I’ll do the Everton game first and while it wasn’t quite what I predicted, I don’t think I was too far off the mark in suggesting that our big problem would be the defence.
In short (as I can’t see much point dwelling on the game), we yet again had to witness keystone kops defending.
It just baffles me how our defence is so consistently bad given that our defenders, on paper, are not as bad as they are actually performing.
It’s been this way for a while now and when you consider that our defence over donkey’s years has been consistently good, you really do have to wonder what’s going on.
Has anyone worked out some sort of link as to what might have changed? (defensive coach leaving or similar?). I can’t see anything.
I think I’m going to be in a very small minority here, but I thought we were really quite good at times in the Everton game.
The ten minute period around 20-30 minutes, I thought we had them really worried and actually looked very likely to score.
It was a much missed feeling which got cut short by what I thought was a typical well worked counter attack.
That, for me was what finished the game on our part.
But then, much as the Stoke game, I don’t think Everton really hit top gear, which is just as well.
I think this is probably a trend we’ll see for the rest of the season, where if the opposition score, they just know they’ll be able to ease off or at least, not have to go all out.
That’s how low on confidence we are overall.
The point is nothing matters if we keep giving easy goals away.
As for the walkout, it seems to have got some pretty decent press, but I have to say I’m not convinced as to how effective it actually was.
I wasn’t actually there, but from what I saw, the ground had loads of empty spaces from the off.
I’ve seen reports that suggest that maybe five thousand walked out, which is only 1 in 6 of those who were there.
That’s hardly a serious mandate, is it?
And it seems quite a few walked immediately after Everton’s second goal. Maybe they were expecting many more to walk and wanted to avoid the traffic?
Whatever, I’m guessing that the season ticket holders stayed put in the main and I don’t blame them.
They want what they’ve paid for, simple as.
Well, the number of games, that is. Surely many will be thinking twice come renewal time?
My point is it seems to be the pundits and ex players, managers and even fans of other clubs complaining about our situation is the bigger story and the protest is only a small extension of it all.
I’m not denigrating the effort though and I wish it all the best for the next two games.
What impressed me more though, was the continued singing.
No one could have missed that.
Which leads me onto the next part, where the Telegraph are suggesting that Fox, Almstadt and Riley are goners.
I have to admit, the story is great reading on the face of it.
Hollis has come in, had a look and decided that those three have failed and need to go.
All hail Hollis the footy expert. We’re surely in safe hands now.
But we all already knew these dismissals were needed and justified, didn’t we?
We’d have sacked all three months ago.
Let’s face it, if the story is even remotely true, it’s more likely to be about saving money than anything.
Which leaves a worrying scenario, in that we have to wonder who will be rubber stamping the player in/out side of things.
My money says that if Garde leaves at the end of the season, it’s probably safe to say that Hollis will be calling the shots.
Which makes me think we really haven’t touched the lows yet.
Hollis deciding who we sign or not?
Nah, surely not?????
Hope not Badger, I’m of the same mind on what you’ve said , yes we do show good signs of worrying the opposition at times, I was dubious of saying it due to abuse that would have come. Not that it worries me. Yes our defence is useless to say the least and all this is down to coaching staff for not correcting that problem, I’m now looking at lastnights games and seeing clubs doing what we didn’t Do. I hope your right in Fox getting it up the backside because he’s been lucky in his last job and made it worse for Villa.
Badger
When you put guzan Hutton and lescott (3 clowns) what do you expect none can defend ( their job)
Disagree agree Badger, as I’ve posted on earlier threads we look tidy but lack the quality to hurt teams, it may looks pretty at times but it’s ineffectual.We look like at best a mid table championship side.
As for Fox and the other clowns more compensation for Randy to pay to add to the wedges paid to MON, McCleish, McAllister, Lambert, Sherwood (that must add up to a tidy little sum!)
All three are hoping they are fired at the end of the season as they don’t want a struggling championship side on their CV, but like everyone else that is surplus to requirements at Villa, they will wait until pushed to get as much financial reward from the club as possible.
This all adds up to bad business what a total FUCK up we’ve become tut tut.
Making the media aware of the bomb squad was the start of Lerners disgusting behaviour, that should have been dealt with behind closed doors, imagine working for someone who treats you like that… I don’t blame them for taking the pi55….
Now he has employed Fred Elliot who has no footballing experience to get rid of 3 people (who are shite) but have a little bit of experience, to get rid of them…. So an ex banker and an asset stripper are going to run our football club…..
From one terrible decision to the next – This is going to get lots lots worse !
When you have quality defenders who care and are passionate about the club not being given a chance and being loaned out to a doomed conference side do you really think that will help his confidence ???? Help his career at villa park ???? It’s ridiculous ! Changes needed to be made a while ago obviously, but sadly I believe it’s too late for this season now, but for goodness sake play players who care, and will put 100% effort into every second of every game, at least they will give it their all, the players at the moment should feel ashamed the way they’re performing, I’m sorry, but if there are better, more committed players in the under 21s put them in, just because some players are earning a lot more in terms of wages, they don’t seem to care as much as some of the kids, and who knows, the kids could even beat the so called first eleven maybe, if they ever played eachother behind closed doors !!!!
Although I’ve said the board should go, that’s of no value if you don’t know how or who to replace them with? Fox is not a CEO and, for me, Lerner’s biggest mistake has been his failure (throughout his tenure as owner) to appoint a CEO with experience in running a football club of Villa’s stature. Fatty and Lerner left all the critical decisions to MON and look where that got us. Lerner sacks Fatty and then appoints a marketing man to CEO!
We desperately need a top class CEO with experience of running a top football club – or at the very least a comparable sports club. Fox could be offered the position of marketing Director which I Think he’s good at – take it or leave it and Riley maybe a lesser roll to input data to decisions but not the one he currently holds where he can actually make them. I have no idea what Almstadt does I see no future at the clubs or him.
I will be the first to applaud Hollis if he actually does something but not for merely sacking three directors – a decision even the tea lady could make (no disrespect meant to tea ladies)
If Hollis brings in a top CEO then his roll as chairman of the board would start to make more sense BUT he has to support the CEO with Lerner and get Lerner to respond positively to the needs of the club – now that’s a big ask!
There are a lot of big decisions to be made over the next few weeks and months that will ultimately determine how quick we bounce back. Fox is a dead man standing how can you operate once the fans turn on you. Hollis has only been in the job a few weeks and in that time he must of sat back at assessed what he has around him. He will have the biggest decision to make as the club is rotten from the core. Yes we are a big club and always will be but we are being run by people you think that it can be done with no serious investment and no short to long term plan.
I hope Garde stays and he has the chance to build a side with players he brings in, as the current squad is divided and he has nothing to work with in the way of his own signings.
I still think Hollis is Lerner’s way of deflecting attention away from himself.
I expect Fox and Reilly will both go and pay the price for the shambolic season.
Ideally I want to see Remi backed by Lerner to clear out the destructive and negative influences in the dressing room and build a new squad (supplemented by youth).
The problem is I think following January, Remi is highly likely to walk and the influence of the asset stripper Hollis will mean the club will take the easy option of keeping the disruptive and lazy players (Gabby, Lescott, Richards, etc).
A defence is only as good as what’s in front of it, we have no game changing Keane or Cantona in our midfield so we get what we’ve got. Even when Ellis sold Yorke , we got Merse and Dublin, this club have no idea whatsoever. If other parts of the team are performing the defence gains confidence and become better, no chance as it stands.
Management personnel.
I am not sure if Fox told Lerner he could do the CEO job, right from the off he talked about enhancing commercial contracts which was what he did well at Arsenal. If he did say he thought he could be a CEO then he has failed.
Almstadt & Riley I cannot describe in print, even with this blog’s tolerance of bad language. Results Zero therefore value Zero.
Defence.
It starts with the Keeper. Once again the league table looks like a list of teams by goalkeeping ability. Ferguson and Shankly said the keeper was the second most important position on the team – they should know. We have a muppet and a not-up-to-EPL replacement.
Our problems run deeper than that. the back four needs a leader. Often this guy is also the club captain, but where the skipper plays further forward another man must lead the defence. Villa have no leadership at the back. Richards who is cast in the role has hopeless self-discipline when it comes to staying in position, so nobody will take his orders.
I think Cissoko is reasonable, Lescott is fading and needs to be treated like a kid anyway. Hutton and Richards – laughable. Clark disappointing.