Staying Positive

Villa ParkHi everyone Big UTV!
At the international break we are 7 games in and have 10 points.”What’s the big deal about that?” I bet some are saying.If we look at the fixtures our young lions have had to deal with I think this is a pretty good points return.
We have won at Arsenal massive result.We have beaten Man City at Villa Park which given the fact Man city are title contenders is another massive result.We only just lost to Chelsea away and had some rough refereeing decisions go against us.The Norwich win away was another good result to.
There has been a few draw backs with the first halves in the Liverpool and Newcastle games but the second halves where better.
We are now getting clean sheets which means Lambert is addressing the defensive problems.Vlaar and Clark look pretty good together and I think there could be a partnership growing there.
With Benteke out and probably not back for a couple of weeks yet, Kozaks movement looks good.He can lead the line well but just needs that bit of Premier League confidence and he will start finding the net.
I have to admit Andy Weimann looks out of sorts at the minute I don’t know what’s going on there maybe a sit on the bench would do him good.
Our midfield is getting better Delph has improved along with KEA both looking more comfortable.KEAs movement and goal well taken against Man city.
Leandro Bacuna has looked like he can grow into the Premier League and is now starting to show promise.His free kick was a beauty against Man City.
Gabby still isn’t 100% but still looked threatening against Hull.Many people me included thought we could get 3 points at Hull and on a better day I think we would have but still managed a clean sheet against an inform Hull who haven’t lost at home yet.
Tough game to come after the international break with Spurs at VP with some players on international duty but I’m hoping Benteke will be back maybe that’s a bit to much hope for now.
I still feel we are moving forward and if we keep our points tally at the same pace we will reach the magic 40 points by 28 games which gives us a lot of breathing room if we keep that up.
Lambert is doing a good job IMO and it wasn’t that long ago we looked in a very bad state.Lambert and Lerner have stabilised AVFC and AVFC is back looking like a proper club again.A good coach,less debt,players who want to play for a team and wise spending in the transfer market.Things are looking better and moving forward bring on the rest of the season I can’t wait……UTV

39 Comments

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  1. Lionheart
    Lionheart October 7, 2013 at 11:40 am . Reply

    JD..

    It is all about next summer.. after the Benteke sale ( inevitable )..the extra sky money.. all the dead wood virtually gone.. wages virtually stripped back..

    WE must have a MIN of 40M to spend.. to attract a ST DM AM and defender..

    Add the right players along with what we have and we will improve..

  2. Lionheart
    Lionheart October 7, 2013 at 1:17 pm . Reply

    Jay Dee.. you can get players in.. doesn’t matter where you finish.. Saints got Guaston Ramirez in the season they got promoted.. have added players this summer despite a bottom half finish..

    We got Benteke in..

    As for Benteke.. i think we could finish fourth and he will still be off IF an elite club bid for him..

  3. Richie
    Richie October 7, 2013 at 1:38 pm . Reply

    Nice to have a more positive article JD. Playing 4 of the traditional top 6 made it a tough start and we’ve come out with a respectable 10 points.
    Defence is looking more solid, Clark and Vlaar have both stepped up their game so far and Delph and KEA look solid in midfield.
    Weimann is a concern, as are Westwood and Lowton, maybe time to take Andi out the starting 11 like Lambert has done with Lowton.
    All in all things are nowhere near as bad as some posters make out on here. We’re a mid table club IMO, on our day we can upset the top sides and we’ll slip up against some of the relegation candidates i’m sure. No need for over reactions, a season of stabilization awaits

  4. Naughtius Maximus
    Naughtius Maximus October 7, 2013 at 2:10 pm . Reply

    I’d go with the general jist of the post JD as lion heart said I will expect to see significant investment should Lambert do what has been asked by the end of the season

  5. Foxy
    Foxy October 7, 2013 at 2:13 pm . Reply

    Maybe play Gabby on the right instead of Andi and – dare I say it – recall Grealish for left wing? Ok, I’m partially joking, I think Jack needs more experience with Notts County (and no OOHAH, not just because Notts County are in a relegation battle). How about Tonev on the left, Gabby on the right, and Kozak in the middle for the first 60 minutes and if he’s not firing on all cylinders bring on Andi as a sub, or for Gabby if he needs resting. Andi’s energy will work wonders, he’s a striker after all and has only been on the right because Benteke has been in the middle (and he did well last season on the right) and starting as a sub might keep him fresh and give him some impetus.

    Luna, Clark, Vlaar and Bacuna have to start IMO, KEA has done enough to keep his place (and was looking feisty at Hull) and Delph is a must. Sylla I think over Westwood and then Tonev, Kozak, Gabby. Maybe even bring on Helenius and Andi at the same time.

    Sorted, 10-0 to the Villa. If West Ham can do it without a striker…

    1. OohAhPaulMcGrath
      OohAhPaulMcGrath October 7, 2013 at 3:38 pm . Reply

      I was beginning to take u seriously until u said kea should start. Useless player

      1. Adam
        Adam October 7, 2013 at 3:57 pm . Reply

        Not at all useless, has been one of our best performers this season. His job is to hassle the opposition, win the ball and feed it off, he does it well the problem is we have 3 players in the middle that all do the same thing and create very little. If we had that magic No10 we would be riding high up the table now i almost gurantee it. Next year we should in theory have megabucks to spend, Benteke Sale and wages gone, Ireland gone, Bent gone, hutton gone, Fonz gone? etc. which leaves us with lots of cash and a very low wage bill. Which i would hope could turn us in to a much better team. I wont start moaning about Lerner unless he doesnt spend big next summer no excuses then.

        1. Naughtius Maximus
          Naughtius Maximus October 7, 2013 at 10:40 pm . Reply

          agreed on KEA, that’s his job, ball winner, hassler, tackler, a bit of a CDM if anything. Delph for me is very similar which is why we so need a creative/holding playmaker.

  6. Naughtius Maximus
    Naughtius Maximus October 7, 2013 at 10:47 pm . Reply

    do you think the lambert project will see significant investment should we see an improvement and consolidation this season, say anything up from 12th place.
    for me I say he would deserve and need it, he’s been tasked with slashing the wage bill and having little money to spend but also keeping Villa in the Prem last season and i’d imagine seeing a decent consolidation this season, should that happen I would seriously hope to see a statement of intent from Villa and Learner re backing their man and their ideal anything less would be a serious worry for me.
    im not saying we should go out and spend 42mil on one player next season but id like to see us turning up our signing ambitions once more and id trust Lambert to have his eye on some very decent players we could land for the 15/20mil mark, the current squad will be one year older and wiser so additions should only need to be key and few.

  7. Adam
    Adam October 8, 2013 at 1:16 pm . Reply

    Personally if i was Lambert id send the scouts to look at the south american teams as they tend to be quite useful on the ball, quite technically gifted and i bet you could pick up a fair few bargains!

  8. Lionheart
    Lionheart October 8, 2013 at 1:22 pm . Reply

    Lads if Benteke is sold in the summer and we DON’T invest a MINIMUM of 40M then we all need to get down to Villa park next summer and ask what the fcuk is going on Lerner..

    The next strategy would be to invest in quality otherwise all this is a joke…

    1. OohAhPaulMcGrath
      OohAhPaulMcGrath October 8, 2013 at 9:15 pm . Reply

      No way will £40m be spent. £10-15m tops I’m afraid.

  9. Naughtius Maximus
    Naughtius Maximus October 8, 2013 at 1:50 pm . Reply

    I’d have to agree lion heart, we’ve for the most part all been very patient and understanding with what we are trying to achieve and how we are trying to achieve it.

  10. Lionheart
    Lionheart October 8, 2013 at 2:01 pm . Reply

    N.M

    I think we have to see the bigger picture.. we can argue the merits of RL doing a 360 all day long.. but he has.. the facts are we have brought 17 players out of which probably Benteke Vlaar K EA Okore were given 20K a week.. so that’s where we are at.. what do people expect.. miracles!?

    The facts are that come next summer we will have a squad of capable players who in inuries can come in and do a job.. the likes of Westwood Lowton K EA are decent players.. they have played and won games in the Prem so they can hold there own..

    Now in the summer if we add four players equivalent to the likes of Benteke and Okore then we look very healthy indeed.. a competitive squad and players who have prem experiences who aren’t crippling the wage bill who can perform at this level.. someone like K EA might be on the bench next seaosn but could come in if someone is out injured and fit in nicely..

    Isnt that better and more progressive then having the likes of Reo and Sidwell drainign the club and being bang average in return..

    Luna at the back looks a typical FB of the modern era.. dodgy defensively but good going forward.. i cna only see him improving..

    OK the debate about ‘what if’ RL doesn’t sanction quality addition is noted but we can’t throw it up every time there is a constructive debate.. we will deal with that situation come August next year.. if it needs dealing with..

    1. OohAhPaulMcGrath
      OohAhPaulMcGrath October 8, 2013 at 9:26 pm . Reply

      Lionheart u are living in cloud cuckoo land if u think we will sign 4 quality players next year. A lot of posters on here have been saying it for 3 years now. Next season benteke will leave no doubt about it may even be Xmas. Lamberk will be lucky to get £10m of that and Lerner will expect him to find another benteke for £7m or so. What people on this site don’t realise or refuse to accept is that Lerner simply isn’t bothered where we finish in the prem as long as we stay in it. He will so it with outlaying as little as possible. The club will never taste success with Lerner in charge, any decent players we have will be sold to the highest bidder so they will never be here long enough to build a decent team. This is fact wake up and smell the coffee Ffs

  11. Naughtius Maximus
    Naughtius Maximus October 9, 2013 at 10:29 am . Reply

    ooah I actually agree with much of what you say there ‘if’ these things happen, ‘if’ Learner doesn’t back lambert and villa in the summer then all the things you say will be true but it hasn’t happened yet, you cant talk in absolutes as if they are true based on no evidence, anyone expecting us to be signing quality players the last 3 seasons would be not accepting the facts, the last 3 seasons have been lambert and McLeish whos remit we all know was to slash the wage bill and shift the deadwood and build a team on a bare minimum so it was never going to happen.
    if we are still doing the same this time next summer after a decent season of consolidation then I would say I think a change is needed as it would be clear Learner had lost his appitite and ambition for Villa and is just ticking over happy with just being in the prem but until it happens we just gotta wait n see.

    1. OohAhPaulMcGrath
      OohAhPaulMcGrath October 9, 2013 at 10:32 am . Reply

      Fair point NM but we said the sane thing this time last year expecting Lerner to back lambert in the summer a d it just hasn’t happened and never will IMO

  12. Naughtius Maximus
    Naughtius Maximus October 9, 2013 at 3:12 pm . Reply

    I didn’t really expect too much this summer to be honest but I will be next summer especially if we do reasonable well.

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