romavillan Posted May 2, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted May 2, 2013 Thing is - I still think that job needs to be done. If we start next season with Bennett and Baker as first choice defenders - the failings will quickly become apparent - we need 2 more senior defenders. I think we may have 'got away with it' this season - but the foundations of the defence still need need to laid. There's no point wanting a manager to do something when the chairman won't pay the wages that would make it happen. The job of bringing in the odd established player is a lot easier to do now from an integration point of view, now that we have a good base and now that we know what we have. Ignoring the wages, from a playing point of view it could have been equally as dangerous to bring in a shed load of established players on big wages (see QPR). But as I say, the key point in all of this is that he didn't have the money to go down that route so the point is moot. Supplement the current squad with a few more league 1 players and academy kids - isn't going to produce a surge up the table I've had this discussion with others. You could leave that squad untouched and you'll get a surge up the table next season on experience and integration alone. Not saying your wrong, but that is a bit simplistic. There are soo many parameters. Second season syndrome, the added pressure of being relied on (yes they've had pressure this season to), handling the new fame of being a rich recognisiable PL-player, teams around us weakening or strenghtening... For all that we hope our players will develop to stars and shine some of them might just as likelly turn into another Michael Johnson. IMO we need to strenghten just to stay were we are i think BOF is saying we would be strengthened solely by the younger players being more experienced and the group as a whole working together better. there are more ways of getting stronger than just throwing money at the squad. we will have carruthers, grealish, gardner, DJ, etc. all a step closer to the squad i would think which is great for competition and squad depth. we'll have the players knowing the systems the manager wants inside out, stability, (if we stay up) a great confidence boost from our post jan form... that's a hell of a lot of things in our favour without investing in the squad. personally i think we WILL invest in the squad as well as all that good stuff happening and we won't be anywhere near the bottom 3 next season (if we stay up). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 (edited) Strenghtening - yes, surge up the table - no On the flip side Lambert would have learned a lot from this season and hopefully the team will benefit from this. This season have been very much a learning, trial & error season for him Edited May 2, 2013 by sne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted May 2, 2013 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2013 Strenghtening - yes, surge up the table - noIf we get stronger we will climb. Not everyone gets stronger in a summer window. Teams will lose players and buy dross. If we don't do that then we climb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Strenghtening - yes, surge up the table - no If we get stronger we will climb. Not everyone gets stronger in a summer window. Teams will lose players and buy dross. If we don't do that then we climb. Not sure that's true, much in the same way as our improvement during the second part of this season has not (or hopefully marginally) moved us up the table. We might very well climb the odd position but we should not count on it. Maybee it's just me, but when i hear the word surge i associate it with a big improvement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted May 2, 2013 Moderator Share Posted May 2, 2013 Just two more wins this season would have us 9th. That would be a surge in position for me and would be in the ballpark of what I would expect positionally next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacbuddies Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Strenghtening - yes, surge up the table - no If we get stronger we will climb. Not everyone gets stronger in a summer window. Teams will lose players and buy dross. If we don't do that then we climb. Not sure that's true, much in the same way as our improvement during the second part of this season has not (or hopefully marginally) moved us up the table. We might very well climb the odd position but we should not count on it. Maybee it's just me, but when i hear the word surge i associate it with a big improvement When I hear the word 'Surge' it is usually precipitated by the words 'Yes, yes, oh yes'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted May 2, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted May 2, 2013 Yeah I was joking with my post, it was a cheap shot at Lerner's past stupidity really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 I hope the rate of progression will be evident in the first 10 matches of next season, the first 2 months. If it isn't we could be dragged into another scrap. Can't be arsed with another one. That Sunderland game is near on as nervous as I've been as a Villa Fan, it was all nerves and sickness. There was no excitement like there has been with cup finals and games to push us up into 4th. We still look so soft, and easy to attack and score against. I think Lambo will sort that in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 I have just been thinking- which is probably a bad idea. Lambert has come in to bring in young hungry players on relatively cheap (but still huge compared to 95% of the population) wages. Said players now finally coming good such as Betenke, Lowton, Westwood. So we either have to give them huge wages increases to keep them at Villa, which breaks the salary remit, or we sell them. Then there is the danger that they dont peform and we are stuck with big contracts, or we sell our best players every year and we can never move forward. How is this circle to be squared? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjp26 Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 I have just been thinking- which is probably a bad idea. Lambert has come in to bring in young hungry players on relatively cheap (but still huge compared to 95% of the population) wages. Said players now finally coming good such as Betenke, Lowton, Westwood. So we either have to give them huge wages increases to keep them at Villa, which breaks the salary remit, or we sell them. Then there is the danger that they dont peform and we are stuck with big contracts, or we sell our best players every year and we can never move forward. How is this circle to be squared? I don't think so at all, in fact, I think we'll have them tied down for their best years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oaks Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 The problem is/was players pottering around the squad on big wages not playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morpheus Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Lambert being interviewed on Football Focus today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Lambert being interviewed on Football Focus today. A childhood Villa fan apparently. He says he had the 82 away strip as a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingfisher Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 A Villa supporter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogso Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 In the Football Focus interview, he says he was a Villa fan as a kid. Well, verbatim, he said he followed them, and his mum bought him the 82 away shirt. Heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjp26 Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 I guess its not something you bring up as a professional within the game, but it would make sense as a factor in his move from Norwich to us when he was doing well there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamdog Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Lambert ran with C-Crew. I thought everyone knew that? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Thing is - I still think that job needs to be done. If we start next season with Bennett and Baker as first choice defenders - the failings will quickly become apparent - we need 2 more senior defenders. I think we may have 'got away with it' this season - but the foundations of the defence still need need to laid. There's no point wanting a manager to do something when the chairman won't pay the wages that would make it happen. The job of bringing in the odd established player is a lot easier to do now from an integration point of view, now that we have a good base and now that we know what we have. Ignoring the wages, from a playing point of view it could have been equally as dangerous to bring in a shed load of established players on big wages (see QPR). But as I say, the key point in all of this is that he didn't have the money to go down that route so the point is moot. Supplement the current squad with a few more league 1 players and academy kids - isn't going to produce a surge up the table I've had this discussion with others. You could leave that squad untouched and you'll get a surge up the table next season on experience and integration alone. Based on what ? - The players go away for 8 weeks - then get significantly better results over the next 38 games ? - Those players who haven't kept a clean sheet for 20 odd games - suddenly become a defensive fortress. Don't see it myself. I believe there will be some shuffling on the pack in any case.I think Joe Bennett will go back up north - and we will sign one or,even two centre halves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 MASSIVE BALLS. Lambert must have massive balls, to be able to stick with the young players, even when fans were crying out for others to come in (I saw calls that Warnock and Hutton would be better) and yet PL has stuck to his guns and it has finally started shining. Definitely the sort of man I want in charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkyvilla Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Yes, I also admire his balls. All's well that ends well, and in the long run I think we will benefit from not gambling on lots of experienced new signings in January, so well done everyone at the club. Assuming we stay up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts