Manager Paul Lambert

[briny_ear]

 

Lambert's lack of Plan B is even worse than O'Neill's, because at least O'Neill's was effective for a lot of the time.  For the 4-3-3 to work, it needs all of the players doing it to be in good form.  Weimann for example isn't, so it's almost like it's a 4-3-2.  With out full backs also not being the best defensively, Gaby and Weimann are having to try to cover, and it isn't working, as it leaves Benteke too isolated up front.

Lambert had a plan B, C & D at Norwich so I don't think we can accuse him of being as limited as O'Neill yet. I think he will be acutely aware after that game that we need to mix it up going forward. The introduction of Kozak was a sign of it, although I think he was the wrong change at that time. It'll be interesting to see what; if anything; changes the next time we play a lesser side at VP.

 

It may not be about Plans A, B, C or D, at all, of course, but just whether we have good enough players. After Saturday I'm not sure I can sign up to the idea that Newcastle are a "lesser side". if that's what you were implying. They have been in turmoil as a club and team for a while but they still have enough to beat us, I'm afraid.

[smetrov]

I think the real issue is more simple than people make out. A lot of those players aren't good enough - irespective of how old they are.

[BOF]

I'm not sure I can sign up to the idea that Newcastle are a "lesser side". if that's what you were implying.

No I wasn't implying they were 'lesser' than us. I was saying they are not in the elite group (top 6). So there are elite sides and the rest. Newcastle would be one of the rest.

[PaulC]

wow. did people really expect more points from our 1st 4 games? Chelsea and Arsenal away and the league leaders at home 

 

Yes and we were unlucky against Chelsea and Liverpool and look at how Arsenal have done since. That proves what a fantastic result that was! We should win at Norwich

[VillaCas]

 

No but I doubt people expected us to be dominated on all fronts at home to Newcastle.

 

 

We wern't dominated at all - we had the better chances and slightly more possession

 

Not a good enough performance but if we can improve slightly we will win more of those type of games than we lose

 

I think it was reasonable to expect 4 to 6 points at home to Liverpool and Newcastle unless people believe we have sunk so low that a draw in each game at home is the best we can expect!

 

4 to 6 points was possible but I wouldn't have thought that most supporters "expected" that

 

Very early days yet - We are already better off than last season in the same fixtures and whole load of new players to bed in. 7 or 8 points from the next five games and we will be up and running

[LondonLax]

We play a formation where we have no wide midfielders to track wide forwards plus two attacking fullbacks who want to get forward. We will not start keeping clean sheets whilst we play that way, it's not just a matter of hoping players 'get more experience' we are playing a system which is defensively flawed and gifting teams chances to attack down our flanks.

 

Having to score 2 or 3 goals to win a match every single week is a real killer.

[Ulver]

I definitely expected more than 3 points. I expected to beat Liverpool and Newcastle. Who wouldn't have when the season kicked off ?

 

Lambert is about to find out how easily the fans can turn. And it's up to him and HIS signings to up their game. I'm looking forward to seeing if he really does have the tactical nous some claim he has. We can only hope he does. Because i'm still of the belief that his plan B is throw another striker on and lump it up field. I do hope thats wrong

 

You can't be much fairer than that

[1974Centenary]

wow. did people really expect more points from our 1st 4 games? Chelsea and Arsenal away and the league leaders at home 

No,but I did expect them to turn up for the home games.

[BOF]

No,but I did expect them to turn up for the home games.

They're the ones I'm most worried about.

Just as an aside, these 4 corresponding fixtures last season were all defeats. Next week's game at Norwich will be the first game that we picked anything up from last season.

[lmarsha_926]

20pts from out last 15 league games (including City, Arsenal, Utd, Chelsea x2 & Liverpool x2). It is not bad is it

[VillaCas]

We play a formation where we have no wide midfielders to track wide forwards plus two attacking fullbacks who want to get forward. We will not start keeping clean sheets whilst we play that way, it's not just a matter of hoping players 'get more experience' we are playing a system which is defensively flawed and gifting teams chances to attack down our flanks.

 

Having to score 2 or 3 goals to win a match every single week is a real killer.

 

This is a very simplistic way of looking at things. When we are defending we should have five across the middle - Andi and Gabby need to get back to support the full-backs. They didn't do this well enough on Saturday and Ben Arfa (who has done this to better teams than us) saw a lot of the ball. You'll notice though that it wasn't out wide that we had a problem, it was when he cut inside which we should dealt with better.

 

An option would be to play more defensively minded wide players (Bacuna and Bennett for example) and lose a lot going forward or perhaps swap to 4-4-2 and run the risk of losing the midfield entirely or perhaps play Sylla in a deeper position to allow Westwood and Delph to push slightly wider (again thought this puts us on the back foot)

 

That said, Arsenal, Chelsea nor Liverpool caused us problems out wide so personally I wouldn't look to change - no formation is perfect and all have strengths and weaknesses. It looked on Saturday that Luna had a bad game but he was not supported by midfield enough

[lmarsha_926]

20pts from out last 15 league games (including City, Arsenal, Utd, Chelsea x2 & Liverpool x2). It is not bad is it

[VillaCas]

I definitely expected more than 3 points. I expected to beat Liverpool and Newcastle. Who wouldn't have when the season kicked off ?

 

Lambert is about to find out how easily the fans can turn. And it's up to him and HIS signings to up their game. I'm looking forward to seeing if he really does have the tactical nous some claim he has. We can only hope he does. Because i'm still of the belief that his plan B is throw another striker on and lump it up field. I do hope thats wrong

 

You can't be much fairer than that

 

I think you might be completely out of touch with most spectators expectations -  I didn't "expect" to beat Liverpool when the fixtures were announced - I expected to lose to Arsenal and Chelsea, and hoped for a win against Newcastle and a point against Liverpool

 

Liverpool have been much better than us recently and have spent a shedload of money, the idea that we should obviously expect to beat them is bizarre

[SikhInTrinity]

I definitely expected more than 3 points. I expected to beat Liverpool and Newcastle. Who wouldn't have when the season kicked off ?

 

Lambert is about to find out how easily the fans can turn. And it's up to him and HIS signings to up their game. I'm looking forward to seeing if he really does have the tactical nous some claim he has. We can only hope he does. Because i'm still of the belief that his plan B is throw another striker on and lump it up field. I do hope thats wrong

 

You can't be much fairer than that

 

You expected to beat Liverpool and Newcastle, though on paper both have better sides. There are some fans who just want to turn and I guess your in that boat, but lets ask a question if Lambert goes who replaces him? I hear McLeish is still available. Soton spent 30million, you'd expect them to beat West Ham and Sunderland at home, well they didn't. Man City spent £££, you'd expect them to beat Cardiff and Stoke away, but they didn't. Saturdays loss has sod all to do with an AM, it was the fact we made stupid defensive mistakes yet again and we were punished for it. There is not a lot between a lot of the sides barring the top 6, so these results will happen, but don't let that stop you as no doubt you are excited to turn.

[Ulver]

I definitely expected more than 3 points. I expected to beat Liverpool and Newcastle. Who wouldn't have when the season kicked off ?

 

Lambert is about to find out how easily the fans can turn. And it's up to him and HIS signings to up their game. I'm looking forward to seeing if he really does have the tactical nous some claim he has. We can only hope he does. Because i'm still of the belief that his plan B is throw another striker on and lump it up field. I do hope thats wrong

 

You can't be much fairer than that

 

You expected to beat Liverpool and Newcastle, though on paper both have better sides. There are some fans who just want to turn and I guess your in that boat, but lets ask a question if Lambert goes who replaces him? I hear McLeish is still available. Soton spent 30million, you'd expect them to beat West Ham and Sunderland at home, well they didn't. Man City spent £££, you'd expect them to beat Cardiff and Stoke away, but they didn't. Saturdays loss has sod all to do with an AM, it was the fact we made stupid defensive mistakes yet again and we were punished for it. There is not a lot between a lot of the sides barring the top 6, so these results will happen, but don't let that stop you as no doubt you are excited to turn.

 

 

Yes, of course it didn't. Ben Arfa didn't play us off the park at all did he ???

 

And you should maybe tone down your childish accusations as to what other supporters want to happen.

[MikeMcKenna]

 

I definitely expected more than 3 points. I expected to beat Liverpool and Newcastle. Who wouldn't have when the season kicked off ?

 

Lambert is about to find out how easily the fans can turn. And it's up to him and HIS signings to up their game. I'm looking forward to seeing if he really does have the tactical nous some claim he has. We can only hope he does. Because i'm still of the belief that his plan B is throw another striker on and lump it up field. I do hope thats wrong

 

You can't be much fairer than that

 

You expected to beat Liverpool and Newcastle, though on paper both have better sides. There are some fans who just want to turn and I guess your in that boat, but lets ask a question if Lambert goes who replaces him? I hear McLeish is still available. Soton spent 30million, you'd expect them to beat West Ham and Sunderland at home, well they didn't. Man City spent £££, you'd expect them to beat Cardiff and Stoke away, but they didn't. Saturdays loss has sod all to do with an AM, it was the fact we made stupid defensive mistakes yet again and we were punished for it. There is not a lot between a lot of the sides barring the top 6, so these results will happen, but don't let that stop you as no doubt you are excited to turn.

 

 

I didnt expect to beat Liverpool BUT most fans did expect us to beat Newcastle. I dont advocate getting rid of Lambert or anything like it but I find it laughable how you cannot brook any critcism of him without asking "who replaces him? I hear McLeish is still available"

 

Also to claim  "Saturdays loss has sod all to do with an AM, it was the fact we made stupid defensive mistakes yet again" and give the impression that it was nothing to do with Lamberts tactics is frankly ridiculous. Apart from a few minutes after our goal we had no forward momentum all match, Lamberts decision to play counter attacking gave N'castle the initiaitive throughout and in the first 10-15 mins we were rarely in their half. we had no one to make telling passes and gave a shitload of possession back without pressure.

 

Like everyone else I hope Lambert is going to be a good manager for Villa, but for the foreseeable future I do not think we are going to make much progress and going backwards again wouldnt surprise me.

[SikhInTrinity]

 

I didnt expect to beat Liverpool BUT most fans did expect us to beat Newcastle. I dont advocate getting rid of Lambert or anything like it but I find it laughable how you cannot brook any critcism of him without asking "who replaces him? I hear McLeish is still available"

 

Also to claim  "Saturdays loss has sod all to do with an AM, it was the fact we made stupid defensive mistakes yet again" and give the impression that it was nothing to do with Lamberts tactics is frankly ridiculous. Apart from a few minutes after our goal we had no forward momentum all match, Lamberts decision to play counter attacking gave N'castle the initiaitive throughout and in the first 10-15 mins we were rarely in their half. we had no one to make telling passes and gave a shitload of possession back without pressure.

 

Like everyone else I hope Lambert is going to be a good manager for Villa, but for the foreseeable future I do not think we are going to make much progress and going backwards again wouldnt surprise me.

 

 

Who does replace him? Go on give me a name, it's easy saying yep lets replace another manager. The bottom line is we are miles behind, due to our excessive spending on average players. Not once have I said PL is not prone to criticism, defensively poor yet again, his decision to throw on Kozak and leave us a formation that looks like something out of football manager. Do you think he sits and tells Lowton, to actually let Remy walk through, do you think he actually tells Lowton to just ball watch when a shot comes in and not react. Man of us expected to beat Newcastle because yet again we got carried away, I could name 6 players from Newcastle that would walk into our side, whether we like it or not they have better players than us and that was shown to us on Saturday. We're four games in and we're already talking about changing manager. What progress are you looking for? If your looking for top 6 you might aswell give up now.

[Zatman]

Tony Pulis. he is the man and really transform us into Stoke.

 

though I dont think Lerner and Faulkner are as kneejerk as people on here

[Isa]

No but I doubt people expected us to be dominated on all fronts at home to Newcastle.

 

We wern't dominated at all - we had the better chances and slightly more possession

 

Not a good enough performance but if we can improve slightly we will win more of those type of games than we lose.

Dominated perhaps slightly harsh a word but outplayed in every department is a fair assessment.

[Risso]

Lambert has spent the thick end of £40m over the last two seasons, which whilst not a fortune in relative Premier League terms, SHOULD at least be enough to give us a vaguely competent defence and a midfield capable of scoring more than a couple of goals a season between them.