Richards for England, not just yet …..

Our best player during this troubled start to the season, Micah Richards, will be conspicuous by his absence for his country during this international break. Aston Villa’s international headlines have been dominated by Jack Grealish’s decision to opt for the country of his birth and then his subsequent invite to join the training camp for induction.

Beleaguered Manager Tim Sherwood quickly seized on this proposition, declaring that Grealish’s contribution to Villa needed to come first and instead took the opportunity to promote the talents offered by Richards, who has been far and away his most effective signing.

Talking to the Birmingham Mail after Saturday’s demoralising home defeat to Stoke City, Sherwood said he believed Richards to have been ‘head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch’ and that it is only a matter of time before the Villa captain gets an international call – providing Villa’s results improve.

There are adversities, contradictions and ironies though contained within the contribution that Richards has made to the Villa team this season.

Firstly, he has been affected more than most by Sherwood’s ‘jiggling’ of the team that has meant he has lined up with three different central defensive partners already this term. The most unexpected of these being the pairing with debutant Jose Angel Crespo against Stoke on Saturday. The pair were still working out their positions when allowing Stoke to take the lead.

The biggest contradiction throughout these changes though has been the failing so far to gel with Joleon Lescott, the pair being good friends and close team mates from their Manchester City days. Everyone was expecting it to be a match made in heaven.

Yet throughout these changes of line up, Richards has remained a rock. Against Stoke, Sherwood is right, he was easily our best player, leading by example and breaking out of defence enthusiastically with determination and power. Indeed his exuberance got the better of him and he was fortunate not to get booked for simulation following a dive that would have caught the eye of the casting team for the next series of Splash!

There is though is a second contradiction; many supporters believe that Richards would be better deployed in the problem position of right back at the expense of Alan Hutton and Leandro Bacuna, with possibly Jores Okore and Ciaran Clark sharing duties in the middle of the park (when and as their fitness allows). It must be remembered that this pairing did especially well last season when injury kept Ron Vlaar out of the side.

Such a move would likely displease Richards who it’s understood especially wants to play in a central role and this may even have been a factor in him joining the club. However, there may well come a point in the season where the team’s needs will need to be put before the players own career aspirations.

Finally there is an irony contained within Richards’s offerings, three incidents in front of the Holte End, that have proved to be significant and are a reminder of how narrow the margin is between success and failure in football at the highest level.

With Villa trailing 0-1 against Stoke, Richards found himself unmarked in the centre of the penalty area only to scuff his attempted header tamely wide of the post. He had a similar opportunity at the end of August against Sunderland where his attempted diving header somehow got tangled inadvertently between his head and and foot with the goal completely at his mercy. Finally, in the first home match of the season against Manchester United he went to ground in the box to allow Adnan Januzaj the opportunity to shoot home for the only goal of game.

Had Richards converted those headers and stayed on his feet the points gained would see us level with Bournemouth, Chelsea and West Bromwich Albion.

With time on his hands during this enforced break in Premier League action, Richards as Captain of the team will have more to contemplate than most. Ultimately whether it’s at right back or at the centre of defence Aston Villa needs a fit and enthusiastic Micah Richards to lead the team to stability and safety. In doing so he will surely get a call from Roy Hodgson.

Comments 67

  1. Sorry, Matt, I’m not on the Richards England-should-he-be-or-not wave-length at all to comment…

    However, in response to Mark (prevuious posts)…

    Mark: “Its tims team and tim said he would buy winners or at least a winning mentality and get rid of the losing one. well where are they? If the problems not tim it must be the players? I dont think he’s giving them the best platform for the ability they have. He didnt buy the type of player he seems to want to create imo.”

    There are all-round issues Mark that have course got to be sorted.

    But once-upon-a-time we used to say that you have to give the manager some time to get matters sorted. We’re not doing that … I feel that there is a panic-mode already setting in.

    We must give him a few weeks.

    In my opinion he may well walk if he can’t see things working out. In his interviews he’s shown that he’s concerned about how the fans feel so let’s be concerned how *he* feels. N’est ce pas?

  2. I enjoyed reading your leader, Matt.
    I guess at the moment people are worried about us losing so often.
    Good writing, though, about Micah. I hope he continues to shine for Villa and that he can inspire the team to do better.
    Yes, we’re only losing by a goal. I’d prefer that we were only winning by a goal, though.
    Seems like the world passes us by between losing and international breaks these days.

  3. John – I believe you are right. Panic mode is setting in, with the manager. There is no panic from the fans – we have been here for the last 4 years.

    TS is saying the right things about the fans and all of the wrong things about the team.

    How can he still be searching for the right team and the right formation. That is what pre-season is for.

    Did Tim just randomly buy players in the summer with no plan or tactical idea on how to deploy them?

    What has happened to buying players with the winning mentality?

    Tim saying the players need to man up is a joke -right? Surely he needs to Manager-Up.

    I am still in utter disbelief that in a must win game against Stoke, Tim plays 3 at the back because he is still searching for the right formation.

    And we have now been informed that things could get even worse before they get better.

    WTF.

    This feels like amature-ville.

    Over to you Tim.

  4. JL 5+ years of rubbish doesnt help john. Another false dawn isn’t going down well.
    We know hes a rooky manager and the mistakes in game are there to be seen. Do we continue to let a developing manager learn on the job even if it ruins us? If we were playing ok and had a style call it what you will I could see a time when it might work. At the moment I think hes changed his values on attacking football and is going down a route that doesnt look good. I dont like saying this but unfortunatley the answer could be he hasn’t got the experiance to make this work before we get relegated

  5. Mark – how can a rookie manager earn the money that TS is being paid. I don’t know the exact figure but you can bet it’s between 1-3M. For a rookie. It’s an hypocrisy. We are paying for his ,mistakes in more ways than one. He is learning on the job and we are suffering as a consequence.

  6. every body on here knows that i was the greatest hater of lambert there could ever be but i have to say that for all his negativity he used to manage a point a game on average which i cannot see nice but dim tim getting near ,the end of last season was all there for all to see that he was clueless,and the 6 week period where he had come in and got the players up for the run in had quickly disappeared, those games against Southampton Burnley and the wembley farce actually showed how much idea sherwood really had ,this has been carried foeward to this season and in fact got worse as we have missed the points against the lesser clubs and now nobody expects any thing in the next few games so we will be at the bottom of the league .
    was there not a clause in Lamberts contract that stated if we where in bottom 3 he could be sacked is there not one in nice but dims he simply has to go he has not got a clue spuds fans told us this but we refused to believe them in all our euphoria for the coming of Sherwood the great his time has come and gone i dont blame any body bar him and the crab wilkins for poor team delection and even worse subs that have cost us 9 points at least you canot make up the lost ground so losing any more is the way to the poor house he has to go now

  7. Mark: ” Another false dawn isn’t going down well.”

    Sorry, we don’t know that it is (“a false dawn”) yet…

    As I intimated, we’re already on a short fuse without giving the guy that much time.

    He has promised and continues to promise … let’s just see what he can do. It’s not going to cost us except a prolonged test of patience!

  8. Jl you said quite rightly lets see where we are after 10 games I think the chances are it will be bottom 3 if this continues. A 1/4 of the season gone thats a fair old dawn. If your talking in terms of a year build it isn’t if its a season then its dawn over because fox will get twitchy.

  9. Mark,

    I don’t think I’ve specifically mentioned anywhere “10 games” 😉 I have intimated October as the crux month, yes, but I forgot about the break we’re in.

    I’d go more for 12 games before I’d say we’ve got a decent fix on where things stand. I’ll stick with that (12 games).

  10. Jl lots of us said 10 games at the start of the season john including you if I remember but its of no consequence . how many wins does he have to get by then in your eyes to give him time I’d say 2 wins and a draw minimum and some decent displays

  11. Mark,

    Yep … that’s decent criteria, with emphasis on “decent displays”!

    If that fails then you, me, Steamer and others will have to go and play instead.

  12. Id like to see us play
    guzan
    Illori Richards Lescott Amavi
    Vertout Gana
    Adam Gill Grealish
    Ayew
    Send the buggers out to attack ala lester and if your going to go down lets go down in style.

    Thats a side i would get behind and not be able to moan and loose interest in before a ball is kicked as westy, gabby, hutton, sinclair arent playing.

  13. Samuel Platt to ‎Aston Villa Fan Club
    1 hr ·
    So it appears that N’Zogbia has revealed he is on more than £63k per week… And we wonder why our club is in a complete state.

  14. Similar side to mine Andrew bar I’ve Kozak upfront and persevering with Hutton at RB but even footballing pundit extraordinaire Danny Murphy has it right pick a side/formation and stick with it

  15. Darren

    It’s not rocket is it, keep a settled formation and grow from there. TS has even said he will keep switching evertyhing until we win a game!! He is all bluster and i have switched off listening to anything he says, its all bs.

    Go and get big sam or moyes…proper bloody football men.

  16. Undoubtedly TS has to quickly find a settled side and we need to see it perform consistently for 90 minutes. We’ll be major underdogs in 3 of the next 4 games, which might suit us.

  17. Prior to TS joining and I’m sure it can be checked in that I did write he’s just a younger Harry Redknapp, all talk and no substance, he’s unfortunately proving himself. While I did welcome him when he joined because we needed a change from Lamberk. I’m convinced that we have no one strong enough on the board to reign in TS and the shite he talks alongside the treatment of certain players like Gil, the lack of consistency in formation and player selection when we have players that can slot into their preferred position and just need time and not be dropped for no reason beyond TS’ mistrust of his own decisions or abilities.

    Even long standing stalwart of the club Kevin Mac must be biting his tongue, no interviews with him, no soundbites on how TS is brilliant on the training pitch. Everything is loaded to massage TS’ ego as I see it. He gets the airtime, he provides the spin for the media.

    I’ll never fall out of love with AVFC but feck me the board, the mgmt and the performances make it hard to look forward to a weekend. We as fans at least deserve communication from Fox (I expect nothing from Lerner) that the club is moving in one direction and behind TS on what he is trying to do. Even if the media sell it to us as ‘the dreaded vote of confidence’. I’d rather have something than nothing.

    Wilkins is another, who between clubs has never been camera shy or slow in providing opinion is deathly silent, why isn’t he backing TS at least. Especially when its one win in eight.

    Something is rotten in Villa from the top down that a team such as suggested by Andrew isn’t selected and capable of producing a performance. I fully expect if TS goes the next manager would get more out of the players.

    Not a big fan of Sam but it might be a media induced opinion and Toon/Bubble Army fans with grandiose notions of being ‘proper’ football teams that constantly make me think of hoof ball when his name is mentioned but I’d take Sam on reflection and Moyes and my favourite Laudrup should the mallet swing.

    UTV

  18. DO’R,

    Sorry, Darren, I can’t fathom your reasoning. We’re not winning, true, but at least we’re not losing by more than a goal game.

    But this run has to be turned round – agreed.

    However, as to Andrew’s team…

    guzan
    Illori Richards Lescott Amavi
    Vertout Gana
    Adam Gill Grealish
    Ayew

    Illori … why plump for him when we’re in trouble when we don’t know how good he is?
    Lescott – huh? he’s one of those I’d rather see replaced – by Okore or Clark.
    Adama – well, yes – totally agreed – but it’s not that he has been available of late.
    Grealish – not ready yet. He’s been sussed. In the situation we’re in, a bit of a liability.
    Ayew – why plump for him when we’re in trouble when he’s not shown much in the Prem?

    I don’t think TS was much wrong in his Stoke selection, given who was available and that Grealish has a way to go yet. Gil’s absence has surprised me, though, after his Leicester display. He did come off because of knocks, though, so whether he’s not been too fit is a poss.

    With Lescott replaced (and I think that’s TS’s intention), Adama back, Sinclair replaced by Gabby (yes – he has the potential to spark fear in the opposing defence, especially with Adamka on the other flank) and Gil installed, I think that may well be all that TS needs to do.

    Tim making mistakes? Yes, he’s shown some inexperience, but he’s not been that far off in my view.

    C’mon, Tim, show ’em!

  19. Every time I see fathom, I recall a less learned friend who would say ‘I can’t phantom it’ Anyway I digress

    Which reasoning do you not get, do you not get Andrews’ team then i’m absolved, I put my own team up that I’d happily stand over, I’m not going to defend Andrews team, Andrew can do that for himself but I don’t believe it is far off the mark

    Guzan
    Hutton, Richards, Clark, Amavi
    Sanchez
    Adam, Gana, Veretout, Grealish
    Gil
    Kozak

    Do I believe that things have improved under TS, Yes but not to any great extent that has seen results improve if you believe that being beaten by less goals is an admirable achievement than so be it. It’s not enough for me when potential amongst the attacking side and suggested older heads in Richards and Lescott sees us worse off points wise then this time last year.

    Do I believe an inconsistency of formation and player selection is the cause of our downfall and firmly rests with TS to address Yes, this isn’t about player availability when the likes of Gil can come on for a cameo appearance and do more to try and win the game then any other player.

    Do I believe something is rotten at AVFC yes, from how fans are treated, through to closure of the restaurant, the treatment of the Lions clubs, to the absent landlord.

    Do I believe TS is an egotist and self-serving Yes but that maybe the propensity of all managers. But it doesn’t absolve the backroom staff of being silent during another period of mediocrity.

  20. DO’R,

    Common, you said: “Something is rotten in Villa from the top down that a team such as suggested by Andrew isn’t selected” – and now you say that ” I’m not going to defend Andrews team”. 😉

    Just having a little dig, Darren, not really being serious – particularly as I don’t think this is really a big issue.

    In fact, your team is closer to that which I inferred, and I agree that there’s room to consider Sanchez.

    But not Grealish – unless he makes big improvements in responsibility on the ball.

  21. Darren,

    Actually I’ve inferred that perhaps there’s room for considering that may be TS knows something more than we do. Taking Gil as the example, I feel that Gil has not been as fit as we might think (he came off injured at Leicester) so that may be why we’ve not seen much of him and why TS has referred to “certain players” needing to be got fit over this break.

    It also partly explains the team selection for Stoke, TS already having said that Grealish needs to work on aspects of his game.

    It could be that TS is far far more clever than the lot of us.

    We’ll soon find out.

  22. JL- Gil was available for most of Tims time last season but considered to lightweight, could be Tim still thinks the same? (god knows how). Gueye was rushed back after seeing a specialist in France so was Adama so don’t think Tims afraid of playing them damaged, I don’t think Gil has an injury but could be wrong.

    Grealish on the other hand has been kept back from joining England for extra fitness as he has had 2 injuries since pre-season started and very little training. Hasn’t stopped Tim playing him when available though. Grealish will never be an all-rounder he’s an attacking player that needs like minded players around him (such as Gil). Put him in arsenal’s team and he would be sensational, put him in a park the bus scenario and he’ll fail.

  23. Jl- One of the complaints from the spurs fans was that Tim couldn’t settle on a formation for the team and chopped and changed a lot hence the derogatory term Tactics Tim.

  24. Hi all

    DOR totally agree with your recent posts

    defending what is happening to aston villa is for me defending the inexcusable , that starts with randy and filters to to the manager

    injuries are part and parcel of any season

    I am very disapointed with what tim is doing this season
    I still can’t believe aston villa lined up 5 at the back at home to stoke ,,,, also how negetive tim is tactically
    we are a good amount of young attacking talent at the club to be brave enough to gp out and try and win a game from the off

    one thing is certain – we won’t get enough points to stay up if he continues what he is currently doing at the club

    ok randy has screwed every manager over since MON but look at teams lie palace , swans and southampton who have built something really good on far less resorce than a club like villa wit great infersture and fan base

    if the was a thing caled football crime randy and tim would be behind barrs

  25. Mark: “Gil was available for most of Tims time last season but considered to lightweight, could be Tim still thinks the same?”

    You must have read the reports as much as I, mate! 😉 In pre-season, TS was saying that Gil was going to figure significantly this season, so he obviously could and can see Gil’s worth.

    With regard to Grealish, what you say is of course correct, but the fact is that he has been losing the ball too often in midfield and quite needlessly – in situations where if he had a bit more beef (like Berklay) he would stand no nonsense.

    Now if we were in a safe position in the League I’d be all for playing him, and in the situation we are in he is not eh real deal, I’m afraid. Maybe TS felt the same way about Gil last season…? I don’t know but we seem to be claiming an awful lot more knowledge than TS, and often we criticise based on heresay or half-knowledge.

    Anyway, I’ve said enough …. I’ll leave TS to prove things one way or another by himself. But I do expect that he will extricate the club from this mire.

  26. JL- I take my view from what I see on the pitch john, what I’m seeing is a man who doesn’t know how to play his own team. I would not put Grealish into the positions in the first place, When Leicester were all over our midfield he got it horribly wrong simple as and yes I agree Grealish doesn’t seem sharp at the moment, something I don’t remember much of last season.
    Remember another player that Mon sent to the Gym because he was not tough enough? Gabby! a big mistake if ever there was one.

    On Gil, Tim also said Kosak has a big part to play this season, and he is still getting run outs for the U21’s, Kosak also turned down the chance to go to Celtic to fight for his place, to me a move by Tim to bring in money before the deadline day. What I take from this is what Tim says is not always the truth. If he had kept last seasons Stars more than likely Gil would of been off IMO.

  27. Ah…spirited on here. As it should be.

    First, I’m going to be a jerk claim a little credit. I often backed past managers that were considered the worst ever possible choices. And now I see many saying that in retrospect, they weren’t so bad. We seem to keep going from bad to worse. 🙂

    I “backed” those predecessors, to varying degrees, because they seemed to understand that basic premise…If you aren’t going to win, don’t lose. Take the draw. Yes, it might’ve been negative, and there was some dire football. But those managers were always sailing into the wind. They picked a side and system and at least stuck with it.

    So now….I agree with Given’s comments about cohesiveness. This is basically an entirely new team. We talk about the preseason, but the side was assembled over the course of the summer, not all at once. And the real trouble for Sherwood is that the two players he needs most for creativity, Grealish and Gil, are not really two-way players. You play them for goals, but you’re giving up defensive cover on the flanks and in the middle. Hazard and Mata and whoever…they cover more. Not saying they’re hard men, but you know what I mean.

    Gil can create space and time…He does need to be in there. Grealish, while still learning everything, has that elusiveness and drives to goal. They both need to play, but Gil over Grealish, if it’s a choice. Regardless, they need to shoot more, if nothing else. We’re not going to pass it into the net just yet.

    For me, ignoring the back four for a moment, the best way forward would be:

    Gana Sanchez
    Gil Veretout Grealish
    Ayew

    With Westwood coming on when Sanchez inevitably checks out and loses the plot. Throw Adama in there for a change, and Gestede, too. You could partner Ayew and Gestede in more of a 4-4-2 as needed, with Ayew dropping back more, and Veretout and Gana in the spine. Or push Gana up and have Sanchez lying deep. The wide midfielders? Still really an unknown. But there are options.

    On the back four, I start Bacuna over Hutton, if that’s the choice. Neither is brilliant defensively, and Hutton does offer something going forward, but I think Bacuna offers more going forward and in linking up, and is a better athlete.

    The reason I ignore the back four right now is that I have no idea what Ilori or Crespo offer. All I know is that Richards and Amavi are two of the four. Okore over Clark, for me. The only problem with that is that Okore needs to be on the right, as does Richards. And you need to play someone in front of Amavi that he can work with, which is why I pick Grealish.

    More than anything, though, I agree with the leadership business. The team needs to press more, be more aggressive, and take responsibility. If the original instructions/set-up aren’t working, these guys need to take more individual responsibility to do whatever it takes to get a result.

  28. JC- hello mate, very similar to my thoughts except I’m beginning to think the situation is dire enough to ask Richards to play right back until Jan and we buy a decent RB then. When okore is fit this is how we could line up

    …………………..Guzan

    Richards……..Okore……clark……amavi.

    …………….Vertoute……………Gana………..

    ….Gil/Traore……………sinclair/Ayew………..grealish/gabby

    ……………..Gestede/Kosak…………….

    I don’t mind sanchez as a lone Dm or even westood but it limits us going forward ie the amount of attacking players on the pitch. playing this way gives us 2 athletic CM and in vertout a creative box to box player. it also allows us to pile on DM’s to see a game out or plenty of options up top to change things around but most importantly for once we would have a solid foundation. the Bench would look pretty strong to.

    The problem I see is Tim. After leics he seemed to decide everything was broken when in fact we had played pretty well for 60mins against a form side. His subs dismantled our ability to keep the ball. He didn’t recognise that Bacuna had been rubbish all game and Amavi and Sanchez needed help instead he created a huge void in midfield which Leics happily filled, we have the players, do we have the man to get the best from them?

  29. Great article Matt : a very enjoyable read . I’ve always like Richards , from his brief appearances in the England team – and let’s not forget , he was the youngest defender to play for England (only 18!) and he captained Man City at the age of 19 for a couple of games making him their youngest captain. So it’s clear his leadership qualities were evident from an early age . Add this to his really cool middle name Lincoln and it looks like he was a fantastic buy for us .

    As for the rest of it , it appears we are in a state of confusion . Different concerns every time we play from “we need a maverick to make things happen ” to “we are not fit enough ” and we’ve got to man up at home “. Maybe our relegation stature at present is a combo of all these things . But heck I’m confused too. Aren’t Gil and Grealish our “mavericks”. I accept they aren’t the complete defensive package as well but it doesn’t explain playing none defensive players first half and bemoaning our lack of “maverick creativity ” in the same breath .

    Fitness – again !! Houllier tried to address it the players revolted . Roy Keane had a go and we know what happened there. TS said when he came to us that it is a problem. So what’s going on at BMH??

    Again these issues are not new ones. The team cohesion and spirit or lack of it reappears again . Yes we have a load of new players but then so have other teams – Watford have more new ones but they can muster up a decent team spirit and group fighting mentality . When you have players that aren’t bothering to chase to get the ball back like we had for the Stoke game that’s not about being a new player or team cohesion it’s about being committed and passionate and we are failing on that point alarmingly .

    The selection of players is also a mystery . No Kozak , no Anew , very little Gil.
    Of course we know nothing as Tim Sherwood curtly told Dwight Yorke “it’s different when you’re sitting in the technical area” . He has already made clear his disdain for the “faceless pundits, bloggers and critics”. But whilst we may no nothing , we have an opinion as it’s our club , our money being spent every Saturday and our support . We may know nothing but judging by the decisions and decline of Aston Villa FC over he last five years then the ones running don’t either – managers included . It was the boards decision to appoint a manager with no experience and maybe that’s why it’s one win in ten games . That said , I am positive for AV future – it can’t get any worse can it ?

  30. Interesting stats on Amavi Mark – and then I read that second best was a Newcastle player and third a Bournmouth . Hardly in the top half of the table. Maybe their great interception rates and tackles is because they’ve got so much more to do as always being on the back foot ?:-)

  31. And thank you DOR for raising the mystery of Ray Wilkins. As you say – he is an eloquent pundit on Sky – making astute and useful contributions . He doesn’t even sit next to Tim Sherwood – no communication on match day – it is bizarre. Who is it sitting next to Tim scribbling notes and offering advice – what is a Ray Wilkins role ?

  32. Again DOR – the Harry similarities are amusing . Tim has said recently he never reads what the critics are saying but his “I don’t even know how to turn on a computer” is on a par with Arry’s dog and his tax form filling blind spot ! 🙂

  33. Jen- The fitness side I can understand to a degree as some have missed pre-season and had injuries, but this is now 10 weeks of the season gone and still not fit enough? by what gauge? match fitness is the most important fitness and you only get that from playing week in week out, keep swapping about and that won’t happen.

    Yes I had to laugh on the stats front, the unfunny thing is someone can buy a player based on a terrible season. granted it says he can pass and tackle but can he gel with better players or was he a stand out in a poor bunch and therefore looked the part? Some managers can watch a player and know that they have it, that is a skill, a stat based appraisal doesn’t tell the whole season, we have had high possession stats all season 🙂

  34. Mark,

    Well, I hate to say it but this site is rapidly becoming a place where managers are torn apart before they’ve even started.

    I have to say I hate this “talk all, know little” of social media … it’s harming in every conceivable way – even to ourselves. And to fall under its spell is a form of madness.

    For goodness sake, we had tough times at Villa Park in the 50s and 60s, but (luckily?) we didn’t have the luxury of the internet and smartphones to take out our grudge on everyone. The place, then, where you talked was in the pub, in small groups. But at the end of the day you let the professionals do what they had to do – right or wrong – and it worked our right as often as it went wrong. Just like the fixation these days on whether a player was offside when he scored – or whether it was a penalty . The old wisdom was that everything evened itself out over the season; and I reckon that’s not far wrong.

    Let’s -please – let Tim have his 10 or 12 matches. My view is that he’s been a tad unlucky so far and that it just needs fortune to turn a bit in his direction. It will – I’m sure – work out if we would just leave it be. After all, we’ll soon have Mr. Cameron (wearing his Villa hat) claiming we’re Britain-haters if we carry on in this vein! 😉

  35. Matt sorry i did read your leader but had a rant without saying thanks for a top leader

    i think you are right that the team would benefit from having micah at rigfht back unless this lloris ?fella cuts the mustard there

    we have a break which hopefully means a fit squad when the prem returns — – please tim allow the team to start like winners rather than more lambert type negative tactics

  36. JL- I Can’t agree with you on this and we will just have to disagree. Luck has not had a great deal to do with it IMO, poor judgement has. I can’t look at a plate of peas and pretend its caviare. I backed Lambert because I had sympathy with the spending restrictions £50m in 3 years and I still think it was a miracle to have come through that patch in the prem.

    Tim spent £50m in one window, he could have spent that on 4 players to replace Vlaar,Tekkers,Cleverly,delph because in his own words we wouldn’t of struggled this season with no changes.
    so instead we shipped out and loaned out 15-16 players and brought in 12. would it not have been more prudent to have kept us up with 4 solid additions and been in mid-table as he claimed? such a huge number of players shipped in is a big risk but he took it and now can’t find a team? I am beginning to think he is all mouth and trousers John and that’s the problem.

    Yes there have been mistakes that have cost us by players but as you say things equal out and we have had things go for us such as Bournemouth not putting the ball in the net. The number of games or points lost by poor set-up or subs is there to be seen by all except you it seems. When I see Tims match day teams I get a feeling of WTF! now you can’t tell me that is a good thing. He has these players 7 days a week and can’t pick his best 11 yet!!??

    As for this site not giving the manager time, steamer hated Lambert from the off along with everything connected with Villa at that time, in fact very few liked his tactics or him so I think you are being a little dramatic there. 😉

    4 more games played the way we have will probably see 4 more defeats and the opposition has gone up a notch so they could be heavy.

  37. Mark good point and you maybe rigfht in your last post however – i don’t think the new players are the real problem although it ill take time to get the best out of most of them for sure
    but how he is setting up and the mentality he is creating by being so negative is one of fear of expression and self belief in our abilty to winimo #

    and that against sides we should respect but in ni wy be fearful of

  38. totally agree runtingz I like our new players and can see a team there,Tim needs to get back to attacking because he doesn’t have the players yet to do anything else

  39. Mark: “…very few liked [Lambert’s] tactics or him so I think you are being a little dramatic there.”

    So, I’m a drama queen? 😉

    The reality is that I was hoping Lambert would succeed at the start and until that terrible December … then re-energised when the first season ended comparatively well.

    And what has Steamer got to do with it? Like Steamer, I’m fed up with how the club is being run, but we don’t have to agree about the worth of the team managers. Tim is inexperienced and not perfect – but, then, who is?

    But I don’t have to justify myself. If you’all think that now is the time to go into critical meltdown that’s up to you. But it won’t get you or anyone anywhere.

    I’m signing off now until we see what happens by November. See you in a few weeks!

  40. again JL you are over reacting, Critical meltdown? I am sitting here calmly discussing our manager and his competency, the fact that my view doesn’t align with yours seems to upset you greatly. 😉

    I mentioned steamer because you have much respect for him yet he has been mostly negative about things under this regime as long as I can remember as have many of the posters, my point was bashing the manager is hardly a new or different occurrence on here. Its certainly less angry on here than other blogs are at the moment.

    I can see your point of view on moaning and your correct complaining won’t do any good or change anything but this is a blog where fans discuss Villa if we can’t discuss the fact our manager appears to be pretty hopeless what can we talk about?

    You may see us in November but at the rate people are leaving the site don’t count on it being here by then, its actually depressing discussing Villa at the moment. 😉

  41. Gary Gardner has made his return for the reserves and scored a goal presumably in a friendly to get people up to speed, good news, really would like to see him come good after all he’s been through.
    to hammer it home I watched Brian little talk about his career lovely man, his last game was at the age of 25 a travesty. missed out on the the league win and cup triumph, Shaw took his place but how good would we have been with him at that time? a truly talented player and a gent.

    http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2015/10/08/aston-villa-midfielder-gary-gardner-confirms-goal-scoring-return/?

  42. Villa under 21’s played against Burnley under 21’s, but Villa did not report this match, or give any detail, but the information came from Burnley, and villa actually won the match 2-1 at Sutton Coldfield, playing a large number of the first team squad , including Kozack, Grealish and a number of others.

    This seems extremely strange, as do many of Villa’s and TS’s tactics these days, and I have to agree with MK, especially after reading the article he referred to, which many have rubbished as a journo with a chip on his shoulder writing it, but much of what was said in the article, and comments after are beginning to hold up.

    I really cannot see where Villa are going to get there next win from, and still feel that whichever manager loses the game with Chelsea, will be looking for a new job, and if the board are capable of persuading Rogers, who is a genuine coach and manager, to come to Villa, I certainly will not be disappointed, and will certainly look forward with a more positive view to the future.

    I was not certain of TS when he first came to Villa, but gave him my wholehearted support, even after the shocking results at the end of last season, which were as a result of strange selections, poor substitutions, and not keeping a winning team together. I looked forward to seeing his new and supposedly exciting signings, although little was known about them, and renewed my season ticket, watched every match and looked for something that would develop, but every time something appeared to be taking shape, it would be changed again for the next one. You can only build team brick by brick, player by player. Constant meddling builds nothing. I strongly believe that TS has been found out, and the sooner the board realise it the better for all our sakes….

    I do however believe that there is a nucleus of players at Villa that can see us through, maybe with a little strengthening in January.

    How would Lambert have faired if he had succeeded in getting Wes Hoolihan, who ended up Norwich’s player of the year, instead of Grant Holt…..

  43. Paul- the match GG played in was also an unreported friendly, obviously timbo is trying to get some match fit. The goal scorers were grealish with a free kick and bacuna with a penalty against burnley least 7 seniors played. the Game GG played in I haven’t seen a report at all anywhere except GG’s twitter, Strange goings on when they would normally report such games and give highlights??

    As much as Lambert made a mess of things you can but wonder what he would of done with more funds? when you look at the players we were rumoured to be interested in but couldn’t afford the wage’s . Not surprising when Nzogbia is on £67K a week!!!!

  44. Morning All,hope you are doing well.Looks like we have employed another dud.I wanted TS to be a success,but his celebrity and “charisma” far outweigh his ability.Let`s wait and see but IMO he has until the end of November.
    I`m no longer a footie fan,but still follow AVFC a little mainly on here.I haven`t watched a single minute of our games this season,live or on TV.In actual fact I avoid anything to do with the over hyped,over analyized pile of dung that used to be football.Good Luck to you all.

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