I asked for someone to give their thoughts on the game and “Sir Earl Barrett” has duly obliged. Cheers mate;
I went to Stoke yesterday, not particularly full of hope but I took my son to his first away game. I should point out that sadly I watched the full 90 minutes stone cold sober. As the minutes ticked on it became abundantly clear that we are a truly awful football club and something drastic has got to happen for it to change. We have the weakest squad in our club’s proud history and a manager as deluded as any you care to name.
We literally couldn’t string two passes together. If you think I’m exaggerating, check it out. Our pass completion was just short of 62%! Compare that to two very average teams who met yesterday – Sunderland and Norwich who managed 85% and 80% respectively. The players were barely able to control the ball with it bouncing away from them to safety a number of times when we were through on goal, and Westwood being booked for a late tackle as he lunged to retrieve a mis-controlled ball. They looked totally devoid of any ideas and we never looked like threatening the goal other than the time Stoke gifted Kozak.
Defensively we looked shot, the two goals from a very, very poor Stoke team were laughable. Baker, Herd and Clark are 3 very poor players. The midfield creates nothing: we have Delph as the best of a bad bunch but he’s a ball winner. Albrighton looked lively but his decision making was often poor and Tonev and Westwood were anonymous. I agree that Weimann appears to be turning into a shadow of last season. Kozak worked hard but that’s not enough I’m afraid.
Then we come to the manager who came out with this absolute gem, making me wonder if I’d dreamt the whole painful experience.
“I thought we were excellent in the first half. The wind was very strong but even in the second half we had chances. It was a very close game.
“We thought when we got it 1-1 that we might have gone on. We will go again. I don’t think we deserved to lose.”
We are a club which has gone so far backwards that it’s fewer of us that can remember when we used to be good, where you went to a home game expecting to win or at least compete.
Lerner isn’t going so I think he’s got two options – the lower league experiment has failed. Option one is to come clean and let the fans know, like all the other small clubs do, that anything above 17th is a success. Be honest and you may get a bit of respect amongst the cries of pain from people like me who remember the days before Sky ruled the world. The second option is this. He sacks Faulkner and brings in someone who knows the game. Lambert goes and they bring someone proven in, and tells him he’s going to spend big the first transfer window but plus whatever he generates through sales. He also publicly guarantees that he’s got three years at least. Benitez was prepared to come last time so please don’t say who would we get? People go where the money is, and there’s no reason we couldn’t attract someone if we were prepared to make the working conditions right, same as any other industry.
Folks, we are dying the death of a thousand cuts here, and a couple of good results over Christmas may stop it temporarily but for those that witnessed that yesterday, it will not mask the fact that we are going nowhere fast. This isn’t transition; it’s a state of fact. Merry Christmas chaps and chapesses, you deserve a medal!
Cheers for this SEB.
Even my Derby aquaintance mentioned how poor we looked on MOTD 🙁
Oh, BWS, your post scheduled for tomorrow morning mate.
Cheers for that too.
Couldn’t resist it mate.
Well, we’re 1 point better off now than last season. Though we’ve yet to take a real thumping, be it as we defend for 89 minutes of the game, we’re going nowhere fast. Though Lambert has said I believe that it’ll take quite a few years before Villa are a finished article. Just hope he’s not here to see it.
More like the article finished my friend.
Great article and an opinion which is spreading fast amongst VP regulars. Lambert needs to pull in a couple of experienced players. I would even give Hutton a run atm. As for who could replace Lambert right now I would evn take Steve Bruce a manager I don’t rate but one who is ten times better than Lambert. We have another fraud on our hands the plan is not working. LAMBERT OUT
Morgan, that’s my point. Now is the time to get someone in to do a proper job. It’s lerner’s final throw of the dice. We need something massive to happen or come clean with the fans and we bumble along as we have been doing since Martin o’myth went.
this is what is wrong with fans .. stece bruce .. 10 times better than lambert .. even though no one rates him anyways
where were the calls for steve bruce to come in last year ?
if Lambert cannot improve .. and Bruce is 10 times better than him why wasn’t he the fans favourite a year ago ?
unless what you are saying is that managers can improve!
perish the thought though… lets just sack another one after one season
its worked before hasnt it? i mean look where we are now .. oh wait ..
Steve Bruce is damaged goods with us. Look what happened to mclown. If he had come from Norwich he would still be here now. If mcleish had won us the league there would still be a load if villa fans that want him out.
My point is Lambert is a terrible manager. Our tactics are awful game after game these players are lamberts. I rate Lowton and Westwood but the rest are terrible. Why would you play KEA game after game. Why do we play the same hoof ball tactics. Why have we got some of the worst stats in the league. We have only won 15 games out of 55.
Why would you drop Lowton when he opens up our attack on the right hand side.
I am not expecting us to spend lots of money or even win the league. However we should be coming in at about 8th year in year out.
Every game Guzan hoofs it to benteke we lose the ball, we win the ball later on pass it around it ends up back to Guzan who hoofs it up to Benteke/Kozak we lose the ball. Delph gets a yellow card. baker gives the ball away. opposing teams either park the bus or we get ripped to shreds on the left hand side of our defence this has been the tactic noew for the season and a bit since Lambert arrived.
We are worse than when McCelish was managing us we really are shocking too watch and easy to play against, i wish i had your optimism but any one with any sense knos a dead horse when they see one.
Rate Westwood Morgan? Why? He’s as clueless as the others. Terrible player who looks absolutely lost in that team. Maybe in teams gone by we could’ve fed him in and developed him but not when the other outfield players are as poor as they are.
I think he has a good passing range, but he needs a decent winger on the left and another decent attacking midfielder to work with. Pointless playing him with KEA
Great leader Sir Earl.
Took your lad mate? He been playing up?
Caught him nicking one of my Christmas beers. Thought I’d teach him a lesson he won’t forget in a hurry. 11 and scarred for life.
Lol
You’re an evil b*****d mate.
Andrew, 1 point being better off don’t mean jack shite mate, believe me we are in trouble big time, stop thinking it will come right, it will not, anyone that played the game and study football knows Lambert is lost to know what to do, his idea that even I thought was good, footballer know how to hit back at the thought of loosing wages, they don’t play to us fans, I’m the worst person to moan but if I do its because I care, the whole club is wrong in what they think is the way, we are not Americans we pay our workers wages they don’t, they still live in the slave years, they make workers suffer with bad wages. Lerner has t go.
Erm, I’ve never wanted Lambert, believe most of my posts have shown this, and I agree, it’s not going to come right, never once said it would.
Andrew, must have read you wrong, seems we both on he same song sheet then.
Good read SEB
Agree fully and option two would be beauiful wouldn’t it? But it’s never going to happen mate. Regardless of what happens Pl will be here until at least the end of this season. We asked for it as fans! Not all I know but a strong majority(including myself). The plan isn’t working but where could we go from here? Lerner won’t offer an attractive package to anyone and no manager will want to work with this current squad because it’s so evident the group of lads we have now have very very little quality about them.
This is the worst team I’ve witnessed since I’ve been a Villa fan. It might be a little harsh on the lads because they do try hard, but thats not enough. Mayeba nother manager can bring these lads on? I’m not sure, honestly I think a good manager could.
We have great filler in this squad. We’re a superstar in each postiion away from being a good side but we need a competent manager who knows something about football. When Lambert does go, we need to go continental and young, if we employ another scottish manager I’m gonna support Bolton Wanderers.
YEsterdays game was so so bad it’s sheameful, Stoke were so rubbish and wemade them look half decent. It’s not acceptable.
Bottom line is Lerner isn’t going to pay someone else off and thn employ someone who will demand ‘good spend’ to get us back in order, wo we’re stuck with this for the moment. I said on a recent post it’ll be another tough Xmas, that started yesterday at Stoke and come Feb we’ll be at the bottom again scrapping, we’ll be lucky to better last years finish.
Very unhappy Villan
Don’t you think that the least that should happen is that we hear from RL? What are the measurable targets for this season and next? I heard Mcleish on the radio after his sacking say RL gave him two, cut the wage bill and keep us up which he did. Be honest with us. If you think 16th is a good return then tell us. Crap squad and dire football. If Bannan scores Boxing Day then the cat better go into hiding for a couple of days when I get home!
When has he ever come out and said anything mate? Its the right thing to do but dont hold your breath!
I can see it now mate Bannan putting one past us! Nightmare scenario that.
Yes a lot of fans did ask for him, but we did not interview him or listen to the big plan of how he was going to transform Aston villa FC. lerner did that along with faulkner the poorest decision makers in the game.
MDN8, right in saying Lerner will not sack and pay out, but anyone that thinks Lambert knows anything about football think again, it must have sold the idea to Lerner that he could change players wages has to be bonkers, let’s just suppose, you get a manger saying to his team? OK lads this guy saying footballers get to much your days are over,what would you do? Kick fuck out of the opposition, we have kids that’s now think they are in the big time but cannot match opposition talent. Villa are in trouble.
We’re absolutely in trouble mate, i’d like to know if anyone thinks were not in trouble, maybe JD if hes reading?
There id zero direction and the 3 year PL plan is going backwards and derailing!
Is Lerner even watching the games? Does he know how bad we actually are? I don’t think he will get rid of PL unless we have a real shocking result like getting beat easily at home to Palace…then his hand will be forced.
Boxing day is D Day Benno, lose that and the crowd will turn.
It worries me that Lerner has the attitude “you got what you asked for” with us fans Benno. Even a loss at home to Palace Im afraid wont be enough!!
He’s a Yank we are the masters, like fuck they are, he don’t understand the Villa fans, I think he is into a big surprise come January,
I’m sick of people sticking up for lam-berk, yes there are restrictions in place financially but that does not excuse the utter garbage that has been served up for 18 months. The guy has humiliated us, broken record defeats, masterminded a 2 leg loss against a league 2 club and bought some of the worst players in the clubs history.
On top of this he can barely speak without mumbling the same we go again nonsense, doesn’t have a personality and he patronises the fans on a weekly basis. By far the most dislikeable manager we have ever had.
Lam-berk is a joke, we can’t even do the basics under him like pass the ball or take corners (the floated corners are his instruction, notice how Bannan drills them in for Palace now).
Any other chairman would have sent Lam-berk the embarrassment packing but Randy Lerner has no interest or contempt for this club. I’d happily lose 0-10 to Palace on Boxing Day if it meant this pathetic management set up left but Lamberk sadly has the safest job in the PL.
Agree of we beat palace it guarantees lamberts job for another month at least if we lose we might just get shot of the useless twat
Yeah it does. I hate to see us lose any game but if it meant Lamberk went then I’d take it. Unfortunately oohah, I get the feeling even if we lost all 3 festive games (palace, swansea and sunderland) he’d still be in a job.
A man of integrity would walk, look at Zola at Watford. He couldn’t turn things around and said for the best interests of the club he’d walk away. Full respect for him for that, Lamberk on the other hand clings to the AVFC job and continues to humiliate us on a weekly basis.
Until arse kissers like Matt Kendrick actually write honest match reports about how shit we were in games like yesterday. Lamberk knows that the local media are on his side and the lemmings lap it up.
Bring back Leon Hickman!
I have to agree SEB.
Kendrick needs to step up to the plate and say it as it really is.
While I can understand his reticence in not wanting to seem downbeat, he needs to nail his colours to the mast, even if it’s only occasionally.
If it means him being outcast from the Villa setup and the Birmingham Mail being kept out of the loop, who cares?
It’s a nose paper anyway, imo.
And at least we’d see in black and white what the club is now all about.
In fact, as much as I think Kendrick is a kiss arse, I’d love him to be banned from the conferences.
We’d at least have something concrete to complain about and I’d be top of the list in wanting him re-instated.
Belcs I think the mans Achilles heal is his ego, the crowd turn and he’ll walk so it’s over to us.
Sacked in the morning !Getting sacked the morning.!
Maybe you are right BWS, like I said the only way Lamberk is leaving is by his own accord. A loss v Palace with the fans on his back might begin to push him over the edge
Most managers won’t walk unless they get a huge payoff. I agree we are stuck with lamberk at least for this season regardless.
I may be pissed up villa for the title bring on bayern munich.utv
Lol Giddy top man.
Ross Barkley what a goal, Everton for the title – f**k the top 4.
Haven’t seen it, but with our so-called acclaimed academy, where is/ are our gem(s)?
I’d close the bloody thing tomorrow, if some of the shit we’re being linked too is better than what we have.
Please note that Martinez was the man that turned us down due to lack of ambition. The lemmings laughed and said he wasn’t worthy of managing our club. Are you laughing watching him now? Thought not.
I must admit I wasn’t that keen on Martinez but I did prefer him over lamberk to be fair. Remember the nucleos of that team is what moyes built all Martinez has done is built on it a bit with shrewd signings and took them to the next level. Once baines, Barkley and lukaku all fuck off lets see how good he is then. Having said that he’s still better than lamberk.
They are there mate we won the Next Gen fss, Lambert s the problem, he wouldn’t know a good player if one bit him on the arse.
Next gen means nothing if they were that good they would be in first team
Lol no chance. Barkley will be at utd either jan or summer so will Blaine’s. Like us they will never hold onto their best players long enough.
Nah, neither will be at United come either Jan or the summer.
Spot on famalam
VILLA 8-0 SWANSEA.UTV
BWS, I watched most of the nextgen.
They aren’t there, imo.
Everton have had Rooney and now Berkley, while we’ve had who exactly?
Rooney is now wanted by Real, Berkley, the next Bale.
Whereas we……. er…. produced Gabby (as much as I like him) who’s best asset is his pace.
Badger how often does any club produce a Rooney, Bale or a Gascoigne academy or not?
That’s not the point BWS.
Everton have knocked out a couple, as have Southampton and West Ham and Man U before them. Man U have the pick of the kids, so you could leave them out, I suppose.
The point is, given our academy is rated no 1, who have we ever produced?
You can’t even count Barry, as he was 16 or 17 when he came.
Rooney was there how long ago though?
And Barkley’s a CM, not a winger so he’s not the next Bale…
That’s being pedantic.
I mean Barkley is slated to be the next big thing.
He is but I guarantee u he won’t be an Everton player next season. Bound to go to utd especially because of moyes factor and will be obvious replacement for Rooney when he goes to chekski
Badger what has happened to our so called academy was it just to get young lads off the dole mate?what a waste of time imo
Don’t start me Giddy.
I totally fail to see what it produces.
Certainly we have not produced one top notch player in the likes of Rooney or Berkely.
I won’t even mention Southampton.
No doubt we have top marks on all the KPIs though.
Which is obviously more important to the people who really matter; ie the paper shufflers.
The fact that our academy has never produced a real top player means nothing.
It’s a sore point for me mate.
Me to we produce quantity not quality. I remember when we beat Everton in youth cup final some years ago featuring the moores v Rooney. We won over 2 legs but you could tell in the villa park game that Rooney was on a different planet from anyone else on the pitch. Even if we did produce a Rooney we would only keep him for a season at best.
Soz i hit a sore point mate im pissed aswell as pissed off.i see no future in what we have mate.no wonder im pissed.
Soz badger im probably going to get banned mate i better get me head down.nighty nighty mucker.
Banned?
Give over mate 🙂
Giddy giddy wake up mate Lambert’s been sacked. 🙂
This is the Mail today
Aston Villa 13th in the league table, are second bottom of the passing list –
(19th) Aston Villa – 6013 (passes).
(20th) Crystal P – 5895
This is just becoming embarrassing, if ever a manager deserved the bullet.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2528318/Which-team-Premier-League-pass-masters-10-000-completed-season.html
Bulleti last 16
Benteke has gone back to Belgium to be treated by the national squad’s physios for a knee injury and he may be back by the 4th of January;
http://www.clubcall.com/aston-villa/benteke-back-in-belgium-until-2014-1684473.html
Aren’t our physios up to the job?
Another bullshit story from the club, if you ask me.
Either his head’s gone or he’s off.
Wow, have a look at these stats!
http://www.whoscored.com/Graphics/880/Show/