Panto_Villan Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 (edited) We're eleventh after beating the bottom placed club. It's no surprise at all to me that your debate has fluctuated back again to placement. It was just as premature the first time and will equally have no bearing until the end of the season. We're 11th after having played 20 games. If we were just judging it on the last result against the bottom-placed club, we'd be joint top with 3 points after one game. I honestly don't see how you think that our results after 20 games are not a valid argument to defend the manager in charge...extrapolating from past results this season is more useful than simply assuming we've all our players are shite and we're going to lose all our remaining games and get relegated, despite what we've already achieved this season. Edited January 2, 2014 by Panto_Villan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danwichmann Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 The last time Villa had more points after 20 games was the 09/10 season. Considering the difference between the money available for that squad and this one, I don't think this season has been any sort of disaster so far. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raver50032 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 (edited) We're eleventh after beating the bottom placed club. It's no surprise at all to me that your debate has fluctuated back again to placement. It was just as premature the first time and will equally have no bearing until the end of the season. We're 11th after having played 20 games. If we were just judging it on the last result against the bottom-placed club, we'd be joint top with 3 points after one game. I honestly don't see how you think that our results after 20 games are not a valid argument to defend the manager in charge...extrapolating from past results this season is more useful than simply assuming we've all our players are shite and we're going to lose all our remaining games and get relegated, despite what we've already achieved this season. Morpheus is not small minded by any stretch of the mark to judge our season on that one result. Be fair PV. Yes, remarkably we find ourselves in 11th place after 20 games. 11th, but far from comfortable - not helped at all by that 'blip' of 6 games without a win and inclusive of a 4 match losing streak. That, along with our home form is largely (IMO) why this thread was started. It's a good job therefore that we did so well during our 'horror show' fixture list start to the season - those games are just around the corner in reverse again now. We have our 'big players' back, and an opportunity to add experience to our squad. So... no excuses for not repeating those great early season heroics then? If Paul can really do something positive with our home performances, we 'only' have Chelsea and Arsenal to worry about until the end of the season. We need to start winning the winnables... at home. Show a bit of spirit... value for money. We have a lot of very tricky away fixtures to come... but I have doubts that even our current run rate of away victories or draws is likely to be enough to keep us out of danger if our home form continues as is. It's so tight above us and below us... it really is like that Carlsberg roller coaster advert right now. And that, is no different from last season. I feel that, is why some people got 'antsy' during our pre-Crimbo and Crimbo period. Me included. The first half of the season for us had two halves - the hard games at the start where we did really well and it was very nearly grounds for Paul to get a knighthood, or at least freedom of Villa Park. Then we had the winnable games and fluffed our lines to the aforementioned run of 6 games without a win etc. It isn't a disaster (yet)... but it isn't good either (yet). Edited January 2, 2014 by Raver50032 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted January 2, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted January 2, 2014 I think a big problem for Lambert is home form. It's not a problem unique to him, but fans at Villa Park have been watching shite for 3 or 4 years on the bounce now. All Lambert needs to do is turn around the home form to get people back on side imo. I think fans are just generally fed up of being in Villa Park watching a team struggle to play football. There's been too much "transition" over the past 4 years and we don't really seem to be going anywhere. At home we're a team without an identity, and teams come to Villa Park and play without any fear whatsoever. This needs to be addressed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 That doesn't mean Lambert is therefore capable of advancing us by a 'million miles' though. I could intend to become a billionaire in five years time and admit I am currently a billion miles (excuse the poor attempt at a pun) from acheiving that. Words like that mean very little. I was just demonstrating Lambert is actively looking to improve the team/club. I know for a fact Lambert is not content with where we are currently and wants more as time goes on. Would any underperforming manager be happy with doing badly? I don't suppose McLeish or Houllier actaully enjoyed the relegation battles either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GENTLEMAN Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 (edited) Would any underperforming manager be happy with doing badly? I don't suppose McLeish or Houllier actaully enjoyed the relegation battles either. Is Lambert underperforming? Debatable. We are not in a relegation battle currently. Edited January 2, 2014 by GENTLEMAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 4 away wins this season is very good. We just need to get our home form right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradarmstrong_ Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Some quotes from PL about the FA Cup here https://twitter.com/rego1965 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Would any underperforming manager be happy with doing badly? I don't suppose McLeish or Houllier actaully enjoyed the relegation battles either. Is Lambert underperforming? Debatable. We are not in a relegation battle currently. The point was just because Lambert said he isn't happy doesn't make it clear he can make things a million times better. The point was that I'm sure McLeish was unhappy but that doesn't make it clear he would improve the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanBalaban Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Some quotes from PL about the FA Cup here https://twitter.com/rego1965 I'll wait to hear the full interview ahead of WM's abridged headlines. I've always felt WM take a curious slant on the Villa - especially Paul Franks. BTW, notice how none of these journo's with connections to the club have mentioned Kozak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggy_333 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Some quotes from PL about the FA Cup here https://twitter.com/rego1965 I'll wait to hear the full interview ahead of WM's abridged headlines. I've always felt WM take a curious slant on the Villa - especially Paul Franks. BTW, notice how none of these journo's with connections to the club have mentioned Kozak. Paul Franks is an Albion fan-also a bit of an arse but then again i think the 2 go hand in hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GENTLEMAN Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Some quotes from PL about the FA Cup here https://twitter.com/rego1965 I can understand Lambert's views regarding the FA cup, especially considering injuries and the amount of games we have had to play over Christmas. It is a balancing act. The league is the top priority and rightly so IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PieFacE Posted January 2, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted January 2, 2014 Yeah we could do without FA cup really. Which is the brutal truth of it. With the injury's we've got it's just not our year. We pick ourselves up and go again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morpheus Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 We're eleventh after beating the bottom placed club. It's no surprise at all to me that your debate has fluctuated back again to placement. It was just as premature the first time and will equally have no bearing until the end of the season. We're 11th after having played 20 games. If we were just judging it on the last result against the bottom-placed club, we'd be joint top with 3 points after one game. I honestly don't see how you think that our results after 20 games are not a valid argument to defend the manager in charge...extrapolating from past results this season is more useful than simply assuming we've all our players are shite and we're going to lose all our remaining games and get relegated, despite what we've already achieved this season. PV in my debate with VillaCas I have continually quoted statistics covering the last two seasons under Lambert and because of that I have been consistent with my criticisms rather than just using yo yo stats. The result against Sunderland was a welcome one as we needed the points with our next set of fixtures unlikely to yeld too many more. As Raver has stated it is so close points wise from mid table to third from bottom and we could find ourselves closer to the bottom three after those fixtures unless we suddenly Morph (sorry) into a much better team than we currently are and that should be a consideration. Over the next of fixtures it is also important not to over react if results don't go our way due to who we are playing and during those fixtures I will be more interested in who we sign in the window and whether those signings will have the experience and qualities to safeguard our Premiership status and at the same time improve our standard of football to where we can all enjoy watching our team play again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciggiesnbeer Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Pretty awful journalism there looking for headlines. You can go listen to the full interview. It was a leading question and Lambert was speaking about every team, not just Villa. http://www.freeradio.co.uk/shows/tom-ross/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie09 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Some quotes from PL about the FA Cup here https://twitter.com/rego1965 I'll wait to hear the full interview ahead of WM's abridged headlines. I've always felt WM take a curious slant on the Villa - especially Paul Franks. BTW, notice how none of these journo's with connections to the club have mentioned Kozak. Paul Franks is an Albion fan-also a bit of an arse but then again i think the 2 go hand in hand. I've had the misfortune of listening to that fool a few times and he hasn't got a decent word to say about the Villa. He takes every opportunity to slate us. But that's to be expected from a fan of a small time mickey mouse club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetrees Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Some quotes from PL about the FA Cup here https://twitter.com/rego1965 I can understand Lambert's views regarding the FA cup, especially considering injuries and the amount of games we have had to play over Christmas. It is a balancing act. The league is the top priority and rightly so IMO. I'll be one of the 25000 on Saturday, if only for the nice change. Perhaps he'll send them out to play with expression! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted January 2, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted January 2, 2014 Personally I'd like him to send the kids out in the cup, give a large chunk of the under 21s a go and send them out with the idea that if they manage cup progress they will be in the first team squad in no time. Might help us out with squad depth the next time we get a few injuries! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted January 2, 2014 Moderator Share Posted January 2, 2014 Aren't the U21s ... how should I put this ... a bit shit this season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted January 2, 2014 VT Supporter Share Posted January 2, 2014 Aren't Donacien, DJ, Drennan and Burke still playing for the u21s? regardless of their position in the league, I'd like to see them getting a run out, you could add Gardner to that list too. Sorry if none of them are actually playing in the u21s anymore but it's that group of players I'd like to see used in the cup this year. Keep the big players fit so we don't get a repeat of missing Vlaar, Delph, Benteke anf Gabby all at the same time again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts