Manager Paul Lambert

[Big_John_10]

And guys, football doesn't die if we don't play in the Premiership

True but it could certainly make the club slowly die, especially with the increased money.

maybe humble a few as well

Who needs to be humbled? I don't think our fans need to be humbled at all.

[briny_ear]

but he isnt going to say the defence has been crap is he? wont exactly be a great motivation technique at such a vital part of the season

im sure it will be addressed should we stay up

they need to be clear they have to improve. No point in giving them false hopes.

[lp_villa830]

Yes the football this season has been somewhat more entertaining (for the neutrals anyway...) than last season, which really isn't saying much.

But if i was given the choice of staying up with McLeish or being relegated with Lambert then the choice is easy

So far the choice is a relegation fight with McLeish or a relegation fight with Lambert, and that's an easy choice as well.

There was never seriously a relegation fight with McLeish last year. At the equivalent point in 2012 we were 6 points clear of the bottom 3 and it was fairly implausible that we could be caught over the next 5 matches. Fair play to McLeish, he had a jolly good go at doing the implausible and got us within 2 points of the drop zone but our early season form always put us in a strong position to withstand the effects of a typical end-of-season McSlump.

This season we have been in real peril of going down for most of the season, and still are . It may be more "entertaining" for fans of a certain disposition but it has also been crap, crap, crap to see our defence leaking so many stupid goals and our forwards struggling to score barely one per game. I don't really see how you would choose one over the other. Both seasons have been totally unacceptable.

As I've said many times on here, the difference was that mcLeish was taking us backwards. Everything just seemed to be getting worse and worse under McLeish and you couldn't see anything that would improve. I'd bet if he was here for 5 years we'd be no better off (probably relegated at least once in that time)

Lambert's taken a small step backwards, but I, at least, can see improvements in the future. i do genuinely feel like things will get better with Lambert in charge.

I never felt that with mcLeish

I agree with things both Briny and Steve said. This season compared to last has seen relegation as more of a feature all the way through it, whereas last year it only became a distant possibility in the final games. But Lambert despite all the pressure recently seems capable of building from the ashes of shite this year. As soon as we had a difficult spell under Mcliesh he grumbled, whether that was due to fan pressure or not we don't know but he never looked like revitalizing the team.

Yes the football this season has been somewhat more entertaining (for the neutrals anyway...) than last season, which really isn't saying much.

But if i was given the choice of staying up with McLeish or being relegated with Lambert then the choice is easy

So far the choice is a relegation fight with McLeish or a relegation fight with Lambert, and that's an easy choice as well.

There was never seriously a relegation fight with McLeish last year. At the equivalent point in 2012 we were 6 points clear of the bottom 3 and it was fairly implausible that we could be caught over the next 5 matches. Fair play to McLeish, he had a jolly good go at doing the implausible and got us within 2 points of the drop zone but our early season form always put us in a strong position to withstand the effects of a typical end-of-season McSlump.

This season we have been in real peril of going down for most of the season, and still are . It may be more "entertaining" for fans of a certain disposition but it has also been crap, crap, crap to see our defence leaking so many stupid goals and our forwards struggling to score barely one per game. I don't really see how you would choose one over the other. Both seasons have been totally unacceptable.

As I've said many times on here, the difference was that mcLeish was taking us backwards. Everything just seemed to be getting worse and worse under McLeish and you couldn't see anything that would improve. I'd bet if he was here for 5 years we'd be no better off (probably relegated at least once in that time)

Lambert's taken a small step backwards, but I, at least, can see improvements in the future. i do genuinely feel like things will get better with Lambert in charge.

I never felt that with mcLeish

I agree with things both Briny and Steve said. This season compared to last has seen relegation as more of a feature all the way through it, whereas last year it only became a distant possibility in the final games. But Lambert despite all the pressure recently seems capable of building from the ashes of shite this year. As soon as we had a difficult spell under Mcliesh he grumbled, whether that was due to fan pressure or not we don't know but he never looked like revitalizing the team.

[Pelle]

Hm, not really in a relegation fight? We weren't safe untill after the last round. Well practically safe before that round as bolton had a very much worse goal difference than us. But a point that we hardly deserved in the last home game against spurs saved us last year. With one game to go. Remember the home game against bolton? We were maybe never in the relegation zone, I can't remember, but we were very much in the fight.

[Zatman]

 

but he isnt going to say the defence has been crap is he? wont exactly be a great motivation technique at such a vital part of the season

im sure it will be addressed should we stay up

they need to be clear they have to improve. No point in giving them false hopes.

 

 

probably criticizing behind closed doors. rarely hear Fergie or Mourinho criticize players in publinc

[Stevo985]

Coming out and telling the press that the defence is crap would be terrible management.

 

Of course he's going to back his players in public. He's hardly going to talk shit about them ahead of a crucial end of season run. Wouldn't exactly be the right time to damage their morale, would it?

[Zatman]

btw anybody comparing McLeish to Lambert has either gone mad or have amnesia from last season. McLeish football was killing the club and fans. made paint drying look exciting.

 

he was a poor version of MON, at least Lambert you can see their is some sort of future planing

[ThunderPower_14]

I agree with most that despite how this season has gone, i'm much happier with Lambert going forward than I was with McLeish. You just feel like he is building something and this season can be put down to growing pains.

[VillaGoMarching]

Did anybody expect us perform better than we currently are? from day one, this season has been about blooding youngsters and surviving.

[limvillian]

Did anybody expect us perform better than we currently are? from day one, this season has been about blooding youngsters and surviving.

 

 

I did, didn't expect us to do well per se but thought we would have done better than we have.

[KHV]

Did anybody expect us perform better than we currently are? from day one, this season has been about blooding youngsters and surviving.

Lambert has been worse than I thought he would be. I knew we would be near the bottom but I didnt think we would be in a position where we are relying on wigan to lose games in hand to stay out of the bottom 3. I also would not have exoected us to get dumped out of a cup semi by a league 2 team. this season has been a total disaster from start to finish

[vandaq]

I do wonder what we will see if Lambert has a lot of money to fill in the remaining slots in our squad next season. My bet is that it will become much better, but we will see. It really boils down to who he can get and if they will deliver. 

[vandaq]

Would also like to add that a lot of places though we would go straight down this year, no question before the season started. We have a weak squad, just look at the bench we have at times. We need to more players who are capable of stepping in to the team. When for example like Gabby was gone it was so obvious we were weaker. Didn`t really help that bowery played but you get the gist of it. I say we should look at eredivisie,swiss league,ligue 1 and pick up any good players we can get from the lower leagues. I still want redmond from birmingham, please lambert just take him from them

 

, 

[sne]

Did anybody expect us perform better than we currently are? from day one, this season has been about blooding youngsters and surviving.

I seem to recall most poster here expected better.

 

Im pretty sure there was a unofficial poll (kinda) in one of the threads by a poster (can't remember who) where you were supposed to guess where you thought Villa would end up at the end of the season. He then did a list of all the posters and im pretty sure the average resault was 11-12. I guessed 16-18 depending on january signings 

 

It's not this one: http://www.villatalk.com/index.php/topic/6644-hopes-and-expectations-for-next-season/page-6?hl=expectations

It was right at the star of the season or when the transfer window closed

 

Edit: The list is in the aptly named topic "Where do you think we will finish:

http://www.villatalk.com/index.php/topic/7862-where-do-you-think-we-will-finish/?hl=%2Bwhere+%2Bwill+%2Bfinish

Edited April 17, 2013 by sne

[Pelle]

 

Did anybody expect us perform better than we currently are? from day one, this season has been about blooding youngsters and surviving.

Lambert has been worse than I thought he would be. I knew we would be near the bottom but I didnt think we would be in a position where we are relying on wigan to lose games in hand to stay out of the bottom 3. I also would not have exoected us to get dumped out of a cup semi by a league 2 team. this season has been a total disaster from start to finish

 

 

Did you expect us to reach the semi final in the first place? We're not solely relying on Wigan to lose. We still have it in our own hands. As long as it is "enough" to win the remaining games of the season we have it in our own hands. And as we're playing both wigan and sunderland before the end of the season it's in our own hands. Of course we won't, but they won't either.

[sne]

Here's the list if you can't be bothered with the link:

 

Where do you think we will finish?

 

 

4th - AVFCRigo ( currently a 1500-1 shot )
5th
6th - DarrenM. Ikantcpell
7th
8th - Daweii, Claret75
9th - AVFCforever1991, CrackpotForeigner, KJT123, StanBalaban
10th - Folski, DeepDish, Richard
11th - VillaCas, Maqroll, 8Pints, Philospher, MMFy, Rodders, BraveHeartVillian, Chappy, LockStockVilla, RomaVillan, DamsonWoodVillan, DeigoD, dakid007
12th - Adz.Villa, DieHardVillian, Mantis, VillaKevBromsgrove, Raver50032. Paddywhack, the understudy, PussEKatt
13th - KJParton, Lexicon, TrentVilla, Brumerican, Ghost, David-Copenhagen, Cheltenham-Villa, HalfTimePost, FlamingSombrero
14th - Samjp26, PB, Stevo985, Tayls, CI, Quizme, GC80, Voinjama
15th - Jimzk5, Woody1000, LondonLax, AVFCtheObsession, Milfner, KHV
16th - Jim, SNE
17th - Pacbuddies
----------------------------------------------------------
18th - 
19th - 
20th - PieFace

[Zatman]

 

Did anybody expect us perform better than we currently are? from day one, this season has been about blooding youngsters and surviving.

I seem to recall most poster here expected better.

 

Im pretty sure there was a unofficial poll (kinda) in one of the threads by a poster (can't remember who) where you were supposed to guess where you thought Villa would end up at the end of the season. He then did a list of all the posters and im pretty sure the average resault was 11-12. I guessed 16-18 depending on january signings 

 

It's not this one: http://www.villatalk.com/index.php/topic/6644-hopes-and-expectations-for-next-season/page-6?hl=expectations

It was right at the star of the season or when the transfer window closed

 

Edit: The list is in the aptly named topic "Where do you think we will finish:

http://www.villatalk.com/index.php/topic/7862-where-do-you-think-we-will-finish/?hl=%2Bwhere+%2Bwill+%2Bfinish

 

 

we are 4 points off 11-12 were most people predicted us to finish so not as bad as people making out yet. still not impossible to finish there

[PieFacE]

Here's the list if you can't be bothered with the link:

 

Where do you think we will finish?

 

 

4th - AVFCRigo ( currently a 1500-1 shot )

5th

6th - DarrenM. Ikantcpell

7th

8th - Daweii, Claret75

9th - AVFCforever1991, CrackpotForeigner, KJT123, StanBalaban

10th - Folski, DeepDish, Richard

11th - VillaCas, Maqroll, 8Pints, Philospher, MMFy, Rodders, BraveHeartVillian, Chappy, LockStockVilla, RomaVillan, DamsonWoodVillan, DeigoD, dakid007

12th - Adz.Villa, DieHardVillian, Mantis, VillaKevBromsgrove, Raver50032. Paddywhack, the understudy, PussEKatt

13th - KJParton, Lexicon, TrentVilla, Brumerican, Ghost, David-Copenhagen, Cheltenham-Villa, HalfTimePost, FlamingSombrero

14th - Samjp26, PB, Stevo985, Tayls, CI, Quizme, GC80, Voinjama

15th - Jimzk5, Woody1000, LondonLax, AVFCtheObsession, Milfner, KHV

16th - Jim, SNE

17th - Pacbuddies

----------------------------------------------------------

18th - 

19th - 

20th - PieFace

 

 

Ooooh I don't think I will be too far away

[Big_John_10]

If you don't think people thought we'd be better I'd go and read the responses to Robbie Savage back last summer.

[sne]

What i find a bit strange is that many of those who expected us to finish high up in the league and therefore ought to be most dissapointed by Lambert and the team are still his most vocal supporters and are still fiercly protective when someone dare to suggest that Lambert might have a few chinks in his shiny armour.

 

I guess it's because they are trained in the way of the force and can see that elusive "bigger picture" that us mortals can't.

 

For me the team and Lambert has performed as expected with the positive exception of Benteke and the negative exception of the horrific defending especially during christmas