract from the performance yet you are trying to detract from the performance in the same breath. You can only beat the side in front of you, that Liverpool don't have x or y player on their books is utterly irrelevent. Due to one fantastic performance Europe and top four is now being mentioned on here and the media are starting to note our apparent improvement. Strictly speaking it is much better to have that than talking about relegation but I am concerned that the added expectation will filter down to the young players and they might start to believe in their own publicity? The manager will not only have to deal with that but also teams now targeting and man marking Benteke. Apparent improvement? Are you seriously trying to say we aren't an improving side? As for Europe and top 4 I don't think anyone thinks we will get into Europe this season in the league not even Paul Faulkner!!! As for top 4 I've not seen a single person say that, can you point me in the direction of anyone who has said that other than in jest following Bredan Rodgers saying Liverpool were chasing Man City. Seriously, can you point me in the direction of anyone saying we can go for top 4? As for added expectation, I don't really think that is a problem. For one I'm not sure there is a great deal and for another Lambert isn't the sort of manager to let that sort of thing creep into a dressing room. Besides one of the very benefits of a young team is a lack of fear, they don't have the experience of failure only the optimism of youth. In terms of teams targetting and man marking Benteke, good luck to them few have CB's capable of dealing with him as Man Utd found out. I can understand the euphoria, indeed it is most welcome, but we should also temper our enthusiasm with the realism that we do still have a long way to go yet before we place the expectation of Europe on our young players when they are still dealing with the threat of relegation. I don't think anyone is placing the expectation of Europe on the players, they are just enjoying watching a young team develop and begin to climb the table a little while only being a couple of games away from Wembley. I don't see any danger in people being optimistic or hopeful about the future but I can imagine it is a little difficult when you've previously been so vocal about how badly things were going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 What a player! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaCas Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I think you'll find there have been others who have also mentioned qualification for Europe and I'm not surprised you've missed quoted again. As you know I expect and will be happy with a mid-table finish but I also think that qualification for Europe would be within the bounds of possibility (although you'll be glad to know that even I am counting out a top four finish for this season) If PL can sign a two or three crap lower league players or unearth the "next Balaban" ( Morpheus ©) in the window, then I think anything is possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 What a player! Agree. The way he had Zidane in his back pocket in the 1997 European Cup final was awesome. ( ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Interesting how certain posters are quick to dampen expectations when we do well but when we do badly is always the first to go into a panic and start calling for the manager's head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 No one has been calling for the managers head... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted December 17, 2012 Moderator Share Posted December 17, 2012 If we had got hammered at Anfield I'm sure that one game would have been deemed sufficient to write Lambert off yet win and it is just one game. No one has been calling for the managers head... Morpheus I believe said he wanted him replaced with Redknapp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 No one has been calling for the managers head... A small selection of people were, although of course they've stopped now but I wouldn't count against them starting up again if we go on a bad run of form. Exactly Trent. There are just certain people who love downplaying optimism and general happiness when we win but equally love exaggerating negativity and misery when we lose or do badly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I was hoping for another Fabio Ferraresi myself . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 A small selection of people were, although of course they've stopped now but I wouldn't count against them starting up again if we go on a bad run of form. Exactly Trent. There are just certain people who love downplaying optimism and general happiness when we win but equally love exaggerating negativity and misery when we lose or do badly. You get suckered in to the roundabout of delusion if you pay attention for too long. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIVillan Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Cant we just enjoy a very good away performance with some excellent goals. Now can anyone say we would have seen a goal of the quality of the second last year? Slowly but surely we are improving. As for Europe - Wasnt we in a similar situation in terms of league position in O'Leary's first season. We just missed qualifying for Europe on the last day of the season. So it can be done and it will be fun trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrytini Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 How enjoyable to read a - almost totally - positive thread for a change. We are indeed well on track with PL in many ways, as many of us already saw. It is true we shouldn't get carried away and we will fluctuate but surely everyone can now see the plan, the intentions, the abilities, of the Manager. Someone said it a few pages ago - this is the Villa I used to know and love ; win some, lose some, but see talent, commitment, and bravery, tactical awreness, an idea where we are going, and have some fun. And loved his words about the media criticism of his young players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Folski Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Morpheus is just still annoyed he didn't take the blue pill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brummybloke Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 glad lambert has changed his formation to utilise our forwards properly, it certainly has looked far better scoring wise in the 2 games he has used a proper 2 up front. early days yet, and not every game will be suited to the 3 5 2 but he had picked his tactics very well in these last 2 games. for once against the red scum we had a bit of luck and a strong ref who tried to let the game flow and wasnt put off by their attempts to get a penalty each time the ball went in the box. we seem to be getting some momentum now, i doubt the odd set back will stop this and can only really see us moving forwards until the end of the season i think it wouldnt be too much of an expectation for us to finish in the top 10 now, especially with all the midtable teams beating each other, it is a close league this season, a couple wins sees a team move 3 or 4 places up the table. there are still improvements to be made but you cant expect to go from the utter shit from last season to perfect in 1 season, it will take time and its nice to see the new players starting to all settle in the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 The Liverpool performance was superb and we did it without two players in bennet and Vlaar who I think are an improvement on lichaj and herd. I haven't been too impressed with bennet but I think in this 3-5-2 formation we'd see more quality from him going forward. Very excited to see what January will bring under lambert and Henke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daweii Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 I find it exciting that we are back to a 3-5-2 which was last truly used when we were last worthy of winning anything in the early 90's. It excites me that we are close to reaching the final of the League Cup using the same formation that we won the tournament with in 1996. It also excites me that we have Benteke who is the closest we have gotten to replacing Yorke another player crucial to the 1996 win. Now I don't believe in fate but I truly think that everything is on our side concerning the League Cup and it is Villa's to lose at this point. I am so glad we got Lambert as it's down to his signings and his philosophy that we are in the semi's, that we are climbing the table, it's an exciting time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaGoMarching Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Our win at the weekend has definitely seen us turn a corner in the media's eyes. People like Gab Marcotti were complimentary about what Lambert's building, i hope we see more people eating humble pie. It's just a shame Hanson weren't on MOTD when we did Liverpool, at leist Lawro has some decency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Like the way Lambert is so relaxed about his belief in this team and his declaration that they have a long way to go. Trying to measure the rate of development in our players is difficult, but it is clear some have come on leaps and bounds despite some of obvious ones....Clark & Baker are developing a nice little twosome. nice to see these little partnerships blossoming. Like watching Ron Saunders going about his business, watching Lambert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Like the way Lambert is so relaxed about his belief in this team and his declaration that they have a long way to go. Trying to measure the rate of development in our players is difficult, but it is clear some have come on leaps and bounds despite some of obvious ones....Clark & Baker are developing a nice little twosome. nice to see these little partnerships blossoming. Like watching Ron Saunders going about his business, watching Lambert. ps liking the impish defiance developing when we are defending....thought i was watching the three musketeers on Saturday " all for one & one for all" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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