I was supposed to be working today, which would have meant me missing the game.
Sod that, I thought. So I worked a grueller yesterday, with the idea being that I wouldn’t get so much of a rollicking tomorrow, for not turning in.
I wish I hadn’t bothered.
Let’s make no mistake about this; we were poor. Again. At home.
To think we were facing a Man Utd side that are as bad as I’ve seen them for around thirty years (although I’ve made my opinion clear that I haven’t thought of them as a good side for at least a couple of seasons) had me drooling at the prospect of us actually beating them at home for the first time since 1995.
They even call Villa Park their second ground, for goodness’ sake!
Never have I felt more confident that Man U were there for the taking.
I thought we started off quite brightly and were taking the game to them.
Albrighton looked well sharp and had a couple of early chances.
He was willing to go at the opposition, something I’ve sorely missed of late and have mentioned a few times.
I thought it was interesting though, that he seemed to run inside all the time and I was asking myself why?
Why didn’t he stay wide and try and get the ball in behind the defence?
I’m convinced this is down to Lambert, for what it’s worth.
Anyway, after a bright start, you could see what was coming.
Man U targetted our left hand side, same as the last home game against them and Rooney fired a couple of long balls to the same area today with very good effect.
Put simply, Valencia tore us a new one in that area, something that had me fuming.
I’ve deliberately laid off Luna up to now, as I think his best strength is going forward and that’s how Lambert sees him.
Fair enough.
But Luna is simply awful as a defender, it’s as simple as that.
As someone who believes that the full backs should be defenders first and attackers second, it seems my opinion was somewhat vindicated today.
He will never make a defensive LB in a million years.
Which places too much pressure on the centre backs in my opinion.
In fairness, Luna was hung out to dry, but surely Lambert knows he isn’t good enough?
This Left back problem has been a concern for longer than I care to remember.
Anyway, it seemed to me that Gabby, who had also looked up for it, was told to cover Luna, which meant he was taken out of the game for a good period.
The second goal came from our left and that was it for me, game over.
One of the commentators summed it all up in one sentence.
We played too much in front of the defence and never tried to get behind.
It’s something I’ve hinted at for weeks and truth be told, I’m sick of it.
How often were we having to resort to shooting from longish range, yet again?
Why bring Albrighton in and not tell him to get in behind?
I’m calling Lambert out today, as I think we lost this game because of his poor tactics.
Am I calling for his head?
No, I’m not.
To my mind, many of our players are simply not good enough.
And that’s quite simply down to the meagre budget any manager we might get in will have to work with.
How much did we miss Vlaar?
I’m totally fed up of playing the same record, but we just need some decent quality.
It’s just blatantly obvious.
No doubt “we’ll go again”.
I’m sick of that too.
Man of the match?
Albrighton, because he was the only one who looked to really go for it and looked better than the rest of the dross.
Here’s our next three games;
Premier League
Stoke V Aston Villa
Sat 21 Dec 15:00
Premier League
Aston Villa V Crystal Palace
Thu 26 Dec 15:00
Premier League
Aston Villa V Swansea
Sat 28 Dec 15:00
January 2014
How many points there?
I think its looking increasingly likely that Lambert has to be sacked for us to move forward, the signings have been poor, the tactics are dreadful and the entertainment value is non-existant. We’re regressing and I do believe we’re in a relegation battle yet again. We need a young continental coach to move forward and I say that as someone who thought it would work out. We need to cut our losses before its too late. But Randolph Lerner is hiding again, I fear for our club long term, I really do. We’re scrapping the bottom of the barrel atm manager and player wise.
It’s the same old vicious circle what half decent manager will come to us with no ambition and fuck all money to spend
Fair point oohah. We’re pretty unattractive as a club atm, but that stems from Lerner. Still cannot excuse Lambert for the dire tactics. Excitement and interest level for many Villa fans atm is at an all time low
Richie, I don’t think there’s even the slightest chance Lambert will be sacked.
He should be, to my mind, as we just haven’t moved on since he came in.
But he’s doing a job on a cheapskate budget.
Which is exactly what Lerner wants.
You’re pointing the finger at the wrong person, imo.
‘we just haven’t moved on since he came in’ isn’t that a sackable offense ffs.
Points from those 3? One point from a draw with Palace. Bloody hell this is depressing.
I’m not convinced we’ll get that point, Lou.
And that sums it all up for me.
We should be looking for nine there.
I heard it on that radio thank fuck i didn’t pay decent dollar,our home forms a joke same as our manager we’re far too predictable he needs replacing i won’t even use his name im that disgusted.
I think the ironic cheers from the Man Utd fans every time we managed to string a pass together sum it up.
Of course the root cause of the problem is Lerner but Lambert and his tactics really are woeful. We have a shit owner, shit manager and shit players, and the biggest problem by far going forward is the chairman as managers/players change. What on earth is Lerner still doing owning AVFC, the interest isn’t there, neither is the ambition.
Fed up with it all, not sure I can be bothered any more because it seems nobody at Villa is anyway.
Villan 1 i know how you feel,any bright sparks out there who think there’s a positives i suggest you keep taking whatever substance keeps you happy.
I was one of many who wanted Lambert and honestly believed we’d become a half decent team again but I’ll hold up my hands and say I was totally wrong. Whilst I do think he’s done a more than decent job reducing the wage bill and regardless of what others may think and say I personally believe he has made some decent signings, well Benteke and Guzan, he is however tactically clueless. He clearly has his favourites. He persists with Benteke when he’s in such poor form it’s frightening, he constantly relys on Weimann when he is also badly out of form yet he never seems to give Helenius a chance because I’m sure he couldn’t do much worse than what we’ve got playing for us at the moment!
Tactically he is the most inept manager I’ve seen at VP in my life. Even Dr Venglos was more astute!! I’ve got a feeling and I may be wrong but it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s lost or certainly losing the dressing room. Players look lost as to what they’re supposed to be doing, we’re so predictable and narrow we might as well reduce the width of the pitch to preserve energy!!
On the positive side of things……I’ve saved a small fortune by not going to the games, as much as I LOVED going to the football I’d much rather watch my bank balance grow and at least get something out of my hard earned cash.
LAMBERT OUT.
Interesting comments B6.
Fwiw, I thought Benteke looked more up for it today. Well, early on anyway.
He faded though, same as the rest of the team who seemed resigned to their fate.
That bit’s a worry and it wouldn’t surprise me if he has lost the team.
Benteke certainly wouldn’t surprise me, put it that way, as we just aren’t supplying him with what he needs; which is balls into the box, at height.
Totally agree, players look aimless.
As for reducing the width of the pitch, no chance.
It’s what is supposed to make VP a good place to play, something I’ve been told by fans of all the usual top clubs.
Agreed though, it seems PL is making a bit of a mockery of that.
A manager being led by a poor owner, imo.
Unless lambert and more imp Lerner fuck of this club will always be on a downward spiral. Fwiw I thought utd were awful today but we handed them a win on a plate. This was their easiest win this season which says it all. Ffs look hiw Cardiff battered them into submission to get a last min draw a few weeks ago. Pathetic effort
Reducing the width of the pitch was said younger in cheek Badger 😉
Seriously we’re shit, premier league football as a whole is shit. I’ve started going to watch Solihull Moors, it’s not a bad standard of football and the managers pre/post match press conferences can be easily understood and aren’t repeated every week!
Tongue on cheek*
Ha ha….I’ll get there eventually!! TONGUE IN CHEEK!! 🙂
Maybe that’s the answer. Reduce the width of the pitch to ten feet, like one big long grassy bowling alley…
Agree B6 though I don’t think he’s tactically worse than MON but just as bad. MON just got away with it more because he had better quality players and the media and fans believed in the myth. Unfortunately in Lerner’s eyes lambert has basically overachieved this season and very unlikely we will go down which is all Lerner wants.
I really don’t think Lerner just wants to survive, it’s too risky a strategy. On the other hand I’m not sure anyone outside his inner circle knows if he has a strategy for Villa.
So long as he survives with a little bit to spare then that’s all he wants. Effectively lamberk has overachieved so far
On Talkshite they said Villa fans were walking out and leaving before the half time whistle.
I can confirm that mate.collymore said you don’t see that very often.troubles ahead.
Collymore was right in blaming Lerners cheapskate policy for the state we’re in.
Fuck off Lerner, the Villa is OURS!
Mate you sound speechless which is unusual,but im sure your hurting deep down.fuck im giving it both barrels.
Any united fans who think their season has turned on the back of beating us are more deluded than the lemmings who still back Lamberk. Defensively we were all over the shop and may as well have played with no full backs for all the use they were. That is, and remains, the worst/weakest midfield in the club’s history. I challenge anyone to tell me what Westwood adds to the team. He is shit but slightly better than KEA.
This has now been going on since Martin O’Myth went. The same old shit being pumped out. Were there seriously fans booing Ashley Young? FFS we were good when he was here. Boo the utter wank that’s on the pitch, on the bench and in the boardroom if you want to boo anybody. That is 100% Lambert’s squad now and they are just about good enough to stay in the league each year by the skin of their teeth. Absolute shit.
I’m supposed to be going to fucking Stoke next week too.
I’d save your money SEB
“The pleasing thing is we never gave up.” BBC SPORT – Fuck off Lambert you utter Helmet
That’s bollocks we were beaten before we stepped on the pitch and gave up after they got the first. The only players who never gave up was gabby who run till the death and Albrighton kept on going though cost us too much defensively. Benteke gave up after their first goal in the last ten games he’s been less fuckin useful than Heskey. At least Heskey tried ffs
Clarke, AVB? Does your stupidity know no bounds???
He just can’t help talking utter bollox,ffs clean them fucking spec’s.
Avb anyone he will be sacked after game today. Wouldn’t mind him at all
I must admit, I was shocked to see how many empty seats there were with about 10 mins to go.
I don’t ever recall me walking out early (I want every minute of what I pay for, when I do go) but today struck me as one time I might have.
I still don’t perceive a major Lambert or Lerner out thing just yet (certainly not in the Holte against Sunderland), but suspect it’s coming.
We’re incredibly passive as supporters, imo, but we’ll only stand for so much.
And when we do blow, it’ll be major.
I’m amazed today’s game wasn’t a sell out a fair few empty seats around the place. After they got their first goal anyone with half a brain could tell there was no way back
Apparently it was a sell out but loads of bought and paid for seats remained empty. Season ticket holders didn’t turn up etc…
Back lads from Scotland shooting had Collimore on I’ve no doubt he’s as pissed off at what’s happening at Villa like us all, i dont normally bother with radio but come January fucking off Sky and BT sports, I’m giving no more money to the game of Football at Villa Park. Lambert has no clue of the game, he’s guessing on what to do, he his a disgrace to my club and making a mockery by getting amateur players with very little knowledge of how to play, they have no bottle they allowed players to brow beat them into submitting crap and thinking we will pay them wages, enough now 4 seats will go next year from me.
Hi mate happy returns i heard the same dross if colly thinks we’re shite then we are what a load of bollox hopefully good news in the morning bill.
AVB?
You do talk some shite mate, sorry.
He’s got a doctorate.in it Badger, f**cking unbelievable comment.
Can’t be any worse than lamberk. Il be amazed if he dosnt get sacked by lunchtime tomorrow spurs are as clueless as we are. Having said that he wouldn’t come to us and watching spurs today I’m not sure I’d want him
Fuck off Lerner, the Villa is OURS!
Worst midfield and defence I have seen EVER at VP. The most frustating thing is that we could have esily sorted it out in the summer. If you are going to play Lowton you have to have Bacuna on the same side as Lowton cannot defend to save his life. As for Luna, he is equally as bad as as Bennett. Westwood and KEA are both garbage. Delph is not exactly class, but those two make him look half decent. I want rid of Benteke next summer and I want the proceeds plus 30 mil spent on at least 3 experienced PL players otherwise my ST money goes straight to my grandkids. Lerner has taken the piss out of us for too long now and I am voting with my feet next season if the substantial sums are not forthcoming.
Lets face it, it what other aspects of life do you let people continually take the piss without taking action?
Enough is enough!
Fuck off Lerner, the Villa is OURS!
We are definately no Manchester United and United had a great game.They where not average today.I watched the game and we played some good football.Our tackles where strong,we made chances ok we made a few miss passes but that’s all.Man U took their chances.Benteke misfiring and Luna had no support was a bit poor but all in all against UTD who I hate as much as the next supporter I think we played some good football.Disapointment can cloud judgement UTV
Disagree JD I think we played half decent football until they scored then after that utd were never troubled
We made chances all through the game same shots same on target
We made a few half chances which went straight at the keeper. Having said that spurs didn’t get one shot on target today at home first time ever. They were as bad as anything iv seen at VP.
Man U had a great game?
Totally disagree JD.
We made them look decent.
But I hope you’re right.
My money says we were very poor today, when I stood up and thought we did ok against what I thought was a very good Fulham performance last week, contrary to most Villa fan’s opinions..
Collymore stated on radio it was worse utd side for 20yrs and they still walked it. Worse villa team iv ever seen at vp including the 87 team. Absolutely useless.
Today proved to me that as a club and a team we lack any kind of ambition, there is no other way to put it we are shit, we lost to an out of form Man united team.
I think the club need to make changes and drastically, the positives today were Westwood (crying out for a big Dembele type player to work with) Lowton added something to the team today and Albrighton was our stand out player he really put in a performance and beat Evra almost everytime, the rest were shit and the tactics as usual just did not make any sense.
The negatives were everything else, I think other teams have sussed out the Guzan long ball to Benteke now and it looks like this is our only tactic. I think this project is failing and it is only by some fluke we are not bottom of the league we are dreadful to watch and easy to play against, we never attack in and around the six yard box, we just pass it around the outside of the opposing teams defence letting them sit back and counter.
Another long season and i am sure we are doing fine and on paper we are better than last year, i am sorry i am just not buying it anymore. Lerner is worse than Ellis
What did we have at the end of last year, a team starting to work, Wiemann shining, Guzan and Benteke keeping us in the PL and not really that much else. Gabby’s been almost but not quite for some time now. This season we started brightly, Gabby especially, and have Vlaar on form and Guzan saving our blushes time and time again but what else? Actually, I think Vlaar gets the best out of Clark but with Vlaar missing we’re screwed. Ok, Okore looked good when he was playing, and it’s incredibly bad luck he was injured from the start. Ignoring the advance defence as I’m now calling the ‘midfield’, our front three aren’t doing anything. I’m not surprised we’re being linked with strikers, with the exception of Helenius, who we haven’t yet seen, and Bowery, who we haven’t yet seen played as a striker, we aren’t scoring goals. Benteke on nine matches without scoring now is it? That’s appalling. He needs to pull his finger out and get playing again as he’s not doing himself any favours. Anyway, Albrighton today was a breath of fresh air and showed enthusiasm and desire to make things work. In truth I wasn’t expecting us to win today (we’re just not scoring, especially at home, six goals was it in all our home matches?), ManU were due a good result. Did you notice we didn’t try hit and hope so much today? I suspect it was because there was more passing and possession (although looking on the BBC we had 44%!) and they scored from three of their five shots on goal so Guzan wasn’t getting the ball often enough.
To the next match, Albrighton has to start. If Luna is playing LB he needs cover (we missed Delph today). Gabby is banned for the next match so what to do? We don’t have enough defenders to do a 5-3-2 although the way Clark and Baker are playing in the middle an extra man wouldn’t go amiss (Herd needs another yellow or two – actually, I like Herd, he also shows enthusiasm!). Do we have the players for a 4-4-2 and if we played Tonev on the left and Albrighton on the right with Delph and presumably Westwood in the middle and Kozak and Wiemann up front are we going to get spanked? I have a feeling, and I know this is going to be a big surprise, we play a 4-3-3 with the usual suspects and Wiemann, Benteke and Albrighton up front.
I just had a thought – Given in goal, Stevens LB, Hutton RB, Bent up front with Ireland and N’Zog in behind, maybe Grealish on the left wing and a few more players to make up the team, wouldn’t be worse than what we have…
On the plus side at least we’re not Spurs
“I just had a thought – Given in goal, Stevens LB, Hutton RB, Bent up front with Ireland and N’Zog in behind, maybe Grealish on the left wing and a few more players to make up the team, wouldn’t be worse than what we have…”
Uncanny!
As that’s how I think, atm.
I really fail to see how we’ve moved on.
So simply put, shit players will be shit, full stop?
Yes, you’ll get the odd good one cheap, but chances are, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys?
Seems to be what you’re saying?
Badger, I can’t help think we’d be better off bringing back in our experienced players and building the team round them (I wouldn’t really have Given over Guzan but I certainly wouldn’t freeze out Given like Lambert has). All these players like Tonev, Bacuna and so on maybe shouldn’t be brought straight into a Premier League team but if we’re going to try out players we should get them out on loan in the Championship for a few months and recall them if we need them or when they prove themselves. We’re paying Championship transfer fees and wages, if the players don’t work out we sell them on. Ok, that’s an extreme theory I know. Thing is, an uneasy support base, the promise of lower wages than anywhere else in the PL, a manager who might freeze you out and stick you on loan, never to come back, is anyone going to want to come to Villa to play for the club or to take the opportunity to use it as a shop window for other PL teams to come in and take them away?
I said a couple of months ago let’s see what it all looks like at Christmas. That’s 10 days away, with a game to play at Stoke. Unless the squad does an abrupt u-turn and plays as a team, I think the only conclusion is we’re a hit and hope team, the one tactic – at home or away – being to constantly give possession to the opposition and hope one or two times they’ll make a mistake and one of our long balls might break kindly.
We’re not scoring goals. Last season we couldn’t defend but at least we could score. This season we can’t score and right now with Vlaar out we currently can’t defend.
More than anything there’s something missing from the team, I don’t actually think the players are all that bad. There just seems to be a complete lack of heart, with the exception of two or three players. And I wonder if it’s down to Lambert.
It’s definitely down to Lambert, imo.
He knows what we have.
Bringing Albrighton in after so long, tells me he knows.
And leaving it so long smacks of desperation, imo.
Trouble is, Albrighton is being paid far too much for a poxy little club like us (joke, but half serious).
It’s no coindence that he was our best player today.
And there’s the cruxt of what this is all about.
We want top players for pennies, as is the American way.
It never works in the long run, but it seems Lambert is willing to play the game.
It’s doomed to failure, imo.
Problem with MA is he dosnt track back and poor defensively. Today’s managers expect their wingers to attack and defend in equal measures.
The wrong jock lost his job this weekend my confidence has gone in lambert its not just todays results we have played shit all season.
How does that song go ‘We want our Villa back’……
I watched 2days game and I got mostly the team I wanted, of those available 2 select from ~ villa needed major surgery when lambert came those that think otherwise are lying2 themselves and others
Manchester B team av class running through them, truthfully we don’t the centre backs both had a shocker luna was out of this world ~literally~ we play 3 centre mids but bypass mid. so yes I agree we are poo and were 2day but the Fulham game was miles worse
the nxt games are important so dry ur eyes ur club needs u
Finally back from that crock of shit……
Albrighton can hold his head high tonight…..as for the rest……!!!!!!!
Im still baffled with the formation – 4 at the back, 3 centre mids, a right winger and 2 strikers…….No wonder Luna was getting done time and again!!!
Man Utd were far from world beating, but didn’t need to get out of 2nd gear to win convincingly.
Our luck has run out and now we could well be on a huuuuge downward spiral. The next 3 games will be massive.
Westwood, Clarke, Baker, KEA and Lowton certainly need replacing. I can’t think of 5 worse PL players!!
I was told by a bloke “My mate, who sits up in the Directors Box – Says Lerners willing to put the money on the table, but after getting his fingers burnt previously has given the ok to let Lambert do it his way” ….. Hmmmmmmmmm
True or not, this way of having a squad of kids is not working – we are dire!!
On a more positive note, Spurs got dicked again!!! Whos out first, Lambert or AVB??
I was thinking gabby was meant 2 cover the left 4 321 the 2 were gabby and albrighton but gabby drifted inside leaving luna 2 get ganged raped but the 3 centre mids never protected luna or any other defenders all game
Trouble is Nath, if Gabby spends all his time covering Luna’s arse, where’s our threat going to come from down the left?
Piss poor tactics, with a piss poor left sided defender (yet again), simple, imo.
Yes, I can see the logic, in that Luna can go at them when we’re attacking.
But that is such wishful thinking, it’s truly pathetic.
We need to learn to defend first and this is just basic stuff.
Lambert ain’t the man for me, even though he’s working with a cheapskate budget.