Manager Paul Lambert

[PussEKatt]

I actually agree with you on that - I think RL has made a lot of mistakes (well documented on this site)

- not controlling the finances under MON

- an odd appointment in Houllier

- a terrible appointment in McHoof

- trying to balance the books too quickly

I beleive that Lambert is a good manager and that given time and decent resources will sort it out

You'll be pleased to know that even I admit that the improvement is stalled for now - I'll let you know when it's back on

Tough times to be a Villa fan but lets hope the new year brings 5 or 6 new players and an upturn in results

I go along with this 100 %

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

We lack in central midfield, we lack quality cover in most areas on the field but possibly the most disappointing thing so far during the reign is not getting the best out what we have. I have defended Lambert and do hope he stays and is backed and as positive and refreshing it has been to see us play with the young guns, he needs to one be careful he isn't leaving out players who'll win us games and two, once playing the youngsters then play a game which can suit the players we have.

We have no source, no 'way' of scoring goals, no continued threat and our biggest problem, we're not creating chances in the best areas. What I mean is, while say an O'Neill only had a Plan A, give it the wide men and put a cross in, but currently, we don't even have a plan A. We don't yet have a system in place and that's a massive worry. Our attacks are varied but without quality both as a team and individually. Whatever system we play, we don't have wide men and width (in terms of overlaps and good crosses into the box) our full backs get forward but they haven't got the ability to beat a man on a regular basis which allows opposition to engage them and not allow baring the odd wonderball (like Joe Bennett vs Wigan, just once) any crosses of quality to come in. When we work the ball inside, firstly we have too many players who pop it off within a couple touches, problem being that we don't commit players, we're also not good enough to play our way through teams and not many in the league and we don't get runners into areas we'll cause problems. We're relying on individual quality to score goals and when that happens in a team with very little individual quality, it's difficult. Liverpool prime example, Benteke was unplayable but he's not going to reproduce those games more than maybe once, or even twice a season.

In Benteke we have a striker who isn't that disimilar to someone like Carew, a player who can hold the ball up, protect it, use it well and be a constant threat from balls crossed into the box in the air and on the floor.

Darren Bent is one of the best strikers for scoring goals from crosses, again on the floor or wide, great movement and knack of being in the right area.

Agbonlahor, physical but lacks movement, still though as we've seen, deliver good balls and if he's up front, he'll score goals in the box.

Weimann, I'd say most similar to Bent in that his movement and striking know how will get him in great positions.

Getting the ball to the by line or in a dangerous wide position is especially for the players we have at our disposal, surely the most important aspect of our game and yet it's something Lambert hasn't even seemed to consider. It's also the easiest way of creating chances because it's player for player and where the most space is. In Lowton and Bennett, you have two good attacking full backs not just without the ball in terms of being able to support attacks but with the ball. When Darren Bent first arrived, plenty of his success came from the ability of Kyle Walker to drive past players, open up gaps for himself or Downing to then pick Bent out. Would like to see Lowton and Bennett carry the ball infield more often and drive spaces which they can't do at the moment because they are often occupied by within the way we play (a lot of players coming short for the ball in central spaces) we need to back this up with wide players. We admittedly don't have much in terms of choice as I don't think Albrighton is good enough. What I would maybe think about given Bennett's attacking ability is someone like Barry Bannan who can not only retain the ball and have the ability to find passes into their feet but has an excellent ability to cross the ball both floated and whipped. He crosses the ball more than anyone in our team but always from bad areas, deep central/wide areas. Let him sit wider and allow for Bennett and a more aggressive midfielder to support him. Bannan is a player you can feel comfortable with to retain the ball so runners off the ball firstly, can cause problems themselves if the ball is on like Bennett free on the overlap, midfielder attacking a channel space and also creates space for Bannan himself to take a touch out his feet and find a cross, an example being Beckham type wide play. Other side, I'd really like to see N'Zogbia or if not, Gabby maybe, just someone who can get the ball and attack a player, get them on the back foot and get the ball into the box. Gabby is a good crosser of the ball either foot and has pace to scare his man and push him back while N'Zogbia can be a player on his day to attack full backs and play more individually without support of runners.

That's the biggest change I'd like to see anyway, play with more enthusiasm going forward, directness and energy. Currently we have nothing, it's labored, lacking ideas and creativity. Once you've got a settled squad after a year or two then maybe we can start looking at more intricate ways in order to break teams down as well as wide but for now I think we need to concentrate on what we have and do the fundamentals right and for me when attacking that is providing a threat down either side with runners in behind which we haven't done all season.

[VillaCas]

the biggest change I'd like to see anyway, play with more enthusiasm going forward, directness and energy.

Sadly its not enthusiasm, directness or energy that we are lacking, it is craft and ability

[Pilchard]

Sadly its not enthusiasm, directness or energy that we are lacking, it is craft and ability

Along with mental strength and any defensive awareness.

[hippo]

Sorry Lambert has made several gaffes since joining us:-

1.He declared his faith in Ireland and Nzogbia to provide our creative element

2.He made Bent Captain

3.He purchased to many youngsters, leaving us very short of experience.

He has some funds in the window to try and correct 3. - but his expectation that a group of untested players could compete at this level is a worrying error of judgement. What other misjudgements are in the pipeline ?

I really think Lambert has dug himself a hole - and don't see him turning it around at villa. He seems like a good Norwich Manager - rather than a good football manager.

[PauloBarnesi]

Sorry Lambert has made several gaffes since joining us:-

1.He declared his faith in Ireland and Nzogbia to provide our creative element

I can’t remember him ever saying that? Have you ever thought that he has £17.5 million worth of players on £100K+ a week, that are worth about £2million and no one wants to take them off our hands? Face it we are stuck with these guys...

[regular_john]

Sorry Lambert has made several gaffes since joining us:-

1.He declared his faith in Ireland and Nzogbia to provide our creative element

2.He made Bent Captain

3.He purchased to many youngsters, leaving us very short of experience.

He has some funds in the window to try and correct 3. - but his expectation that a group of untested players could compete at this level is a worrying error of judgement. What other misjudgements are in the pipeline ?

I really think Lambert has dug himself a hole - and don't see him turning it around at villa. He seems like a good Norwich Manager - rather than a good football manager.

What else would you have had him do in the summer? He had to buy a LOT of players for £20 million and buy in a way that was sustainable in the future (rather than just piss £20 million up the wall). In the modern game, could he have possibly gotten both quality AND experience in the quantities we needed for £20 million?? No chance.

[VillaCas]

Sorry Lambert has made several gaffes since joining us:-

1.He declared his faith in Ireland and Nzogbia to provide our creative element

2.He made Bent Captain

3.He purchased to many youngsters, leaving us very short of experience.

He has some funds in the window to try and correct 3. - but his expectation that a group of untested players could compete at this level is a worrying error of judgement. What other misjudgements are in the pipeline ?

I really think Lambert has dug himself a hole - and don't see him turning it around at villa. He seems like a good Norwich Manager - rather than a good football manager.

Congratulations - just got in under the wire with "worst post of the year"

[KjParton]

Congratulations - just got in under the wire with "worst post of the year"

:'( weepable

[VillaCas]

Derp!

[AshVilla]

Just seen a statistic surely this isn't true

During the christmas matches we only registered 4 shots on target?

[KjParton]

Derp!

HERP DERP!

[pacbuddies]

Just seen a statistic surely this isn't true

During the christmas matches we only registered 4 shots on target?

That many! I must have missed some when I went to the bog.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Sadly its not enthusiasm, directness or energy that we are lacking, it is craft and ability

I agree don't get me wrong but once you know you haven't got that then you play in a way which is easier for the players, move the ball into the strikers and wide men early, get the ball into the box, be competitive on second balls, press around the pitch when it's on and get deeper runs. Problem is I think we're playing like a team who needs that quality and ability in central areas and simply we don't have it. Let's attack wide areas and get the ball into the box for our strikers who are perfectly suited for that game.

[hippo]

What else would you have had him do in the summer? He had to buy a LOT of players for £20 million and buy in a way that was sustainable in the future (rather than just piss £20 million up the wall). In the modern game, could he have possibly gotten both quality AND experience in the quantities we needed for £20 million?? No chance.

OK get the blinkers off. Lets just suppose these weren't the actions of Paul Lambert, but say we had given KMAC or Alan Curbishley the job. Basically he has recruited from the lower leagues, very young players, now these would be ok to supplement a steady squad, but not to be the mainstay of our season. What else could he have done:-

Not made Bent captain, then demote him

Kept some of the older heads on the fringes (Hutton\Warnock), yes I know these players aren't the answer, but in an injury crisis, they should have been able to step in.

I would love lambert to suceed, but I really don't see it. He has looked at what worked at Norwich and tried to do the same here,the difference he assembled the norwich squad outside of the premier league - he had a solid base to take into the premier league. At villa he barley had a base, but just threw young kids at it regardless.

Sorry, I think he is a Phil Brown, Owen Coyle, Paul Jewell. I know we all love him because he isn't Houllier or Mcleish, and he is young. But error strewn approach so far smacks of a guy out of his depth. Lets hope he learns quickly, I really want him to suceed, but lets not pretend he is above critiscm.

[Morpheus]

OK get the blinkers off. Lets just suppose these weren't the actions of Paul Lambert, but say we had given KMAC or Alan Curbishley the job. Basically he has recruited from the lower leagues, very young players, now these would be ok to supplement a steady squad, but not to be the mainstay of our season. What else could he have done:-

Not made Bent captain, then demote him

Kept some of the older heads on the fringes (Hutton\Warnock), yes I know these players aren't the answer, but in an injury crisis, they should have been able to step in.

I would love lambert to suceed, but I really don't see it. He has looked at what worked at Norwich and tried to do the same here,the difference he assembled the norwich squad outside of the premier league - he had a solid base to take into the premier league. At villa he barley had a base, but just threw young kids at it regardless.

Sorry, I think he is a Phil Brown, Owen Coyle, Paul Jewell. I know we all love him because he isn't Houllier or Mcleish, and he is young. But error strewn approach so far smacks of a guy out of his depth. Lets hope he learns quickly, I really want him to suceed, but lets not pretend he is above critiscm.

Pretty much this ^^

What worked at Norwich certainly wasn't going to work with us. Rightly, or wrongly, expectation levels are higher at our club for a start.

I have stated this before and will state it again. The budget he had to spend in the summer should have gone on one quality experienced DM, one quality experienced AM and two experienced quality FBs, while keeping Cuellar and if need be Collins. Those were the weaknesses that needed addressed first and he didn't have sufficent quality within our squad to allow him to purchase youth and Premiership inexperience.

What he did have at the club was a quality goalscorer who thrives on crosses but had been stripped of his supply. So alternatively, he could have spent his budget on two decent wingers to reconnect that supply to Bent while strengthing our midfield with Diame and Adam and keeping both Cuellar and Collins for another season or two. Benteke, Lowton and Bennett could still have been purchased as Diame was on a free and Adam wouldn't have cost much more than KEA.

For those who will come at me with 'but he only had 20m to spend,' well, he actually had more as he didn't spend all of his budget.

Clearly Lambert has made mistakes. He did target our weaknesses but didn't purchase the right players for those weaknesses and thats why those weaknesses still exist within the team.

[Hairyhands]

Hippo believe me when I tell you he didn't come in and decide youth was the way to go and that he didn't want to sign anyone over 25. Nor did he feel after the transfer deadline closed in the summer he had a squad good enough to shine in the Premier League. Nor did he "try to do the same at Villa as he did at Norwich".

As some of the guys have rightly pointed out, there wasn't a lot of money available and he had to try and bring in a number of players with one eye on this season and the other very much on the future. I think he has done a decent enough job in that respect (if you want to look at it this way the club could sell Benteke and pretty much get back every penny he spend during the summer).

Bent was bombed out because he refuses to work hard enough for the team. Got his chance - wasn't interested - and got bombed. Hutton is rubbish. If you think he is any better than the guys in there just now you're kidding yourself on.....the only difference is he earns more than double what they do. Nzogbia was also given his chance but didn't deliver and like Bent his attitude stinks.

What Lambert is having to do is continue to cut costs but at the same try try to somehow improve a squad of players that was a disaster when he took over. That can't be done overnight so to suggest he is another Owean Coyle or whatever is nonsense.

No-one is suggesting he is above criticism either but take time to think of the problems he has encountered and the fact there isn't a quick fix.

What you'll see during the month of January is one or two of the wasters I've mentioned leaving, reducing the wage bill, and two or three coming in from abroad. There is better value for money there and since there isn't £20m to spend this time aorund then some bargains will have to be sought.

The sooner you realise Villa will take years to sort out the better. Personally speaking, I think with a couple of the injured players back and a few new faces avoiding the drop is most certainly not beyond us. Look at the league table - we ain't in the bottom three and the teams above us can be caught with a win or two. Even if we slip into the bottom three I do feel we will improve from Feb onwards.

But don't blame the manager for a mess that was created long before he arrived. He'll put it right but it will take time and maybe this year we'll all just have to accept it is going to be a dog fight and keep our fingers crossed we survive.

[dudevillaisnice]

Fewest points 2012 (Europe): QPR 30, Hoffenheim 31, Augsburg 32, Aston Villa 33 #qpr #avfc

That is terrible.. in the whole of Europe.

[pacbuddies]

Pretty much this ^^

What worked at Norwich certainly wasn't going to work with us. Rightly, or wrongly, expectation levels are higher at our club for a start.

I have stated this before and will state it again. The budget he had to spend in the summer should have gone on one quality experienced DM, one quality experienced AM and two experienced quality FBs, while keeping Cuellar and if need be Collins. Those were the weaknesses that needed addressed first and he didn't have sufficent quality within our squad to allow him to purchase youth and Premiership inexperience.

What he did have at the club was a quality goalscorer who thrives on crosses but had been stripped of his supply. So alternatively, he could have spent his budget on two decent wingers to reconnect that supply to Bent while strengthing our midfield with Diame and Adam and keeping both Cuellar and Collins for another season or two. Benteke, Lowton and Bennett could still have been purchased as Diame was on a free and Adam wouldn't have cost much more than KEA.

For those who will come at me with 'but he only had 20m to spend,' well, he actually had more as he didn't spend all of his budget.

Clearly Lambert has made mistakes. He did target our weaknesses but didn't purchase the right players for those weaknesses and thats why those weaknesses still exist within the team.

Well said Morpheus.

To use an analogy he had a damaged car and went out and bought new parts that made it look a bit shinier and younger but it was still damaged. Now the car is sitting by the roadside waiting for a tow truck to get it home safely.

[Rob182]

Well said Morpheus.

To use an analogy he had a damaged car and went out and bought new parts that made it look a bit shinier and younger but it was still damaged. Now the car is sitting by the roadside waiting for a tow truck to get it home safely.

So what should he have bought? Older parts to fix his damaged car?

That's a rubbish analogy