Submitted by: MarkDrapernumber8
This is the first post I’ve offered up so be kind.
Up until recently I considered myself to be a very positive poster on this blog, I’ve been using it since Lambert arrived and breathed new life into AVFC. I defended his appointment and signings, his talk of a 3 year plan, the budget constraints he is under and so on and so forth. We’ve all heard it now a million and one times.
The main reason I posted is to vent, my positivity is slowly seeping away. I ask myself and fellow villans, Where are we actually headed???
It’s a scary thought but relegation this season could possibly be more likely than last, and even scarier that even with the new lads we look a worse team than last season. From January to the end of the last season we looked like and statiscally were a top 7 european placed team. We fought, played good football along the ground, put 100% into everything we did, all the lads were in tune with each other, the noise at Villa Park was deafening, we had acquried arguably the futures brightest striker and picked up other lower league players on the cheap who looked the business. There was a “buzz” all around the place at Villa-as our new man PL, guiding us to glory again-said on numerous media occasions. And he was right. It felt different, it felt positive.
Fast forward to now and things (the way I see it anyway) seem to have sort of fizzled out a bit (not completely mind, but close). We just don’t look the same team. Have we changed too much too quickly? Have we made the right changes? Are our players good enough? Are we a one man team? Are we now too one dimensional? and most importantly, Do we have the right man in charge of our Villa? Key questions I’m asking myself every week, even after we bloody win.
Looking back over the games we’ve won, Arsenal, Man City and Norwich, we were completely outplayed in all of them, even against Norwich for god’s sake. Yes, worldbeaters Norwich City. Last season even when we were playing badly we wanted to play our way and bring the game to the opposition. Now we sit back let the other team play pass after pass and try to hit them on the counter, every bloody game, even at home. Something isn’t right.
So what’s changed? Why this new system? (which doesn’t really work) Why does Lambert never change it up, ever? Is Lambert tactically naive?
A few glaring differences this season for me are;
1. Our midfield looks non-existent, hard workers no doubt but lightweight. Delph is a grafter and has good ability but he is no Yaya Toure (I hate comparisons but sometimes they have to be made), he gives the ball away far too often, fouls a lot and doesn’t really look up enough for me. KEA who I have defended time and again, finally, I concede, doesn’t really look good enough for this league. He is excellent at breaking up play and chasing the ball around a triangle piggy-in-the-middle style but doesn’t offer much else. Westwood and Sylla who I rate highly need game time together and, imo, should be in there no arguments with Bacuna if we are playing a 3.
2. We’re a one dimensional counter attacking team. This season as I mentioned a little above, we don’t enforce or control games to our tempo like we did or at least tried to last season. We sit and wait, play a deep defensive line (which is madness with our defensive record) and then try to hit teams on the break. Much too predictable. This or we ‘play to the big man’ up front. Why the hell are we playing to the big man? It’s ludicrous. We have a technical, young and very quick (up front anyway) team. We shouldn’t have to rely on 50/50 balls up to Kozak or Benteke to either hold up or flick on for gabby and weimann all day, it’s boring and more often than not doesn’t work. It’s the MON/Heskey days all over again when Kozak is on the field. Both Benteke and Kozak are good with the ball at their feet, yes, they’re tall and big and strong but we can play the ball into their feet and have much more penetration, but we don’t, it’s infuriating to watch at times.
3. No flair player. One thing we’re missing (more than a DM) is someone who plays through balls, proper through balls which slice defences open. Our midfield play sideways passes so much it makes Ray Wilkins look like Iniesta. There is no invention, no imagination, noone who wants to pick it up and play that ball or run at the opposition so that Benteke Gabby and Weimann are confident enough to burst into space and know they’ll receive that killer pass. We need an in form N’Zogbia back, badly, for the moment at least.
4. Wise investment? Our budget constraints and lack of cash is no secret, we have an owner who seems completely uninterested and who has lost all ambition for this, his current business venture. But, Lambert has had money, he spent very well last season in my opinion but this year could have been so much better. Okore and Helenius I was and still am really excited about. Although Bacuna looks the part, the others including Bacuna, didn’t really make me jump for joy. Okore and Helenius plus two other 7-8mil players, one in the DM role and the other an AM and we could be bloody good right now I tell you. It seems Lambert has bought for the sake of buying, maybe a little harsh.
5. Change please!!! Okore is injured so we’ll leave that. Helenius and Tonev need to have a run in the team, desperately. They both look quality and need to find their feet, I have no worries they can adjust to the PL. Helenius and Benteke up front would be pure gold so why we don’t do it I haven’t got a clue. Maybe Lambert knows this (Real were snooping after Helenius for their B-Team) if Benteke goes in Jan and we already had an on fire Helenius as well maybe a little fear that we’ll lose both? I don’t know but they should be playing together. Why not a 442 or 4411, play bacuna on the right, tonev on the left with any combination of Gabby/Benteke/Helenius/Kozak/Weimann upfront with Westy and Sylla in the holding roles. Kozak does need more time, it’s too early to judge him, it’s unfair to critisise a player who is receiving everything at shoulder height or above. Why did we buy Bowery? I don’t have much to comment on Luna, he fills in and does his job, weak defensively like Bennett and good going forward like Bennett, swings and roundabouts. My main point here is what is the harm in changing something up, we aren’t playing very well and the same excuses after every loss is tiring.
To wrap up, I’m a very confused Villa fan right now and have been for a while. I don’t really know where we are headed at the moment, there seems a big lack of direction and ideas all of a sudden. On the field there is nothing with any spark and I suggest that maybe this is because our manager has lost his own ideas, invention, motivation and spark.
The 3 year plan is approaching the half way mark and we have made extremely slow progress and as I said we could end up going the wrong way this season. I hope not but maybe it’s what we need.
If we’re scrapping around the relegation places at Christmas I think we’ll need a new man in charge for the January window.
You’re thoughts gents (and ladies?)
UTV
well done MD8,its a really good honest article – i have read it twice now.
lol .. other 19 owners ….. fail
thanks mate
reading a lot of comments on here you’d think we were sitting there with sunderland and crystal palace.
I believe we’ve got to see this thing out, like I said in another post it took man city 4 years to achieve anything with unlimited funds, lambert has been here a season with a shoe string.
I do question lambert at times tactically but so far im seeing improvements, again most of us agreed during the closed season that anywhere round mid table would be a significant improvement and so far this season we’re currently 9 points off the top and 9 points off the bottom, you cant get much more mid table.
that’s not to say I don’t want better and I expect better but it will tke time, talk of removing lambert is a harsh imo and barring relegation this season I cant really see that happening anyway.
We wont get relegated simply because there are 3 teams worse than us, eureka! The pennies just dropped! Randy’s master plan- to make the 4th worst team in the EPL?
That might float your boat but it don’t do anything for me.
your random maths floats my boat!
Randy master plan is to make the 4th worst team in the EPL
is really the only conclusion that can be drawn by finishing as the 6th worse team last year and currently the 8th worst team this season.
meanwhile all the other better than our owners target of finishing in the top 20 worst teams in the premier league remains on track.
Alright then the 16th best, that make you any happier?
Ha ha but I was beginning to come round to your point of view!
Lerner has set a target of 4th worst and we are failing to achieve that we are only currently 8th worst.
Lerner out !
Spot on everyone is now happy we can finish in the bottom six instead of top 6 ffs
Not another give em time merchant. Wev been saying this since MON fucked off. How many more years must Lerner have to get it right. He couldn’t even succeed in his own sport in USA so how the fuck is he going to make us good again. No chance Lerner out
This old fart was happier in Div 3…….why, simple we knew that with the size of our club and the obvious ‘ambition’ that was being shown, we would be back amongst the elite…we achieved that! We tried again with MON and failed miserably……god if only we had a decent manager spending the same amount of money we would have been a regular top 4 team so what was the Lerner master plan? Too many cutbacks, too soon. With a more conservative approach to cost cutting we could have been in a much healthier position now…… The approach we now have is to simply survive in the PL as long as possible whilst Randy pockets the sky money and the proceeds from selling our best players. So we survive again this season, Bentake will be sold plus there will be approx 30 million from sky…Lambert will be given a maximum of 20 million to survive again = 40 mil in Lerners back pocket, pointless!
We will NOT be relegated, but that is NOWHERE NEAR good enough for our great club!
Thw Villa is OURS, the Villa is OURS, fuck off Lerner, the Villa is OURS
Langford your negativity is different class you’ve out done me and terry put together. What a great turnaround I’m proud of you seeing the light at last. Your right we won’t go down but that’s no consolation of how shit we are
I’ll keep emphasising this.
It’s an EXTRA 30 million a season on top of what we were getting, where Lerner was already clawing money back big time.
If this policy of “cheap” continues he’ll have every penny he paid for the club back in three years! and it won’t take long to get his whole investment back.
But yes we’re in desperate trouble, financially (sigh).
The biggest con trick I’ve ever seen down the Villa and that includes Ellis.
Good piece by Matt Turvey in the Express&Star that looks at the hypothetical impact selling the club could have.
Turvey says- “Should Lerner sell the club but keep the debt, the same amount of debt could become a serious millstone”.
“Paying off the debt of the club and buying Villa would set back any investor £200million or more”.
So unfortunately it looks like we are lumbered with Randy long term.
Perhaps it would billy. But when you consider Lerner was already pulling money back at a fair rate before the extra 30 mill a year, is that really such a bad investment? I’d suggest definitely not.
Of course finding someone who has that kind of money is going to difficult.
And getting a buyer who actually wants us to do well, even more so.
I just get the feeling now that Lerner really doesn’t care anymore and the fact that he likes to keep himself to himself doesn’t cut it anymore.
Many people have been saying this for a while and I’ve personally come around to the same way of thinking slowly.
Lerner needs to open his trap and at least state what his aims are for the club, as it seems to me we’re just happy to be treading water and as even Langford has said, that’s just not good enough.
I suspect the recent moaning about the actual footy side of things is a result of what’s going on at the top, myself.
When was the last time fatty Faulkner said anything, for example? I genuinely don’t recall.
It’s like Lambert is running the whole show, but has his hands tied behind his back.
http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3506041,00.html
When posters like Langford have seen the light then you know me and terry went talking bollocks the last couple of years. Bottom six is all we have to look forward to now I can see why Ian fucked off he saw the light ages ago.
Ian also wrote this long post about how N’Zogbia was as good as Young and Downing put together. So excuse me while I laugh at that.
Yep downing and young are really setting the prem alight now arnt they!! Zog was the same level IMO no better no worse. He’s not been given a fair crack by lamberk prob because he has experience and is over 21.
Yep we are the browns took years to get rid of him. He won’t go for many a year unfortunately so no point in bothering the next 10 years as we all know what going to happen. Spend fuck all and finish bottom 5. What’s the point.
Cheers lads!
Yeh reading back over this the relegation thing may be being a little extreme, I do agree that this season there are at least 3 teams worse than us (thank f*ck) so relegation is a long shot. But in terms of significant imrpovement I just can’t see it at the moment, hopefully they come good. Also when I say we look worse than last season I’m talking about our play on the field, yes, numbers do the talking in the league but playing wise we are worse, if you disagree then tell me why/how? We have been really lucky, which is nice.
Don’t think there’s been a significant improvement, but the improvement has shown. Even not comparing game for game this season to last, as they were played at a different part, we’ve conceded 9 and scored 8, compared to conceding 13 and scoring 6. So it’s shown that while I dislike our tactics and still think they’re inept, it’s already proven that there is an improvement.
We faced West Ham, Everton, Newcastle, Swansea, Southampton, West Bromich, Spurs and Fulham and won 1 of those, the 2-0 win over Swansea.
This time it’s been Arsenal, Chelsea, Pool, Newcastle, Norwich, City, Hull, Spurs. And we’ve won 3 of those. Taking 10 points in 8 instead of 5 that we took last season.
I for one don’t believe in luck, at all, doesn’t exist. The improvement speaks for itself in the points/table position/goals for and against for itself. We have a -1 GD instead of a -7.
One thing I do agree is our play on the pitch is different, and going forward is worse though we have scored 3 more still, but we look so much better at the back, and every time we’re attacked now I don’t think it’s going to be a goal.
While we don’t dominate games, and aren’t a possession team, which I digress sucks honestly, when we get possession, our play is quick and often worries defenders. We don’t dominated as when, especially in the first half, let a team pass around their own half and often when they hit our half, the midfield is all over them.
The reason we are worse going forward is mainly because the defence is so shit that lamberk has no choice but to play 5 in midfield to protect them. The problem is when we clear the ball there is no one up there.
But the defense isn’t “so shit”. They’re a talented group that doesn’t even get the cover you’re claiming they get. Our midfield is weak and our winger’s don’t track back to protect the fullbacks. Our defense is arguably our strong point right now.
Rubbish did you not see vlaars crap header to Westwood that led to their second goal. Luna is crap, Clarke and vlaar have improved but still not good enough baker is not good enough fullstop. Lowton us shit defensively, bacuna does a job but that’s it. Guzan very good of course. But I agree with midfield comment we must have the weakest midfield in the prem. Bar delph the rest are complete shite. Westwood should be dropped ages ago but he’s lamberks favourite, though sylla and kae are only marginally better. Tonev is a joke. Our midfield can’t string 2 passes together which is why we can’t keep possesion. Even on the rare occasion we do string passes together we lose posession far to easily.
Agree md8 wev become as boring as mcleish theses days. All lamberk is doing is damage limitation against city spurs Liverpool etc he parked the bus. When mclown did that we all slagged him. We have cut lamberk loads of slack tge past year and how has he repaid us. By signing shit strikers like crapjack instead of an am that’s how.
I enjoyed your post MDN8 simply because you put your own spin on things.I don’t follow all this doom and gloom as I just can’t be arsed with the moaning and grumbling when I was a lad down pit shit……As I see it pal we are around mid table pushing for around 8-10 which we can achieve in one game.Heres the thing even if AVFC came out Saturday and played Everton off the park there would still be the doom and gloom club around a couple of days later to piss all over it.Anyways up enjoyed the read UTV
the extra money is great but i am curious to see how that extra 30m could end up in Lerner’s pocket.
We had losses of 59.3m for year ending 2011, and 17.7m for the year ending 2012.
I am very interested to see what the accounts say for this year.
If we are make a profit for 2013 and are still fighting relegation this season and next -it would be hard to argue that the club is not being run from a financial basis not a football basis.
But to date, It seems Lerner has not yet made a shred of profit .. the club has made losses and he has funded them from his own personal wealth.
you could argue that’s what an owner should do and that’s a separate argument but for now
i don’t see how lerner has made any profit to date. Someone show me how he has.
In this post O Neill spending era, mcleish was cost cutting – although given and nzogbia got big pay deals
Lambert is definitely operating on a tight budget in terms of transfer fees and wages.
but its still just one year into his reign.
and there was still a legacy of high earning under performers clinging on this summer.
So in terms of Lerner pocketing 30m per year .. (which is less that cost of one totenham unused sub last weekend)
I will emphasis that until the accounts come out and show that .. its just speculation.
Colonius, by your own figures, we cut the losses by 42 mill in one year.
If we haven’t reduced that 17 odd mill loss into a break even or even a profit, I’ll eat my hat.
We’ve spent an average of 20 mill a season over the last couple of years. That’s absolute peanuts in the sheme of the Prem.
Anyway, it’s not I don’t appreciate Lerner has put plenty in. He has.
But the way we’re going, he’s going to get it back very quickly, in spades.
Then we can add on the extra 30 mill, which we all thought would be sucked up in extra wages for this season. The fact is, that hasn’t happened and if Given etc go, we’ll have saved even more.
I won’t even mention the 5 mill a year Lerner takes out in management fees.
Or the fact that we’ll probably get 25 mill for Benteke when he leaves.
Or perhaps I should.
His transfer fee alone (if I’m right) will probably make Lerner millions, if he keeps up the same policy of cheap, but shit.
Whoever will be signed, as replacements (and there’s no way we’d replace like with like) will not be on 50-60k a week between them, no way.
Do the sums yourself mate.
Not that I’m a firm believer in accounts anyway.
As someone who is a sole trader, I know you can defer things or even book them in front, which can make the books look exactly how you want, year on year, as long as things add up over time.
Yep, total speculation, if you believe everything the club tells you, but not if you really think about it.
We’re being short changed, big time, imo.
But again we don’t know what’s going to happen next summer, do we? We’ll get more than 25m for Benteke (Faulkner even said Villa are looking to keep him, despite it being unlikely), and we have no idea if Lerner will invest a lot more. He’s shown trust in Lambert and when he trusts a Manager, he spends. Look at O’Neill up until his last summer and then gone when O’Neill wanted the Milner money and Lerner said no, as he didn’t trust him. He had money set for Houllier, Houllier spent it, had more money for Houllier for the summer as Gervinho and Cabaye have claimed themselves as were going to be signings before his illness, and he was going to spend it. He didn’t trust McLeish, but knew he was a the yes man that he needed to get rid of the players he didn’t want to pay anymore because he didn’t trust them, he’s shown trust in Lambert, and I have little doubt he’ll eventually give Lambert a better go if we show improvement which we already have.
We are mate this cut back on wages And ffp is complete bollox. If saints can afford players for £12 then so she we ffs.
Well put, Lerner’s lost money continuously each year. We have no idea if Lerner would put in more money if we started making a profit as he’s yet too. Will things change, fans can speculate and speculate a lot have that he won’t, but again that’s speculation and is only going to rile yourself up and get angry for little reason without actually knowing.
Yep he did really well at tge browns as well not
Two different sports, two different ideas.
He’s shown trust in Lambert?
How so?
AM spent how much on N’zog ( good signing at the time imo, but I don’t get paid 1000’s a week to decide)?
Has Lambert been able to match that fee and wages?
No, he hasn’t, simple.
Either Lerner won’t pay it or Lambert won’t spend it and someone definitely doesn’t trust Lambert as much as you think, even if it’s Lambert himself.
Hardly inspiring, imo.
N’Zogbia cost 2m Euros more than Benteke did…
Of course he does, Lambert spent 18m Euros last summer, and Villa made 5m Euros from Bannan and Makoun. You also don’t allow someone to buy 8 players while you’re still paying wages of players who’ve left on loan, and their agent fees as well. You simply don’t, so yes, he’s shown trust in Lambert. We have no idea again of how much Lerner told Lambert he could spend.
N’zog cost around two mill more in the fee at least, but another 30k a week on wages!
Given was probably similar, but didn’t he get an even onger deal?
That’s trust in a truly shocking manager, imo.
And I suspect this is closer to what’s made Lerner think the way he does now.
Given was given (haha) a 5 year deal, pathetic honestly. But then I do think Lerner at least thought that Given was going to play better than he has and would be the long term keeper for the next 4-5 years, kinda like Friedel.
Problem is is that Hutton has 2 years left on his contract, so does Stevens, Given has 3, N’Zogbia has 3, only Ireland’s contract is up next summer of players we know want rid of. As is Herd’s, Gardner’s and Albrighton’s. Definitely need Gardner to get a new one but then again, Hutton was thought to be the answer to RB, Stevens was a cheap future player and N’Zogbia was supposed to be the heir to Young or Downing. You can almost see why Lerner isn’t going to pay a lot and have players on such high wages if they’re performing like the ones we have still.
It’s not the transfer fees it’s the wages. Lerner wants £80k a week type players for £20k. It’s like paying for a ford and expecting a Ferrari. Ok it came of with Benteke but that’s a one of and he won’t be with us soon. Assuming we got £40m for him lamberk would be lucky to. Get £10m of that
Excellent article, well balanced and many good points raised.
When I look at our squad 3 things leap out:
1) Lack of creativity- no real playmaker or player that can unlock defences in tight games
2) Lack of width- very strange considering Benteke’s aerial presence and ability
3) Lack of a strong defensive midfielder to help shield defence, we get over run in midfield way too much IMO.
I would agree with Lambert becoming one dimensional. It appears plan A is counter attack and plan B is hoof it to Benteke or Kozak. Aside from that, I really don’t see much nous or tactical ability.
Mind you, my biggest concern remains with Randy Lerner. Doesn’t come to games any more, doesn’t communicate and investment has fallen sharply. A sign of a man that isn’t interested. I am now totally convinced that we will achieve nothing and linger in this air of mediocrity until Randolph calls it a day. For the sake of the club and the fans, we need a new owner more than we need a new manager or players ATM.
The browns were glad to see him fuck off. Shame he didn’t sell us instead