11th.
As of the end of the Leicester City game, Aston Villa occupy 11th place – mid-table, as near as damnit. However, as many fans will attest to, this has hardly been a season to savour so far, with many wanting Paul Lambert dumped on his backside out of the club.
Whilst the fans may not be doing a sudden volte face, it is somewhat bemusing to think that Villa are now unbeaten in five, and sit just two points behind Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, and are ahead of Everton – a team managed by the supposedly brilliant Roberto Martinez. Being on a roll like that, I’d be considering myself lucky and getting down to Supercasino to hit the jackpot?
Honestly, if it wasn’t for knowing this was reality, I’d be wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me, that a team bemoaned and discredited had – somehow – got to mid-table.
In terms of reality, looking at the league table doesn’t offer much more insight as West Ham United – managed by that footballing managerial God that is Sam Allardyce – sit in third position. The idea that a top four clash would be between the Hammers and Swansea City – also managed by a footballing colossus in Garry Monk – seems like it could be taken from a Football Manager save, not from reality.
Sarcasm out the way, this season feels much like the league has been made up. Apart from Chelsea and a handful of others, it is total mayhem. Liverpool – finishing a strong second last season – are all over the place. Whilst Villa have been lambasted as a one man team – that one man being Christian Benteke or Ron Vlaar depending on the week – the loss of Luis Suarez seems to have turned the Reds from title pretenders to pretend footballers.
In short – the whole situation is mad. Villa’s Alan Hutton – scorer of his first goal in claret and blue yesterday – is now one of the best tacklers in the Premier League, with statistics to back it up. A year ago, he was seen as some form of pariah, looking like he had no future at all.
So what gives? Is Lambert sat in a maelstrom of craziness that leaves Villa an unguided ship that bounces without control? Is the league an indiscriminate mess of teams? Is the Premier League actually not as good as some make out?
Whatever it is, fans will be scratching their heads. No, Villa aren’t exactly trailblazing, but they’ve somehow managed to get to relative safety.
The question now is – where do we go from here? Can Villa progress even further?
The Author
Matt Turvey
Matt is the owner of, and chief writer for, Aston Villa Life. He is also a columnist for the Wolverhampton Express & Star, appearing in the Kick Off pullout on Saturdays and the Final Whistle pullout the Monday after Aston Villa play, as well as every Thursday as a blogger on their website. He has previously been featured as a writer on Football365 and Life's A Pitch, and was a regular pundit for Sports Tonight TV on Sky.Comments 153
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good morning Matt n all
I told my mate about Lambert spending two days in munich with pep last week and his reply was i hope pep taught him some english which did tickle me.
Leicester are a poor side so i actually expected us to win or at least draw
Is Lambert ready to change his approach as this will answer matts question in were do we go from here
We did look more constructive in our play compare to useall — if lambert is willing to learn and change his approach then maybe do better with the team
PL neeeds to take a leaf out big Sams book – he changed from thast direct style to a mixture of pass n move and direct when appropriate
It’s an interesting point. The table doesn’t lie – as they say – but it hasn’t told us half the story yet.
We COULD be a decent outfit. Our players are capable of competing with the best in the Premier League but far too often we’ve seen an unambitious set up, too many unforced errors in possession and an over reliance on hoof ball.
Many teams above us will have similar fears on inconsistency – that’s football. But I think the annoying things is that those things that seems most wrong with us – could be put right. We just haven’t found a way to be consistent and reliable.
Get the Villa side that thumped Liverpool for a half to show up more than three times a season and THEN we’d have something to be positive about.
It’s also another reminder that some of the lads on the “Lamberk out”, “My hair is on fire” brigade to just take a second to see that things aren’t perfect or great – but we’re not dead or finished yet.
UTV 1874
Matt.
A well-observed and somewhat bemusing piece, relative safety will only be defined at the end of the season lets not get our hopes up eh?
Given the state of the league at the moment and the relative points of the also rans, its not difficult to understand how a few wins can catapult us up the standings. I heard someone on the tv say yesterday that no one looks at the league till after Christmas…I am inclined to agree.
What frustrates me as a villain at the moment is the inconsistency, one week we can look good and the next shocking (more shocking than good mind you)! I cant watch them these days without squirming in my seat I’m sure instances of high blood pressure have gone up tenfold amongst Villa fans this year alone.
Speaking of frustrating…how frustrating is Sanchez at the moment? He is single handed trying to stop us gaining anything from a game average going forward sh1t at defending.
Hutton as you rightly say has been the stand out performer thus far and long might it continue.
Overall, average at best, shocking at worst, the highs and lows of a junkie on crack and often play like one too. Don’t know what the eventual pass completion stats were but take out the backward and sideways and they wouldn’t be that impressive.
We are a mere shadow since the insane took over the asylum, the only thing that will give us relative safety is those around us losing, we are not capable on our own.
Falling gates has to send a message, NO MORE!
VTID
Just goes to show how close all the teams are in the league these days – it’s nigh on impossible to pick a result before 3 pm these days. Who’d have thought Newcastle would turn over Chelsea? Not me for one, shows what I know.
As for us, it’s a weird time, no Vlaar but I thought again Clark and Okore looked really good, Cissohko and Hutton doing equally well. Guzan is solid, if a little error prone, but another great save from Nugents volley.
For me it’s midfield where we are all at sea, too little creativity, too little defensive cover, too similar players and now too many injuries. No Delph, Westwood and possibly Cleverly leaves us even more exposed. Sanchez looks pretty good most of the time with a nice touch, then loses his head. Grealish clearly needs more game time as he made too many errors yesterday and lost possession. I am not sure Joe Cole and Kieran Richardson are the answer. Maybe some business in Jan to sort us out and we will be more comfortable, otherwise it’s gonna be a tough season for sure.
It has been a good week but I’m not sure about ‘relative safety’ when we’re only six points off the relegation places. We’re always one match away from a crisis until that gap is much bigger.
Having Benteke back makes an enormous difference, even if he isn’t fully up to speed yet. I don’t know what it was going to take for Lambert to throw in Okore other than being left with no option, but it is paying off and he’s showing signs of becoming the centre half we’d all like to see. Clark – as with Baker – has impressed occasionally, but hasn’t put together a consistent run of games like this in the past. I didn’t think he was capable of it so fair play to him. Okore and Clark should be the pairing even when the others regain fitness and remain so as long as their performances remain at this level.
Similarly, it was a promising cameo yesterday from Grealish. My concern is that when we have all the players back to fitness Okore, Grealish and Robinson won’t have as much of an opportunity because of Lambert’s preferred team selection. N’Zogbia is now holding back Grealish when his form does nothing to warrant his inclusion.
Like others have said, Cleverley has done little or nothing to persuade me that we should be turning that loan into a permanent move. However, he is preferable to Richardson who was absolutely diabolical when he came on. Midfield is still an area where we need to improve massively.
If we can beat WBA we’ll have a decent cushion for the inevitable hard times/bad run ahead which hopefully won’t include the now traditional early cup exit to a lower division side.
i am hearing that steve clarke will be the no.2 at villa -would deffo welcome that appointment
Tony: It’s also another reminder that some of the lads on the “Lamberk out”, “My hair is on fire” brigade to just take a second to see that things aren’t perfect or great – but we’re not dead or finished yet.
The question is not that, though, is it Tony? Assuming we’re not relegated, which may well be the case, the real question to my mind is whether we can keep on going along with this suck-it-and-see approach and awful tactics which somehow seems to have brought half a team of good quality together and – amazingly – playing football instead of mere hoof stuff. At least that’s how it was against the league’s bottom team, Leicester, but only a few days before we somehow avoided conceding goals at CP and didn’t look good at all.
Though I feel Sanchez is getting better with each match, in midfield we lack quality. Will it mean that now Westwood stands to be out for at least a match (with Cole also probably out) that Grealish will be started on Saturday? It could well be that it is the right match for Grealish to show his credentials.
I feel that Lambert somehow has fortune behind him that players have fallen into place as they have, especially in defence. I’m sure it’s not by design.
Hello all
Good to see Villa win another and chip away at the goal deficit.
Matt-it is a crazy league. Apart from Chelsea and Citeh I think the quality of the PL has dropped a bit. Your article tells it like it is.
Hutton’s consistently good form is a lesson. He must be a tough bloke to make a comeback like that with many Villa supporters absolutely rubbishing the guy and a manager who said a while back that he had no future at the club. It was good to see Clark score. We know he’s got goals in him given the chance. I hope he’s given the chance to play in a midfield role. He’s somehow picked his pace up.
Hello Lifers
Firstly a quick point, it is only the media and Sky (one and the same) that sells the Premier League as the greatest league in the world because it has to. Reality is very different and probably attested to by how poor the ‘home’ nations are at international level. There is undoubted individuals of quality but the Messi’s and Ronaldo’s of this world choose to play elsewhere even though they’d be equally well paid and equally adored in the EPL.
I’m still Lamberk out, I’ll give credit when it’s due but this (Leicester game) is just our average players beating a team (after going 1 nil down) of less than average players. The table doesn’t lie but it only tells the truth in May when there are no more games left because right now inconsistency has hampered all but Chelsea/Southampton/West Ham/ Man City, the win, lose , draw columns show nothing other than a very close league and no real disparity in the standard of players between those occupying 5th down.
The other pleasing point is consistency increases over the season so having played so many of the top sides already we can enjoy a run of games that we should have a greater ability to win or at least avoid defeat and build our own consistency as seen in the last 5 games. It also reduces the possibility of relegation because we have less teams to play that can dent our consistency.
But this still papers over the cracks, at the end of the season when finishing in mid-table obscurity and no real threat of relegation, Lambert can’t take credit for seeing us through the tough years and coming out the other side, given the lack of tactical nous, the fear of blooding talent unless forced to and the inability to influence a game through positive substitutions.
Don’t get me wrong I’m celebrating every win but I want more from my Villa, I’m not talking about huge expectations, I’m talking about having a system of play that counteracts the opposition or a system of play that requires the opposition to adjust to meet our threat, a quality of play that is borne out by a will to win as opposed to accepting mediocrity. A plan at board level to invest to get us challenging as opposed to participating. To be seen by rival fans as scum (for want of a better word) because it means we are winning and not just an easy 3 points.
UTV
Would feel a lot more confident with steve clarke as number 2.
Lamberts new name should be cockroach….he would survive a bloody nuclear war.
The league is mental but credit to villa, 5 unbeaten and 2 wins and a draw against relegation rivals…..if we beat the baggies id be in dream land….
John,
You make a good point just how many seasons can we keep playing with fire before we succumb to relegation, we seem to be playing to the theory of there being three worse teams than us which is a very dangerous situation, have we seen any genuine improvement from the team over the last three years if we all had to be honest the answer would be no.
Clarke would be a big improvement on any No2 we have recently had so I would not be against that move.
Agbonlahor got man of the match yesterday which I was very surprised about, I thought Sanchez did a decent job of holding in midfield when Westwood went off.
AVFC RIP
Props to Westwood who has had little in the way of praise from me but i thought he played a decent game yesterday with some nice passes
I think our squad is pretty decent — PL being a defensive minded coach at villa anyway is holding the team/sqaud back or has to date
As Dwight continually pointed out yesterday we need to work on our attacking play – play our creative players – and really go for it in games
the fans have turned there back not on the team but with PL and the mismanagment of the club and the only way to get people back on side is to stop this negitive scared to play football approach
there were signs that PL is trying to learn finally in yesterdays performance#
the true test though is what we do in the next few games when the opposition with be a little better than leicester
as i have said before build a team around grelish ant tekers two footballers on the same wave length 2 more than we have had for the last 5 years play them together grelish will feed tekers of that i have no doubt we have enough useless runners who cannot pass the ball let then do the defending whilst our class players score and cause havoc
Lambert still out but id robinson and grelish are played we might look a footballing team did not miss weiman a bit he is so overrated same as cleverly just runners with no class
JD spot on
I am resigned to the fact that we are to strong to go down this season and because of that PL is safe in his job
Since we are stuck with him we can only hope he has the determination and focus to improve as a manager – spending a few days with pep is the kind of action that can help with that
John Doyle
A round of applause for your post.Jack and Tekkers,2 natural footballers,and must be on the field together,IMO,let`s see if JG is good enough.We will never know if he sits on the bench too much.
Agree,we have too many runners,and from what I`ve seen of Clev is that he is no better than what we already have.Our MF are all the same neat and tidy,no inspiration.Our MF should play 15 yards further up the pitch,we invite too much pressure.
Yes to Clark if he comes.
On Sanchez, it felt like our momentum going forward stopped the minute the ball went to him. He does not pass quickly enough and it gave LC time to recover. I do rate him defensively, though he seems to always give the opposition at least one unnecessary free kick just outside our box.
John – I’d agree with what you’ve written.
I worry about and am disappointed with performances and consistancy etc.
I’m just pushing back against some of the comments that are insistent that the whole club is finished and “RIP Villa” “death of our once proud club” etc etc
more than happy 2 wins in a row can we make it 3 when was last time we did win 3 in a row,doesnt mean i am happy with lambert in charge,because wiemen was suspended he couldnt play him and straight away we looked better until you watched zog close god he is awful no effort,now with westwood injured means a chance for someboby else not playing 2 one position cleverly westwood may be bacuna could do a job in there plenty of effort and looks comfortable with ball same as okore cissko sanchez benteke .lambert wouldnt play okore early on said he wasnt ready to injuries forced him to,now okore and clark look best 2 we got leave vlar on bench,guzan making some good saves but spilling a few as well team i would put out for brum,
guzan
hutton
sissko
clark
okore
sanchez
bacuna
cleverly
benteke
gabby
grealish
give grealish a chance brom confidence be low get a few crosses in for benteke not miss 2 matches running gabby for his pace bacuna over richardson younger livelier better on the ball nearly everything
Tony: – OK … I see where you’re coming from. But those that sign the song you mention might be right, of course. The future of the Villa is in the balance and at the moment Lambert is riding his luck.
James: – I like your team!
“Sing” not “sign” of course.
Tony H
the reason as am i sure you already know that the villa park has less than a half full stadium is because most fans are fed up with the manager frstly — fed up with the shocking football – fed up with the team selectons – fed up wth the lack of oppertunities for our talent youth – fed up with how many duds have been brought – fed up with the clubs lack of respect and feeling towards the fans – fed up with how the chairman s dealing wtth or not dealing with football matters ar the club
People including myself are heavyly emotionally tied to this club , therefore when you get to the point we are at after 3yrs of PL , people will voice there concerns —we have a good enough squad but it aint over yet in terms of safety — the club going down with the base we have would be criminal
Most fans will not settle for villa just ploddng along in the prem and constantly flirting with relegation and unless things change one way or another we are lkely to end up relegated
talented
anyone seen the arsenal fans row? at least we are not this wank
http://www.caughtoffside.com/2014/12/07/video-arsenal-fans-fight-with-each-other-after-stoke-city-defeat/
one thing that keeps cropping up is comments like its only burnley, its only leicester when we play better or get a result. remember last season? we were losing to the likes of these, we have beaten stoke and palace, teams we lost to last season, drew with southampton and wet spam teams in the top 5, beat the not so mighty liverpoo at anfield. now that suggests something has improved and maybe that thing is only our defence? we haven’t been spectacular or played world beating football but we definitely play less hoofball and are more resilient.
Mark
We’re definitely more resilient. That is a positive in 2014-2015.
trinity- yay a positive 🙂
here’s a positive ,
old english cider £1-80 a pint in the Con club . chelmsley wood ,
Runtins
thanks for the music , still getting through the 1st lot , brilliant stuff , that dropbox is great media .
“Villa are Resilient”, say Villa’s resilient fans!
Well, everyone sank to possibly their lowest ebb after the 9 games without a win, but the fans have proved they were just waiting to be cheered up a bit more.
The return of CB and a lovely goal from him followed by two nice goals on Sunday from defenders have caused the re-appearance of some cheerfulness! 🙂
The fact remains, though, is that Villa’s defence seems to have fallen into place entirely by accident, and further injuries to the decimated midfield may well see Grealish make a start on Saturday, thereby fulfilling the wishes of quite a few. Who knows, the team that Frem’s been calling for may well be default team when January arrives!
And, despite Mark’s great attempt at putting a +ve spin on it, we did beat a very much below par Liverpool early in the season, and Southampton did not put in their accustomed standard when they came to VP and have since proved to have gone off the boil somewhat.
Amazingly though, leaving the Man U match aside (which even I think might yield a point) it looks as though we have 5 other fixtures between now and mid-January that are utterly win-able.
Who knows, come mid-January and we might have gone 11 matches undefeated and be around 5th in the table and return of the fans to VP! That would be a cue for giving Lambert a life-long contract perhaps? 😉
We can but hope John. An early FA Cup exit from a Nathan Delfounesco goal might be an return to the norm.
I agree that the midfield might be better with Grealish, but maybe Bacuna with Grealish feeding Benteke up front. Now Westwood is gone there is nobody that can put a decent cross in for CB and a bit of ground work might be the trick.
Another suggestion mooted above was Clark into midfield with Okore back in defence.
Not so sure we will take a lot away from the Hawthorns but Man U is ripe for the slaughter with their injury woes multiplying by the minute.
I’ll be back to catch up in the morning; taking the wife out to eat this evening.
Clive,
Yes, agreed on the Bacuna option as well. Certainly a better option than Zoggy from what I can see.
Isn’t a shame that enforced changes might spearhead the appropriate style of play and tactics as opposed to our esteemed manager figuring this out by himself months ago.
Absolutely would love to see
Guzan
Hutton, Clark, Okore, Cissokho
Agbonlahor, Bacuna, Sanchez, Grealish
Robinson, Benteke
Darren – loving the team – decent defence – creative players – pace and tekkers
Weimann should not be allowed to walk into the team this weekend.
Id go 4222
Guzan
Hutton okore clark, cissokho
Sanchez Bacuna
Nzog Grealish
Gabby Tekkers
Darren,
A most interesting team selection of yours! Go for it!
If you keep on selecting teams like that I’ll be writing to Villa Park asking for you to be put on the short list.
this weeks match will either make or break lambert for me, if does what i think he will bring vlar wiemen back into team probably play richardson as well that will be the end for me and be no full house for utd match. i like darrens team but we are going to local enemy think step to quick for robinson time to give bacuna grealish a run
lm waiting to see what route the open top bus is taking ,
JL- liverpool are still above us, spurs, and everton even though they are having a crap season. southampton were on a roll before we nearly beat them!! and they have lost to manure, man city and arsenal hardly a dip in form as they haven’t beat a single top 6 team from last season this season or last including Liverpool, positive spin? just observation dear boy 😉
Not worried that Lamberts hand has been forced only that he see’s the value in changing his selections/teamplay . many a player has found himself in the team because of injuries and circumstance, half our current squad for instance due to penny pinching. it certainly isn’t ideal but I’ll take it if we play better footy and win a few more.
graham- like the team on principle but maybe too many changes at once, could look like strangers even more than we do now. Bacuna on the right would be a good shout as we haven’t seen him central yet, he can cross a ball vs N’zogbia who embarrassingly stops and passes back as his right foot doesn’t work. hope westwood recovers or cleverly is available would go for him central and grealish left, and one of gabby/weimann/robinson up top with tekkers.
james – I think the same, leopard, spots and al that
s75 the bus is going whichever end we are.
Mark,
We have to be careful for what we wish for! 😉 Saying that “it certainly isn’t ideal but I’ll take it if we play better footy and win a few more” could be interpreted as “Well, it won’t be long before Lambert’s earned his right to stay as manager.”
Haven’t we gotta be more concerned about the long term? Has PL got the wherewithall to carry Villa forward?
Yes, I prefer to see Villa win rather than be put to the sword, but we cannot say that one passable performance against Leicester (the bottom team) – or even a win against Albyon – should carry us to the state of accepting what has been going on, surely?
When I start seeing real football perfomances against the likes of teams that are in the top-6 then I’ll begin to think that maybe the tide has turned.
There’s every chance tht the next half dozen games will define our season. We currently have exactly the same points as this time last year but this year we to press on from here rather than retreat into our shells.
10 points or more from those games will be good, but 5 or fewer worrying.
robbo- read somewhere we were 6 points up on the equivalent games from last season without the LC game. this fact probably means nowt but there you go.
JL- I haven’t changed my view on Lambert but feeling pissed off is no way to pass a life away and I will take some enjoyment if we win too 🙂 . I won’t stop writing about any improvements i’ve seen as that’s what I most like to talk about, the game, good or bad. I don’t see why I should slant it towards the negative to be popular if I see an improvement.
All I’ve pointed out is we downgrade teams and performances because we are playing them!? ignoring other decent results they have had before meeting us. truth is we have been rubbish for 4 seasons and results have generally proved this, But a team cannot survive in this league by being constantly lucky wouldn’t you agree? at the moment points wise we are better off than 9 other teams in a tight league no cause for justifications of any type.
my personal take on villas future is Lerners a bigger problem than Lambert we will have to wait until he sells to truly improve. Clarke will be a massive step up to keane if he comes and thats a start
You’re probably right about us being 6 points better off against the same teams played last year. That’s why the next half dozen games are important. If we can move ahead of last year’s points total after twenty odd games then maybe we can start to believe that we’re finally progressing
ST 75 – was thinking the same about the open top bus 🙂
I’m with you on this John. It is an assessment based on three pitiful seasons so I think you can forgive people for not going over board with a win against bottom of the table Leicester after what we have had to endure. We have been fooled before during Lambert’s reign – with a couple of half decent games then back to the usual awful defensive football.
It is also relevant that the players who have been instrumental in our up turn have not been PLs first choice in players so have arrived in the team through necessity. Hutton : told by PL he’d never play for Villa and outcast to play for Majorca or some such team and Okore , who said he wanted to leave in Jan as PL wouldn’t play him.
ST 75 . Watched the story of funk on BBC I player tonight – it was great . Also noticed there’s another one on I player called the Genius of Funk, more music less commentary . I couldn’t understand why they didn’t mention or feature Nile Rodgers in either programme – who was so influential and still is . Cheers for that ! Xxx
evening jen-
nobody is going overboard about LC, all the things levelled at Lambert still stand but every team we play are not useless or on a bad run either. weeks before we played burnley and we were on a bad run people were saying we would lose, they are on a good run etc. when we played well and tried to play football and should’ve beat them the performance got relegated to its only burnley can’t see the logic
any one see the stat in the mail 3 GOALS BY LAMBERTS SUBS IN 91 GAMES staggering,benteke on his debut bent against wba and last kozak against norwich early last season, by way any news when kozak delph be back
jamesG- goes to show why he plays the the same team maybe as the options off the bench haven’t been strong.
Yes James – and following Bent’s goal as a sub against WBA he was dropped completely with no reason given why – eventually to be replaced on the bench by that illustrious goal scorer Jordan Bowery – the same time as Hutton was farmed out to play on the beach . His options from the bench are Lambert’s doing and it’s who who isn’t good enough not the players .
“He who isn’t good enough not the players” even .
Mark: when we played well and tried to play football and should’ve beat them the performance got relegated to its only burnley can’t see the logic
If that were the case then I’d agree, Mark, but I don’t recall much comment of that ilk. My own assessment was that Villa were allowed space in the first half and therefore were given chance to play a good game. Second half was a different story. Then came the mostly sorry performance against CP, which we somehow won.
There was some promising stuff played in the first 3 or 4 games this season but then all those defeats caused us to lose our way. The last 3 games have been against basement opposition so we can’t draw too many conclusions based on those matches and about 2 hours good football in 4.5 hours.
As said earlier, apart from the Man U match the other (5) matches between now and mid-January are all winnable. In my opinion if we don’t get at least 12 points out of these forthcoming 6 matches – and be showing that we can play footie – then I’d say we’re still not going anywhere great.
It will be very interesting to see the line up on Saturday and see if PL is reverting to type. To be seeing Weimann and Richardson in the starting line up would send the wrong message I feel.
Don’t get me wrong, Mark, I agree that to be in a state of being pi**ed off all the time is not healthy, but I simply put Villa into a container to be looked at when I open the lid and to be quite frank about what I see. The rest of life is separate.
I wish we could look into some alternate universe where martinez got the job with the same constraints . that is the only way we will truly know how bad, lucky, good Lambert has been.
Bents inclusion/exclusion imo has been due to money and the fact he doesn’t fit into the system, Lambert settled on a system with the personnel available and bent didn’t fit, simple as IMO.
why do we keep dressing Lambert up as a panto villain? he’s only a bloke trying to do his best with his own limited talent and resources within the constraints of his employer, frustration I would guess. I’m sure he doesn’t get up in the morning and think i’ll victimize a bunch of players today and continue with my evil plan to destroy the aston villa empire. in his head he’s determined to do what he thinks is best even though several million people think they know better.
JL- we have shown a greater return of points against those around us so far, last season we couldn’t beat them for toffee, that has to be improvement doesn’t it? but no it doesn’t mean we have moved on to the next level (whatever that is in this league). but don’t forget we could of beaten spurs and southampton plus burnley that would make us 6 points better off, we’d be 6th, incredible. i’m not attaching any significance to this its just the way its rolled out.
there were plenty saying burnley would beat us in the run up and there was a whole discussion on “well its only burnley” afterwards.
on saturday I’d be amazed if he changes the team totally, at the moment we have lost westwood so one enforced change, if weimann takes his place i’ll be pissed and N’zogbia needs dropping, richardson too was poor. its a big derby game but we have approached games differently lately.
like the tin Idea 🙂
JL- you’ll like this fella he’s called matthew silver he’s a street artist and not the nutter he portrays he has a website too worth a look. I’d like him as manager after match comments would be a must watch 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7rXlbHtcqM&list=PLXk5_F4mmp0NnYIys8JSuNsfmZLZ-qUIf
Mark,
Sorry, Mark, I’ve not really been impressed about any of Villa’s play this season apart from the first 30 minutes against Burnley and some of the Leicester match. The rest of the time, even after we gained the lead we didn’t look as though we could keep it.
“IFs” and “perhapses” don’t count for me unless I’d seen solid play to backup the idea.
fair enough JL i’m not enamoured with our sparkling play either, but we are prone to less errors in defence and it gives a better chance of a result hence our slightly better results against our peers. we make more errors in midfield and up front which has been a turnaround this season IMO.
heres an if 🙂 would of been nice to have benteke in the team from day one as I feel he ups that chance at the other end against the better teams time will tell. also losing delph vlaar senderos and hutton didn’t help but such is football and we have selection choices at the back because of it
Mark,
Matthew Silver is perhaps one of the few sane people in the footage as he definitely is not asleep to the reality of our situation! 😉
We all need to place a ceiling on our desires, and that is the message that he is referring to.
And the Greens are taking opinion poll points off Labour I see…
The Aston Villa Paradox.
Aston Villa has been warping my perspective on the league since just about the very beginning. How can a team that has only scored ten total goals sit in 11th place? Before their game on Sunday they had eight. By the end of Saturday’s games Charlie Austin had eight by himself, and only after that most recent one did QPR get out of the relegation zone. And it’s not like the Villains defense is the definition of watertight either. They’ve shipped nineteen goals so far and have a goal differential of -9. It’s not the worst in the league by any means but to put things in perspective, Everton has a +1 differential and is a point behind AV in the table. That is almost absurd. How are they doing this?
To their credit, Aston Villa is a very hard working team. Over the last few months this has been enough to see Aston Villa squeak by with three 1-0 wins against Liverpool, Stoke, and Crystal Palace. Their other two wins were 2-1 triumphs over Hull and Leicester. With relentless runners up top in Gabby Agbonlahor and Andy Weimann, you never have to worry about the forwards putting in a shift. Problem is they don’t score very often. In fact nobody does.
Alan Hutton scored at the weekend, taking his yearly tally to one, and that’s enough to catapult him into a tie for 2nd on Aston Villa’s scoring chart. Alan Hutton catapulting into any position on any scoring chart is enough cause for firepower concerns, but Agbonlahor and Weimann aren’t lighting it up at the top with three goals apiece either.
Yet Aston Villa sit eleventh in the league, three points away from leapfrogging the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. It just seems at every ominous path, the Villains seem headed into disaster and come out the other side cleaner than they entered. It’s both frustrating and amazing to watch. Not just for fans of other teams, but judging by the attendance at Villa Park this year, the Villa faithful as well.
Things look to become smoother for Aston Villa in the coming months. Their talisman Christian Benteke is back, and it’s been no secret that when he’s on the field, the team is relying on him to score. He’s already off the mark and looks sharper and more influential every week, so the Villa that we’ve come to know over the years may very well be on their way back. But for now, all we can do is watch this Rubik’s cube of a team spin around the pitches of the Premier League.
AVFC RIP
SWV,
CB has had 5 starts so far and has registered just the one goal having been pretty profligate vs Leicester.
I dunno, in the days of our Gerry and Tony (Hateley) they didn’t need 5 games after injury to come back and continue as before. If I remember aright they just got on with it. Or does my memory play tricks with me? I think not, as their scoring consistency is clearly shown in the record books.
I don’t want to have a go at CB too much. He is a shining light, no doubt, but if anything he has not reached his capability. The header that Schmeichal saved should have been buried, CB had so much time and without pressure to put it in the right place – a really natural scorer would have put it home. Or the one-in-one on the keeper which he squandered. One of those two should have gone in.
I trust he will – as you suggest – score a few over the remainder of the season to help keep us up. When he goes, what then?
In fact, now Clark has again found his scoring touch, I fancy him to find the net a few more times from set pieces. CB being there to deflect attention from Clark may be just what Clarky needs.
JL- I thought you would get him, these are auspicious times where we need to take a good look at ourselves. villas position is a microcosm of the situation as a whole, money is not the aim.
swv – very well put mate, we have become the 1-0 brigade take out the heavy losses to arse, chelski, man city, everton and the 2-0 travesty to qpr thats 13 goals to none scored in a 5 match run make them 1-0 each and we are on -1 🙂
Mark
looks to me like your slipping back into the pro lambert camp .
1. a panto villian has talent ,
2. l wish he’d oversleep in the mornings .
3. financial constraints , ffs he bought the shit players that he never played , you telling me thats the best he could find , even the scum found a couple of decent players ,
4. he only needs just a speck of talent and decency to realise the job/club is to big for him and fuck off and as for knowing better , l think l have enough brain cells left to know he’s a shit manager and out of his depth , but then again l said that when he first came, we have stepped further back with his appointment. and he does’nt need an evil plan , he’s already doing it ,
come up for a game and sit and freeze ya knackers off as there’s nothing really to stand up and cheer for , think you’ll realise why people aint to quick to forgive him, and l dont know millions but l know 60 odd who would give him a “leg and a wing ” out the ground .
Jenny ,Brasil,Ian, Frem, & Errol , keep an eye out for the post …………………..
Sorry Runtings – I’m late replying.
I agree that people are fed up and the stadium is half-full. I’m fed up and travel to Brum less than half the time I normally would.
I’m not arguing things are rosy – I’ve actually moved from being against another manager change (and all the upheaval that would bring) to being ambivalent if Lambert left.
I’m just trying to get across that the most negative comments on here “We’re all finished”, “the club is dead” “he’s scum” etc etc – those comments are repetitive, counter productive, exaggerated and boring.
I think we should ignore the happy clappers who pretend everything is great (precious few on here), ignore the ultra doom mongers (except Steamer as he’s funny) and focus on proper criticism that means something.
SWV – who wrote that guff?
“They’ve shipped nineteen goals so far and have a goal differential of -9. It’s not the worst in the league by any means but to put things in perspective, Everton has a +1 differential and is a point behind AV in the table. That is almost absurd. How are they doing this?”
How? Because it’s three points for a win no matter how much or how little you win by.
I am glad Weimann was injured and therefore didn;t get a chance to waste an afternoon running up and down a wing without possession. I liked how we played against Leicester so I can only hope we try it again against someone who isn’t rubbish.
Villa are indeed a paradox.
The only thing I can see with playing certain players is what I think is the most obvious reason: familiarity, experience, potential.
With Gabby and Weimann, you get two hard-working players who’ve seen a lot of playing time. Gabby’s pace and industry would be thought, in Lambert’s mind, to create chances and keep a defense honest. Andi would be expected to poach whatever might come of that. They don’t end up creating or scoring much, though. Neither is very good with the ball at their feet.
N’Zogbia is a veteran player who is comfortable with the ball at his feet and is capable of pulling defenders around. Here, I think Lambert, devoid of any similar options, keeps playing him in an attempt to let him find himself and become dangerous. Hasn’t really worked.
Much of the rest of the regulars…familiarity and growing experience. Not saying it’s working all that well, but it’s not an insane approach. Managers will either chop and change, or persist. Both have the potential to succeed.
It can be very frustrating. We have seen Richardson moved to the bench in favor of Sanchez, who seems to be finding his feet, and providing a bit of strength in the middle. Otherwise, no big changes that haven’t been enforced.
Grealish provided an excellent ball to Benteke that should’ve ended up in the back of the net. But beyond that, he was largely invisible. The kid certainly has talent and confidence, and perhaps much more upside than a Cleverly. But Cleverly usually puts himself about more. Would starting Jack make a difference? Perhaps. But I can also see a manager who understands every point is vital being wary of starting him.
Villa did look dangerous when Benteke was fit and Gabby and Andi were there to feed on scraps and keep the defense from being able to focus solely on the beast. Lambert’s likely kept the other two in place awaiting Benteke’s return, and also in the hope they might do something on their own.
It might well be a condemnation of Lambert’s recruiting, but Benteke’s absence, along with Delph’s, whose drive, pace and work-rate are unique in Villa’s line-up, have robbed the team of much of its ability to trouble anyone. We’ve talked about Liverpool minus Suarez….It seems in retrospect they’d not have been anywhere near the top last season without his spectacular goal-scoring form last year.
I might very well be tempted to start Grealish for Zog…and Robinson for Weimann. The appeal is undeniable. But I know I’d also be trying to find a steady side that can settle in, get the team in a safe position, and see if I couldn’t introduce them in situations to build them up. The rub there is that Villa don’t get in many situations to bring on players when the team is flying high.
JL- I think your right and wrong 😉 players used to be picked more for their ability
dribbling, shooting etc, and not their athleticism. coming back from injury takes time to reach the level of fitness you need to play at the pace of the modern game whereas being fit was enough to keep up in times gone by. or simply put the difference between match fit and not has got bigger. its the only explanation that makes sense IMO. there are very few who have the ability to direct headers these days whether its the ball or lack of skill, clarke though definitely has it. cissoko doesn’t his headed clearances are terrible as are most our players.
Tony,
Not mine just copy and pasted a portion that really shows the truth, we are in a completely false position, our football has been dire, we know Lambert is out of his depth but he keeps spunking a get out of jail card, come January Delph,Vlaar and Benteke could be off and then the shitten will hit the fan.
AVFC RIP
st75- looks are deceiving mate but I thought you’d see it that way. where have I written he should stay? i’m writing about our position as it stands, not once have I said he’s a keeper. Have a look at the man who let it happen as he has no idea about football mr randy lerner. should he not be saying this blokes pulling my chain? Lambert believes he’s doing his best so he’s not going to jump. the situation would of been poor for any manager, the fact one regarded as an idiot has kept us up a fucking miracle. are you attending matches now?
john clarke- “The rub there is that Villa don’t get in many situations to bring on players when the team is flying high.”
spot on, when every games a cup final it’s difficult to blood new players for fear of failure and Lambert has plenty of fear. grealish should of been made central to team play in the pre-season and built around, instead as per 3 seasons now we were integrating yet another 6-7 newcomers.
tonyH 🙂
Lambert has stated he tried something different against leicester, fugged if I could tell what it was but lets hope he doesn’t pull his head back in his shell.
Does anyone know why Jack Grealish doesn’t wear shin pads and plays with his socks rolled down ? I really worry that he’s going to get his legs injured . It makes no sense to me .
John – how long have they been playing in shin pads btw ?
St 75 is it my valentines present ? X
John/Mark,
I disagree with that suggestion that there never seems to be a right time to infuse fresh talent.
There needs to be some caution, yes, but if (for example) we were coping OK with Albyun this Saturday I’d play both Grealish and Robinson from the start of the second half. And since we’re not playing any high-fliers between now and mid-Jan (apart from Man U) that would be chance for them to find their feet over those 6 games.
Mark – I hear what you say about the difference between the old game and the modern game, but when you have two glaring chances it doesn’t take amazing fitness to put the ball in the net. That is what I am talking about – the striker’s knack, which just requires you to be on the right spot, not massive athleticism.
Jenny,
They’ve been playing in shin pads since before Villa were founded, lass. And in the very old days they could hack you to death and the referee wouldn’t blink an eyelid.
And, btw, I wrote to my contact at Villa about Jack and was assured that “he *does* wear shinpads” and that “it is a requirement of the Premier League”.
More smoke-screens?
st75- told a mate of mine who supports everton we’d beat palace 1-0 but were lucky we didn’t get a hiding, he said “its a win” I said but we were crap he said “doesn’t matter its a win” I thought about it and remembered playing matches where my side were under the cosh for most of the match, not once did I come off after winning and think we were shit, I was happy because we’d won and worked our nuts off to do so. so then why should I feel crap if villa scrape a win? Lambert will go when its his time whether i’m miserable or not.
JL- i’d agree if you were introducing them into a team that doesn’t regularly struggle. Its hard to show their real assets when they are having to do a defencive job vs having a platform to play off of. your hoping they will create that platform and that is not how things have panned out in for jack so far. i agree now is the time to bite the bullet and I would play him from the start when we are fresh but it could just as easily go wrong.
on goal scoring yes it is an art but being fatigued will affect how you jump etc, a millisecond too late and you’re not meeting the ball as you’d like and you’re thinking slows too.
I nearly had a heart attack when Grealish held the ball for ages and passed it blind to a foxes player…could of cost us a win.
Grealish is being handled ok but i would bring him off the bench with a bit more time…then it’s over to him to make him undroppable.
You look at Owen, rooney etc…when they were given a chance at a young age they came in and bossed it. scoring goals. Impossible to drop them then.
yes mark unfortunatley l have been to a few using my brothers mates season ticket , but l wont be going to anymore very soon , so l have sat and froze my bollox off and watched a pile of shite , and yes l know the saying a win is a win in any shape or form , but there arnt many , saw a few when we won the old div 1 , and yes lv played in games , one being the national cup when we beat a scouse side , who were all over us but we won it , and we knew we were lucky , and in my eyes its a different happy , and luckily for me lv only felt really miserable 6 times this year which is after wasting about £150 a game , theres watching shit then theres watching awful shit , and yes learner is to blame but l think some of us thought this fox would have seen whats going on obviously not as he seems happy about picking his cheques up , some people seem to have no shame or pride in their trade , l had a job in rugby getting £300 a day ,but for 4 days there was nothing to do so l went, possibly a stupid move but l didnt like the thought of ripping this firm off , but l dont think its just the few on here that are not happy with him , winning or not , look at the gates , one being my brothers mate and the other 60, me and steamer met the other night who are not bothering either , (40 of them steamers , hardened fans) but lm not miserable anymore as l think lm going to enjoy my xmas and put the villa to the back of my mind.
No Jenny its not your Valentines xxx heres a clue , l visited JL yesterday
Happy xmas all xx
Mark,
No way would I believe that CB has been physically doing more than Gerry Hitchens, Tony Hateley, Andy Gray or Peter Withe. After 5 starts (OK, it was his second since suspension) he should be putting chances like that out of sight. He scored the kind of goal we didn’t expect against CP, did he not? If he was able to do that then he can do more.
I expect him now to be putting home at least 50% of his chances.
If Villa win this week end will there be enough breathing space to bring on the young players for a longer spell? Since winning against MU is unlikely perhaps they should get a a full game run in. But I think that would be nuts as confidence is thin with them. Like JC said it’s a fine line to work from with young players. It’s too bad there are so many injuries as those players possess stability for the team. And that is what’s needed.
jl- he did but 1/2 hour in, the header and one on one came second half against LC. did those players all convert 50% of their chances then? back in those days they had three pints and 20 b&h before the match 😉
st75- lerner has the reverse midas touch, everything he touches smells like shit. if lambert goes and he chooses another manager I dread to think who it would be probably another yes man. I miss playing mate nothing to beat it. £300 a day are you doing escort work?
was thinking about some of our managers and the memorable games they gave us but surprisingly I couldn’t think of one for mcleish except the 7 defenders on the pitch and emile heskey in midfield in the surrender at spurs. lambert has at least put 2-3 in my bonce I won’t forget and several I wish I could
andrew- as we seem to perform better first half i’d give grealish his head then when there are willing legs rather than wait until we are on the back foot, we seem to dip later on
Mark did those players all convert 50% of their chances then?
Hitchens and Hateley most certainly did … and neither were capped by their country when actually playing for Villa (Hateley never was). Hitchens scored 29 league goals in 1960-61 in a side that only finished 9th, and Hateley scored not many less during a time when Villa never finished above 12th.
If you think defences must have been weak then though the very bottom clubs’ defences of those days might have been less able, the top clubs were pretty strong. If’ you’d seen centre-halves like Peter Swan (Sheffield Wednesday) and Maurice Norman (Spurs) then you’d know what I meant. And Hitchens would better even those defenders.
In my opinion, Benteke is in the same kind of mould as Hitchens but physically bigger. With his ability and size he should do better i.m.o.
jl- lets hope he does starting against wba. if you consider his age, experience and he’s playing in a poor side a goal every 2 games is pretty good. would love to have seen hitchens. in your opinion is the average player much taller these days as the population is statistically bigger and taller now than the 40’s-50’s?
… plus … if you don’t score a hat-trick against Leicester then when are you going to score a hat-trick? Apart from his two glaring s-h chances, he might well have had a couple in the first-half.
Mark,
Norman and Swan (the defenders I mentioned) were over 6 feet. Hitchens was just under 6 feet but could match them in the air. But he was particularly very mobile and good on the ground and would make chances for himself out of nothing – just like Benteke.
I think todays’ players are probably an inch on average taller, but I wouldn’t say there’s a lot in it. Back then a lot of Villa’s players were around 6 feet or just under, although Villa had a small team (apart from Hateley and Slogger) in the later 60s. The 70s players weren’t that big either, but in the 40s/50s there were a lot of big players around.
George Young the Rangers and Scotland captain sticks out in mind, and John Charles of Wales. They were huge!!
so the game still favoured the athletically built then? I was quite handy in the air and i’m 5’10” last time I looked, its all to do with timing, a thick head and a strong neck 🙂
it does my head in to see how many headed clearances go to the opposition, I found it easier to pick a player out.
On Hitchens…
I particularly remember one chance that Gerry made for himself was when he chased Jimmy Armfield (the then England full-back and captain) to the by-line, took the ball off him and slammed in a shot from the tightest of angles that went into the net off the goalpost, nearly knocking over the keeper and goalpost in the process.
Go with the thick head
ian- being a beer connoisseur you’d know all about that 🙂
Mark,
I think centre of gravity is an important element in physique for football.
But, yes, I have sometimes thought that today’s Villa defenders are technically less well practised than those of previous decades. Having said that, Clarky is rapidly coming into comparable ability in my view, and Hutton and Okore.
Now that does surprise me John . When you look at how much more protective gear sports people have taken on over the years I assumed that shin pads came in later too. My girls aren’t allowed on a hockey pitch without gum guard and shin pads . Whereas in my time we had neither . There have been quite a few comments from fans in the AV OS site today about Jack’s bare legs . Maybe he has flash coloured ones ?
St 75 ooh errr !x
Or flesh coloured !
jen- i’ve never seen shin pads so small if he wears them i’ll buy a hat and eat it.
jl- definitely george best and messi being prime examples, how crouch plays is a medical mystery and a testament to his intelligence
JL- clarke is shaping up to be future captain material and i wouldn’t of said that less than 3 -4 games ago, I think he’s been taken over by aliens
JL-could it be the heavier ball made them use better technique vs todays balloons?
How wonderful at last to see everyone back commenting, and Matt you must be over the moon to see the site so full of life again….It is almost like Villa…and the Phoenix rising from the ashes…..we are not totally rolled over …the team is alive and the boys are giving their all. Nice to see some positives…PL has a long way to go before he redeems himself with the fans, and I have to agree that it is circumstances that have brought us to where we are. The improvements in Hutton, Clarke and Okore, along with displays by Cole and Sendeross have been a revelation this season.
I am now waiting for steamer to join in this latest blog, and hope that even Droyd may come out of the woodwork once more. Can’t wait for the Baggies game to see if we can make it 3 in a row for the first time in years, and also whether JG will start, and hopefully Bacuna, as I think he could make a difference.
Forgot to add, I have also found more Villa fans in Bristol…….Ted followed them and saw there games back as far as 1946/47 and remembers many games, plus not only a young man at college, but also a Brummie waitress in the local Brewers Fayre..!!!!
Enjoyed all your comments on this thread and, as it’s the pantomime season I thought I would share this penalty shoot-out with you – don’t think a direct link will work but copy and paste into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F9jXYOH2c0&feature=youtu.be
JL-
Young players are tricky. If I saw them every day, I’d have a much better idea what I’d do in Lambert’s shoes. I don’t disagree with your premise, but we’ve all seen more wunderkinds crash and burn than become legends or even top-flight veterans.
In the states, without fear of relegation, young players deemed good enough are put into the fray right away. And often given 2-3 years to learn the pro game and find their way, hard knocks and all. That’s why I wasn’t opposed to a “young and hungry” approach, even if it might have been a smokescreen. Many teams will just say screw it and keep drafting young players and completely rebuild. It works…and it fails. But they don’t have to worry about relegation.
However, some make it, and many more “can’t-miss” prospects don’t. A handful impress immediately, and others take 2 to 5 years. I was watching a hockey game last season—they were talking about a young defender, playing well, and the color commentator, a long-tenured defenseman of yore, said that he would need at least 200 games under his belt before he really started understanding his role at the pro level. They play 82 or so a year, so about 2.5 years….If he started every night.
On Benteke…I think in the modern game 1 in 2 is a big expectation. Don’t have stats at hand, and we should qualify the sorts of chances, but given how much time he’s missed, I don’t “expect” him to be that lethal after a couple games. He was just off on the shot and the header. Another inch or two on either, and they’re cracking goals instead of near misses. When you also factor in the wild card of how individuals react differently to severe injuries…He might never be the same player as he could’ve/would’ve been without tearing his achilles. Same goes for someone like Okore.
Comparing players of different eras is tough, never has a right answer. But my basic assumption would be that in a league that now draws players from a pool of at least 300-500 million instead of 40 or 50 million, the average level of talent and athleticism has to be higher than it was a generation or two ago. Never mind the advances in sports science and fitness. Talent is talent, but, on average, the combination of speed, strength and conditioning has almost certainly improved. But everything is relative, so I always assume a great from a previous era would have the same advantages if playing today.
I know football is in many ways different, but in sports like pro hockey, basketball and NFL football, average sizes, speed, strength and conditioning are all vastly different than they were a generation or two ago. They players who were great back in the day…they were great. Would they all be great today? No one can say.
Hey John, comparing apples to apples a player from yesterday with today’s advantages would be a star but to expect Best, Hitchens, and even god himself with the training and conditioning they had would be hard done by to compete with today’s player. For example would a soldier from WW1 be comparable to today’s soldier?
Mornin’ all…
JC – Nicely put. I can reconcile with some of your comments but feel that the bit about being able to draw players from such a big pool is not altogether fair. Todays youngsters have so many counter attractions and even other sports to choose from.
JC/Ian – Yes, the old game and today’s is very different but I would argue that the old game was better in many ways. But on the matter of athleticism and training today, let’s turn the matter on its head. What would those old-time players be like today if they had the advantage of today’s facilities and methods? I think they’d be a lot better than today’s lot (generally speaking). Why do I say that? Because of the attitude in the old days! They were hugely disciplined, positive and committed and didn’t have airy-fairy distractions in their spare time.
The real difference (to me) between today and long ago is the attitude of players. Too many of today’s lot just don’t put in a fair shift and lack discipline. And (as Mark pointed out) the old heavy ball required a lot more skill to control and deliver it properly. I recall that having a sodden ball hit you on the head was no joke, particularly when the ball hit you with laces facing. There’s an old joke about Mortensen being displeased with Stan Matthews in the ’53 final as Matthews delivered the ball with the laces pointing the wrong way!
Of course, the other matter about “athleticism” that strikes me is the assumption that the old players didn’t run as much.
On a week-by-week basis that might be true, but let’s not forget that:
(1) for most teams in the Prem they play less matches than used to be the case (38 vs the old 42 league matches).
(2) Until 1965 there was no substitute allowed and only one until the 1980s.
(3) Cup matches are not allowed to run as long – only one replay allowed before an undecided tie goes to penalties. In about 1955 Villa had to play 4 matches in 10 days to decide their tie in the FA Cup *and* had to play a league match sandwiched in-between (5 matches in 10 days). One of those matches was stopped late in the game because of bad weather conditions and had to be re-played for that reason.
(4) And there hints another issue – the state of pitches in mid-season were usually very heavy and energy-sapping. It was often the case that a match had to be stopped half-way through (or later) because of bad conditions. Sometimes (as in 1963) the winter was so bad that fixtures congested at the end of the season to play off all those postponed matches. That could mean 3 or 4 matches per week having to be played after a couple of months of little competition.
So, where the lack of athleticism in the old days? 😉 You had to play 90 minutes (whether you liked it or not) usually on heavy pitches.
As told in my book “The First Superclub”, there is a wonderful story that’s almost turned into mythology about the day in about 1922 when Villa were reduced to 8 players on the pitch by the 60th minute through injuries, and yet still managed to keep Everton to 1-1. One player of once great renown (skipper Frank Barson) played – it is said – with the energy of 4 players to keep his side going. Unfortunately, Everton scored 2 more in the last 15 minutes, but they had been made to fight all the way.
Hi Paul,
It’s Tony – we haven’t met but I’ve sorted out the team selection for you.
As you can see – it’s rock solid with the back six as long as Hutton and Cissoko can bomb forward when in possession – decent ball control with the three players in front of Sanchez and Clark which should allow our wing backs/full backs into the game.
Grealish and N’Zogbia can get balls to Benteke’s feet and make crosses. WBA have lumbering centre halves who are good in the air – I’m sure you know lumping it up to Benteke for 90 minutes will be fruitless as will trying to play Gabby in with half hoofs from midway.
It rewards form and decent players and, given the back six, it isn’t a radical departure from the formation we’ve played all season.
Best regards,
Tony H
Guzan
Hutton Vlaar Okore Cissoko
Sanchez Clarke
N’Zogbia Cleverley Grealish
Benteke
tony h
like the team but hate to see vlar back the way he talks about villa think clark with right coach would make good midfielder,could be good for a few goals late run into box
Interesting debate on players old and young. I would throw in ”the 10,000 hours rule’ which fits in with John L’s point 4. and used by Matthew Syed’s in his book Bounce – from the study of violinists. He challenges the “born brilliant” idea and argues it is down to hours practice, practice, practice – the desire to win and self motivation and discipline. (mostly – after basic physical requirements are met )So the great violinists were the ones who spent most time practising (hence the 10,000 hours rule) compared with the “good violinists” who started off with equal talent. I remember seeing this on tv with Vanessa Mae and she reluctantly concluded that her success was due to the rigid 10 hour a day practice from the age of 4 than being born super talented. There are going to be a miniscule no of child prodegys, but it is interesting that those “great players” have both talent and most importantly dedication. Paul McG in his book recounts hours and hours of practice when he was a child – against the wall – not in aposh sports academy but in a children’s home – with no coaches to motivate him but just a burning desire to play the game. This makes his achievement even more incredible. Gary Neville admitted he wasn’t the most talented but hard work and doing more training got him to the first team whereas in his words “more naturally gifted” players fell by the way side. So is Ronaldo and Messi’s brilliance more to do with their hunger and dedication to being their personal best than being born brilliant. Both of them are the last to leave the training ground allegedly. How do our players fit into that ?
Great lunch time read of all the comments, the passion on respective opinions is great to see and clearly we want the club to move in one direction. How we get there is based on the board providing a coherent investment strategy, unfortunately as football fans we can’t escape the need for sound financial principles and investment to allow the football to grow. In it’s current absence rumours of naming rights flourish and no denial that I seen from Villa PR, who are atrocious.
Feeling positive about the baggies game, in terms of player availability and the welcome constraints on Lambert by not being able to pick the likes of Weimann, I have us down for a win but a win in the Leicester vein of things as opposed to a 3 nil wiping of the floor. I honestly always feel terrible being critical of someone who wears the claret and blue but a period of unavailability might be what is needed to see some sort of realisation that their contribution is far outweighed by pay packet.
In this age of stats, is there contribution per pound information, it would make grim reading.
Moving on to the Man Utd game, clearly we are due a hiding by there excellent forward play but equally they are poor at the back so I do see chances for us. Keeping hope alive. Still Lamberk out!
Off to play Candy Crush on my phone, the Aston Villa edition, were you can match claret and blue together.
UTV
One thing’s for sure Jenny, Lambert spent hours and hours training on Football Manager at novice level.
It crosses my mind, now that we seem to have a lot of people on here just now, that it is a good time to promote the funding option of 3 pounds a month that goes towards the cost of running this excellent site. I know Matt appreciates the help and this is the season for giving – so long as it’s the baggies and not the Villa of course.
JL-Ian
I do think, especially in football, that talent is certainly transferable between eras, apples to apples as you say, Ian. In some other sports, maybe not so much…But the debate usually goes round in circles.
Jenny…I think you’re right, talent has to be accompanied by dedication. The true greats are often those who also work the hardest along with being gifted.
Excellent suggestion, Clive.
JC But the debate usually goes round in circles.
This kind of debate has been going on since the 1890s, believe it or not. My researches revealed plentiful debates about whether football had worsened or not, even in those days.
On every interesting point emerged in the 1930s that the standard of football then had only just returned to what it was pre-WW1. In other words, an inference that the loss of so many youngsters in the War made a huge dent in the throughput in the quality of new players coming through.
Incidentally, I am not convinced that the simple “practise, practise” approach applies to everyone. There have been great musical composers, have there not, who were childhood prodigies, like Mozart. I believe you can have genius footballers as well as genius musicians (and others) who can “do it” without necessarily huge amounts of practise.
In football, George Best comes to mind. And Brian Little. 😉
Yes I agree you will have a very small no of child prodigies like Beethoven John . As one coach said “it’s not practice makes perfect : it’s good practice makes perfect “. It also depends when you so the 10,000 hours – to become a master or continuing – both I guess.
Jenny,
Anyway, what ever JC says, I do expect Benteke to do better cos he gets paid what he does!!
You’d think that having at least 40k put in your pocket every *week* would be enough to drive you to be a perfectionist. Unfortunately, these players are probably not encouraged to take that attitude.
Really good post – really great point from our Jen re talent/dedication
Practically every great player i can think of and some of the more effective ones have a huge dedication to there proffession weather its ronaldo or beckham there trade was no.1 in there life along with a commitment to excellence
Gazza was on the otherside of the coin with huge talent but very little in the way of dedication
With the modern game making teenagers millionaires how many will actually develop the hunger and determination to be all that they can in the sport and more
On another note i saw a artical in the brummy mail with Gabby saying the Glealish reminds him of himself – that did tickle me
for scabby to sat jack reminds him of himself is a complete joke scabby has no skill he can run and thats it jack is a proper footballer scabby is a runner who as keano said could be a lot quicker as he used to be if he would diet and eat the right food ,but that is to much to ask for 50 k a week
What’s Wrong with beer and chips? Apparently the players of yore did it on several pints before a match. 🙂
great stuff folks, I’m going to throw a couple of things into the mix. firstly in the old days sport in general was the xbox of its day. kicking a tennis ball or can in the street was the norm a massive boost to the 10,000 hours at a critical time for learning skills, childhood, and it was bloody hard with a smaller object.
my second point is back in the 40’s-60’s we had a better diet believe it or not. everything was organic, grown locally and consumed fresh. we ate a high fat diet dripping, fatty meat, chips cooked in beef fat even the beer was organic and not full of chemicals. its not until the 70’s we were told eat wholegrain till it comes out of your ears, the biggest travesty to of happened to society in my opinion and based on a study that has been disproven. look at pictures of people back then and play spot the fat bloke if you want proof and the rise in diabetes, or look at gabby who is most certainly chugger lugging pasta etc to keep him going hence he’s a lard arse. several top basketball teams in the state have gone over to a high fat diet (not trans fats or sunflower etc, saturated fat and omega 3’s and coconut oil) and are have amazing results in stamina etc. also top distance runners are changing to it to. so basically apart from the ciggys and alcohol the old players would be healthier and have greater stamina as fat burners
forgot to point out more people played football from a young age so effectively there would be more people to choose from locally so that could balance out the wider choice point JC made
Ian, beer is actually a good re-hydrater if you just have one after a game, it is full of salts similar to these fancy sports drinks but without the sugar
looks like vlaar and delph could be available tomorrow
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/415019/Darren-Fletcher-Aston-Villa-Manchester-United
Won’t it be nice for Vlaar to put in his one game a month. Not being nasty but that guy get injured so often how can a manager use him effectively. In my mind he would be the square peg in a round hole when it comes to team cohesiveness. Not bothered if either of them go. Just get some money for them.
Mark, I have changed my diet to more saturated fats and trying to cut down on the carbs. I have type 2 and figure that is due to all the pasta, potatoes, etc that I was told to eat during the eighties. dinner at the fire hall was huge and all carbs most of the time. Yeah, isn’t beer great! 🙂
ian- there is some very good evidence that its possible to reverse with that approach mate, also there has been success by cutting overall calories to 500 for a period of time, a month I think. so intermittent fasting could be good too . the bulletproof diet is worth looking at by dave asprey and the paleo blueprint by mark sissons. there are loads of podcasts on Itunes that would be worth a listen just search “paleo” or “diabetes” one women cured her MS through a similar approach.
I wonder whether Vlaar will go for that reason as he’s a risk? why pay 10m if you can get him for nothing in the summer ditto delph.
One thing I didn’t mind about the January window is that Villa never spent stupid money. If teams are or feeling desperate then they will buy those two in January. At a lesser amount than if they had a couple years left on their contract but still it would be more than in June.
Keeping my weight down and watching calories and carbs seems to be doing the trick right now. Under 200 and things are good. Bread and cereal are my downfall.
Ian- they are addictive and bind to opioid receptors in the brain cheese is similar but stick with it as they lose their appeal over time. also they contain all sorts of anti-nutrients that are the plants defences. these days bread isn’t fermented long enough to cancel them out and the grains have been changed dramatically from the 60’s to contain more gluten to make bread making easier. try a coffee in the morning with kerrygold butter and some coconut oil, chuck it in a blender you won’t want to eat till 12 and its like short fast when added to 8 hours kip where your body just burns fat, keep any carbs until later in the day (evening ) and it won’t throw you out of fat burning and keep you blood sugar in check. if you eat carbs in the morning it changes how your tissues respond to fat burning and any fat eaten then will be stored instead of used. its a hormonal thing. you’ll have a six pack soon. oh and try HITT training has similar effects
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/cardio/8-amazing-fat-burning-intervals
Tom Fox feature: Aston Villa chief executive predicts brighter times in three-to-five years
see: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tom-fox-feature-aston-villa-8279153
Er, haven’t we been to this stage before? … about 3 to 5 years ago?
JL- we sure have, but to be honest the time has been spent righting the ship this looks like a solid enough plan in the southampton vane, whether Lambert is the man to implement a philosophy is the biggest glitch for me. also looks like randys staying doesn’t it? now we know why fox is here. I actually think its exciting if he can pull it off.
also the fact we haven’t been using the opta stats is amazing!?
Mark,
As J Fear states on Vital Villa, how can all this plan be in effect if the club is for sale?!!!
It’s an incongruous situation. Perhaps RL is not really selling. Just another smoke screen.
JL- well I suppose its easier to sell a car with a service history and an mot and tax. its stupid running it into the ground from a financial standpoint
I’ll check it out Mark. I’ve been eating carb s in the morning and very little after noon. That seems to be working for me right now. As far as a six pack goes it’s more like a 1 pack.
Mark,
That doesn’t answer the situation, I’m afraid. You’re right from one standpoint, but if you’re about to sell a club you cannot stamp on the future owner’s foot by…
1. Appointing a new CEO in the form of a high-flying individual named Tom Fox.
2. Giving the team manager a 4-year contract.
3. Going into a 5-year plan with extensive re-building.
It all points to RL not selling, Or, if he is, towards the end of 5 years, having then done what you’ve suggested. Or perhaps he may have done it: we have to see.
JL- I agree to a point mate but when you look at evertons non sale it hasn’t stopped their owner pushing them on. I can see us being in similar position. if being bought by a hugely rich person happens won’t the FFP limit how much they can throw at us? so this needs to be done as we need to make more money to compete and make us an attractive proposition. as you say time will tell
Mark,
I don’t believe Fox would have taken on the job if he seriously thought his job might be at risk with a new owner coming in. Nor would a 4-year contract be given to Lambert. It’s just not commonsense.
This announcement of a 5-year-plan is the proof of the pudding for me.
Yes Mark, I’ll have a six pack soon as well just not sure if it’ll be Tetley’s or Boddy’s 🙂
Lambert is a very lucky man, most managers would have been fired long ago. He’s had an opportunity to learn on the job and has even started to use his subs better lately and that only took him 3 seasons to figure out so he’s not exactly a quick study. Don’t feel like he’s the man to take us where we need to go but I suppose we could do worse. We’re still a more developed Grealish and 3-4 more quality players away from where we need to be honest I’d say so if RL is serious about Fox’s project then he will need to start spending money again and that was supposed to be the plan if I recall… right the books b4 we buy some good players. UTV!
Ronnie,
No … that was what developed when the sale did not show signs of manifesting itself.
But having got as far as he has, it’s most unlikely that RL will sell now until he’s got the ship ship-shape. And that looks like 3-5 years away.
… in other words, RL speaks with blurred tongue. He says a thing but it can usually be interpreted in at least 3 ways.
JL- those things could also be about stability after such a turbulent few years. if he’s really staying surely he couldn’t resist shouting it from the rooftops of his renewed love its a PR wet dream. also gates are falling and there will be no future if that isn’t rectified so an attempt to get us back on board was overdue in my opinion. we have asked for more contact and this is an attempt to do that, would be better if they actually talked to us but its a start considering how coy they’ve been. fox would hope to prove his worth regardless if he backs his own ability so a new owner wouldn’t be the worst, he’d get a big payoff and another job no problem. anyhow it’s an interesting turn up
ronnie- went on a works do last night ruff as a badgers today I will not be imbibing tonight 🙂
Mark,
The point I’m getting at, Mark, is that RL has been non-straight with what his intentions are – certainly since 2010 and probably before if the truth be known.
Jon Fear has talked with RL and told him straight (I understand) about what RL has not been fair on or straight about, so the Fear recognises that matters have been awry and since he has had RL’s ear then he’s used it to make RL be aware of many fans’ views and feelings.
But the reality is (what JF states as well) is that RL just does what he wants to do. When he said he was selling the club I hoped he meant straight away, but it does look as though he’s taking his time over it to get the best possible price.
Which means we are left with a management structure that is, i.m.o. – iffy. “If” Fox’s plan pans out then phew, thank goodness for that. But I reckon we have another year or two of *some* pain before we begin to see things developing as they should have been 5 or 6 years ago.
Yes, there is a logic in their process, but people have been sacked and the fans mis-led. And after years of Doug Ellis that’s not what was expected. We didn’t think we would find ourselves with a chairman who may even be better at being Ellis than Ellis himself.
It seems we are just now adjusting to reality.
Mark – P.S.
I don’t see Fox being the type who would shrug his shoulders and “just take a pay-off” if that were to happen. Fox is a businessman who wants to improve on his c.v. …. he’s not a former footballer become football manager and in a line of work that is infamous for heads rolling. Fox is more foxy I’d say. 😉
And I say that after working at board level as a consultant for several decades.
john l
was there a piece on vital villa jon fear
its like lerner trying to close stable door after horse has bolted with all this pr coming out now,the low gates maybe are starting to frighten them and bar man u match dont see big crowd in next few matches not be able to give away tickets for blackpool fa cup
another point hope lambert doesnt split clarke and okore for sicknote vlar
plus we need 10 points from next 6games because be back into big boys that lambert rolls over for
I see your point john was just running through the other options in my noggin 🙂
do you really think lerner is that devious? the declaration by lerner for the sale couldn’t of come at a worse time. basically when the hard work was done and a new direction possible. to me its sounds like a disruptive thing to do. if this is his master plan he has not thought it through but I agree it fits with the arrogant nature of lerner
I see Lerner’s announced he is going to spend some money next month. Good news bu what concerns me is who is going to spend it for him!
Clive, I don’t share your concern about ‘who’ will spend Lerner’s transfer money.
This is one area where Lambert has done well. You may question how well he uses the players he’s bought but if you compare what he’s spent on players with their total market value now then you’ll find he’s bought at good value. . . . and that’s not all down to Benteke.
He had to clear a lot of expensive players off the books and replace them so the average amount spent per player had to be hugely below the premiership market average. . . . no Liverpool or Spurs average £10m+ Per player for us!
I have high confidence for Lambert finding good value new players, the questions then are:
Will he be given a higher average price to play with and how will he then use those players.
Mark, I’d be totally gobsmacked if Lambert split Okore and Clark after the things he’s said this week. I think we’ll see Vlaar on the bench, and the real question will be whether the pair of them perform as well mowing that they are now fighting for their places as they have when they’ve depended on them as our last two fit centre backs.
It requires a slightly different mentality from the two if them and it will be great if they prove today that they have it
I really should prof read my comments before posting!
Oops. . and it was James Gill not Mark who mentioned Vlaar coming back . . . . sorry both.
James
See http://www.astonvilla.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=7517736
With talk turning to transfers there are two questions to be answered:
are we now in the position where we are looking for quality over quantity?
How much has to be spent to get quality and will it be made available?
The back line is looking much more secure although we are probably still a bit light in the full back area.
Up front we have Kozac to come back and Grealish and Robinson coming through so there is cover there
Midfield has some decent options now although it seems Delph will need replacing (sigh)
We’re no longer looking at root and branch changes but need cover in 2 or 3 areas so at best it feels as if we’ll be looking in the £5m to £8m bracket. Lambert has shown he can bring in decent quality at that price so I’m hopeful of slow improvements to the squad now . . . . . it’s going to take more patience I’m afraid.
robbo/clive
fox mentions a new scouting network and use of opta stats to make player choices etc i’d presume, so I don’t think it will be solely left to Lambert but he will have an effect ultimately as he will need to persuade players to come. posted an article on fletcher yesterday and that I feel will be the level with youngster being given a slow drip into the first we might make a couple of 10m buys but more of the same we have seen this season plus the likes of gardner, johnson out on loan will be brought in. if foxes plan is being implemented the academy is key hence so many getting experience on loan.
My thoughts on Tom Fox, Randy Lerner and Paul Lamebert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhrZgojY1Q
What sums up the BS is, if Chubby was so crepe at his job why was he not booted and allowed to leave by his own accord ?
RoBBo,
Do you believe in Santa too ?
If Villa want to sign a couple of good players can i suggest Delph and Vlaar.
I dunno beat two crepe teams and all of a sudden we’re transformed into Championship contenders.
Still waiting for an outbreak of honesty from VP, not much chance though.
JL,
Read your book, haven’t seen a lot of those facts and figures in any other Villa book, outstanding, i’d recommend it to anyone.
Just read Craig Gardners comments, obviously a dummy but when he stresses that he’s “an honest man” you have to chuckle, how many times did he say he was a Villa fan ? A booking at the very least today.
interesting article considering what JD knows
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2872154/Roy-Keane-created-poisonous-atmosphere-Aston-Villa-explosive-training-ground-feud-Gabriel-Agbonlahor-final-straw-led-departure.html
Steamer. . . . . I might have guessed that you’re the type who can’t even bring himself to believe in Santa.
If we can get half decent money for Vlaar right now I’d take it I it meant we could invest in the midfield.
He’s not shown a lot of loyalty bearing in mind that he’s our captain and missed a lot of games through injury.
I’m only saying that because we seem to have signed or brought through more than capable alternatives.
robbo- pretty much, vlaar is too injury prone and others are stepping up shame but true. would try to keep delph and with keane gone it could be possible but unlikely. if not sell both reinvest as thats the only sensible option.
steamer- don’t think anyones getting carried away its the reality of the club at this point, what’s the alternative? if villa park is empty you’d think it would change but it seems Lerner is a stubborn bastard.
santa is real plays for Malaga