Neil Warnock was fired after one win in 12, yet Paul Lambert enjoys the board’s full backing after only two wins in 15 games. Again, Villa fell victim to a dubious refereeing decision, but ultimately it was impotence in front of goal that let them down. Still a point is a decent point after playing half the game with ten men. The need for three points in the other home fixture this week against Palace is a must though with another sequence of difficult fixtures on the horizon.
In the meantime, here’s five reasons to be cheerful as Aston Villa fans…
1. 10 is better than 11
Practise makes perfect and Villa are certainly better with 10 players than they are 11. For the second home game on the trot the sending off seemed to galvanise Villa and actually spark them into life going forward. With 11 men Villa seemed clueless when it came to the final third, but with 10 they actually looked more likely to win it at the death.
2. Bacuna Role
As an impact sub Leandro Bacuna has proved himself in the games against United and Sunderland, to be one of Villa’s better players going forward when introduced when the team went down to 10 men. He certainly offers a versatile addition to any Villa bench. If Lambert wanted to play a more attacking version of five at the back, then maybe Bacuna would make a more dangerous wing-back than Hutton (who is better defensively)?
3. More Jack Evidence
He lifts the crowd, which in turn lifts the rest of the team. He creates more chances in 10-15 minute spells than the rest of the team seem to foster in 80 odd minutes. Surely it’s time for Lambert to give Grealish a start?
There are not many Villa players who deserve to start in front of him, if the truth be told. Don’t wait until the Blackpool game Mr Lambert, start him against Palace. Lets see what he can actually do. If he’s good enough, he’s old enough.
4. Predictable
Even before the game, the 0-0 scoreline was predictable. Sunderland had previously kept three consecutive clean sheets on their travels and Villa can’t score for toffee. So, if you’re a betting person, you should have cleaned up here. I had a dabble on under 1.5 goals. Easy pickings!
5. FA or FA Cup
It’s unlikely Villa will be battling for the European spots this season, so Villa’s season is effectively only alive while they’re still in the FA Cup. It kicks off on Saturday versus Blackpool. Please, oh please, let’s have a proper cup run this season and none of this pathetic being victims of giant killers again (the Lambert trademark).
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I did not see Cleverley or nzognia sucessfully make a forwad pass in fact they did not try to make one. All they both did all game was to pass te bal back to whoever gave it to them. 100% suceesfull pass rate. God i could do that at 65!! Get rid now. Make some changes try new things for gods sake it cant get any worse.
Coles days are numbered we should never have taken a gamble on him the wages could have gone to better use , maybe 5 years ago he was worth a punt but not anymore . Maybe nzoznzy (excuse the spelling ) could come in as a midfield foil for Sanchez .
We have to switch the team around and put Bacuna and Grealish in. This could be as a 4-4-2 with Benteke and Weimann/Gabby (or even Robinson) as a front pair. Or as a 4-5-1, except we dont really have a ‘number 10’ to play in behind Benteke. This 4-3-3 crap with Weimann and Gabby playing out wide is a complete waste of time, they are not creative/skilfull enough to create any chances.
Personally I think Delph is already out of the door. We should use the money to bring in a quality attacking midfielder though. And also possibly another wide player. Vlaar might end up staying especially if we show some ambition in January. I think him and Okore will make one hell of a partnership.
The sad thing is I think we have the players at the club, but the manager has no idea how to play them.
There’s one thing having the players at the club but it is totally different have those players fit and available to play which it would seem does not connect in some of Lambert’s critics minds
There is potentially the possibility that combinations of certain players do not work whilest others do . But unless Lambert experiments with combinations or is forced into playing others such as the Clark /Okore partnership Lambert is in a dammed if he does and dammed if he does not try to get the best from the squad
Then there is N’Zogbia who many at the start of the season were clamouring to be played yet now are asking why he is in the team . But then perhaps Lambert is looking for plenty of good reasons to ship him out ASAP and to do that needs to play him !
Lambert Out
the problem is we are having too much possession against massed defence
we are a counter attacking side and dont have players able to unlock compressed defence
crap crossed, crap deadballs, no penalties, and unable to convert the few chances we make
thats why we look good when a man down
we need to be more direct at times instead of aimless side to side passes, we can do that when we have the players to play that kind of football
oh and grealish and sissoko combined well,, just dont let sissoko cross
Cole can unlock defences trouble is he’s hardly ever fit and my sources say Daniel Johnson did it for Chesterfield but will he get a chance to show his skill now that he has returned ?
But Lambert has said that he likes 2 players for every position so will be signing another to fill the 10 slot that he has said he needs to fill ?
Eleven goals scored in 19 premiure league games ,we have failed to score in ten out of those 19 ,this is a carry on from the two previous seasons where the service from the team or the shear balls to step up and shot instead of waiting for the perfect pass is what let’s us down , the preasure on benteke to be our sole goal getter is shocking because befor his injury our other forward (gabby Weimann) weren’t scoring on a regular basis so when the beast of Belgium got injured that lack of skill became more evident ,we’ve improved at the back but I say this is by luck than judgement Okore and Clarke have become a very solid pairing we would never have known this with out injuries (an irony that’s for sure ) . I donk think cleverly is the answer to our supply issues or that we should load so much pressure on grelish too , everyone needs to step up to the plate and start having a go there’s plenty of know how in the team it’s time to apply it …………oh and one more thing two up top has got to be better than one with two wide, two center halves can easily handle one forward especially when there’s no support coming from midfield ………..
I’m sure we will avoid relegation for this season but how long can we keep going on like this
we play Blackpool on Sunday (not Saturday)… we scored 11 goals in 19 games and we are at the bottom of the fa fair play table… Lambert keeps on breaking records
Young players need to be given time to grow. No one on the bench yesterday has any goal scoring record in the PRemiership, which is the problem. Grealish did very well as an impact player, a tiring Sunderland defence could not handle him. But he is still short of the muscle structure for a full 90 minutes. Lambert is handling him well.
Villa don’t have anyone like the young Wayne Rooney, built like a 25 YEAR old at the age of 17, or even Oxlade-Chamberlain who was also fully grown at 20. OK, slight player can do well. Best, Dalglish and Cruff were all built like Greyhounds. But they had stamina and could run all day
Be careful what you wish for. The Next Gen players are not for this season in my view.
trevor fisher.
Maybe no prem goal scorer on the bench but we did have a player who had been notching up his goal talley for PNE before his early recall !
But I do take the point about Rooney being built like a tank at 17 . But size is not every thing it’s how you use your body that matters and that is something that does not seem to be taught these days with many young players falling over . Although young jack does seem to have learnt to ride strong challenges he’s yet to learn to turn bull charges to his advantage
Everybody is clamouring about the need for goals yet we had a young striker on the bench yesterday who has already got a goal tally higher than those on the pitch so maybe he needs to start ahead of even Jack ?