Scoring one goal these days is almost like a win over Man U, is it not? It’s such a rarity.

But if you concede two then the one goal proves to have done nothing more except bring back some hope that we can score. Indeed, with Carles Gil demonstrating impetuous skill at times against the league leaders and also linking well with Delph and Westwood, the old image of hoof football seems to have been put to bed. A possession stat of 51% (against the league leaders!), with a higher proportion than usual actually making inroads to the opponent’s half, seems to indicate that the team still has positive thoughts.

The depressing stat is that even with improved movement there was only one attempt on goal – the goal that was scored. The attackers seemed to think that putting the ball over the bar might gain 3 points, but it was a defender that showed them how. Encore Okore!

It’s this impotency in attack that is now the primary focus. Everyone (not just Lambert) assumed that after Benteke’s return from lengthy injury the goal scoring deficiency would be rectified. Indeed, in his early matches he put three in the net as though he was just warming up, but for whatever reason he has since looked a forlorn figure, generally not doing too much and waiting for someone to put the ball exactly where he wants it. Having been left on the bench this time we found that his replacement, though looking more mobile, also did not have his goal-finding equipment with him. We can look back in fondness to the days when Ashley Young used to measure the perfect centre for Gabby’s head to steer the ball home (a beauty versus Man U comes to mind), but the man seems to have lost that ability. Perhaps Young’s departure sent him into a mourning that he has never recovered from.

So, scoring remains the main crisis issue. And you have to score to win.

The tactic now can either be (a) a return to massive defence with swift counter-attacks, or (b) all-out attack and leave gaps at the back. Even with all-out attack I’m not sure that we know where the net is, so (a) (to me) seems the less risky approach. We simply must win some games.

We now have six games which must constitute the basis of our survival plan:

Feb 10 v. A Hull City
Feb 21 v. H Stoke C
Feb 28 v. A Newcastle U
Mar 3 v. H West Brom
Mar 14 v. A Sunderland
Mar 21 v. H Swansea C

We must have a target of a minimum 12 points from these matches to stand a chance of survival, I suggest – three home wins and three away draws or some other permutation with the same minimum result. Failure to achieve that must surely be curtains for our team. Following these six we have three consecutive away games against Man U, Spurs then Man City: what a thought! But we then have three consecutive home matches against QPR, Everton and West Ham. Finally, after a visit to the Saints we have Burnley at home. Maybe that will be the decider?

Whatever happens, come Summer something up top has to change at Villa Park.

Comments 73

  1. John
    I agree we need to get as much out of these next 6 fixtures as possible, 12 points or more is the aim. These fixtures will shape our future, not just in terms of this season but long term also, we fail in these and we will go down, which will be financial suicide. If we go down we won’t bounce straight back up, thus giving all those around us currently that survive the drop, an extra £100m in revenue per season, we will struggle to ever catch up with the likes of WBA!!! Times have changed since our last relegation, and finances play a far bigger part than ever before, we will drift off into obscurity like Forest, Leeds, Sheff Weds etc.
    We still have a chance to avoid this disaster, it is in our own hands, Burnleys next 9 fixtures are horrendous, they will be lucky to get 2/3 points and I wouldn’t be surprised if they implode and get zero, Leicester seem to want to assist our survival by turning themselves into a circus and keeping Pearson, QPR could go either way as could Hull, but we need to start scoring goals and winning games, if we do that it doesn’t matter what the others do.
    Our Achilles heel is Lambert, he is doing more harm than good, surely a caretaker or at least an assistant to tell him where he is going wrong or freshen it up, until Randy finds his balls and sacks the useless prick.
    Make no mistake though I want Lambert gone, and get someone in who will bring fresh ideas positivity, and actually try to win games and take us forwards, if not next season will be de ja vu yet again.

  2. morning john

    plan a seems prudent to me, it may also suit benteke as he should have more space as defences back pedal to get into position. if we could somehow mix the two styles that would be ideal but they haven’t shown enough cohesion to do that. unless senderos recovers who may have the leadership to make it work. gabby cant get off the floor to get over the ball and strangely benteke seems to be suffering the same malady since his return from injury. the crosses in are poor so maybe move gil behind tekkers and bakuna out wide, sinclair on the left, delph and westwood central. basically 442 and keep a solid back line

  3. John,

    Ever read the book ” The Eternal Optimist “, three wins and three draws can you really see us going six games unbeaten and as you point out to win those games we need to find a goal scorer, who is my next question.

    We are pinning all our hopes on Gil either scoring or creating which he looks capable of doing unlike Cleverly, it will be interesting to find out if a condition of his loan is that we must play him because he definitely is not getting in on any type of form, a criticism we can level at quite a few of our current eleven, or does Lambert see a lot of himself in TC and takes pity on his lack of ability, how ironic that if we should go down aided and abetted by Cleverly he will just up sticks and sign for Everton anyway.

    I still find it incredulous that the owner of some of the worse stats in Aston Villas long history still remains the safest manager in the premier league, Lambert must pull the curtains in the morning and look out on a fresh sunny but cold day and think how long can this charade continue, at what point do they finally crack and pay me off.
    Well Paul you have blown quite a few myths clean out of the water, football is a results business unless you are managing AVFC under Randy Lerner who seems to have re-written the football rulebook.

    AVFC RIP

  4. B62,

    You make some good points especially the useless prick part, does that tell its own story that finding someone to work alongside Lambert is nigh on impossible or do the hierarchy at VP think he is doing just fine on his own and does not need any help.

    I also think Burnley and Lester will go with either us or QPR joining them, just got a feeling old Pugnose will turn Hull around starting with tomorrows game.

    AVFC RIP

  5. after that lot of games we will be lucky to have 30 points in total
    can someone tell me where the goals are going to come from,,,,
    because i cant see it, sure gil is a little genius but we just dont create enough,,,
    and our deadball conversion has to be the worst in the uk,,
    its pathetic,,
    we have shown small signs of positivity, but i just dont think it will be enough
    lambert seems set on playing this style,, it is better but unless you have quality in key areas then it wont work
    it may get better against the lower teams , tuesday will show us where we are but
    our record against the lower teams means i wont be holding my breath
    defeat will be the end for lambert

  6. I don’t get narked any more because it will be exactly the same next year, the custodian and his pet monkey don’t give us much hope do they ?
    Quite a few of the games on JL’s list of fixtures should be promising for points but with Lamberts bizarre outlook on footy we’ll probably lose the lot, folk said the CP, Burnley etc games were easy a couple of months ago, we never won one.
    Mark,
    Hutton signed because the deal on offer was probably twice as good as he’d get anywhere else, Given is on a ridiculous contract ( thanks Chubby ) and Grealish was told that he’d figure in the 1st team, he’s destroyed Bents career, ignored Dunne when he was just what the team needed, actually treated Helenious in a sadistic manner which could have resulted in a suicide and several other instances that are beyond humanity, i actually hate the bastard as much as Thatcher.

  7. Mark
    I don’t know where he has been looking for this illusive assistant, but I’ve worrying rumblings from the Lambert/Fox camp that they think he doesn’t need an AM and is doing fine on his own.
    I am only praying that they are playing poker, and it’s all a bluff to get us thru to the summer, when June 1st Lambert will be sacked, and we go for Eddie Howe( if the cherries somehow miss out on promotion)or someone off the continent, and we start a proper rebuild, hopefully with a new owner.
    Truthfully I can’t see it, and I can see Lambert being here for the duration of his contract whilst RL pockets around £80m per season

  8. He’s got Fattwat as a sounding board and while he hasn’t got an AM there’s no-one to threaten his job.
    Just gone past VP and i saw them fitting a rack & pulley to the crossbar so the fat git can get off the ground for a high ball, at the moment you couldn’t get a copy of the Argus under his feet.

  9. If he does get an AM you can bet he’s some unknown Jock who he played with at Motherwell and has been working in a Paisley off-licence for the last thirty years, wanker.

  10. “Well Gabby is their anything i can do for you apart fromgetting you that totally undeserved contract for doing f-all during the past three years ?”
    “Yeah Lambo ya div, nip down to KFC and get me a couple of kingsized buckets of wings with extra fat, ten Colas and an supersize Ben & Jerry.”

  11. steamer- you old drama queen 😉

    B62- I’m like you hoping something is about to happen, the delph signing is to much of an off the wall one for me. maybe fox already has his man lined up including staff, in this game you never know. I will say this Lambert is cracking, the strain must be immense and I don’t believe he hasn’t been taken to one side and made fully aware by fox the smiling assassin

  12. B62,
    Apparently thats the plan, Fox will get the $$ in and by 2018 Lerner will have all his dough back and be able to sell the club cheaply. By then we could have a whip round and buy it ourselves because it won’t be worth much.

  13. I still have a feeling that something may happen in the close season, no-one could get as excited as Delph was when he signed his contract, either he’s a potential Oscar winner or he knows something.

  14. Steamer,

    There may be a method in your madness, even relegation may not scupper that plan, with parachute payments and the excuse to sell players on he may get his money back quicker than he thinks, sell the club for a knockdown £70/80m and Lerner walks away a happy man, Fox leaves with a pay off has does Lambert and we are left picking up the shit sticks.

    Who said Lerner was an idiot.

    AVFC RIP

  15. “I thought the front three were excellent – Gabby (Agbonlahor), Carles (Gil) and Andi (Weimann).

    And TC doesn’t have a clause that says he has to play.

    Two more reasons why he should seek psychiatric help.

  16. SWV- takes a devious mind to think like that mate. As a proposition a team on low wages yo yoing between prem and champs can make the owner a lot if they don’t spend on the team like burnley have done. Not the worst plan as the club would be cheaper to off load when your pensions sorted

  17. Good comments, fellers.

    I loved the comment (yet was horrified by the fact) of Lerner having re-written the rule-book of footie, as stated by SWV. It is a fact – who would have believed that the logic exploited by the chairman could ever become reality? Of all the clubs for it to happen to it had to be Villa. Groan.

    Anyway, it’s onwards and forwards now isn’t it …? Into the valley of death rode the 600 – and all that.

  18. Hi John n all

    your right – the next 6 games will shape our destiny — if we can’t pick up a decent amount of points there really is no point being in this lge

    John Barnes made me laugh on Soccer sunday when he said Lambert thought they played well and were unlucky but i can’t see it myself

    It is really frustrating too know we have a good side but are struggling – i read somewhere on FB someone said Lambert has actually built a pretty good sqaud but its a pity he doesnt know how too manage it — sums things up for me

  19. Runtingz- exactly why some have been patient with lambert, they’ve seen the potential. Somewhere between identifying players and using said players correctly and effectively he fucks up, shame but he has to go.

  20. Hello John,
    I haven’t had time to read your latest or the comments as I am trying to catch up time lost last week due to girls ailments etc. I have though had time to glimpse over your “The Greatest Goal” which looks fascinating. I will be purchasing a copy – do I do it through the link on the e mail ? Sorry if you have explained this already – more haste less speed just about sums me up ATM !! x

  21. I don’t see a change in mentality within the players and it being directed by Lamberk happening soon enough to get us out of this hole. So despite our fixtures being more favourable then our immediate competitors for premier league survival, I’m only left with hope that Okore goes on a goal scoring streak that removes the need for coordinated attacks or for every game we lose or draw an equal or worse result happens to the teams below us.

    This is not football, this is a sham and Lamberk is primary in responsibility for this. Unfortunately for us, Lamberk is primarily a disgrace, he’s made us this years laughing stock and tarnished our 140th season forever regardless of whether we avoid relegation.

    I did take some positives from Saturday, Okore is right, the hoodoo has been removed around not scoring, players are human and this surely does play on the mind or at least those that have them (Gabby is excluded from this). We did prevent a rout, we had a small amount of attacking possession, unseen at VP for months.

    Lamberk has deflected attention away from another defeat by talking about everything else including someone having a go at him in Portugese, even though he points out he doesn’t understand Portugese but journalistic integrity prevented Lamberk from being asked how did he know someone was having a go. Lamberk is just too stupid, no wonder we are the laughing stock of the leagues.

    Are we all still suffering from Apathy Lamberkus, that we now accept a losing goal as a crumb of comfort, how the mighty have fallen.

    AFVC ALL

  22. Hahahaha. Lambert thinks the front 3 were excellent. We had one shot on target ffs and created f all.

    So Lambert just thinks Clev is a good player then. Twat

    Jose has said Lambert is shit pretty much. Fair play

  23. Good article JL,

    Ref: the 600, this would appear to be the number that have signed the petition to get rid of Lambert, unfortunately, it looks more like 30,000 Villa fans being railroaded into the Championship without a fight,.

    I cannot see where this team under Lambert can possibly win a single game, with the tactics and methods being employed by Lambert, even Arsenal or Chelsea would struggle with his leadership.

    I cannot believe that we are continuing with his services, as we plunge towards the bottom of the table. There is not another team, which has such poor fire power, and lack of tactics, Burnley must be one of the unluckiest teams, producing good attacking football, but failing to plug the defensive holes, but they can improve. I am sure most of us would not mind being a Burnley fan, seeing them producing the attacking football, scoring goals, even if they do lose in the end, at least it is entertaining, something Villa will never be with Lambert.

    We do have potential, we do have players, and once again our youngsters are producing the goods elsewhere. We will struggle on Sunday against Leicester, who have much potential in their forwards, and this time , they may well find the net, and then our cup run will be over. Lambert really does need to walk away before it is too late.

    At the end of the season, Lerner will collect on the sale of Benteke, Delph and one or two players, and Villa and it’s wage bill will be ready for the Championship, and with the parachute payments etc Lerner will be well on his way to getting his money back, and the club can be sold as said, for around £70/80 million.

  24. Darren,

    Well, Lambert’s view may well be that as we have just played the top side in the table and didn’t too badly (apart from shots) he’d be hopeful that a lesser-placed club will be more easy to pick up points from using the same approach as against Chelsea. But that idea may well be utterly flawed.

    Lower-placed club or not, we still have to find a way to score a minimum one goal *and* keep a clean sheet.

    I hope those midfielders are taking extra shooting practice this week!

    Trinity,

    Well, I’m just hoping we get a draw at Newcastle – so long as we can somehow pick up wins elsewhere.

  25. Paul,

    It’s a good point about the match I didn’t mention – against Leicester.

    Albri may well show us again how it should be done … but the match will at least give Villa extra practice at trying to find their shooting boots.

  26. 37 points to survive means 4 wins and 3 draws from last 14 games….where’s that going to be achieved…might be lower than 37 if they’re lucky, but even still.

  27. Morning Lifers

    Thanks John,an interesting leader once again.I think it has been forgotten,that Chelsea had a weakened side.yet still cruised to victory.I thought we performed well for the opening few minutes of the 2nd half.Chelsea came to win the game,that helped us a little.Where we really struggle is with teams that sit back and we have to take the game to them.
    Hull,well.we will go there witrh a negative mindset and formation.We will approach Hull as if we are Telford away in a cup tie at Old Trafford,the underdog,playing with desperation.I wish I had a positive spin to put on our dreadful manager and players.,but crepe is crepe however the club chooses to dress it up.
    I have defended him in past seasons,but have to single out Gabby for some stick.He was unable to finish the 90 minutes on Saturday,it is a disgrace that he is not fit enough,and I think Lambert and the fitness/sports science staff need to receive a rollicking for this.However like everyone else at VP,no one takes responsibility for anything,and we get trite platitudes wheeled out which I find insulting.

  28. Mark.
    Just watched yer vids, liked Jack of All Trades, sounds like one of those early 60’s R&B bands, think Nick Gravenites and Electric Flag although i don’t recall him with a pint of bitter half way through a song. Enjoyed it.

    B6B,
    Only a couple of weeks ago Fox was boasting about our sports science team at BH, yet Agbonlahor is so obviously unfit.

  29. steamer- thanks mate, both numbers were hastily written as we were playing the red hot blues club and we thought we might need some extra blues as lot of our tracks are loosely blues/jazz/funky in there make up. Apparently the rest of the songs at that gig had slight errors in them by the guitarist and bass player, how the feck they can tell that I don’t know as they improv through every gig. Beer is written into my contract don’t like M&M’s

  30. Hi fellow sufferers,

    I don’t comment all the time on here, not out of any busy schedule or commitment. Neither am I electronically challenged with regard to access to the Internet or computer. I don’t have any sick relatives or children that keep me away from my keyboard.

    No; the truth is that there is only so many ways that the same comments can be re-jigged before it becomes repetitive.

    These days I only come on to read the sharp, witty and sometimes outrageous comments of the lifers, lets face it that’s the reason most of us come on these days it certainly isn’t to discuss the football.

    When I first started reading this site, the comments were thick and fast and I bowed to the knowledge of those who knew far more about the Villa than I did. It was truly a Claret and Blue education and definitely a banter fest. This seems to have disappeared, not only on this site, but, with most Fans these days. The passions and commitment that was evident a few years ago have gone. This is symptomatic not just of our fans but all fans.

    The game that we all loved has been prised from our clenched fist by foreign investment and commercial rights. No longer can we take part with any pride at a football ground without it turning into a media opportunity for someone.

    I hate the “what’s in it for me” society that we have become. Instant stardom is given to some moron who can kick a ball without falling over, or, a woman who can chug down Kangaroo testacies while getting her tits out in the jungle. Bands make global superstars without setting foot in a working man’s club to learn their trade.

    We are allowing this to happen!

    When was it ok to lose 2-1 with the comment “not a bad result there, could have been worse”! This I heard today at work ;our manager is a joke who has been found wanting and he’s proved yet again that he has no clue. The writing was on the wall when McTwat was hired and only a few protested.

    We sleep our way into oblivion with only the memory of what once was as solace, I hate what we have become, moreover I hate that I let it happen and did nothing.

    The carrot of investment was all too easy to accept, the promise of great reward and the reality of abject failure.

    My missus said last week “how come you never go to the match any more?”. My reply was I cant be arsed, how sad is that!
    Sorry John…good points well made, i’ll put me soap box away now!
    Lets hope the revolution comes soon!

    #lambertout #lernerout

  31. Sam,

    We try not to be trodden underfoot by the immovable custodians who have been tasked with destroying the moral fabric of our once great football club, we are hanging onto any single thread that may see us survive this tenure under Lerner and co.
    Some of us have retained the humour that helped us through some very dark years but some days it is getting near impossible to raise a smile as far as AVFC is concerned.
    We simply live in hope that we can get through this period of regress and there is something left in B6 to give us the opportunity to salvage what is left and again build a football club to give the fans a team to be proud of, it may take a while but we can always hope.

    AVFC RIP

  32. relegation here we come with this clown
    cleverly playing well not hiding looking for the ball its when they hide i dont like our master speaks well every commentator says when cleverly gets ball villa stop go back or sideways never forward,undroppable like gabby wiemen but the only one good player we have benteke can be, bit like shoehorning vlar into team few weeks ago at expense clark /okore
    rogers started same season 184 points lambert 101points
    any body in charge even tea lady couldn t be any worse
    team for hull
    guzan
    hutton
    sissko
    clark
    okore
    sanchez
    delph
    sinclair
    grealish think 3 hull booked kicking him at villa park when he came on as sub
    gil
    benteke
    subs
    given
    lowton
    vlar
    bacuna
    westwood
    wiemen
    gabby

    simple 442 with gil of benteke attack down wings
    drop clevely off at man u on way passed

  33. How sad is that, coming on top of GOG stating something similar. I think anyone with half a brain cell would agree with Rod on all points. I used to console myself thinking about all the great times i had with loyal Villans over the decades, now i think ‘What a waste of fifty odd years and countless thousands of pounds’ and i wouldn’t piss on most modern Villans i meet if they were on fire.

  34. James,
    He seems to be attempting to justify his signings no matter what. I really can’t see what assets he has as a football manager he’s very lucky that the folk at VP know absolutely bugger all about the game although you don’t need to, just look at the results under PL, that shows you how much Lerner hates AVFC and Brummies.

  35. sam- I completely agree with what you have said it is indeed
    a poor world we live in. that said don’t be tight and post a link to the women with her boobs out and a mouth full of balls please 😉

  36. watching cleverly play I can honestly say his favourite pass is straight back to the man who’s just passed to him before the poor sod can move. he waves his arms about begging to receive the ball then passes back whether the blokes marked or not.

  37. Rod (Sam),

    SWV neatly responded, but there was quite a bit that you stated or inferred that should in some way be followed up on. But after knocking my brain I cannot find any words except to say “I agree with you!”

    Yes, there are many things wrong with our way of life that has parallels in modern football and probably feed off one another.

    Your comments pretty well urge me to get onto my own political soapbox, but as a final flourish and by way of trying to underline what matters, I present these snippets of reports that have recently appeared in the ‘i’ newspaper (sister to The Independent):

    POVERTY

    Reported Dec 11, 2014, p.13: Shame on Iain Duncan Smith He has presided over a system which has led to widespread hunger…

    Reported Jan 27, 2015, p.5: Poorer households “have borne the brunt of austerity” As found by a report researched by London School of Economics and the University of Manchester.

    Reported Jan 29, 2015, p.19: Feed the world? Output slows as population soars. From report in Ecology and Society.

    Reported Jan 30, 2015, p.21: Gap between rich and poor widens in England’s schools. From stats released by Teach First

    CARE AND JUSTICE IN SOCIETY

    Reported Dec 10, 2014, p.4: NHS spending on management fees doubles to £640m. Such expenditure has doubled since 2010.

    Reported Jan 28, 2015, p.11: Grayling’s in charge. You call this justice? Non-lawyer heads department and reduces access to justice.

    Reported Jan 31, 2015, p.6: Elderly in care homes “too scared to complain” According to head of Health-watch England. Hospital staff “too busy to respect dignity of dying”. Following inspection by Care Quality Commission.

    Reported Feb 6, 2015, p.5: Domestic abuse victime “wrongly penalised”. DWIP criticised by Fawcett Society.

    Reported Feb 7, 2015, p.11: How council failed desparate man over debt. Man committed suicide after 50% reduction in housing benefit: 49 people reported died under such circumstances, but DWP denies connection.

  38. It`s worked.After all these seasons and months of having our expectations reduced and crushed,we now are told to accept that “we played well ” versus Chelsea.
    Come on please.Playing well would,in my eyes,would constitue the opposing GK being busy,,shots,pressure on the opponents goal.
    We are told that “we did great well or fantastic” week in week out,this has to stop from the Crepemeister,we hear it every flippin week,please stop saying it,and above Villa fans please stop swallowing it.
    The Crepemeister General say sacking Lambert,would be like tossing a coin,well Fox me old son,flip that coin NOW.

  39. JL- strange when there are more of us around than ever we have less time to give to those who need it, and the only portion of the population not growing much is the ones with all the money

  40. 99% of the worlds wealth owned by 1% of its population, theres a stat aint it?

    Something else that winds me up is the whole RESPECT campaign, i watched the Manure game and noted how Rooney had the word respect on his armband clearly visible whilst he gave the referee a mouthful of expletives and abuse. Surely it should have read NO respect, after all the only thing they respect these days is money.

    A mate of mine is a Baggies fan, season ticket holder until they got into the prem last time, said that since being in the prem the match atmosphere had changed. Now this lad was die hard baggies home and away but he started watching rugby instead of going to the hawthorns he now goes to six ways home of Worcester rugby, you should hear him say how they get there early and have a burger and a beer and then go chat with the players. Its still quite cheap and the players get on with the fans and have a bit of banter with them, really quite civilised. You would do well to get a grunt from a footballer these days, oh how money has corrupted the game, and if i hear one more feckin pundit tell me how great the prem is i’ll explode. Might be great to 5 maybe 6 clubs with cash but for the rest of us its pulling teeth!!!
    The only people its really great for is the media muppets taking our money, well they can bugger off cos i just got rid of my SKY subscription, futile i know but made me feel better!

  41. Well done jose mourinho for pointing out that if villa go down it won’t be due to the qaulity of the players at the club.

    no were to hide Mr Lambert — not that he is in the slightest bit bothered after all the whole thing is securing his future in terms of earnings

  42. What makes it worse for me is Lerner not having the goolies to explain whats been/is going on and why. He’s on Youtube explaining something about the Browns but hasn’t the common decency to tell Villans why he’s destroying our club after promising utopia. Possibly he’s gutless, in fact that seems likely, sitting 3,000 miles away while Villa disappear down the gurgler seems about right.

  43. JL great comments as to the social state of the country but what is the answer mate what do we do when you state all those points a Wan ker and fraud like Lambert just fades away into the background our club is being run as bad as the country is it that nobody cares who is in control only about themselves .

  44. My blood boils listening to the Berk . Firstly, I’ve never see a manager who couldn’t care less more than he does. You would think he would be ashamed of what he’s done to this club but I actually think he thinks he’s doing us a favour.
    Secondly, he either lies or is deluded. Things he says like we created chances against Arsenal ( we didn’t) and that Gabby was fantastic against Chelsea ( he wasn’t) I do t which one it is. I think it might be both maybe
    Finally, he says the next two months will define our season like he’s writing of the last 5 months

    I think if Hull beat us then maybe he will wake up and realise what shit we are in. He might then realise hat he’s done. I don’t want him to ever win as Villa manager again, he doesn’t deserve it, but then we need to win games. If we do though, another 4 year contract will be heading his way

    The day he leaves this club will be a great day

  45. After all his comments defending Cleverlys selection there is no chance he will get dropped tonight, in fact he will be the first name on the team sheet ahead of Flabby.

    AVFC RIP

  46. Frem,

    Well, the man is right if he means the next 2 months will define the result of the season. As in my article, we need the very minimum of 12 points from these upcoming 6 games. But, yes, a defeat at Hull will then put more pressure on the remaining 5 games. Conversely, a win at Hull would exceed the minimum requirements of the schedule and would be fine if that momentum could be maintained.

    We will soon see – and you, my son, have the honour of being there to see us play our greatest game of the season! 🙂

    But whatever happens don’t expect to see Lambert go this season. He won’t. The gaffer up top has decided not.

  47. JD,

    I suspect that we don’t realise how much we have been conditioned in our thinking these past 30 years (since Thatcher). The system has virtually succeeded in placing false priorities on the dinner table and we have nearly eaten every crumb.

    The fact that Lerner is in hiding gives me a little hope actually, that he’s feeling the cold of winter in realising that the fans can bite back if things get very bad.

  48. SWV,
    Surely the first name on the team sheet will be Guzan ?
    JL,
    I’ve always thought that the Bolton game was the one that finished Lerner and Villa, the reaction of the fans terrified him and let him know that the supporters knew he was a phoney.

  49. Tonights game could be a better spectacle than Real Madrid vs Eintracht Frankfurt, free flowing footy laced with world class skills by some all-time legends, but in reality it will be 22 journeymen kicking a ball as far upfield as they can with no guidance from the two imbeciles called managers. As usual we’ll stink the house out. I predict a dire 0-0, if we actually lose this one then i think we’re doomed.

  50. Have to agree, if Villa can’t beat Hull, regardless of their recent draw against City, we’re probably for the chop. The team, as some on ere have said, are better than that. Selection, subbing and lack of confidendence and/or motivation are the main problems. Those things stem from a lack of effective leadership.

    I think Villa will win tonight.

  51. It’s amazing (sickening now) to think that given the team and Lamberk’s performance in the previous seasons that an overall assessment was made to give Lamberk another contract following a run of decent results. I expect that Lerner was protecting a buddy from the inevitable sale by a new owner having to pay off the contract, the last act of a dying man.

    Fox’s arrival confused things as such a senior position being filled while the club was for sale didn’t make sense other than there may have been a buyer at the start of the season, that went south and Lerner didn’t want to manage the club directly so had to appoint. In the end he appointed a marketing man and if you know marketing people they all have an over-inflated opinion of their self worth and would willing sell their soul for the right deal. But it’s their self-interest that kills things because he won’t have his staff concerns at heart, he won’t have the consumers (us) interest at heart, his driver will be landing the big contract and getting publicity for same. Those big contracts won’t arrive while we are dire.

    I hope that Lerner all those years ago did want to achieve something with Villa but surely he is intelligent enough to realise that it can’t continue with Lamberk and he has to protect his investment by ensuring premier league status is maintained. The top 8 form required by Villa to survive this season on the back of not being able to score goals surely can lead to one thing only.

    I seen a typical facebook post of you’re not a fan if you welcome relegation, i understand the sentiment but what kind of a fan are you if you are willing to accept the situation we are in, i’m not sure which is worse and if relegation meant the removal of Lamberk because he appears safe now then i’m for it because i can’t take anymore of this anti-football shite and the dirge Lamberk comes out with day in. day out.

    AVFC ALL

  52. Tonight will be a tight scrappy affair, it could go either way as neither side are that good, although Hull can take heart from their performance at City.
    Lambert is an idiot who will pick the wrong team selections, and shoehorn his favourites in, despite form and contrary to the balance of the side. He will set up ultra defensive and try and bore Hull into a mistake that we can capitalise on. It won’t be a game for the purist as there will be little in the way of actual football played, tonight is all about winning, everything else is a side show.
    Why we let Lambert speak to the media indontbknow, he comes across as a retarded Glaswegian alcoholic, he doesn’t actually makes sense and spouts absolute bullshit and fantasy, he embarrasses the club every interview, surely Fox cringes when he hears the tosh he spouts, even the best PR spin doctor can’t put a positive slant on this dying football club.
    Interesting debate on the radio last night , part of which was players wages and how much they earn. Callers were saying it is only fair these players get these wages( top clubs really not everyone, to the same extent), the argument for this thinking is they clubs bring in hundreds of millions in revenue, and it is going up massively, more cash going into the premier league than ever before, TV cash rising to £100m upwards, so why shouldn’t the clubs major assets ie star players get a fair chunk of the pie???
    We all know players are overpaid in comparison to the rest of us, but it’s a fair shout, Chelsea, City , Manure etc would be struggling without the best players , the clubs incomes are phenomenal ie TV cash , Sponsorship deals(£400m for adidas at MUFC) CL etc etc.
    Lerner has royally fucked up, we are missing out at the top table and look like disappearing for good.

  53. B62: surely Fox cringes when he hears the tosh he spouts

    I doubt it. Fox is a professional – didn’t you know? 😉

    i.e. Fox is probably on an exorbitant salary to put out a screed that all is fine: “Hang on to your bracers, chaps, we’re British you know!”

  54. I’d sooner have a fool who cared in charge than an opportunist who didn’t give a monkeys like Lerner. He must be really embarrassed to have ruined Villa after his destruction of the Browns, i bet he denies any connection to the club when he’s with his high roller pals, “oh, it must be another Randy Lerner, what a knob,”
    Why didn’t he listen at the outset ? Is he so flawed that he didn’t realise that uou have to have some knowledge of a business to make it a success ?

  55. An Honour is John. Is that what It is 🙂 It’s more like a chore that for some reason i can’t stop my self from doing.

    We ain’t going to get 12 points from 6 games John. I can’t see us getting 3 points against 18th placed Hull tonight really. We need to, but Lambert will play for a 0-0 I’m pretty sure.

    I hope the players get them selfs up for it and show they give a shit about this club.

  56. JL
    Is Fox based here or the states?
    Darren
    Relegation won’t see the removal of Lambert, the loss of revenue will mean they won’t be able to afford his pay off, or to fund all the new managers transfer requests, in order to achieve promotion. Of course we know Lerner’s philosophy has been false economy, having pissed a fair wedge up the wall on his own incompetent leadership ideology, having to give pay offs for Mon/Houllier/Mcleish there back room staff/court pay offs etc etc
    Relegation will be a disaster, if you think Lerner is tight now, imagine how tight he will be in the championship, when his revenue streams are decimated.

  57. Hi B62, written in hope that something catastrophic like relegation would make those in control see the wood from the trees and realise who played a part in AVFCs demise, to at least cut off that deadwood of a manager

    I know in reality that it will be either prison or sickness that will remove Lamberk from AVFC 🙂

    AVFC ALL

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