A Lambert Success
If there’s one thing that Paul Lambert has done well while he’s been at Aston Villa, it’s been to conquer Anfield. In three visits under Lambert, Villa have won two and drawn one, plus played some of their best football under the current Villa boss.
Considering his record-breaking poor form at Villa Park, it’s maybe worth lobbying the FA for all Villa home games to be played at Anfield while Lambert remains in charge.. on second thoughts, scrub that idea.
Anyway, it’s always what happens after trips to the red half of Liverpool that is puzzling. it always seems to go wrong for Villa…
Anfield 2014/15 – 1-0 to Villa
The Joy
Our trip to Anfield this season that resulted in a 1-0 Villa, took Lambert’s men’s unbeaten start to the season to four games and triggered the Villa board to grant Lambert a new four-year contract. Yes, four games after he’d finished the previous season on a relegation standard 38 points.
The Terror
The six games after Villa’s successful Anfield trip and Lambert signing his new contract, all ended in defeat though and Villa went on to pick up just one point from the nine games after beating Liverpool.
Lets hope that doesn’t happened again, if we win this weekend’s encounter or it will be curtains for the club.
Anfield 2013/14 – 2-2 Draw
The Joy
Almost exactly a year ago, last season, Villa’s performance in the first half of the trip to Anfield was startling as they raced to a 2-0 lead through Benteke and Weimann. Villa should have been 3 or 4 up at half-time.
This was a Liverpool team that had won 9 out of 10 of their previous home games, and would go on to be a slip away from winning the League title. A certain Suarez dive earned Liverpool the penalty and eventual equaliser, securing a 2-2 draw.
The Terror
The performance of such attacking vigour away from home filled Villa fans with hope looking ahead to the second half of the season. But the team would pick up just one point (against Cardiff) from their remaining eight away games of the season, which contributed majorly to a slump of a 38 point relegation form finish.
Anfield 2012/13 – 3-1 to Villa
The Joy
In Lambert’s first season in charge of Villa, against Liverpool at Anfield, Benteke and Weimann were on fire. The unexpected and impressive 3-1 win was seen to most supporters as a potential turning point. At the time, we were just getting to know Lambert. He was struggling, but this was a sign he might just deliver the goods after we had to suffer a season under McLeish.
The Terror
it was a 90 minute false dawn though, as we plummeted straight through the gates of football hell. Villa followed the Anfield triumph with an 8-0 embarrassment at the hands of Chelsea. Then, they were further punished over the Christmas period by consecutive 4-0 and 3-0 home losses to Spurs and Wigan respectively.
Weeks later, lowly Bradford City then beat Villa in the League Cup semi-final (when Lambert used up the first of his nine lives).
Villa Park
If Liverpool away games have brought fleeting happiness follow by long clouds of doom, when the Reds come to Villa Park, it’s normally a non event in terms of points for Lambert’s Villa. He’s still to pick up a point against them. This time he’ll need a change in fortune, as this fixture offers Villa the best chance of any points in the next three games with Arsenal (a) and Chelsea (h) to follow.
Judging by what happened after our successes at Anfield under Lambert, beating Liverpool this weekend at Villa Park would probably guarantee Villa getting relegated to the Championship! Still, I’d take three points in a heartbeat.
UTV
#WeWantOurVillaBack on the Holte End vs liverpool
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Here’s one thing I’m certain of: if we can create a brilliant,supportive, atmosphere for the whole ninety minutes of our next home game WE WILL WIN. A challenge for MOMS – why not put all this passion and energy into getting the Holte End fired up for Saturday’s match? Fill our players up with love, support and confidence. They are a bag of nerves at the best of times at Villa Park – use your energy and campaigning skills to LIFT our players for each and every one of our remaining home games.
So by that recconing Lambert is to blame for half the squad falling ill before the game following the Poo match, and getting a rebutal from the FA in their bid to have the match called off ?
Which would be correct given some of the logic used to blame our manager for all Villa’s woes
Can you at least stay on topic Gale Force?
Amidst the larger tragedy that is the “Let them rot” of Lernerism ie what could have been if Ellis had sold to the “predators” (led by a deputy district judge) instead of Arise Sir Randolph Future KBE…lies the lesser tragedy of what could have been had Lambert been sacked on cue after that Wigan game. Beggars effing belief.