Manager Paul Lambert

[Con]

Can you conjure up some statistics on the movement of our midfielders?

 

How good are they at finding open areas after passing the ball?  Is there a reason why the defenders are not giving the ball back to them

 

The defenders are hurt because they are conceding so many goals. They want to fix everything themselves, play all the attacking balls.

 

It's a natural psychological reaction, but it's an urge experienced defenders would be able to resist.

 

I don't have any real statistics for movement.

 

But it's not really necessary. When defenders play the ball along the back line they only face a striker. If they are patient they can pass it sideways between them until they can find a midfielder.

 

They are too impatient.

 

 

What our attack has become is this -

 

Silly run down the wings from our WBs, crappy 1-2s with the winger, WB  sends in a hopeless cross that gives the ball back.

[Denis_B]

Dear Hairyhands,

 

As you know the club monitor this site and have done so for years. If you have the position of knowledge you espouse you must be doing this with the clubs authority as you can surely be identified and Lambert must know wha tyou are saying on here.

 

Now rather than use you as his 'Max Clifford' can you tell the club to get that bloody Yank from behind his sofa and face the people he has disappointed/angered/upset - you are being used as a toned down 'General Krulak' to try and appease us 'men and women on the terraces'

 

We are in a mess and no amount of explanations from you will change that and Lamberts decisions tactically and with his ridiculous substitutions such as on Tuesday are no less culpable than Lerners disappearance.

[PauloBarnesi]

N’Zgobia isn’t a winger.

 

The team is crying out for some proper wingers. Imagine Young & Downing feeding Benteke...

[Shillzz]

N’Zgobia isn’t a winger.

 

The team is crying out for some proper wingers. Imagine Young & Downing feeding Benteke...

 

Whilst I kind of agree, it's the least of our worries at the moment. I also happen to think that NZgobia has been playing well recently.

[drat01]

Dear Hairyhands,

 

As you know the club monitor this site and have done so for years. If you have the position of knowledge you espouse you must be doing this with the clubs authority as you can surely be identified and Lambert must know wha tyou are saying on here.

 

Now rather than use you as his 'Max Clifford' can you tell the club to get that bloody Yank from behind his sofa and face the people he has disappointed/angered/upset - you are being used as a toned down 'General Krulak' to try and appease us 'men and women on the terraces'

 

We are in a mess and no amount of explanations from you will change that and Lamberts decisions tactically and with his ridiculous substitutions such as on Tuesday are no less culpable than Lerners disappearance.

Well said that man

[Majkee]

Can you conjure up some statistics on the movement of our midfielders?

 

How good are they at finding open areas after passing the ball?  Is there a reason why the defenders are not giving the ball back to them

It is simple and everyone can spot it in every Villa PL match. If our midfielders are pressed, they do not have enough skill to avoid being pressed and they simply pass the ball back to defenders who can not pass it back to them because they are even pressed or midfielders are taken by opposition, so defenders hoof the ball forward (second half of WBA match). Every other time it is giveaway or overpowered CM loosing the ball (second half against WBA again). Simple as this, just watch Villa's games. The last time I can see Villa central midfielder doing one-on-one or skimming the pressing opponents was Westwood against WBA in the first half - but opposition was not pressing us in the midfield. Bannan and Delph are specialits for loosing the ball under pressure, they are physically weak, at least El Ahmadi or Westwood have some level of skill to do easy trick of changing the direction to skip or skim pressing opponent. This is not the problem for attackers or AMCs, but as a CM, the lost ball like this is a deadly counter.

On the other hand, and this has almost the same weight of failure, when we are pressing the opponent, it is so so easy for them to do a simple trick to skip our player. We are so poor at this discipline. Plus if we are pressing, there are still easy free targets to pass from pressed player who are not pressed by our players, so the Villa pressing is a complete waste in current state of affairs. These are basic fails from elementary school of football.

Another failure are our throw-ins. Again, elementary school - we have a throw in, opponents take/mark every our player in 10 yards distance leaving only a long throw as a solution. When the opposition has throw in, we are not marking in 10 yards throw distance and almost in all situations, there is at least one free player who receive the throw in, without pressure and starts their attack - it is easy to spot it in matches, just focus on it.

I think that Lambert is not so dumb that he can not see it and I am sure that PLAYERS are NOT ABLE to do it even if Lambert focused on it in video review sessions. There is simply not enough skill to do it in current playing midfielders and defenders too. That is why Benteke is going to receive throw ins on the halfway line (wtf? he should be lurking 16 yard box and finding free space around it) because he is strong enough to shield the ball even if marked (imho 50% success rate). If the receiver is Bannan, Delph or even Bennet, it is a constant loss - they are too small and lightweight.

Nobody needs to have A+ training grade to spot our weaknesses which imho are related purely to skills of our players.

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

Love the idea that Lambert had his hands tied with wages. It's been noted on another thread that some very good Spanish players playing for clubs like Levante, Betis etc are only on around 5K per week. This is just one league in Europe, so I don't believe there was absolutely NOBODY in World football who Lamberk could've purchased who is no better than Barry Bannan, KEA, Ireland, and Delph.

[sne]

It is simple and everyone can spot it in every Villa PL match. If our midfielders are pressed, they do not have enough skill to avoid being pressed and they simply pass the ball back to defenders who can not pass it back to them because they are even pressed or midfielders are taken by opposition, so defenders hoof the ball forward (second half of WBA match). Every other time it is giveaway or overpowered CM loosing the ball (second half against WBA again). Simple as this, just watch Villa's games. The last time I can see Villa central midfielder doing one-on-one or skimming the pressing opponents was Westwood against WBA in the first half - but opposition was not pressing us in the midfield. Bannan and Delph are specialits for loosing the ball under pressure, they are physically weak, at least El Ahmadi or Westwood have some level of skill to do easy trick of changing the direction to skip or skim pressing opponent. This is not the problem for attackers or AMCs, but as a CM, the lost ball like this is a deadly counter.

On the other hand, and this has almost the same weight of failure, when we are pressing the opponent, it is so so easy for them to do a simple trick to skip our player. We are so poor at this discipline. Plus if we are pressing, there are still easy free targets to pass from pressed player who are not pressed by our players, so the Villa pressing is a complete waste in current state of affairs. These are basic fails from elementary school of football.

Another failure are our throw-ins. Again, elementary school - we have a throw in, opponents take/mark every our player in 10 yards distance leaving only a long throw as a solution. When the opposition has throw in, we are not marking in 10 yards throw distance and almost in all situations, there is at least one free player who receive the throw in, without pressure and starts their attack - it is easy to spot it in matches, just focus on it.

I think that Lambert is not so dumb that he can not see it and I am sure that PLAYERS are NOT ABLE to do it even if Lambert focused on it in video review sessions. There is simply not enough skill to do it in current playing midfielders and defenders too. That is why Benteke is going to receive throw ins on the halfway line (wtf? he should be lurking 16 yard box and finding free space around it) because he is strong enough to shield the ball even if marked (imho 50% success rate). If the receiver is Bannan, Delph or even Bennet, it is a constant loss - they are too small and lightweight.

Nobody needs to have A+ training grade to spot our weaknesses which imho are related purely to skills of our players.

That's pretty much exactly how i see it too

[Majkee]

N’Zgobia isn’t a winger.

 

The team is crying out for some proper wingers. Imagine Young & Downing feeding Benteke...

NZog was, is and will be a winger. Same as Ashley Young and every try to convert them into AMC will fail (Nzog played good recently but he should be better used as a winger or free role winger drifting from one side to the other). They are both not Xavi or Iniesta. NZog and Young are very similar, they have good technique and skills to go against opposition defenders (mostly lighter fullbacks) and good crossing but they are not able to thrive under pressure playing as AMC or MC (as they can not defend despite tries from Ashley to be a complete player - that is why he is in ManUre). A lot of games have proven it.

[Con]

It is simple and everyone can spot it in every Villa PL match. If our midfielders are pressed, they do not have enough skill to avoid being pressed and they simply pass the ball back to defenders who can not pass it back to them because they are even pressed or midfielders are taken by opposition, so defenders hoof the ball forward (second half of WBA match). Every other time it is giveaway or overpowered CM loosing the ball (second half against WBA again). Simple as this, just watch Villa's games. The last time I can see Villa central midfielder doing one-on-one or skimming the pressing opponents was Westwood against WBA in the first half - but opposition was not pressing us in the midfield. Bannan and Delph are specialits for loosing the ball under pressure, they are physically weak, at least El Ahmadi or Westwood have some level of skill to do easy trick of changing the direction to skip or skim pressing opponent. This is not the problem for attackers or AMCs, but as a CM, the lost ball like this is a deadly counter.

 

I don't know where you get that idea from. Westwood hasn't performed a single dribble this season.

 

Westwood gets and gives it quicker and as a result is caught out less often than Delph and Bannan, whom you are right in saying get caught dawdling too often.

 

 

On the other hand, and this has almost the same weight of failure, when we are pressing the opponent, it is so so easy for them to do a simple trick to skip our player. We are so poor at this discipline. Plus if we are pressing, there are still easy free targets to pass from pressed player who are not pressed by our players, so the Villa pressing is a complete waste in current state of affairs. These are basic fails from elementary school of football.

 

Bannan has the same number of tackles this season as Britton, in the Swansea team - in less game time.

 

Neither are defensive players but I bet you Britton is working in the better defensive system.

 

Swansea are a team of midgets but they have the highest tackling success rate in the league, because they work together.

 

 

 

 

[VillaGoMarching]

Why is it suddenly Lambert who is the problem? When for the last 3 years this same core of players have struggled to be motivated and organised.

We are all to aware of why Hutton and Warnock were exiled. Both of them were walking liabilities. One an own goal waiting to happen and the other a red card. Collins was moved on simply because he was on higher wages than Vlaar would command and 2 years older, with a fancy for a tipple (glug). Dunne has been injured since Lambert walked through the door. None if them could have improved the current situation.

The only bloke we've missed from last years playing squad is Stan. He'd be dragging this team to safety.

[Denis_B]

Why is it suddenly Lambert who is the problem? When for the last 3 years this same core of players have struggled to be motivated and organised.

We are all to aware of why Hutton and Warnock were exiled. Both of them were walking liabilities. One an own goal waiting to happen and the other a red card. Collins was moved on simply because he was on higher wages than Vlaar would command and 2 years older, with a fancy for a tipple (glug). Dunne has been injured since Lambert walked through the door. None if them could have improved the current situation.

The only bloke we've missed from last years playing squad is Stan. He'd be dragging this team to safety.

There must be questions about his tactics? - FOUR CENTRE FORWARDS on the pitch Tuesday and he took off a midfilder and wing back to accomodate - where was the supply from? - of course lumped balls from the back when their CB play this type of game week in and week out - pathetic!

[Mantis]

Lambert isn't "suddenly" the problem and he isn't the only problem but he is a part of it with his inept tactics and seemingly poor motivational skills. Lerner has a lot to answer for but so does Lambert and quite frankly it's baffling that he's being able to get away with so much when you remember what his predecessors had to put up with from fans.

[Con]

There must be questions about his tactics? - FOUR CENTRE FORWARDS on the pitch Tuesday and he took off a midfilder and wing back to accomodate - where was the supply from? - of course lumped balls from the back when their CB play this type of game week in and week out - pathetic!

 

Agree. It's ordering your soldiers to charge without giving them any ammunition.

 

He's a young manager. Like our young kids is he too easily buckled under pressure?

[Nabby]

There must be questions about his tactics? - FOUR CENTRE FORWARDS on the pitch Tuesday and he took off a midfilder and wing back to accomodate - where was the supply from? - of course lumped balls from the back when their CB play this type of game week in and week out - pathetic!

 

 

Agreed Dennis.

 

It's not just the system change it was when it happened ,if there was 5 mins left sure go that way.But 30 mins to go in a game we dominated but conceded to a set piece and it was panic stations.

 

So yes he has had hands tied to a degree but he is takes responsibility for some of our issues too.

[CI]

He's been playing this narrow formation for over 6 months. It is crap and doesn't work yet he still does it week after week . Is he blind, stubborn or retarded or a combination of all 3

[VillaForever1970]

There must be questions about his tactics? - FOUR CENTRE FORWARDS on the pitch Tuesday and he took off a midfilder and wing back to accomodate - where was the supply from? - of course lumped balls from the back when their CB play this type of game week in and week out - pathetic!

He clearly panicked then imo, ideally he should have kept the same team and remained patient. When in reality it was like he was reading the match thread on here and tried to put everyone's ideas into action. He put a lot of pressure on himself to win the game and how it would kickstart our season etc etc.

A clear moment of madness and i'll bet a one off.

If it happens again he deserves all the grief he gets.

[VillaForever1970]

He's been playing this narrow formation for over 6 months. It is crap and doesn't work yet he still does it week after week . Is he blind, stubborn or retarded or a combination of all 3

It works in regards to attacking.

[BOF]

I feel sorry for those who were waiting for him not to do the press conference. I really really feel for them.

[Stevo985]

He clearly panicked then imo, ideally he should have kept the same team and remained patient. When in reality it was like he was reading the match thread on here and tried to put everyone's ideas into action. He put a lot of pressure on himself to win the game and how it would kickstart our season etc etc.

A clear moment of madness and i'll bet a one off.

If it happens again he deserves all the grief he gets.

 

We also don't know what his instructions were.

If he told Weimann to go on and play on the wing, but he kept playing central then it's not (as much) his fault. Just an example.

 

But yes, it was a strange call and quite short sighted imo.