Aston Villa Banter Archive January 01 2015 to January 31 2015

30 Jan 2015 10:03:20
{Ed001's Note - We have posted a new article entitled, Why did Man City buy Scott Sinclair?

27 Jan 2015 19:58:00
Does anyone know anything about Jovovotic?
I have seen his name on a couple of sites stating that AVFC are interested in the midfield player.
Also Cleverly said to be the most disappointing player in the prem.
Is that news?

24 Jan 2015 19:08:01
What is the crack with our club for gods sake.
Why is P Lambert looking at Crews goalkeeper Ben Garratt when we have Guzan, Given, Steer, Siegrist,
It is goals scored that's the problem, Not goals conceded.
His player policies really do leave me totally bemused, and the way things are going with Grealish it ain't looking good.
Fined when a bo-----ing would have done, and judging by Lamberts past he will probably throw his toys out of the pram and not play him to rub it in.
Daniel Johnson also gone, Its getting beyond a joke, it does prove one thing to me and that is Lambert lacks what is needed in a good Manager, and that is Vision and common sense.

I, m bored of agreeing you now Villadave.
Say something like "Lambert is a class manager who will lead us to glory" just to mix things up a bit

Sorry mate: To be honest Mendax I get bored with myself, it seems like I am complaining all the bloody time.
UTV

If Kingvilla is correct it May be time to smell the roses along the way.
Something big could happen and we are all waiting for the action.
A little dreaming never hurt anyone, so you could dream of life without PL, while I dream of success and climbing the league regardless of who is at the helm.

I hope your dreams come true very soon Oldvillan.
I dream of success all the time mate, If you look, I think my Avatar proves that.
And I also don’t care who is at the Helm when or if we achieve success, what I do care about is the damage that might be done trying to achieve success.
Success is surely a combination of several factors coming together at a given time, you must remember as a club, we have in the past been at the very top, so success for us is a long way off at the moment.
I won`t mention names again but success for some is staying in the premiership.
Believe me I hope Kingvilla is correct, But my wife reckons I say silly things when I wake up.

23 Jan 2015 18:04:22
So, it looks like Gil will be the only transfer in January
I think this may point toward Lerner accepting he is nowhere near a buyer and if he has to be lumbered with Villa, it is going to be a slimmed down version of Villa that he doesn't have to invest in (a bit like the Tories and the NHS)
If my suspicions are true, it's sort of academic which division we are in as he will just cut the squad to suit
Any thoughts ?

Lerner is not investing, not PL failing to buy.
If he had the funds he would try to get o forward to get the supporters off his back.
He may not be the best but his support from the owner is non existent.
There is not a chance of ANY manager coming to VP while Lerner is the owner.
If we want to stay in the prem. then we must get right behind the team and Lambert. Stop all the bile and hatred and give support, as we all do, to a far greater degree.
The players confidence is about as low as a it can get and encouragement rather than slagging off is essential.

Hi Mendax
I think you might be just a little bit pessimistic on this mate.
I know where you are coming from, but I do expect another Player to join us, maybe two.
Having said that I think Lerner is releasing just enough money to give Lambert something to do.
If he can keep us up with 5mil as opposed to 50mil he will do Lerner I mean.

Mendax, I often find myself agreeing with your posts. However I don't see any value and or point in bringing politics to this site however tongue in cheek your comment is. VTID

Sorry mate, couldn't resist
And I thought it was a good analogy as it happens
But, yes. You are right

Hi Villadave
Hope you are right mate. I really do
You are definitely right about me being pessimistic. I cannot ever recall feeling so low with all things Villa
(Blimey, I seem to be telling a lot of my fellow posters they are right tonight !)

Oldvillain
You really think the players read this site ? really ?
This is the forum for honest opinion, argument and banter amongst the supporters. It's not a site we share with the players. I often think of it as the kind of chat you might have after the game with your friends. ( And we all know how candid those conversations can become)
The place we share with the players is the stadium. That's where they need our uncompromised support.
This is a site where your fellow posters deserve our honesty rather than brainless (not that I am suggesting you are brainless) opinion

Mendax, a bit back handed that comment.
My opinion is as you know is that players have to stand up and be counted, not just take the money and run. Sorry a lot of them don't run do they?
Lambert is working on his own but the old story, When you are up to your neck in alligators one has to remember the idea was to clear the swamp, would seem appropriate.
Possibly 380000 alligators in the crowd.

Oldvillain
There was nothing backhanded in my comments mate (I'm assuming you mean the person one)
I don't work like that. I'm disappointed you've not noticed
I have been chatting with you for a while on here and although I don't always agree with you I can tell you are no person! (far from it in fact)
That said, I do think you have a blind spot with regard to recognising the difference between honest and open criticism on here (which I support) and the necessity for fans to get behind the players on matchday (which I equally support)

19 Jan 2015 16:03:07
Hi Oldvillan.
Most of us on here assess the entire picture as you put it, and our problems lie throughout the whole team mate not just one area, our defence has improved granted "BUT"
You cannot play out from the back if the players are not comfortable on the ball, end of, Delph tried it on Saturday, gave the ball away and bingo "GOAL" he should have smacked it up field and the threat has gone, this should be coached into players
We are not set up with the players we have to play through midfield like we are trying to do all of the time, we are not quick enough or incisive enough to do that, we are just giving teams more time to get back and cover. Coach players to see this
We need to be a lot more direct and go over the top from time to time, change things, coach players to look behind their marker and take balls through the channels, we have the pace "USE IT"
Gil should improve this part of our game but we need more than one player with this ability, Gabby, Weimann and the likes should be told to watch him and learn from his purpose, if it upsets them tough warm the bench.
Small heath and the press are raving about Demarai Gray, this guy is 18, Liam Cooper at Leeds is 17 and Running midfield, Now our guy Grealish is nearly 20 and not getting a sniff going out on loan again I believe.
All of this and more is down to the Manager, it does not matter which way you look at it, he picks the team to play a certain way, and from the players he has coached.
He is a very clever man sucking up to Lerner and trying to keep thing under control with his YOU WERE GREAT, WE PLAYED WELL, and keep playing the way we are and the goals will come, Face it Mr lLambert if we keep playing the way we are we will have scored 20 goals come the seasons end.
Sorry for going on lads but JEEEZZZ.

Dave, if we got a couple of real strikers players would play the ball long, they don't need a coach to make that decision.
No one at the back trust the front "runners" so the ball doesn't get there.
Lambert does not say that he wants to play a short ball out of defence, that was Delphs decision and only his.
We will not get a new manager and this fact we must live with.
Players must use their brains and if they score by playing a long ball I can't see the manager berating them for scoring.

I disagree. We would get a new manager, if only for them to use us a stepping stone. We are still a club people would come to.
Any goal scorer would love to come to us to play, and be out saviour, to leave in summer the hero.
But the club won't pay. This is the problem.
The owner won't fund. End of.
The owner won't savk, as won't fund. End of.
The manager won't quit, as knows he won't get sacked. End of.
Players don't give a shit, as both the owner and manager don't give a shit. End of

Lol our saviour!!
And sack!!
Should really read before posting

I understand that players have to make decisions on the spur of the moment, and indeed they do.
But those decisions are made within a structure, requested by the coach.
My instincts as a player were to mark your man, but some coaches tell you to take zones, and if you don’t comply you are out, that is either good coaching or bad coaching is it not.
Two examples of this are Torres, and Suarez. Goals a plenty at Liverpool but at Chelsea they did not play to Torres strengths, and Barcelona are a slow short passing outfit not that is not suited to Suarez and his direct approach, all this is down to coaching mate.
I would like to know what you think a Manager/Coaches job actually entails then Oldvillam !!!

I'm sure you mean cook not cooper at Leeds as cooper is about 22. I too keep an eye on Leeds for players like mowatt, Cook and byram players we should be interested in.

Yeh sorry 90sVillan, Cook it is, typo error mate.
Thanks for pointing it out.

Hi Dave. I watched the interview with Pullis on Monday and was interested to hear him say that he managed but the coaches were responsible for the fancy stuff on the pitch.
He echoes my thoughts about managerial requirements. PL is the manager but he has no coach, and no money.
Where does the guy move from this point?
This is where the problem lies; supporters think that he should coach but he is manager. No assistant, no coach, no money.
Lerner is the purse holder, not PL.
When I worked my manager was in charge but a separate person was in charge of development while I was encouraged to express myself.
As you are aware that is how I believe play on the pitch should be, yes a style but individuals to express themselves.

19 Jan 2015 11:03:07
Someone tell me how we were not in for Defoe.

Yes he is 32 and would have no resale value.
However he has scored goals everywhere he has gone and cost only £3 mill. Sure his wages would be a bit higher then we would like but when Tekkers ain't scoring no one else looks likely.

18 Jan 2015 15:10:36
Listening to Lambert bathing in the reflected glory of Carles Gil's performance really makes me laugh. Referrring to the short time he has had here and his relationship with his teammates, Lambert says
" he probably doesn't even know all their names"
No Paul, he doesn't: what he does know is that all of them have been coached, bought and given game tactics by you
He must be terrified !

I thought he looked quality, so one of three things will happen!!
1) he like the other quality attacking, game winning players we have, won't get game time!
2) he will be sold for a profit in summer
3) most likely, his attacking, quick moving, love for game will be coached out of him.
He will pretty soon be another average player playing way below ability

Sanchez has not changed, Delph has not got worse, in fact he has improved after lengthy absence.
Players on the pitch make decisions on the move, they use their brains. PL may instill a particular system of play but on the day the player makes the moves.
On most of the pitch we look ok, only when attacking do we look poor. it ain't Yankee football where a definitive play is set down, a bit of initiative is demanded by the player not the
manager.
Look at the table, lowest goals in the history of the prem. The manager is in the stands not on the pitch telling a player to shoot to score. That's where the failings are.
PL never criticises the players out loud for the world to hear, he tries to encourage them.
Perhaps he should come right out and say that the forwards are crap and should be dumped but who would that help.
Do you think that PL wants to sit there and get pissed off by the forwards useless play? And the fans abuse? Of course not, but he won't be critical unlike many posters who seem to relish in slagging him off, which is there right, but unless Lerner supplies the funding
For strikers we are we're we are!!!

Kind of agree!
But one question, who coached them? Who gives the instructions on how they should play?
We never played like this, it's a new style, that's been coached to them.
So who does this then?

Oldvillain, you've banged the drum about Lerner for some time now and I don't disagree with you mate
But it's not a case of one or the other; it's both of them. Lerner wants rid of us as much as we want rid of him but that will take time
In the meantime, there are better options than Lambert and if we don't act on that we are relegated for certain.
Saying he is in the stands and it has nothing to do with him is naive
If that's the case why have a manager at all
As much as it pains me to say it, we only have to look across the city to see what difference a manager can make
This squad is not top 6 material and that's Lerner's fault. But it's not bottom 6 material either and that't Lambert's fault

18 Jan 2015 17:55:23
I was asked if I was Gary Gardner because I liked how he played, but I am now convinced Oldvillain is Paul Lambert

All of the players seem to have the same mind set, which is so so negative.
Nobody wants to take the responsibility of having a pop at goal.
We are overpassing for sure, again coached into them, players seem to be coached into zones, forwards and defenders, and in my opinion will never work.
We need goals and it is up to someone to tell the players to speculate a bit and try a new approach and let them off the leash.
I am working on some figures of villa midfielders and so called strikers, they are shocking.
If anyone wants to see them I will post them !!!

Villdave you and I both singing from same hym sheet!!
Negative possession football, scared to shoot, scared to try some thing exciting or direct as no one wants to be the one responsible for giving ball away.
If you don't shoot, you don't score, if you don't score you don't win, if you don't win, you go down.
Simple

Possession football works, if you have messie, Ronaldo. Not gabby or n'zogbia.

But, why don't we mix it up from time to time?? Go direct, go long, hit on break, play like we all want. Like I'm guessing the players want??

Answer. Instructed by their coach not to, his way, or don't play

I wish we could get Lambert to join our choir Flackie.
I agree completely about mixing it up a bit, Football is a very simple game to enjoy, but it has been made difficult with the money and ego`s involved.
Shots from 25 – 30 yards out do take deflections some go wide but some do go “IN”
I am sure that a more cavalier approach would produce far better results, the problem is I don`t think, I know P Lambert has not got a plan B.
If we are to go down, go down fighting for gods sake.

No I am not PL, unfortunately. If I was I would have come out publicly and told the forward line that they were useless. Benteke is stationary, Gabby likes coloured boots but can't shoot (how many attempts has he tried this season), Weimann looks like a misfit.
In answer to fans critical calls the team have become a passing unit and in several games they have made more passes than any other teams. Possession does not transfer to goals. I agree with posters that we don't have enough attempts and therefore cannot expect to score.
Should I ever get to the heights of manager/coach of AVFC I will be calling on Mendax, Dave, JK and several others to guide me to the champions league.
Really enjoy this site and al the posters desires to raise our club by any means possible.
Pa. Sorry oldvillan.

Old villain. Should you become AVFC manager I would make myself available to you at all times; sounds like you would need the help
The only caveat is that I would need time off for a party to celebrate Lambert's demise before starting my new role

Mendax you're on!

We couldn't do much worse mate
My cat Funky is up for a coaching role

That's the best name I've ever seen for a cat!!

Thanks Flackie
Whenever she gets on the furniture I still don't get tired of saying :
" Funky, Get down"
(wearing thin with Mrs Mendax though)

14 Jan 2015 21:38:48
I think a word of praise should be given Mr Cleverley.
Our useless manager seems determined to waste £7 million quid of the club's money on the crablike midfield player. But, the player himself seems to want to save Lambert from himself by not agreeing to the move
Well played Tom
Could you persuade Gabby and Nzogbia to tear up their contracts while you are at it ?

Only Gabby and the Zog? There are others but I can't be bothered to list the culprits.
Personally I agree about not staying. He has not added anymore than my old Mom could. Bye bye Tom.

I couldn't be bothered to list them all either mate
I've never felt so low about the state of my team
Lambert and Lerner have taken joy out out of watching them and I don't even get excited at the prospect of any new signing that Lambert makes, as going on percentages, I know they will be poor.

Hi Mendax,
It appears that we are struggling to find £3m for Sinclair. Is it because he is not rated and if so why are we bothering or is it because Lerner has closed his purse AGAIN after the purchase of Gil?
PL is restricted by the yankie that he must be frustrated beyond belief and regardless of this he will never win back the fans.
Wouldn't it be great if suddenly our invisible owner decided that he wanted a successful team and told PL that he had £25m to spend on a couple of quality, proven players?
Many posters will state that they would not trust the manager with that amount to spend but unless he gets the real money we will never know.

To be honest mate, I'm one of those who would not trust this manager with any real money
Case in point being Sinclair; I work opposite an Albion fan and she maintains he was woeful in his stint at Albion last year
The ideal scenario would be that Lerner sells and Lambert is sacked but I'd settle for Lambert being sacked for now

Ain't going to happen.

13 Jan 2015 17:23:59
Carles Gil's transfer to Villa has been completed and confirmed by Villa.

11 Jan 2015 09:10:16
Another shocking result with Liverpool up next and them starting to hit a bit of form come nextweek we could be in massive trouble, what is going on with this club I watched the spuds and palace match yesterday and palace have by far a stronger squad than what we do, They want to fight for one another want to play for there manager fans are behind pardew and to be honest had the tactics bang on and his subs done job for him when they came, These are the things that holding us back squad is weak no hunger drive or fight manger very poor no clue what to do after plan a he needs to go at this stage I don't mind who comes in but lambert out ASAP please How can a team that in only the prem 2 season have a stronger and better squad than us. Pure bad mangemeant that's why

10 Jan 2015 21:51:38
Something needs to change at Villa urgently, Lambert has lost the fans quite clearly and run out of ideas on the field. The fact Grealish was not even on the bench today yet Nzogbia and Richardson was is unbelievable. Should of been sacked months ago when we could have got Pulis in, however now who would replace him? felt sorry for him when there were chants for his head against Blackpool however I cannot defend him anymore, he either needs to string together some good results or needs to leave. Squad is majorly under performing and we know there capable of more because we've seen it, whatever happens we need to do something before we're relegated.

Ive said on here no end of times that pulis was the man, we should never have took this fool on in the first place and I've never rated him,

im starting to sound like a broken record but he needs to go now or we will be heading south and every player we got will leave and i can see us doing a leeds or pompy cause no body will want to buy us and lerner couldn't give two rats about the club no more

10 Jan 2015 19:58:12
I'm lost for words now, can't believe just how bad we have become, 1 shot at goal against bottom of the league side. its no wonder i'm on anti depressants. please randy just sack him, if you can't face it give me the authority and i'll gladly do it.

10 Jan 2015 17:37:02
Something needs to change at villa urgently, Lambert has lost the fans and has run out of ideas! Should have been sacked weeks ago when we had chance to get Pulis, no naming Grealish when his fit today yet taking Richardson and Nzogbia is a joke. Felt sorry for him with the chants when playing Blackpool however cannot defend him now, should be doing better with the squad he has and we've seen them do better so we know they can!

10 Jan 2015 17:54:45
To be honest with you chrisavfc the whole club is a joke. Although grealish was disappointing against Blackpool I would liked to of seen what Weiman or gabby woul do more than him. It's not the players fault anymore. They are following a clueless mans tactics. I can't see us scoring in the near future let alone winning a game. It can't be the players when we have one of the best and proven strikers, he is bein completely starved of service. We play with no width and when the fullbacks get in there neither can cross a ball. Sayin it's not the players, gabby and Weiman offer nothing at all and the goals we are scoring are individual goals from benteke. The guy is clueless he has changed out tactics MIDSEASON and is persevering with it when it clearly isn't working. Leaving grealish out of the squad is just laughable. It's like he's scared to say anything to the players. Benteke is offside consistently and it never changes (again a managerial problem) haven't heard the interview yet but I suppose we were 'outstanding'. LAMBERT OUT NOW.

05 Jan 2015 20:17:50


I have never felt so negative about possible transfer activity at Villa Park.
Under the current regime I can only see any Imports having whatever talent they have tempered.
You only have to look at Bertrand to see how his game changed from when he arrived to when he left, and look at him now.
We do need players for sure, trouble is I don`t want Lambert buying them.

06 Jan 2015 08:13:40
I don't understand how he is still in a job I know if I was doing my job I would have the sack long ago

07 Jan 2015 16:46:17
yeap p45s all round if we was that bad,

cant can't see why lernar has kept with him, its not like we have been finishing well in the league or doing well in the cups,

struggling to see a outcome that don't see us struggling for next god knows how long unless we make some major signings that ain't free or looking at retirng. if lambert keeps his job anyway

Who do you want to fill the roll of manager? Be careful what you wish for. Previously posters have stated Martinez, Solskaer, Laudrup and several others even Rodgers & Redknap but when you look at the table there results are equally as poor.
Lerner will not lose face and PL will not resign so where do you go.
Contrary to belief, I am not a huge fan of PL but I am a realist.
To get a top manager to come to VP will cost Lerner a lot more money than he is willing to spend.
He will have to pay off PL £4m?
New man £6m?
Transfer budget. £30m
Total £40m
Lerner does not splash his money so where is the future?
PL will remain until Lerner sells, and that ain't soon.

08 Jan 2015 13:18:30
well apart from Soiskaer who was untried in the prem, the rest all tried to play entertaining football we have never seen this with PL. I would go for Hoddle he might bring the younger players on

What about Ranieri, Antić or Advocaat? They are all without jobs too.

I would appoint Ranieri, because he is a pretty good manager, the rest are almost just as good, I think.

They all fit the bill, and I believe that they would gladly be the next manager of Aston Villa.

Any thoughts on this, lads?

02 Jan 2015 00:24:31

After another poor showing today, I am going to stick my neck out and predict that
Paul Lambert will not be our manager for the Hull game on February 10th.
Our next fixtures are tough, Leicester (A) Liverpool (H) Arsenal (A) Chelsea (H)
Then we are away to Hull !!!!!!
Although our possession of the ball has improved its in our own half of the pitch
And not hurting anyone, get past the halfway line and our end product is abysmal.
With our current Manager and coaching staff this will not improve.
Todays performance was full of schoolboy errors that you would expect from lower league sides, and to be honest I have not seen a team as poor as us this season.
Agbonlahor, Weimann, Cleverly, N"zogbia, are all not good enough, yet Lambert Persists in playing them.
I have watched Lambert in numerous interviews pre and post match, and the man is stuck in slow motion and seems to lack any sort of enthusiasm, if he fails to motivate himself "How the hell can he motivate the players.
Hurry up and move on Lambert.

Spot on Dave

I think we are all hoping that he gets out of the job quicker than the Hull game. I don't care that he has signed a four year contract or whatever it was we need a better manager. I agree that Cleverley isn't good enough but he will most likely be the first player Lambert signs in the transfer window. He doesn't have a clue and he needs to get out of the job like all the fans want him to.

I have to say yesterday was the most frustrated and bored I have ever been watching AV, I felt sorry for all those poor supporters who paid their hard earned good money to go and watch us pass the ball around the halfway line and back to the keeper, it looks like Big Ben has given up, gabby and andi like headless chickens with no idea. The gap between mid and attack is huge. Completely no clue on how to break down a defence. We need desperate investment in attack and midfield as 11 goals so far is just not good enough!!!!!!!!!!

Lambert do'sent seem to realise that to play a passing game, you have to have players who are comfortable on the ball. Not our forward, Gabby & co who couldent trap a bag of cement

01 Jan 2015 17:25:40
Benteke out for 6 months: Weimann and Gabby upfront; Lambert thinks long ball is the answer
Benteke back, Lambert changes style (midseason !) and starts trying to play a passing game.
Do we have the worst manager in the league ?
Don't answer that, I already know the answer

Any team in the world can pass sideways and backwards in their own half as we are doing.
He has coached the players how to do that.
Now sack him and get someone in who can coach us how to play in the oppositions half.

02 Jan 2015 19:36:13
had to read that 3 times before i realised you was telling us bentekes injured again,

the mans clueless, from the start i said he is not the man for the job and i'm yet to change my view on the man,

i know we wasnt the best team in the world before hand but he has made us into a complete joke of a team, its embarresing to watch at times

Hi Strikes
I'm not saying Benteke's injured again mate

03 Jan 2015 00:39:58
sorry was ment to say you wasnt telling us