Decent submitted post here, written by Andy Badger, which to be honest shocked me a bit, as I have a brother named Andy. It’s not him though, far too articulate;
Before I get started, I wasn’t expecting a result today. A point would have been nice and a win would have been great but I’m afraid that we’re not good enough to expect points against the likes of Everton at the moment. I don’t think we’ve got anything to worry about in terms of maintaining Premier League football but I just want a bit more.
I didn’t go to the game today but from what I’ve heard and more importantly, from the stats I’ve read we’re really struggling to get even the most basic elements of the game right. Our possession from today’s game (according to Sky) was 28.7% and more alarmingly, our pass success rate was 57.4%. Nearly 1 in 2 passes went astray? Really? That’s hard to imagine at any level of the game.
Recent quote from the Guardian – ‘The Aston Villa manager says that over-analysing numbers can “burn your brain” and overcomplicate a game that is “all about the scoreline”.’ Not a surprising statement given how poor our stats really are. According to www.whoscored.com Villa’s possession and pass success is better only than Crystal Palace’s in the league.
I’m sure there’ll be a few comments saying that it’s the score that matters but really football is supposed to be entertainment and I don’t particularly like watching my team camped in our own box hoping for chance to counter attack.
Bill Shankly is quoted as saying, “Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple.” Well, the simple truth is that we can’t pass and unless this changes we can expect to be as poor as we are now for a long time to come.
Exactly Andy and do we all think its right to spend our good hard working money at a club that employs under achieving managers, anyone with sense would not, This what we got, an owner that’s bought a club don’t see the games, sits back and reaps the income off the fans , league ,sponcers, and merchandise, then to crown it all employ cheap staff and footballers, sorry just given away four seats on Saturday I will not on principal go to the game, and as for people like Dickie bird Geoff, be a dope and watch under achieving footballers Im definitely not.
Andy, his was the exact basis for my article after the Stoke game, albeit with a slightly higher pass completion rate. So I am as baffled as you. For professional footballers, however bad they are, not to be able to pass the ball to another player is criminal and Lambert has got to shoulder the blame. Either he’s not coaching them properly or he’s buying players that are inept – of course it could be a little of both! Stats can be deceptive and you could argue that we were trying adventurous, defence splitting ‘Hollywood passes’, but that wasn’t what I witnessed against Stoke – 10/15 yard balls not finding a man. Worse than that was the inability to control a ball. We’re not playing on parks pitches, these are carpets where the bounce and run of the ball is true through to the final whistle. If that’s too much to expect and you’re classed as negative for mentioning it then so be it.
Lambert claimed last night that we were done by a superb Free Kick. What a muppet, we looked outclassed to me by an astute manager who made spot on substitutions. Trouble is there’s plenty of fans who are willing to swallow his lines, game after game.
We very rarely string together more than 2 passes, can anyone honestly remember any period of fluid passing football under Lamberk? No, because he is unable to play that way.
Its just counter attack football with hoofing involved and it’s only taken the mumbling twat a couple of weeks to get that fat useless lump Holt in the team. Surprise, surprise.
Lamberk couldn’t analyse anything, he has failed to rectify issues that have been apparent since day one when he walked into VP, such as the lack of a playmaker (look at how quickly a good manager in Poyet has addressed Sunderland’s weaknesses).
We’re going nowhere and a series of very fluky results is the only reason we aren’t deservedly in the relegation zone.
Belcs your views are niave and miss the point. Like all of us Lambert knows what is needed. But he can not purchase quality or apparently even championship standard players simply because Lerner will not fund the acquisitions. Lambert was tasked with buying lots of cheap players on cheap wages to replace the bomb squad. Lambert did not have an option to buy two or three quality players as the team needed numbers and Lerner would not pay high wages. Lerner is the reason we are where we are. Lerners out
Ted, Belcs is nieve, Ted the nieve is with you lad, Lambert knew what he was taking on when he accepted the job, if you cannot see that he has no idea of introducing tacticle play on the football field and out foxing an opponents then you know nothing of the game. He plays hoofball anyone can do that, that twat is inept of the method of a game of football. I’ll agree the owner has taken him and us for fools, you and one or two more except it , but not me, he’s a blithering idiot of the first degree. Ted wake up man ffs.
Bill you misunderstand my post. I agree Lambert tactically is awful and yes his refusal to acknowledge and engage is not acceptable. And Yes he picks the team and he makes the game plan which are awful. And Yes I think he should go. BUT my point is one man controls the clubhe alone decides on the budget and whether we can move forward and strengthen Lerner is responsible for the poor players he decided to puchse cheap players on cheap wages who are not good enough. Lerner is the cause of our decline lambert is a Lerner puppet. Lerner the business man is sharp he used McLeish to deflect fans anger and again it appears to work fans Moan and complain re lambert yet Lerner pulls all the strings. Lerner could always sack lambert but he won’t he needs him for niave fans to target. Lerner out.
Sorry Ted, just read it back and see where Your coming from, apologizes Ted, its getting to me now getting to old in the tooth, seen the days I’ve have gone down and spoke my mind, and I’ve done that with old Doug , I’ve refused to watch motd thrown tickets away for next week and its a wonder that I still got my shirts. 🙂 fuck it going to get my dinner.
Just read information from the SUN newspaper that Lerner has put us up for sale for 200 million. Ian looks like you are right. Lerner out
Its like Jekilly and Hide or an everlasting rollercoaster. We were a class act against Liverpool and for large parts against WBA. We showed our other face yesterday.
Think that our team selection wasn´t right but so it wasn´t our day. I got to the point, that our team is progressing for the good, although it is a very slow progress. But we are improving.
In doing so we will see first class performances one week and bad ones the other. I try to accept it even if it makes me really gutted at times, because everytime we think we have found the right mixture we get an immediate disappointment.
But anyway: for me its a slowly but steady improvement and I try to come to terms with all the disappointments on the road to a Top 6 team.
its like villa had worked hard on moving defensive line up together ~ 2 stop everton passing game and stop everton getting any rhythm ~ so when we got the ball they didn’t want 2 move out of the defensive shape.
so bad was our ball retention. we hardly entered everton Territory second half, i think 1 corner in last minutes.howard had nothing 2 do ~ picked ball out of net watch a vlaar shot hit row z and albrigton shot one just over with a deflected effort in injury time
if i missed sumat out i must av dozed off asecond
Fuck off Lerner, the Villa is OURS. Just fuck off, you lying, spineless, ignorant, pennypinching fuckwit!
Your getting angry with them now Langfordvilla like me any Giddy, I’m thinking should we you me and giddy, go and kick his cat. The incomprehensible mumbling no idea of footballing tactical knowledge of the game Twat, the villa is ours….. I think?
Bill…i have never wanted Lerner from day one.
Fuck off Lerner, the Villa is OURS….just fuck off, you lying, spineless, ignorant pennypinching yankee fuckwit…..
Absolutely no need to change the system that worked for both Pool and WBA games.
If we had played well yesterday Lambert would have thought to himself “Im the bollox at this tactics lark” – Instead, aware of his errors claims he don’t like stats, which in reality that comment is Lambert for ‘I got it horrendously wrong and we were dogshit’
Would respect him so much more if he stopped lying. Stats and the human eye don’t lie Mr Lambert…!!!
I do think Lerner will sell, I’m thinking this whole “plan” has been to sort out the books and make it salable. At the moment, were are a mid table Prem Club with a decent looking figures spreadsheet so I honestly don’t think it will be too difficult to sell.
I actually don’t want him to sell it, don’t hate me now lads (I’m reliving my dream) but I think if he had a couple of football minded advisers instead of Faulkner, gave Lambert (or preferably a new manager with tactical nous) a recognized scouting team and put in a few quid for players (which he wont) he could be a success but I get the impression he’s bored and actually hates football……or soccer…..whatever they call it!!
Anyways, whatever happens, Hammers Saturday and in spite of what some of you think about us paying to go to VP and lining Lerner’s pocket, I actually enjoy the day…..
UTV – CLARET BLUE ARMY – VTID
i totally agree with ur opening sentence helenius
i think the reason he changed formation and tactic was 2 incorporate holt into the starting line~up
but in his norwich days he was always changing formations ~ i think the pool game the diamond we used allows us more insurance down the middle. also helps poor quality midfielders pass the ball,
Why is it I only feel comfortable seeing two players with the ball, Vlaar and Guzan? The pass success rate comes presumably from two out of every three balls being punted long.
When we played Liverpool I said it was the first time in ages I’d enjoyed watching Villa. It’s just no fun, is it? The West Brom match was great, I think Lambert saw West Ham defend successfully against Chelsea and thought we could do the same. It was a very very bad decision.
I was happy to see Holt arrive presumably on low wages and costing nothing. He’s the reserve striker, presumably since Helenius clearly isn’t capable of kicking a football let alone having any match time. To start him to do Gabby’s job is just laughable. I said at the start yesterday we needed Albrighton on the right and Andi on the left. If we were going to counter attack we needed to have some pace and real threat and Albrighton would have kept Baines quiet.
Ah well, we pick ourselves off and AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!
Well lose to west Ham next Saturday and its curtains for us every team strengthen in transfer market and it showed yesterday with them all winning expect us and Fulham well done Lerner and lambert