Aston Villa

[Danners9]

What a series of terrible performances, the funniest bit is that in between all these crap results they comprehensively beat Liverpool!

I get what they are trying to do, cut costs, bring on a team of youngsters all together.. but really, they need to win games!

My TV commentary last night was saying how they paid Sunderland 19m for Darren Bent plus 7m when he reaches 55 league apps. Right now he has played 48 so they are keeping him out of the team to save money, possibly trying to sell him? He is allowed to play in the cups but was still only a sub last night.

Relegation costs more than 7m!

Maybe if they don't beat Bradford in the 2nd leg Paul Lambert will have to be sacked, or if they lose at Southampton this weekend and drop into the bottom 3.

 

[Bill_Oddie]

Sacking Lambert would be a mistake. He's a very good manager. Not his fault he is working with shit.

Seemed to me this season Villa have the worst squad in the Premier League. On paper they have done nothing, have no experience, won nothing between them. It's no surprise results have been bad. Their only real experience is playing in the Premier League's most dull and uncreative side and for the crappest manager imaginable last season - which, let's face it, won't have been a positive experience.

Lambert has had to take several steps backwards to try to get them going forwards. And as you rightly say, this has been necessary with zero investment. I've watched them several times this season and performances have undoubtedly improved over time, albeit slowly.

Villa will get back on track, but they desperately need to stay in the Premier League. I'd much rather they did that under Lambert, who I have a lot of time for as a manager, than see some of the other teams down there stay up. They have a battle though, especially as Reading and Southampton keep picking up the odd point and QPR seem to be on the rise.

For me, much though I like Lambert, he does have to face facts that he needs a couple of experienced, talented leaders to augment his squad. Picking up Morrison from Norwich City's subs bench isn't going to cut it. He needs to lift the average age of his team, bring in some faces that boost morale, even if they aren't his choice for the future. Someone like Robbie Keane would actually suit them, to be honest. Scott Parker would be a pipe dream, but that sort of player. If he wants to revisit old clubs, Lambert must still have links with Celtic and Dortmund where you'd fancy there'd be some good players who are used to winning and who'd like to hook up with him again.

 

[punky]

Sacking Lambert would be a mistake. He's a very good manager. Not his fault he is working with shit.

Seemed to me this season Villa have the worst squad in the Premier League. On paper they have done nothing, have no experience, won nothing between them. It's no surprise results have been bad. Their only real experience is playing in the Premier League's most dull and uncreative side and for the crappest manager imaginable last season - which, let's face it, won't have been a positive experience.

Lambert has had to take several steps backwards to try to get them going forwards. And as you rightly say, this has been necessary with zero investment. I've watched them several times this season and performances have undoubtedly improved over time, albeit slowly.

Villa will get back on track, but they desperately need to stay in the Premier League. I'd much rather they did that under Lambert, who I have a lot of time for as a manager, than see some of the other teams down there stay up. They have a battle though, especially as Reading and Southampton keep picking up the odd point and QPR seem to be on the rise.

For me, much though I like Lambert, he does have to face facts that he needs a couple of experienced, talented leaders to augment his squad. Picking up Morrison from Norwich City's subs bench isn't going to cut it. He needs to lift the average age of his team, bring in some faces that boost morale, even if they aren't his choice for the future. Someone like Robbie Keane would actually suit them, to be honest. Scott Parker would be a pipe dream, but that sort of player. If he wants to revisit old clubs, Lambert must still have links with Celtic and Dortmund where you'd fancy there'd be some good players who are used to winning and who'd like to hook up with him again.

I think Dawson and Thudd would do wonders for them. I don't know who else he has bought but Benteke seems good value at £10m

 

[Danners9]

Sacking Lambert would be a mistake. He's a very good manager. Not his fault he is working with shit.

...
Lambert has had to take several steps backwards to try to get them going forwards. And as you rightly say, this has been necessary with zero investment. I've watched them several times this season and performances have undoubtedly improved over time, albeit slowly.

Villa will get back on track, but they desperately need to stay in the Premier League. I'd much rather they did that under Lambert, who I have a lot of time for as a manager, than see some of the other teams down there stay up. They have a battle though, especially as Reading and Southampton keep picking up the odd point and QPR seem to be on the rise.

His hands are tied, they are shopping at the low end of the market and need to produce results. I said he would have to be sacked because surely the owner will prioritise results now over the long term goal. They just can't get relegated. They may end up being saved by three worse teams but if one of them gets a couple of wins then Villa are really in trouble.

 

[Bill_Oddie]

I think Dawson and Thudd would do wonders for them. I don't know who else he has bought but Benteke seems good value at £10m

Their summer business tells its own story. Look at this in terms of a) wages and b) ages (ooh that rhymes) and it shows both Lambert's challenge, but also his confidence/arrogance that he thinks his current squad has the necessary ability to survive. Villa are 20m in the red in fees, but probably saving that in wages. That's a lot of experience they've had to sacrifice, mind.

OUT:

Hutton (27, loan), Warnock (30, loan), Delfounesco (21, loan), Makoun (29, loan), Collins (28, 2.3m), Cuellar (30, free), Heskey (34, free) - Total 2.3m

IN:

Benteke (21, 7.7m), Westwood (22, 2.2m), Bowery (21, 500k), Bennett (22, 2.2m), Vlaar (27, 3.3m), Lowton (23, 3.3m), El Ahmadhi (27, 2.6m), Holman (28, free) - Total 21.8m

 

[Bill_Oddie]

His hands are tied, they are shopping at the low end of the market and need to produce results. I said he would have to be sacked because surely the owner will prioritise results now over the long term goal. They just can't get relegated. They may end up being saved by three worse teams but if one of them gets a couple of wins then Villa are really in trouble.

In theory that makes sense. But then set in the context of the Bent situation (I've also heard he's not playing as each appearance is bringing them closer to a big payout) the idea of sacking a manager and paying him for three and a half years of a contract he won't fulfill, plus backroom staff, plus getting in someone new - let alone who would take it and who would be good enough - and I honestly believe Lerner and co would prefer relegation at this point in time. Assuming they have faith that Lambert is good enough to get them straight back up, plus make use of the parachute payments.

 

[dav3j]

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them going down. Their latest few results reads for some pretty grim reading - 8-0 loss to Chel$ki, 4-0 to us, 3-0 to Wigan, conceding a last-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 with Swansea, then losing to Bradford. Their confidence, especially for such a young side, is going to be absolutely rock bottom. Lose to Southampton next game and they're in some serious trouble.

 

[King of Otters]

What a series of terrible performances, the funniest bit is that in between all these crap results they comprehensively beat Liverpool!

At Anfield

 

[brendanb50]

The even stranger thing is Lambert must have known some of these constraints would be in place when he moved there? The Bent business is a joke in all honesty, his goals kept them up last year so by rights should be playing, whilst Benteke has proved a decent buy they still need more goals to stay up and even stay in games based on current form.

Lambert is working with what he's been dealt, unfortunately i dont think it will be good enough.

 

[Donki]

Simply doesn't have the players, what the hell Lambert was thinking is beyond me hopefully this wont tarnish his career.

 

[brendanb50]

Simply doesn't have the players, what the hell Lambert was thinking is beyond me hopefully this wont tarnish his career.

Lambert's thinking is the confusing part for me, he left something which he had built up at Norwich and he had the full backing of everyone there. I wonder if Lerner manager to pull the wool over his eyes on a few things.

 

[michaelden]

that job is the genuine poisoned chalice

 

[dav3j]

Lambert's thinking is the confusing part for me, he left something which he had built up at Norwich and he had the full backing of everyone there. I wonder if Lerner manager to pull the wool over his eyes on a few things.

Exactly why I have so little sympathy for him. He had a right to be a bit cocky with what he'd achieved at Norwich, now he just comes across as a clueless arrogant sod to me.

 

[Donki]

Lambert's thinking is the confusing part for me, he left something which he had built up at Norwich and he had the full backing of everyone there. I wonder if Lerner manager to pull the wool over his eyes on a few things.

Id say he maybe sold him a pipe dream, Learner is the kind of owner who shouldnt be allowed near a football club IMO. He had a lot of money on paper from what I hear but after the global economic problems his wealth reduced dramatically.

 

[Sum Monsterism]

Id say he maybe sold him a pipe dream, Learner is the kind of owner who shouldnt be allowed near a football club IMO. He had a lot of money on paper from what I hear but after the global economic problems his wealth reduced dramatically.

so only the rich (or ultra rich) should be allowed to own a football club? man, you're talking b*ll*cks!

 

[michaelden]

so only the rich (or ultra rich) should be allowed to own a football club? man, you're talking b*ll*cks!

agree, the club should be well run ... like ours :snug git smilie:

 

[Danners9]

so only the rich (or ultra rich) should be allowed to own a football club? man, you're talking b*ll*cks!

Lambert is suffering because of the silly spending of Martin O'Neill, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Neill-spent-120million-years-Aston-Villa.html - some terrible purchases there. Reo-Coker for 8.5m!

They did similar in the last few years of Doug Ellis, one of their managers spent a fortune on shit players and the next guy inherited a crap team with not much money to spend on making it his own.

 

[Donki]

so only the rich (or ultra rich) should be allowed to own a football club? man, you're talking b*ll*cks!

I was meaning basically what the the other 2 have said that a club should be run well and not just have a sugar daddy come in whos funds could dry up basically over night. Its pretty clear also that Learner donesn't really give a shit about Villa. A bit of a harsh responce IMO but oh well this is an internet forum afterall, no where in my post did I say only the super rich should own a football club??? lol.

 

[Danners9]

No No, I didnt word that very well. I was meaning basically what the the other 2 have said that a club should be run well and not just have a sugar daddy come in whos funds could dry up basically over night. Its pretty clear also that Learner donesn't really give a shit about Villa. A bit of a harsh responce IMO but oh well this is an internet forum afterall lol.

He fancied some of the profits from EPL TV rights like the Glazers and Hicks/Gillette, and turning a smaller team in a big city into a title contender, without realising you have to put more into the team than you get out of it to make them successful. And then the economy downturn happened...

Cleveland Browns are hardly a successful team either, btw.

 

[Sum Monsterism]

No No, I didnt word that very well. I was meaning basically what the the other 2 have said that a club should be run well and not just have a sugar daddy come in whos funds could dry up basically over night. Its pretty clear also that Learner donesn't really give a shit about Villa. A bit of a harsh responce IMO but oh well its an internet forum lol.

I didn't mean it to read harshly, so please accept my 'pologies.

I completely agree that Randy seemingly appears to have gone into the Villa situation without really understanding what he'd have to supplement in terms of cash - didn't they splash a charity across the shirt instead of having a sponsor one year?

very noble, but noble doesn't always pay the bills. Not quite the merchandising ability of say, Man Utd, and that's where it's probably gone wrong in his eyes. Not knowing about a sport then buying your way in is dangerous unless you're dastardly, like say - the Glazers at Utd.

Villa are in trouble no doubt. Makes me all the more happy, like Michaelden says, with our Levy.