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[The Fun Factory]

It's been like this for years, only twice in the last 12 seasons when we've won even as many as ten home games in a season, just over 50% was in 2007-08 when we had a record of 10 wins and 6 defeats and weirdly in the Graham Taylor when we actually won 11 out of 19 home games and yet finished 16th as we had one away win.

 

It's a problem with how we play, too much pace and little though or guile and also maybe as Villa Park is seen as a nice arena by visting teams, excellent dressing room, big wide pitch, team who'll look to be play on the counter rather than trying to dominant and a less hostile home crowd than you'll fine in other stadiums.

Yep. Villa Park is hardly a fortress is it? Lovely ground and most of the top team players probably have happy memories of many wins to motivate themselves every time they pop down to B6. I don't know the stats but I guess 'modern' football ie the last 15 yrs, home and away results are less different? Most the stadiums are not as hostile, all the pitches are bowling greens and most Premier League sides have  a very comfy trip to away grounds. Also I could be wrong but I doubt if there is such a difference in support in a club in home and away matches than Villa?  We are nearly always excellent on away trips, but bar the odd big match, Villa Park  be can a deathly. My theory would be that bar the odd dodgy year like last season, Villa never look like in trouble of going down nor actucally challenging for anything. A bog standard premier league match at Villa Park can be a bit meh. As Birmingham is so central, most away days are within a day trip of doing, is different, and hence the loud support.

Edited September 14, 2013 by The Fun Factory

[VillaChris]

Yeah atmosphere is the same everywhere, most home grounds are morgues now and even accepted hostile ones like the Britannia aren't as loud as when they came up.

 

The teams with the best home form are generally the best ones, Man. united won the league in 2010-11 with 18 home wins out of 19 and Man. City did the same the next year, in part as they have the best players and also because most away teams are beaten before they even step out on the pitch.

 

Villa Park is just a nice ground though, hosted cup semis, just not a ground most teams dread coming to tbh unless we are in good form.

 

Whenever this thread comes up I always think back to 09/10 when we just missed out on top 4 a few points off Spurs. We won 8/19 home games this season (6 by xmas so only two wins post December!), Spurs won 14.

[VillanousOne]

It may sound ridiculous so early on in the season, but my optimism is already fast fading.

 

1) Passing - if we aren't hitting teams on the break then most of our passing seems to be backwards or hoofed to Benteke as we have no middle through play. Delph tries - and I think he will get there, but he is the only one. Westwood is very tidy and I really like him as he is so consistent, KEA is also tidy but for me he is too slow especially with his decision making. Sylla is all action, not sure he is especially creative but he adds energy to our midfield and you'd hope that other players could feed off that. Bacuna was poor against Liverpool but too early to judge him, Tonev or Helenius.

 

2) Set pieces - Westwood isn't great, nor is he terrible, 1 in 4 set pieces might pose a threat - which is better than Bannan ever was. But we need more options. Most training ground based set pieces are useless and we still pose no threat whatsover from free kicks.

 

3) Counter attacking - Our best hope still, but if Weimann continues to be poor or we get heavily marked we lose our shape and it becomes all about hoof ball to Benteke.

 

4) Defending - we've stopped looking so fragile at set pieces, but we are still giving away poor goals, usually as a result of mistakes in possession or poor marking. I feel much happier with the likes of Vlaar, Clark, Baker and Okore as options now. But it feels like that has come at the expense of Lowton and Luna - who have been sketchy at best.

 

Looking at Newcastle today that had much more physical presence and won more balls than us and they countered much better than we did.

If 433 means we are utter cobblers at home and have to out score teams people after giving them one goal leads away then i'd rather we ripped up the game plan and started again as i've seen enough.

I want to see what Tonev, Gardener and Helenius can do, utterly sick and tired of being outplayed at home. Plus I think teams are wising up to the way we play now. So Lambert show why exactly we should be lauding your greatness.

Edited September 14, 2013 by VillanousOne

[Villarocker]

Leaking at least a goal per game is without doubt our undoing. We need to score 2 per game to have any chance at all of getting 3 points. This causes us to go on the attack and play at a tempo that often compromises our ability to find a team mate with a pass.

The midfield three, selected from Sylla, Delph, Westwood or El Ahmadi, are all too alike. None of them really have the defensive awareness to protect the back four and neither of them is a real goal threat or has a killer pass.

Tonev or a fit again N'zogbia are our only real hope of unlocking a defence.

I can't really understand the signing of Kozack when we are in more of a need of an attacking, probing midfielder, or, a defensive minded midfielder.

It's Lambert's team now so, regardless of finances, he has to take responsibility for those out on the pitch.

[Mantis]

The defence is puzzling. It's not like we're conceding loads of goals, we're just conceding them consistently.

[Electric Avenue]

I will be viagogo ing my Ci£y tickets tomorrow. The home form is truly woeful and has become a psychological problem .

[VillaChris]

Next three at home are Man. City, Spurs and Everton and also Spurs in the cup. Could be looking at 1 point at best from those three although I have a feeling we'll get something off City.

 

I think Cardiff on November 9th looks the best chance of a league home win.

[benireduk]

The midfield three, selected from Sylla, Delph, Westwood or El Ahmadi, are all too alike. None of them really have the defensive awareness to protect the back four and neither of them is a real goal threat or has a killer pass.

Said exactly this today. Just look at Sissoko, he was a man mountain compared to our midfield. We have no physical presence. Sylla is the only one I can think of who could add a bit of bite.

[Electric Avenue]

Why has lambert gone back to this narrow horseshit? Ironically it was 2nd half v NUFC at home last season when he ditched it and we started to look so much more effective.

Can't believe he's reverted back to the narrow crap.

[Nabby]

9 wins in 40 tells its own story we continue that run we are going to fighting relegation again.Also take into account Newcastle have been us the last 2 times and have an abysmal away record.

[Electric Avenue]

Lambert got pretty much everything wrong today.

[Jimzk5]

The defence is puzzling. It's not like we're conceding loads of goals, we're just conceding them consistently.

And almost every goal we concede is through a mistake we make. Teams don't need to break us down, we do all the ground work for them.

[The Fun Factory]

 

The defence is puzzling. It's not like we're conceding loads of goals, we're just conceding them consistently.

And almost every goal we concede is through a mistake we make. Teams don't need to break us down, we do all the ground work for them.

 

Its is probably true, but isnt that the case for most goals? Usually from  a defensive lapse rather than a world class move/shot?

[TRO]

Everyone on here seems to see the problems

When will,we see some rectification....assuming the man that matters can see it.

[Pilchard]

A massive wide pitch at home, and we play narrowly, with no wingers and try to play straight through the middle, with no wingers.

That doesn't help.

[thunderball]

Its not necessarily a home form issue, we just don't don't have a midfield that is Premiership quality and with 4-3-3 it exposes our inadequate personel. I understand we need to give the youngsters time, but two seasons of maturing and getting up to speed is too much.

Being brutal Gabby and Weimann are just not good enough for starting places - Gabby has always been on it or off it, but usually the latter; and Weimann is young and inconsistent, again more cold than hot.

Would much rather see we slowed things down and played with 5 in midfield, with Benteke up front on his own - he should be good enough for that. Leave Weimann and Agbonlahor on the bench if we need to inject some pace or for impact.

[Dodgyknees]

I think the formation would work at home if we had either two proper wide men, or somebody who could put their foot on the ball near Benteke and bring others into play. We need to spend £30m to make this happen, we are currently spending £10m (roughly) each season, so we are looking at 3 years to make it happen and by then we will also be replacing Benteke, Lowton, Westwood and Okore, so basically we won't get the team we need.

[Mantis]

I think the formation would work at home if we had either two proper wide men, or somebody who could put their foot on the ball near Benteke and bring others into play. We need to spend £30m to make this happen, we are currently spending £10m (roughly) each season, so we are looking at 3 years to make it happen and by then we will also be replacing Benteke, Lowton, Westwood and Okore, so basically we won't get the team we need.

While I agree with the need for those kinds of players saying "we need X amount of money to make that happen" is wrong. It's not about the transfer fees, it's about the player.

[PaulC]

We miss a player like Ashley Young to unlock defences at home. Our problem so far this season is that we have conceded the first goal in every game. if we scored first it would be a different game.

[ozvillafan]

A massive wide pitch at home, and we play narrowly, with no wingers and try to play straight through the middle, with no wingers.

That doesn't help.

 

Agreed.

 

Formation needs to change to 4-4-1-1 with wide midfielders or even 4-5-1, again with wide midfielders. We need to not only take advantage of the space available, but we need to press the game onto the opposition. Attacking football would bring the best out of the crowd, too.