Villa’s horror run of both opponents and results continued with an insipid loss against Everton and the kind of non-performance that we have unfortunately come to expect from the club. With the only silver lining coming in the form of a new contract for the club’s hottest prospect, here’s the Good, Bad and Ugly of another defeat.
Good
Villa finally tied Jack Grealish down to a new deal during the break. Despite the media desperately trying to whip up a frenzy surrounding his future and a possible move to Chelsea you never really got the feeling that the teenager would do anything other than commit to Villa, at least in the short-term. However, the longer it rumbled on without him putting pen to paper the more worry and doubt began to creep in, and it was a huge relief to see him sign.
If his rise to prominence and integration into the first-team is handled correctly by Lambert and Villa, Grealish could be the most exciting academy prospect at the club in years. However, he needs at least semi-regular game time even at this stage if he is to develop smoothly.
Alan Hutton and Tom Cleverley looked Villa’s best players at Goodison Park. Hutton, although leaving Leighton Baines in far too much space on a few occasions, continued his resurgence in a Villa shirt with some threatening attacking runs and undoubted commitment to what looked a lost cause from upsettingly early on.
Cleverley looks useful on the ball, but also looks like the kind of player who needs a stronger midfield core around him. Without Delph he may struggle to find any sort of foothold in games over the next few weeks.
[Click ‘Next’ for the Bad & the Ugly]
Good to see someone else questioning the baffling Hutton love in, i dont care how many times he makes a powerful attacking run, he’s our right back and he cant defend to save his life, gives way to much space to players and his tackles are constantly reckless cuase of how far out of position he is. new contact for him and Lambert were way too hasty!
Hutton love in ? well done Mick for explaining to us your lack of understanding as to Huttons role as a wingback gives you cause to complain about him and ignore how much effort he has been making for the good of the team compared to some of his team mates
So all Kranky & Terry do is whinge and whine and criticise those prepared to answer them back . Well I aint gone despite the efforts of BT to restrict my internet access !
Son Lyme makes some fair comments and much of what he says I agree with and not the blind view from the afore mentioned regular critics of all thing Villa !
The toffees may have had a poor season up untill now but on the day they can be very difficult to beat. And so it was for Villa with a line up that included several changes which included players short on match fitness including Vlaar & Benteke both just back from injury , Yes I’ve no doubt the regular whingers would say that is not acceptable but that is the state of the squad and Lambert has to make the best of the squad & get Benteke firing on all cylinders which can only come by playing him . Hopefull that will not be far off and we can push back up the table as he and the other players reach peak fitness
As for Randy he looked as miserable as some sound so perhaps we will see some tranfer action in January with the likes of Bent & N’Zogbia being replaced
I might whinge, I might whine, in your humble opinion that is, but I sit here typing without the aid of rose tinted specs, and also have a clear view of the screen as I don’t wear blinkers. UTV
so kranky you have as clear a view of the screen as your tunnel vision allows , so perhaps you should consult an optician or is just that you have selective tunnel vision that can only detect faults with how Villa perform and selectively ignore their good points and how the opposition perform. ?
Of course Villa’s performance could be better , and I for one can see many ways that could be acheived . But whinging solves nothing , and nor does blame which is just an excuse to whinge .
As the only way to solve a problem is to look to what caused it and correct that . And there is no instant cure for Villa’s problems as they are decades old and if Villa are to change from being the occassionally successful team of the past to one that can have regular success that will take time , but to see that one has to look past the recent failures for the little things that show that things might change for the better , such as despite the result the team that finished at Goodison was bettr than the one that started. And it’s no good complaining there are no goals when both the 1st & 2nd choice strikers are injured
Terry you can try and insult me but but all you do is show yourself up as the playground bully who has never grown up so why don’t you go back to playing with your tonka toys ?
Mr, or is it Mrs? Gale. Why keep whingeing about my views?
And you say “Of course Villa’s performance could be better”. Thank you very much for backing my opinion. Top man, or woman that is.
Are you having a gender crisis Kranky ? I only ask as you and Terri sound like a couple of old bags whinging & whineing about all things Villa . As for me commenting well the pair of you chose to make comments about me even though I had not replied to the topic . As for backing your comments I certainly don’t back your bigotry against the mighty Villa
As for my gender I’m certain that I am male not that it matters unless of course your a sexist turd !
I said my bit after the last game, and was castigated by C Gale, I think it was, apparently his is the only opinion that’s valid, any criticism is passed off as “gloom and doom”
So here we go again…….. Once more we are beaten by the fact that PL has only one set of tactics. Which are, mass defence, then break and hope for a quick goal, worked against Liverpool, because they didn’t have a clue what to do when they went behind.
Now when we go behind, he sticks to those tactics, but the worst thing is, even at 2 or 3 goals down, the manager persists with the same glaringly obvious and readable way of playing.
The players also seem to go into defeatist mode, and lose concentration, as per the third goal, for which they all should be on the training ground 8 hours a day sorting that out, instead of off golfing, but maybe they are too tired for that.
I don’t want to see these results week on week, forget who we’re playing, forget all the same old excuses, I want to see full effort from the team, they’re playing in our claret and blue so should be proud of that, yeah I know, a joke, and I want to see the manager realise that’s what he is, a manager with a long contract, which was awarded for failure, getting his head around the fact that there is more ways to set a side up, with a variation of tactics, to win games.
An example of his ineptitude, is repeatedly playing a central striker on the wing, Weimann, I rest my case. UTV
He’s conspicuous by his absence this week.
So Terry you moan when I don’t post and are not happy when I reply to your comments . Well I think that just proves my point about what I said
And NO I am not related to any of the staff at Villa although I might be related to a player from a certain copy cat team from Landan !
Thanks for the article. I have two comments to share.
First off, I don’t buy the Hutton had a good game angle. He wasn’t bad but Baines was the Everton MOM. Baines was Hutton’s challenge. He failed. To be fair to Hutton he knows his limitations. When he goes forward and is challenged, he will look to lay the ball off or if that isn’t on, he will run it and seek to knock it off the opponent to win a throw or a corner. Not scintillating, but efficient.
The other side however …? Aly Cissokho follows in a long line of Villa players. He breaks forward with speed and menace. Speeds past opponents into dangerous areas. Then he starts to think. Gets confused. Panics. Then either loses the ball or blasts it hopefully in the general direction of the box, Sometimes he even gets close but mostly he gifts possession to the opponents or wastes the opportunity. Sound familiar?
Everton’s defenders won that game, especially the full backs. They showed us how we should be seeking to play.
Secondly, I think we need to do a survey of Villa blogs and articles over the course of the season. Four games in and everything was about our new resilience and the hope of better things. Eight games in and the bed sheet painters are up in arms with new calls for Lambert Out. The truth lies somewhere in between. Lambert is not Roberto Martinez – but then Roberto wouldn’t come to Villa because we are perceived as a club who get on the managers back. Lambert did come – and spending Championship money – kept us in the top flight. Now comes his biggest challenge. To form a team that can compete. The addition of Roy Keane is a good thing – but the weakness and lack of flair in Villa’s squad remains. Personally, I would still take Wes Hoolahan over Charles N’Zogbia – as I’m sure would Lambert – but things move on.
We are where we are, and having now played last seasons top five in our opening eight games, we find ourselves mid-table with ten points. The real test is now to come. Let’s reconvene in another four games and if it gets worse I’ll strip my own bed.
Thanks again for taking the time to write this article.
UTV
The best analysis of the current situation that I have read. Thank you