They say the bookies are usually right and so it proved today.
With 20-20 hindsight, we didn’t even deserve that 13-1 that was quoted, in my opinion.
So what went wrong?
I don’t know where to start, but I guess the lineup is as good a place as any.
Cleverley and Richardson started and as per usual I asked myself why?
Gabby, who’s been reasonably prolific against Arsenal was not started. I know I’ve called for him to be dropped myself, but this is one of the only games of the season where I’d actually want him to play.
I just don’t understand Lambert’s thinking at all, as we’ve had decent results against the top clubs by sitting deep and countering. Yet what has previously worked was abandoned by Lambert today and we tried to play far too high up, resulting in Arsenal getting in behind us to score after only eight minutes.
The deft flick on from Ozil didn’t help matters and the sickening thing here is that I was thinking about him and how he was bound to score, just before the kickoff.
To think we were linked with him not that long ago. That’s how far we’ve fallen.
We were very lucky to go in only one down at half time, as it could easily have been three, after they had chances and hit the post.
Our defence just after the goal was a complete shambles and we weren’t picking their players up at all.
Do we man mark or zone defend?
I don’t have a clue.
Then we came out for the second half, where things just got worse.
We looked aimless and I’m struggling to see what there is to discuss here.
A couple of points though;
Sanchez, while he was incredibly frustrating in the way he gave the ball away today, was for me, the only one (Gil apart) that was looking to actually go forward and look for something. I remember him at least twice running straight down the middle, only for him to reach a position where you could practically see him thinking “now what am I supposed to do?”, because there wasn’t an option around him, apart from Benteke, who was isolated up front.
I feel really sorry for him and he surely must be wondering what’s going on in the way we play the game.
Gil looked good again and he too was actually looking to achieve something.
The rest of the midfield were totally anonymous and I just kept thinking to myself it’s either the players are utter rubbish or it’s the way they’re being played.
I came to the conclusion that it’s probably a bit of both.
Lambert changed it up, but it was already too late and the game was already lost when we went two down by a goal from Ozil.
At the end of the day, we had two chances on target and yet again, that just isn’t enough.
So, we’ve now gone six games or ten hours and twelve minutes without scoring in the league.
Apparently, that’s another record low, although I’m not sure if that’s in the prem or overall.
They’ve just shown a table of the lowest scorers in the English league, on the telly.
West brom are 91st with 20 goals scored.
We’re 92nd with 11 scored.
While I expected a loss today, Lambert should be sacked for that alone.
He should also be sacked for the way we came out against Arsenal too, as that was tactical naivety at it’s best.
But we all know it isn’t going to happen.
To think it’s Chelsea up next.
What’s the solution there Lambert?
Will you be mug enough to try the same again?
It really wouldn’t surprise me if he does, as it seems he’s untouchable.
And that’s a bigger joke than what happened today.
Back home from the Emirates. Ouch! In my predictions yesterday I guessed Lambert would make selection and positional errors which would lead to a 4-2 defeat. Hah – optimist!
I failed to reckon on Hutton giving the sort of show that got him loaned out. I assume it will show up on MOTD, if you have’nt seen it – but just watch his “cannot give a F***” positioning for goals 3,4 and 5.
Clark back-in raised my hopes before the off because he is faster than Baker. Though maybe not today, because he was playing Jiroud onside and never got close enough to him to put in a tackle before the ball was under Guzan.
So we were playing a back 3 against one of the league’s fastest attacks. It is a doomed policy anyway but it requires that Sissoko is one of the 3. Richardson was crap save for one sprint and saving tackle in the right back position – Hutton AWOL upfield.
The rest of the starting line up was as bad as I feared. Delph, Cleverly, Benteke and Richardson starting instead of Westwood, Sinclair, Gabby and Sissoko.
Lambert has made some reasonable moves in the transfer market, but what is the point if he cannot pick the right starting 11 from those available. I saw good players give up today! Probably because they are sent out with 3 or 4 out-of-form, out-of-position team-mates and they know the Manager hasn’t just lost the plot, he never had one.
Mate Hutton AWOL up field? The times of been down VP and there’s been acres of space for the fullback to exploit but they seem to need an oxygen mask to wonder over the halfway line!
It’s got to be orders from PL cause their natural instinct must be to tear in behind but they seem to have a mental block.
One word. Horrendous.
I expected nothing from the game, but ffs it looked like Lambert had grabbed 11 blokes off the street and told them they were going for a kickabout for 90 minutes.
The most depressing part was seeing our players running around like headless chickens, while arsenal just passed and moved. I could have sworn arsenal had 15 players on the pitch and we had 7, that was all down to something very simple – pass and move. Absolutely no movement.
Cleverley. WTF!!!! I have never seen such a poor excuse of a player than him. £8m was the quote.thank fuck we didnt pay anything and can ship him off back to united. Ive seen better players in Sunday league.
Richardson. Absolutely diabolical. What was he doing when he gave the ball away for arsenals 3rd?
Sanchez. Looked like he was taking part of some sort of illegal match betting – he was APPALLING how many times did he manage to give the ball away (i’m convinced some far eastern betting syndicate had a huge amount on him making bad passes)
As for Cleverely and Richardson, why do they continue to get game time? It astounds me. Wheres Bacuna? You just bought Sinclair, FUCKING USE HIM!!!
Lambert is so far out of his depth it’s untrue, and as for Chelsea, I can see it being a double figure
Goalfest.
Only plus was Gil and Sinclair looked decent in the 20 mins he got.
“Chelsea next. We pick ourselves up and go again”
Championship next season. And we may never return for years. FFS. I just feel sorry for all the mugs that go and pay to watch this shower, i stopped going last January, and wont set foot in VP until Lamner have gone.
Well said DVF very funny too
Good summary of the game there. I’m struggling to find anything positive to say.
Here’s my cathartic rant:
Guzan was a joke between the sticks. Slow to react to shots and gave away an unneccessary penalty, which he should have saved. For me, he needs to be dropped.
The back four were all poor positionally and didn’t seem to communicate with each other or Guzan. Hutton went missing several times and offered no end product. Okore looked sluggish. Clark and Okore were frequently too high up the pitch, trying to play the offside trap and misjudging it. Richardson was playing, apparently. Why was Cissokho dropped? This game highlighted for me what Cissokho actually offers us defensively – he is a pretty solid defender and, judging by today’s game, probably does a lot of the organising.
Sanchez looked void of ideas in the first half, probably because Cleverly, Delph, Weimann and Benteke don’t offer any movement in front of him! He had no options so either resorted to trying to take it forward himself, ending up running into trouble, or hoofing it long to nobody. In the end, I think his head went as every pass seemed to go into touch or to an Arsenal player. Cleverly and Delph were playing, apparently. Westwood looked ok when he came on, but didn’t really inspire.
Gil looked enterprising (although his corners were woeful – straight to the keeper every time) and Sinclair looked like he’s still got a fair bit of pace when he came on. That’s where the positives end, I’m afraid.
Benteke was statuesque and needs to come back and help the midfield rather than wait for the ball to be played perfectly to him! I’d drop him too based on current form. Weimann was anonymous for a lot of the game, but played a couple of decent passes – he’s not a wide man, so stop playing him as one! When the ball reaches Benteke in the box, Weimann stands still rather than trying to sniff out any possible rebounds. Gabby and Sinclair probably should have started this one, as their pace could have cause Arsenal problems.
Based on this performance, I think we could well go down. There is no cohesion between midfield and attack. There is nobody making any forward movement or trying to get into the box and our passing is very poor. Most of our possession was pointless and eventually wasted.
We are actually getting worse. I didn’t think it was possible. Fox has said changing manager mid season would be like tossing a coin. At least that gives us a chance. I can’t see past relegation with the current manager. I think it was Steve in the last thread who made the point about goal difference and relegation. It is pretty much true all through the division. The champions have the best GD and the three relegated clubs have the three worst goal differences. Only the odd team bucks that trend.
It is staring us in the face guys. Hull are useless, QPR are weak but pick up points at home, Leicester have been picking up results recently, and Burnley, while short of a bit of quality at least have a go most of the time. Even considering what I have just said I can’t see three of these being below us come end of season. We are worse than all of them and heading in the wrong direction.
My match ratings for today:
Guzan – 2 (drop him, squad player)
Richardson – 3 (drop him, sell him)
Clark – 4 (squad player, replace with Vlaar)
Okore – 3 (still has potential)
Hutton – 3 (would drop him based on today, but we have nobody better)
Cleverly – 3 (send back to Manure)
Sanchez – 2 (still has potential)
Delph – 3 (can do better, still coming back from injury, nobody better to replace him with)
Gil – 6 (only one who really earned a starting place in the next match)
Weimann – 3 (squad player or central striker, no other striking options other than Gabby)
Benteke – 2 (can do a lot better, should be dropped, but no other strikers, too comfortable)
Subs:
Sinclair – 5 (looks a good prospect, start him next game)
Gabby – 4 (squad/impact player, passed his best)
Westwood – 4 (has potential)
Lambert – 1 (really don’t rate his tactics, the system he plays, or his team selection. The only positive is that he does seem able to pick out a few players with potential, such as Gil, but then doesn’t seem to get the best out of them. I’d sack him, but can’t think of anyone who’d want the job at the moment)
At least Sanchez touched the ball a few times, as opposed to the rest of the mids, who were all noticable by their absence in my opinion.
Even though he was poor by his standards, he STILL anchored our game and was head and shoulders better than those around him.
If getting involved and at least trying is a crime, Sanchez would get 5 years and the rest would be shot on sight, as they did nothing. Delph included, who I really like on the whole.
The fact that Gil looked very decent shows how poor we were today, imo.
He’s another one who must be thinking “what the hell have I got into here?”
What now though? … Is josef Venglos up to anything these days? 🙁
Hmm, there’s a thought.
Even he never broke records the way Lambert has.
As you are keen on posting – who else – well any f**ker as long as it’s a man/woman/ hermaphrodite with a plan and not this stumbling from one disaster to another!
LOL how about OOHA???? BWS does he fit into one of your qualities mate.
At least she’d tell them they’re a useless bunch of ***nts that couldn’t defend for shite ( I hear he’s, she’s a hermaphrodite.
(only joking Oohah)
I watched the game on sky with the Mrs even she said that we were really shit.Plus something she said was that’s not who Aston Villa are the should be better than that.This is so true.We are in serious trouble and deserve the relegation.
I’ve only just realised that Arse had two 19 yo’s in the side, in Bellerin and Akpom.
I feel even worse now 🙁
Football is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple.
Bill Shankly
I couldn’t agree more with the last comment about sniffing out rebounds. It frustrates me so much that we’re slower than any team we play to second balls. There seems to be a lack of anticipation or willingness to gamble, not every goal needs to be perfectly crafted and a scrappy one would do. How we could do with a player like David Platt who had the art of timing and arriving in the box at the right time. I don’t really see anyone who stands out off the ball.
Benteke’s movement was atrocious and you have to feel for players like Gil and Sanchez who are trying to force the play and be positive. Even though the latter gave the ball away far too much.
We had the lions share of possession after conceding first and were slowly but surely feeling our way back in the game. Heads definitely dropped with the second from Ozil. At that point the subs should have come on, but instead came on at 3 down. Sinclair had a good cameo and out paced the right back on a few occasions.
Tactically got it wrong with the defensive high line. If we play that way again Oscar, Hazard and Willian will have a field day threading balls through to Remy.
Another manager sacked this evening after a poor run of results.
We have had nearly 3-years of poor results yet Lamberts position seems to get stronger with each passing day!!!
Fickle is as fickle does…
Your right.
We should act quickly and get Stuart Pearce in…
… as left back
I am sorry to say but my optimism I felt on Friday has now melted away into the distance….That was one of the worst Villa displays I have ever witnessed… Lambert has to go !
Saddened welcome back mate,that’s more like it.
Get Lowton on at right wing, at least he knows how to cross to Benteke. I seriously would play him on the right, Sinclair on the left, benteke and weimann up top. Sanchez the holding mid. Same defenders really except Richardson can fuck off and get sissokho back in. I would just say get it wide, overlap and get the crosses in to the box.
Gil the playmaker/att mid.
I see Karen Brady is applauding Villa’s backing of Lambert. Hardly surprising coming from an ex-Bluenose. She must be pissing herself laughing. Can she send over Alan Sugar to do his ‘You’re Fired’ thing…
Any manager who can accept some of the performances out there today without dropping players for the next game has lost the respect of the team. And Delph is Captain – F*** me captains are supposed to inspire the others.
Next week Benteke, Cleverley, Delph and Richardson all benched, Hutton warned to defend as if his place depended on it. Cowans in the dug out Lambert in the bin or in the stand. Give Robinson a go.
2 wins and only SEVEN goals scored since the Anfield game in early September. That form is a total embarrassment to our club. Our players can’t be that bad so it all comes back to Lambert. You got lucky with Norwich and now you have been found out to be an absolute joke. We should sack him now and give the job to a lower league manager (Bradford Manager springs to mind) Probably turn us down though. Nobody in their right mind can defend this clown now. I seen the line ups for Saints v Swansea game and actually thought on paper we should be at least competing with them teams.
Watched Soton/swans and it was like villa ….passes all over the place….sideways passing….crosses straight at goalie……as you say we should be better than them.
Villa shirt on at work tomorrow…ARSEnal bloke in work….oh joy……
Looking again at Lambert’s interview after the game and he looks an absolute wreck.
Never mind what Fox says he shouldn’t wait to get sacked, he should resign and get a life. Have a Saturday without having to face the cameras and give even more pathetic excuses for another total disaster.
As for who might replace him I don’t really care. I’ve got the feeling now that anyone could do better and what’s the worst that could happen? Relegation?
Already well on our way there.