As many Villa fans recently, I am not very happy with what is going on at the club. But perhaps what has made me angrier is the many contradictions that Sherwood has said in the past during his press conferences. In this article I will just address these contradictions.
“Ayew is a confidence player who benefits from game time” – Sherwood
Ayew had a great game against Birmingham City, despite having some form he was benched the following game and since came off the bench against Stoke.
“Aston Villa won’t fight relegation again under me” – Sherwood
This is the one that angered me the most. I can’t believe I actually believed Sherwood, the team he built seemed good in the summer, but that is so far from the truth. We are again in a relegation battle, and that quote just sees me lose confidence in Sherwood as a manager and a person.
“You can’t persevere with a team that hasn’t won yet” – Sherwood
Again, we beat Birmingham City yet the starting 11 was changed. Clark had a great game, alongside Ayew, but neither have really featured recently. Go back to the basics and play defenders that can play in the back 4.
“The players are working really hard.” – Sherwood
I really don’t believe that the players are as fit as they have in previous seasons. Sanchez seems to be out of breath in the final 20 minutes, and we’re simply not pressuring opposition defenders enough. We’re not having a go at teams, and that might have to be due to a lack of match fitness.
“We need to stay in the division and if we do we will be stronger next year.” – Sherwood
Villa aren’t much better, and dare I say it. Villa were better under Lambert in the first two months. I think that the overall team has been strengthened, and whilst we may have lost a brilliant goal scorer. We have so much more creativity in the midfield now that we should be able to create chances left, right and centre.
“It’s too early for relegation battles.” – Sherwood
Even if we beat Chelsea we’d still be in the bottom 3. A point gap is starting to open up and this is not where I expect Villa to be at this point of the season. Generally, Villa had an easy fixture list these past few months and we’ve only won one game. The next 4 games look very difficult and I’m not sure where we can pick up points. But we are in a relegation battle, and it’s time for the coaching staff and players to step up.
Seems the link to Karius is getting stronger. Be a great signing, although I still don’t think Guzan needs replacing yet. Hardly has done a thing wrong this season.
Crystal palace he fucked up cost us a point & Leicester cost us another point couldn’t out jump the smallest player on the field.his general positioning in the box is SHITE especially set pieces.need I say more?
Agreed Giddy, positioning is awful, but not as bad as his kicking. He loves to hoof it back to the opposition!
Saddened agreed but besides that he’s done hardly anything wrong.
Distribution would come under tactics, no? Surely Guzan is being instructed to hit them on the break and get the ball up to Gestede quickly?
If that was the case his kicks aren’t being received by Gestede there normally wayward anyway,so he’s not doing what he’s being instructed to do.
Fair enough.
Leicester wasn’t his fault. He had no chance of getting there if you saw it. 100% Richard’s and Lescott’s fault that they can’t out jump Dyer.
I didn’t see it that way the 2defenders we’re both running back chasing the forward guzan just punched thin air & was facing him head on.
Dyer should’ve never gotten behind them. They both also missed the ball, that’s defensively their fault. Guzan knew they’d fail and had no choice to try and get to it. No keeper was going to get to it.
Nope. Leicester was his fault. He committed late and didn’t properly attack the ball. Equally, the ball was in the air, he could see it was dropping behind the CB’s onto the onrushing Dyer’s head. He could’ve stayed on his line. Either commit fully or stay back. He got caught between the two. Everyone makes mistakes, so on its own no big deal. He just messes up too often. He is an OK goalie, but even when a free agent no team of stature was after him. That says plenty.
Says absolutely nothing actually. We re-signed him July 16th. And were in talks with him since July 4th of 2012. Correct me if I’m wrong, but he didn’t become a free agent until June 30th, so claiming no team of stature was after him is incredibly naive. We have no idea who was after him. He’d have easily found a new Premier League side, or gone abroad to Germany, Spain or Italy, maybe France. But the fact we signed him so early on, that point’s irrelevant.
Not saying it’s not his fault, but it’s partially. Richards and Lescott should never get caught out so easily, Guzan had little choice but to commit. He was never going to be fast enough, no goal keeper is all that fast. Probably should’ve been off his line a bit more before hand, but that again is neither here nor there. Solid keeper who’s made 1, maybe 2 if we give the Leicester mistake a go. I’d be quite happy to drop Guzan for Karius as I’m a giant fan of the German’s, though he’ll be gone in 4-5 years to Bayern, but then that’s a long time away. Guzan’s hardly done wrong enough for people to complain about.
I don’t know much about Karius but the club does need a strong second goalkeeper – if Guzan is either replaced or faced with new, actual competition I welcome any deal. Given that he is only 22 yrs old he is definitely sounds like one for the future though.
Karius won’t come in as 2nd choice, if we sign him, he’ll want 1st choice. Germany’s future number 1, probably Bayern’s as well once Neuer gets older. Incredible potential. He and Horn have. Both who we’ve been linked too.
Guzan does look impressive in that all orange kit though.
well i don’t know if I’m out of touch with it all but there’s a couple things that just baffle me.
Loris in on loan and doesn’t make a appearance of the bench??
You would assume we wanted to play this guy given the circumstances of this deal?
Lescott should surely get some bench time now as he has been awful?
Why doesn’t Ayew start? He has easily had one of villas best performances in 45 mins compared to most of the squad.
Did we really start 5 defenders at home against Stoke at the weekend?
I just feel that with a few simple tactics and starting the right team each game would benefit us massively. I personally see our best 11 as this and we now have some depth to cover injuries, subs etc.
Guzan
Bacuna. Richards. Clark. Amavi
Sanchez
Troare Gil. Grealish
Ayew. Gestede
That leaves Sinclair for Grealish or a striker, Westwood for Sanchez or maybe Gil, veretout for Gil or Sanchez, Ghana for Sanchez or Gil. The options are endless but surely this format and or similar is the way forward?
We now have the options to bring on decent attacking or defence options depending on how a game goes. These current tactics and lines are just ludacris.
Far too attacking, we’d get ripped open. 1 in midfield never works. Traore, Gil and Grealish aren’t going to track back. Drop Gestede, bring in Gana/Westwood and it might work. I’d probably drop Gil for Veretout as he’ll defend as well. But we can’t play all 3 of Traore, Gil and Grealish nor can we play 2 up front. We’ll get killed.
How can I put it I think we’ve got some good ingredients for a good meal,basically if the chefs SHITE you’ll end up with slop that belongs in the bin.if you get my drift??
following on from the tread yesterday bit disturbing if you think Tims in control http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3263913/Aston-Villa-boss-Tim-Sherwood-concerned-untested-foreign-signings-not-adapt-quickly-avoid-relegation-battle-missing-preferred-targets.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
Getting his excuses in early
That article just upset me.
Sounds like a lot of bs guessing in that article. Although after reading the names he “wanted”, I’m quite glad he didn’t get them. Bar Gomez who’s done really well at Liverpool. His signings he supposedly wanted that we’ve signed have been awful, bar Richards. So I’m quite glad he doesn’t have much of a say if this article, which it probably isn’t, is true.
I agree – I am so happy we actually have a hierarchy at the club this season. The amount of money we would have spent for those Spurs players would have been at a huge mark up too. Personally the whole article portrays Sherwood as the stereotypical manager afraid of change in the English game which seems to easy. Who knows maybe some of this article is true, but the sooner Sherwood stops relying on his experienced players the better. After all our best players this season have all been new signings and fringe players for last season (Gil).
Basically, I mean Bunn’s a decent back up, but that’s all he is. Sinclair’s been awful bar the first 2 games, he’s been even more pointless than Gabby. Gabby’s been awful. Gestede’s one of the worst footballer’s I’ve witnessed, but he’s so good in the air when you have players that can cross he’ll score. Lescott’s the biggest waste of money/wages and the worst signing we’ve made at only 2m. Honestly he needs to learn that trusting in kids is fine, trusting in his new players is the only way we’ll get anything out of this season.
…but they are ‘winners’ – it must be Kozak’s fault. At this rate I am shocked he hasn’t brought N’Zogbia back into the fold.
Actually kinda surprised by that one too. Wasn’t it that players made too much and they weren’t to be played under Lambert for that reason? Despite getting paid for not playing, or some bs. Anyways, hopefully N’Zogbia will be gone soon, the fact he made it known he’s getting paid a crap load of money, he needs to be gone soon.
hakuna matada, Oh how i remember all the abuse about Lamberts up and coming and taking chances on youth approach. now sherwood use of more experienced players is wrong.
basically it doesn’t really matter what the manager does as long we win games and that is the bottom line with us fans.
we can pretend that we have all the answers but to me it seems that if we aren’t winning games then we just point out the obvious opposite of what the manager is doing even if we outright rejected or criticised that method when it wasn’t working before..
whatever is flavour of the month.
Long story short we need to start winning games. I am disappointed with this start, and tough games coming up.
We don’t win games because the club is rotten from top to bottom. We are very poorly run in football terms and as I keep saying unless Lerner sells we will ever be more than a bottom 6 team
Never complained about Lambert’s up and comers style, I actually consistently on here claimed I wanted him to continue with that, But he didn’t. I wish Sherwood did, Wish he continued to not pansy out and go the defensive, experienced way, which has only ever been a failure for us.
dunno this isn’t the same bloke that made football electrifying for me last season, seems like things are not in his control, if these statements have came from him cant see these new players feeling the love for Tim
Decided to find out what ‘moneyball tactics’ actually means and have extracted the following from an article about Liverpool relating to the take over by John Henry. Moneyball tactics originated in baseball and related specifically to teams on smaller budgets taking advantage of buying less expensive players with potential identified through statistical analysis. I’ve extracted the following from the article
So, what exactly is Moneyball? In baseball it can be a by-word for statistics, running a team cheaply or even, derisively, just a book championed by nerds who want to take the fun out of the game. Obviously none of that applies to football specifically so is it irrelevant? I think the definition that should be used in the context of John Henry and could be applied best to football is the following, given by newly appointed New York Mets Vice President of Player Development and Scouting, Paul DePodesta (one of the main protagonists in Lewis’ book):
“It’s a constant investigation of stagnant systems, to see if you can find value where it isn’t readily apparent. It can be anything. At the time, it happened to be using statistics to make better decisions. That’s not always the case. There are new frontiers we need to conquer.”
The question of whether that can be done in football to a degree that puts Liverpool ahead of their rivals remains to be answered.
The key for me is that it’s about running teams on low budgets whilst trying to find a way to challenge the richer clubs by buying what might loosely defined as ‘futures’. It seems to me comments on here about the cost / value / ability differential between buying say Lennon rather than Vertout suggests that, in principle at least, there is support for the approach taken by the club even if it’s at odds with Sherwood’s preferred approach of buying proven ( but expensive) PL players.
I am concerned as anyone about what is happening at the club but If TS is as good as he reckons he is – particulalry with young players – then he should just get on with his job. Articles such as the one in the Mail may be honest but don’t really help the situation.
Thanks for posting that Hitchens I didn’t know what it meant either.
Well Hitch, that to me is another American cock-up, that’s called ideology in my world, a way of ruining our English game then. Doing things on the cheap? well I never.
Can’t argue with you there Bill. We probably shouldn’t be surprised given that we are not only owned but now run by Americans. Seems a dangerous way to go given that we have relegation in football – in baseball?
But don’t tell me TS didn’t know what he was signing up for and if he didn’t then he’s an even bigger fool that he’s starting to look. Can’t help agreeing that the Mail article looks like the continuation of ‘it’s not my fault – how could it be I’m Tim Sherwood’!
Hitch, its a dangerous game Villa are playing, we are bound to be relegated this season over the fact that cheap employment is the way forward, all Villa has become is a convalescent home and a way for foreign players to break into a major league, us fans are being given lie after lie from the manager of Villa and fox is behind all that’s going on at Villa, again I’ve given money to the club thinking things would change, have they bollox’s ,its steadily getting worse. I’m so angry now I’ve taken up two allotments to get my mind off what’s going on.
Blimey Bill – that’s a dangerous move. Two allotments – let me know where the market stall is 🙂
If anyone on here is interested in Moneyball, you should watch the film of the same name, it was made 3 or 4 years ago and stars Brad Pitt. He plays the coach of a baseball team who brought in the Moneyball system, I think it was Oakland and would’ve been about 15 years ago, the system worked wonders for Oakland and started being used widespread in the States. It had to spread here eventually, Big Sam is apparently a fan of the system. Good film.
Oakland Athletic – spot on Dave. Michael Lewis wrote a book about it on which the film is based ‘Moneyball; the art of winning an unfair game’ – which is the book referred to in the quote I posted.
In short, if you are a fan of statistics and/or odds then you will love the Moneyball system. It is nothing new and to a degree most teams in the world use it to some level or another. The same way training has gone all high tech, the same can be said about recruitment.
I am going to take you to task Andrew on the subject of Brad Guzan and goal-keepers generally. It happens to be my opinion, but that does not matter as much as the fact that it is the opinion of some of the best managers in the game, that the goalkeeper is the second most important player to the main goal scorer.
How many successful clubs do you know that have a poor goalkeeper? The only one I can think of who are champions league regulars, is Arsenal – up to May 2015. Now Wenger has seen the light (after trying everything else) and bagged a top goalkeeper, and Arsenal are looking a much better side. Otherwise I am afraid if you list the EPL goalkeepers in descending order of competence, you will be remarkably close to the final league table, season after season.
You admit Guzan’s mistakes at Palace and Leicester (definitely could have reached the ball if he goes one handed instead of two handed – extra reach). Here’s two more. The Sunderland free kick, he should be in the centre of his goal against a known dead ball expert who is going to miss the wall and hit the net. He picked the wrong side anyway.
The other gaffe is not so obvious unless you look for it, but if you watch the best keepers you will see they anticipate. Sturridge goal 3 at Anfield, Sturridge has a defender on his left shoulder and he is moving across towards the right post as he sees it. He cannot reach to wrap his foot round the ball and put it inside the left post, he cannot risk checking on to his left foot, he will be tackled. He can only put the shot inside the right post. Guzan does not move from the centre of the goal and is easily beaten. This is because he cannot read the limited options that Sturridge has. Had Guzan taken two paces across he would have saved it.
OLL, maybe this goalkeeper will do Sherwood.http://sport.bt.com/video/comedy-miskick-leads-to-shocking-own-goal-91364008926057?s_cid=con_email_zone_FF_Pack_ClipOfTheWeek_09102015
Sign him up quick – reminds me of Guzan against Manc City!
Leno is a very good keeper actually. Would definitely take him. Part of Germany’s future.
Just listened to Clipperty Klopps interview…….looks like Pool have got a good’un……..put it against Mr Tims efforts and you can see why we are struggling.
Annoyingly, Klopp will do well for them. Liverpool had to act now otherwise Chelsea surely would have made a move for him to replace Mou.
And if Allardyce goes to Sunderland expect a big improvement – we already have a lot to do to make ground on the teams ahead of us; even a draw and win in our next two games would probably leave us in the bottoms 3. Sad times.
Yes I’m sure fat Sam will turn things around & I also believe McLarens days are numbered possibly Nigel Pearson to them who again I’m sure would turn things around there.so that’ll leave us on our lonesome propping up the prem,ohhhh to be a villan.
We need to sack Sherwood and bring in Rodgers before it’s too late
How can Rodgers be the answer to our problems?Pearson over him anyday at least he knows what a relegation battle is & knows how to get out of one.
Don’t like Pearson he’s another one up his own arse like Sherwood. Look at Leicester now they have Ranieri that’s the dirt of manager we should be going after
What ? Oohah don’t like Pearson. OK, I don’t like you.????
Ha ha
You tell him Giddy, Pearson would be better, I know that.
Either you or Nigel will do MATE can’t do any worse.
Say we do get a draw or even a few odd results in coming weeks it is still hard to see us above the bottom three, if not bottom, before the end of November.
Sunderland’s upcoming fixtures: West Brom(a), Newcastle(h), Everton(a), Southampton(h), Crystal Palace(a)
Newcastle’s upcoming fixtures: Norwich(h), Sunderland(a), Stoke(h), Bournemouth(a), Leicester(h)
Yes they’ll get something from those games. Tbh I can’t see where our next points coming from even if we had to play all the teams around us.
I’m not sure whether ANY manager is capable of getting Sunderland to play for more than one or two games, and they’ve gone through how many in the last two/three seasons?
As for Newcastle – Pardew had a couple of good runs with them at different times [and he’s shown that he can do it at Palace] but other than that they seem almost as hopeless as Sunderland [ & us – perhaps].
Personally I don’t give a flying f%^k what those two do, nor the Bindippers for that matter: Sherwood has to get his act together or else collect his P45, and all the shite about his or the club’s transfer policy is just a diversion. IMO there is a potentially very good collection of players at VP this season, they just need a coach who can organise as well as motivate them.
UTV!
Sunderland will finish ahead of us now they will have new manager syndrome. We’ve missed out on bug Sam he would of kept us up. Should of signed him for 2 seasons to stableise us then get a better manager I. Exactly what West Ham have done.
Just heard some terrible news for Villa……Branislav Ivanovic has pulled his hamstring so will miss the game against us. Really think he’s been their weak link this season and Gabby would’ve peed past him with his pace.
He probably would of pissed him for pace but sticking a ball in front of him he’d be fucked,not one of our best players for control & keeping possession.
Err .. I haven’t checked this, but from memory, hasn’t he scored against us in every game for the last couple of seasons?? [Admit memory is a bit hazy!]
Ardent I never thought of that ta for jogging my braincell.I’m sure your correct on that one MATE.
Ivanovic has been dreadful for Chelsea this season, believe me Chelsea fans will be delighted he’s injured.
There’s a reason fit his poor form though his alleged affair with a club Dr. When Mourinho kicked her he limped ! Like I say allegedly.
I think were in for a hammering at Chelsea. If there’s one team you want to play during a bad run it’s Villa, that’s been the same for years. I fully expect a lineup that says, were scared, know we wont win, hopefully get a 0-0 draw, damage limitation. It will be Liverpool game all over again only worse!
much as i like Tim is his position becoming untenable now. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/tim-sherwood-facing-aston-villa-6606690
I think he’ll walk before Christmas if he can’t stop this rot soon then alot earlier hopefully. I’ll say it again I have absolutely no faith in us getting anything out of our up & coming fixtures. Sad to say but I do feel it’ll be our year for the drop as things stand something Tim said wouldn’t happen.
I seen it coming weeks ago, still had people saying give him time, after reading how he has no say in who he gets in and not getting what he wants, its going to be said by him its not my fault. But to me he should not have taken the job on with hands tied.he will take us down no two ways about that. What’s this about him telling Grealish he couldn’t train with the England squad? He needs to get match fit? What do England do then sit drinking tea, he’s a frigging twat is Sherwood.
Problem is Bill, if Sherwood goes who the hell will come to us. I know we all think of our beloved Villa as a sleeping giant, that should be pushing for Europe. But lets face it, in reality we are an old cumbersome club, with no direction which narrowly avoids relegation each season, who 4 successive mangers have not been able to sort out……… !
I just think this year is the year we will go down, as there and deservedly so – we can’t rely on 3 teams being worse than us every season without getting bit on the arse eventually !!
Saddened, everything your saying is how it is, you and many more of us know we will end up going down, we might as well do it fighting by getting him out now, again I’ll say it, what right mind would take on a club of our size and history with his hands tied, only an idiot in my mind, take a look at how we have gone on? Young inexperienced players, shopping for foreigners, getting managers not proven, we cannot blame Lerner now, just the ones that want something for nothing, jobs that pay when saked. When is it going to stop? this is the second city of our country going backwards with our national club. Sickening to me.
Lerner is rotten to the core he is a disaster for our club. We will just rot now and let’s be honest we deserve too no matter how hard it is to admit it.
I think we are down no matter who comes in we will need a miracle to survive now. Remember we were the worst team in that remained in Orem last season surely we won’t escape again it’s been coming for years
Pre season is when players should be getting fit why has Sherwoid not got players fit in ps
That’s been a mystery to me as well, he kept Gil, Grealish, Kozak, Cole, and many more out being pig headed saying I’m in charge. He’s a disaster so far.
I said last season he would never sustain it its so obvious it’s untrue yet ingest slated for it. Though I must admit I dudnt thing he would be worse than Lamberk I thought maybe on a par
Has he hid llorI??????