Aston Villa Banter Archive October 01 2014 to October 31 2014

30 Oct 2014 06:34:52
PL live on sky about 10 this morning. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say about Mondays lack of performance. He stated after the game "what happens in the dressing room stays there" so I don't expect anything revealing to be stated.

29 Oct 2014 15:19:59
not happy with coaching, these players are good enough to be doing better then this, if u can't coach them technically or motivate them mentally, then get out, let's get moyes while we can. its down to the players on the pitch but by god we've seen over the years how a good coach can change a game.

I personally want to see pulis

28 Oct 2014 16:40:28
No passion, no willingness to run etc etc. Gaby should go along with Westwood, Clark, Weimann. 65/35 possession, more attempts than for the rest of the season but no goals. Defensively we were crap, Austin had two efforts and two goals. The team are inept and must carry a huge amount of blame. PL does seem like a rabbit in the headlights and what is Keane doing? He sat there revealing little emotion, not like his mate ONeil who would have been bawling at the players. PL will carry the can but it is the players that are on the pitch. I do feel sympathy towards PL as he has carried out the orders of Lerner who is the real Villan of the piece. If he was not doing as Lerner wants he would not of got a new contract. Any new manager would have to change the attitude of the players before he even thought about moving up the table. I have supported PL but if the players are not supporting him what chance does he have? Pullis would come to VP but I doubt that Moyes would under the restraints that Lerner has in place.

Oldvillian I have agreed with you most the time, but at this stage I have had enough pl has signed players who is training with the youths orthers have gone out on loan because these are all crap, you will point to Big Ben buts that's the best out of a bad bunch, look what we had on the pitch last night did we have 3 players to would get into any of the top 6 sides maybe Big Ben and vlaar, would we have had any that would get into from 6 to 12 maybe Sanchez after that championship players at best, pl has had enough transfer windows to address that by now and my feeling now is get rid of him before he makes another mess with the January window

Your support of Lambert is admirable old villain and I do share your view that Lerner is largely culpable. But ( you knew there would be one) I think Dave Woodhall has summarised the situation perfectly
" this is not a top six side and for that you can blame the chairman. But it' s not a bottom six side either; for that you can blame the manager"

Oldvillan.
Paul Lambert stated on the radio this morning that he is NOT unduly concerned at the teams inability to score just yet.
Make of that what you will.
But for me that is not good enough.

I have said before and it was alarmingly evident again last night, we are shocking in the final third of the pitch.
I also think that Vlarr has gone, his mind is elsewhere.

Lambert must go, and go now.
His body language said it all last night, the man does not know what to do next, and Roy Keane was nothing more than a spectator.

Surface damage can be salvaged, but body rot not so easily.

We must look at facts, not wishes. PL has a new contract so he is going nowhere in the near future. Lerner will not pay him his severance pay simply because he will not spend money!! So his coaching can be questioned, his buys can be questioned but what we have is what we got. Players must step up to the mark and produce the goods, they are all good standard not top 6 not bottom 6 but as names they are prem. players. Some are/should be on their bike while others must own the problem on the pitch. We don't have a leader on the pitch, just headless chickens looking for a kick up the arse. I see no one giving out bollackings or encouraging others. As a captain Vlaar is ok but his deputy is not worth the armband, in fact there is not a captain worth the role on the pitch. Where is the Roy Keane figure, in fact where is Roy Keane? We had such hopes but he has become an invisible man who hid behind his growth. Throughout the club the attitude has to change now not later or we could be visiting St Andrews very soon. We wear the shirts with pride, did you see anyone wearing the shirt with pride on the pitch Monday? I didn't.

So if you accept that these are not bottom six players the only conclusion is that this mess we are in is as result of the manager rather than the chairman; surely ?
I accept your assumption that we may well be stuck with Lambert due to Lerners stupidity in giving him a new contract. That does not mean that we should ignore the glaringly obvious fact that Lambert is the principal cause of our current woes rather than luck lay the blame elsewhere.
We are fans, not club accountants
Lambert out

Hi Mendax, I acknowledge what you say and agree that we need to change. The fall guy will always be the manager but I still believe that PL has been strung up by following instructions from his employer. Do you think that Pullis, Moyes, Bruce etc etc would be prepared to work within the restrictions set out? PL must have thought that he could do the job layed before him and also that he may get more cash than he has been given. Lerner will not give a new manager anymore cash so that is what has to change, but will Lerner open the trap door or his purse? Personally I think he will get the WD 40 out before Xmas and give PL a small wad of money to get some players in with the hope that a buyer might be found. You know what I called Lerner but some posters do not like me slagging him off, but I do think that Lerner is a Dickens character.

I don't know whether any of the managers you mention would work under the restristictions imposed by Lerner. But, I do know that they are what Lambert agreed to. Nobody put a gun to his head. He has a squad that a better manager could do a better job with and that is what he should be judged by.
By the way. I certainly wouldn't want Bruce and although I reckon we' d be safe with Pulis I' d prefer a more progressive manager

28 Oct 2014 07:44:30
Shocking stuff I have backed lambert all the way but last nights rubbish is the finial straw, he needs to go we can't play football, Westwood keeps passing the ball 3 yards side ways cleverly wouldn't cross the road let alone a ball and gabby and Andi running around like headless chickens

27 Oct 2014 21:44:09
Pathetic display tonight, if we can't win against this poor QPR side i dread the rest of the season, Time for Moyes i think, lamberts had enough time, let's just kick him out now and try and salvage the season.

Totally agree apart from the moyes bit. I honestly thought we would go there tonight and get a result. To get beat 2-0 is a absolute joke! Something has got to change.

Missed the game tonight as I'm in Granada on a break
Reading others comments it appears I was better off in the flamenco bar !
Is anybody really still in any doubt that Lambert is just not up to the job?

22 Oct 2014 20:24:59
Hi Ed.

What`s going on with the site??
It seems very slow on here, are there no posts coming in.

{Ed003's Note - Just a quiet time on all the sites this time of year Dave - give them something to chat about :-) }

21 Oct 2014 06:08:30
Has anyone seen anything to suggest that this season will be any different from the recent ones? Has there been anything to say that Villa will do more than struggle against relegation?

It looks to me that Lambert is doing exactly what he did in previous seasons, the same tactics exactly. Surely it is time for a change?

It is especially odd that he buys in players like Westwood, who are clearly more suited to a possession-based game. Why not suit the tactics and system to the players?

How much longer can he rely on there being 3 clubs even worse than he is making Villa? How much longer can he be given, when there are absolutely no signs of any kind of progress being made?

I agree Ed
You see it; I see it; Villadave and many others see it; I think some of the staunch Lambert supporters are now beginning to see it; the one man who doesn't (or does but chooses to ignore it ) is Lerner

I have to agree with what you both say.
I think Mr Lambert should be relieved of his duties as soon as possible.
I would not mind I there was some signs of improvement, but to me we have gone back a somewhat.
What has happened to our Lightning breaks, it used to be well respected by other sides, "not anymore".
Mr Lerner should wake up, smell the expresso and make what could be the best decision he has made in his short romance with football. GET RID NOW before its too late.

18 Oct 2014 18:51:26
3 goal in 9 games this season
Regardless of who we have played, is that really anywhere approaching good enough ?
Southampton managed nearly 3 times that in one game today !
Is the management and coaching at the club anywhere near good enough ?
Despite our great start, can anyone foresee anything other than a season like the last 2 ahead of us ?
I'm asking questions rather than making statements as most of you know what I think already. But, I am interested in others thoughts

NO
THEY DID
NO
NO

Shocking & Speechless

18 Oct 2014 20:46:54
Another unwanted record set by PL, GET RID

Very succinct and to the point Villadave

We have had 11 shots "ON" target this season.
That is PATHETIC.

I have that dreadful feeling that my prediction of a better season are going to be way off the mark.

Last four games lost, no goals scored and 11 goals conceded.

That pretty much sums up Lambert's tactics.
He put Baker in central defence, and N'Zogbia as a striker.

Some of the players were not given a chance from start and some not at all. And those who were given a chance from start didn't put their best efforts, so naturally I blame certain players too.

I am fed up with this, and I have lost faith in Lambert.

For me, the manager of Aston Villa is Ronald Koeman.

06 Oct 2014 15:02:59
I was just wondering, do you think this season Villa will still end up fighting relegation? Was the early season form misleading? Or is the club just missing its injured players and will get back to winning matches when they are back?
It still seems to me that Lambert is using the same crap, negative, boring tactics he has used all along. I don't see that the players brought in are that much better that it will suddenly make these tactics effective after years of them failing.

The season effectively starts now having played the top 4 teams and still have 10 pts on the board. We had 7 on the board after 3 games against the real opposition so if results go in a similar direction a mid table finish should be no problem. Apparently Lerner and PL have met to discuss 2015 with money being available. Fox has also stated that a Europa place is where we must be aiming. Start looking upwards. On Saturday we played against a team that spends more on one player than AVFC have spent on the team. Thought Baker had his best game for months!

Hi Ed001
I disagree on the players. I think Sissoko and Senderos have been a step up in quality from Clark and Bennett (Senderos being a massive surprise to me I have to say)
Cleverley, whilst nothing special, is certainly better than KEA who was truly awful in my opinion
Richardson, equally, has been solid rather than spectacular
The jury seems to be out on Sanchez (he will need a good 6 months to acclimatise to the prem)
Upfront we are worse off definitely. If only in terms of quantity rather than quality (ie Holt and Helenius gone and no replacements brought in)
I do agree about the coaching though. We really are a dour bunch to watch and our ball retention is truly woeful
Only one way to address that I'm afraid and that is get shut of Lambert

{Ed001's Note - you think the players are that much better then? I did say they are better, I just don't think that they are that much better it will change anything much. Though you can be sure you will finish above QPR and Burnley at the very least, so it is not all doom and gloom, the bottom half is very weak. A midtable finish is a distinct possibility because of that. It is just that the way Lambert plays seems to make it more difficult, rather than making it more likely, that you will finish higher. His tactics are fine against the big boys, but when you play a team like Leicester or Burnley, you should be able to dominate them. Instead he will have you sat back, looking to counter against a woeful side you should be slotting a few against and improving the goal difference as well as the points total.}

I agree Ed
Lambert is awful
We have largely been cursed with poor managers for some years now
The last one I liked was Brian Little

{Ed001's Note - it is not a curse, it is out of touch owners choosing poorly.}

I did think that on Saturday they tried to play the ball on the floor. When you consider that each of the city players cost more than our team you realise the gulf. Seem to remember you saying that Senderous was poor but you are changing your opinions and perhaps you may change opinions on other members of staff. If PL guided us to a European position I think that you would still carp about tactics and style, while most supporters would be over the moon!

{Ed001's Note - I still think Senderos is poor. He has been awful the last few games. Oh wait, sorry just realised you mean Mendax! Apologies. I do think he is better than Clark, but Clark was clearly not a centre back, no matter how many times he plays there.}

Whether I'm right or wrong I am always honest and more importantly, not admit it if I am proved wrong. It's a massive leap of logic to take my attitude toward Senderos and somehow suggest I'm wrong about Lambert
I'm also a little bit sick tired of being painted as a habitual whinger who somehow enjoys it
Granted, I have whinged, A LOT the last few years !
But believe me, I would prefer to be salivating about the quality of our football.
My "negativity" (for want of a better word ) is a purely reactive response to what I see; have been seeing for 2 years and will no doubt continue to see whilst Mr Lambert is in charge
To suggest I would moan even if we were successful is not on Old Villain.
Having debated with you for a while now I would have expected better of you

Just being a bit of devils advocate. I think that the team is trying to play better football and have been doing ok till meeting the big 4. However I don't believe that PL is telling the players to "not shoot" they don't seem to get themselves into position where they can have a pop at goal. The manager cannot be blamed if the players don't get themselves into the right place, that is an individual skill.

08 Oct 2014 20:58:50
Mendax you are totally wright in what you say. Old Villian loves PL will not have a bad word said about him And ED is wright about Sendross, he is poor

Sorry old villain but what you appear to saying is, when the team play well it's down to Lambert but when the team play poorly it' s down to the players
Come on mate, you can't have it both ways.
Surely "getting players into a position where they can shoot" is the responsibility of the guy who coaches and manages the team.

The engine driver drives the train, the ticket collector takes the money. NO manager discourages players to shoot, the player makes that decision. On the pitch players have to make things happen, the manager can only give an overall plan. I guess that you played the game at some time in your life and you would have made decisions, shoot or pass, either could be wrong. JK, Senderous is not poor, read what Guzan says about him. He organises and talks to other payers, he gives a lot of confidence to those around him. By the by, I don't love PL, but I know he is a better coach than many of us or we would be in his job

Hi Old Villain
I know we are not going to ever agree on this and this all fine and healthy.
(I for one love a good debate)
The fact that you think the criteria for Villa job is to be "a better coach than many of us " gives an idea of how you and many other fans have had their expectations lowered
I don't for one minute think that I would do a better job than Lambert. That's not the issue
The issue is whether there are other professional football managers who could do a better job than Lambert
We are probably going to disagree on that I suspect
As for your train driver, ticket collector analogy, I think you have missed my original point (or maybe I didn't explain it well enough)
It's what happens during the week when Lambert, as a coach/manager should be arranging training to establish a pattern of play that will actually put players in a position where they have a decision to make regarding whether to shoot or not. That is where we are lacking, we don't create
No, don't tell me. It's the players fault alone

10 Oct 2014 15:58:39
there are better managers out there than pl I would have Glen Hoddle any day I know Mendax would disagree but GH has so much knowledge what a waste,i wish PL had half is knowledge

Sorry mate. You are right, I do disagree about Hoddle I'm afraid;quite strongly as it happens.
It's nothing to do with his ability as a coach.
I just can't forgive him for what he said about disabled kids, the whole Eileen Drury debacle and of course that Shredded wheat advert (still gives me nightmares)

Hi Mendax, I don't disagree with the fact that there are several top managers/coaches out there but Lerner will only pay PL money. I still question the funding that has been given and again question if a real "TOP" manager would come to VP knowing the parameters laid out by Lerner. Coaching & match days differ immensely. During days at training the session can be stopped and restarted, but during 90mins on Saturday afternoon we all expect that the players should use their initiative, not think "what do I do now" but acts instinctively. Training, coaching etc does not replace instinct. These sort of players are out of our reach (Suarez, Ronaldo, Aguro, Messi) and unless we get a super rich owner they always will be out of reach.

Hi Old Villain
Jimi Hendrix was pretty inventive when performing. Picasso was a brilliant and inventive artist
They all got there by mind numbing practice and repetition of their art
Like a lot of things, football is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration
Players can have good habits drilled into them by good coaching (otherwise what's the point of training all week)
I do agree that the real top managers are out of our grasp right now. But, there are still better option than Lambert

Hi Mendax, I gues you played a bit as I did but no coaching taught you when to go pass or shoot, it's as it happens. Grid iron is where there is a set play coached and run daily. Thank goodness we use individual options and allow players to make decisions, whether they be right or wrong.

Of course mate
I'm not for one minute suggesting that natural talent doesn't play a huge part
However, that talent is always incorporated into a style and pattern of play. That's where the coaching comes in
I just feel Lambert is particularly poor in that respect. I'd argue that we haven't had anyone good in that respect for a long time by the way
Look at a player like Routledge at Swansea. He's no world beater but he's a helluva lot better than he was at Villa
Why? Because he's in a squad that's well drilled and coached and has a pattern of play that has been established