MarkDrapernumber8 has submitted the following;
I’m a lost Villan tonight..completely lost!!
After the shellshock of yet another cup exit to yet another lower league opponent, this one is even more painful than the last as there was no luck or fluke about it (was there against Bradford? I don’t care to remember) I’m asking myself what the hell is going on at the Villa?! Sheff Utd (from the sounds of it) thoroughly deserved their win so good luck to them and well done.
I went to the pub and had a couple (three) and got thinking, surely there still has to be some kind of plan for AVFC from Lambert (and Lerner and Faulkner if you like) but primarily Lambert. Do we really have a manager in charge – who’s job is seemingly completely intact, free from danger and unthreatened regardless of what happens – completely lost of ideas and direction? This can’t be the case, surely not.
Going back to Wednesday when we beat Sunderland. We do have a way of pulling out the results when we have to, those ‘6 pointers’. The run-in last season was similar. So it suggests Lambert does have the ‘magic’ to motivate the lads for the big games. Also in the same game, we played some lovely football, just like Lambert had us playing last season (when I was a fan of his). Nice one touch stuff in around the park. One move in particular ending in proof that Albrighton can’t finish at all, but what a great move it was, must have been around 10-15 passes before the wasted opportunity. Again this suggests that Lambert can still get us playing that type of footy. On a side note, I don’t think I’d be so annoyed with our results this season if the football was good; I’m that type of fan, like most of us I guess. Football is a strange one, if we had played brilliant football all season and been in exactly this position as we are tonight maybe (I think probably) the view on Lambert would be a whole lot different. What do you think? The fickle football fan eh….
Anyway, the plan. Lambert recently changed his stance somewhat and said we need ‘experience’. I’m not a manager and I knew this when we lost 1st game to West Ham last season and especially after our 3-0 spanking at home by Everton (all this exluding the fantastic Steven Ireland of course, what a guy). I don’t think I want a manager in charge who is either so stubborn or stupid or both that he only decides to go forward with what all of us have been saying for a long time now, 1 year down the road. It might be too late for us this season. On the flip side however, it does show that he recognizes that weakness (finally) and is looking to bolster the ranks with ‘men’ if you will to help see us through. On the whole though it’s not good enough, we’re in the Premier League and problems like these should be identified earlier and solved sooner. Lambert’s had 2 and half seasons experience in the premier league, to learn about which qualities and what type of players are needed to survive and, better, finish healthily and do well. I’ve been watching the Premier League properly for over ten years, some of us on here longer, so I consider myself to have a good idea of the qualities and types of players needed also. Listen to the fans Lambert, we’ve been in the premier league for years and know and have seen good teams, good Villa teams as well. Your team just isn’t cutting it.
Going forward, I think if we can address the experience matter this window, we’ll do okay. To be honest I don’t really see relegation as very likely. Sunderland were abysmal in all areas of their game and unless OGS really is the next SAF, Cardiff and Fulham/West Ham will probably go down before us. Probably Norwich as well. Hoolahan (I think that’s how you spell it) would be good imo, he is a playmaker and he is affordable but more importantly he is experienced and can probably lead better than….who leads again for us?
This Defour guy I really don’t know enough about but from what I’m hearing anyone of that ilk Is welcomed.
My personal suggestions are Heitinga from Everton to partner Vlaar, that could be something special in the making imo. Also Heitinga can play DM as well and is comfortable there. Also I bought him everytime I started a new master league on pro evo 4 so I have a soft spot for him. I would say Lescott but wages will probably be an issue. I think another pop at Barry on a permanent wouldn’t hurt. I would love to see Barry back personally, wages should be an exception with Barry, no animosity on my part and I’d happily drive him from Merseyside to VP. Other than that I’m a bit stuck, January inflation rates and all and your looking at high fees. As an outsider I really liked the look of Jedinek when we played Palace, looks solid and boring, exactly the type of personality which makes a world class DM (not manager though). Also Ince, Ince would be great.
As for shopping abroad I’m no expert but I’d really like to see us approach Real Madrid and have a go at bringing Zidane out of retirement and making him player/manager/director of football.
VTID
You are right in every dept…..Have a word with Little could’nt be any worse,or my hero John Greg………
Good post md8,im now questioning lamberts ability to manage a team,he’s lost the changing room imo,the move for hoolahan could be so he’s got a mate in the camp.we can keep going on about lerner all day but he’s abit harder to replace unlike that 4eyed jockstrap.i am praying he’s fucked off before it’s too late.i am now starting to worry.
From the heart that one MarkDN8, every fan feels just like you have said, I said when we started the season give me 6-8 games to see if he knows what he’s doing,MarkDn8 our win against Arsenal a team that’s finely tuned completely mesmerized them in the way we was playing, after that everyone in the game knows we don’t have a clue, Lambert and all them idiot of coaching staff are conning the game of football by make believed coaching, I even now think the players of better quality in our side also know they are inept of how to coach.I hope to god he walks away before its to late, Lambert has an attitude that your wrong and he’s right, its down now to Faulkner to step in and tell that Yank we are going down the pan quicker than the Browns he had in the States. God have I gone off the game of football in the last few years with the shit managers we’ve had, god help us.
Good post but I have to take issue with your argument about Lambert being able to motivate for a 6 pointer. Out of the bottom 9 teams, we’ve beaten Norwich, Cardiff and Sunderland. We’ve lost to 3 too with 3 of the most lamentable performances in living memory so I’m not buying that for a second. We’ve also failed in a cup semi final. How much motivating do you think you’d need to get to Wembley ?
Fair play SEB, I agree about the cup semi however the league matches I stand by, The losses to fulham, draw at Wetham and whichever the other one was were’nt really ‘6 pointers’ at the time. They didn’t have that must must win feel if you see where I’m coming from mate. Sunderland the other day really was do or die and when we’re in that predicament we usually pull it out the bag. I think this is down to the players rather than or manager though.
Poor owner,poor manger,poor team =poor results.
You started ok, but then lost the plot completely when you described Ireland as ‘fantastic’. Please, tell me this was irony. In 40+ games under 3 different managers he contributed 1 assist and 1 goal. A true fucking legend. Then you say you want us to buy that piece of excrement Heitinger – because you always bought him on a fucking computer game!!! God’s teeth! I can only presume you weren’t at Everton last season, when his turn of pace made Ashley Westwood look like Usain Bolt, and the Everton fans were shouting for him to be hooked. The man is a fucking donkey (with heartfelt apologies to donkeys everywhere). Why don’t we buy Robbie Savage ffs? He was brilliant in CM3, and I’m sure he could do a job for us. Playing Heitinger alongside ‘concrete’ Ron is just sheer genius. A one-legged widow on a Zimmer frame could waltz through our defence…unless we were playing ‘fantastic’ Stephen as our defensive shield. Thank you so much, you’ve cheered up a very gloomy weekend.
Mr Geofferey Geofferey Geofferey. There are parts in this article which are written purely for jestful purposes during this dark time for us fans ie Irealnd being a great guy, he’s a grade A clunt (as BWS so beautifully puts it). Also the reference to my computer game days (I still play a bit but Fifa now).
As fo your reply, the saddest thing is with regards to your views on Heitinga, which are fair, is that he is still better than our entire defence and midfield bar maybe Vlaar and Sylla.
Whats going on is Lamberk is a shit manager, the worst in the division by a country mile, the worst in European football IMO.
We’re going to regret the day we didn’t get Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, we can add Cardiff to the list of clubs that are now looking down on Villa.
If we keep Lamberk, Villa please fuck off and die. Rather not have a club than one managed by an egotistical, mumbling idiot.
We can see why OGS turned us down now – Lerner has zero ambition and no money. Simply keeping us in the Premier League was not enough for Ole. Fair enough.
Lerner simply has to commit abit more in spending. I would rather buy 1 decent players per window or even per season compared to 6 for 10mil. It’s really not a difficult game football. For me you need 3 quality players, 1 in each area and you could then afford to do what we have with young and hungry.for me now I want to see some standard and A certain level of management. This whole mess needs looking at and starting again.
Lerner is selling us and we have been up for sale for sometime, he just wants a profit and his money back, a lot of people suggested the club was up for sale sometime ago when this cutting back on the wages was suggested.
When you think about it the wages have been cut back so far that if a new owner comes in he has room within the budget to invest in the squad without damaging the bank balance. Also in the meantime any difference in the bank balance can go back to Lerner sooner so as to pay off any monies lent by Lerner.
Lerner has not attended any matches for sometime he did state that he would only lose interest in Villa if two things happened one was to do with his family which i believe has happened and the other is he cant take the club any further forward. I am a great beliver that what happens in public is a true reflection of what is going behind closed doors and the lack of creativity and movement forward that lacks on the pitch is obviously lacking at boradroom level.
We have great training facilities and a great ground with a fantastic fan base, a lot of us Villa fans argue but that just highlights what a great and passionate fan base we have.
Some people are stating be careful what you wish for but the bottom line is we should be finishing in the top half of the table with at least one good cup run every season, added to that some attractive football and a few players to shout about, none of this is happening and it has not for over three years now.
which ever way you look at it lambert has made progress, we sit 11th in the table ffs, were out of both cup so what ?, did anyone expect to win it ?
with some new blood this january we could still finish top half ffs and what if we beat arsenal again on saturday.
you’ll should cut the club some slack lambert has had to flesh the team out with 10-12 cheap players so we have cover for every position. and yeah me may now be in a position to buy one good player every window but this isn’t gonna happen over night.
lets get behind the club rather than bash it from every angle.
utv
Still some Lamberk sheep out there then
I don’t believe it, ffs Bob grow up man.
come on guys, we had a bad result, one goal was a deflection and the never played us off the park like some have surgested. let get behind the team.
this tear down the establisment is no good for anyone were suppose to be villa supporters, a few good signings and we’ll finish top half
utv
A bad result, Villa Park is a stream of never ending bad results. Bob, I really can’t see where you get any positivity from, this current set up is so devoid of ambition that the hope has been killed for nearly all fans.
Bob mate, don’t you think that we have suffered enough, there is no way he knows what hes up to believe me, a Villa sweat shirt fell out of my wardrobe this morning and picking it up I had hate in me over that f.,.’k twat we have as manager, Bob been all over the country and even traveled abroad with my love of Villa, what can I say to my 7 year old grandson , grandad do I have to support the Villa, I have no answer to him, I want him to be a Villa fan. Just get that idiot out and I know someone other than him would do better, he knows sod all about the game believed me.
‘what if we beat arsenal again’bob are you still pissed up from new years celebrating.ffs we carn’t even beat a struggling div1 team but we can beat arsenal forget the fluke at their place.what a deluded post you made.
Baaaaaaaa baaaaaaaaa baaaaaaaaaaa
But we are still on the same points as last year but playing shit football. How is that progress?
Yes, Lerner’s lack of interest is a huge problem, we have the set up off the pitch to at least compete with Everton, Spurs, etc but the lack of direction and ambition at board level is truly shocking.
We have replaced Wigan IMO as the team whose only ambition is to stay up and for a club of our heritage and stature it is a disgrace, I dare not think what great patrons of our club like William McGregor would say looking at the modern day shambles.
But in no way should the Lerner situation deflect Lamberk of any blame. Its the basics, the hoofball, the poor tactics, the mumbling, etc. He is terrible and needs replacing.
Really in essence we still need what we needed 3 years ago, change at every level, no Lerner, no Faulkner and certainly no Lambert and his foul mouthed crappy coaching staff. AVFC needs to be ripped up and started again with a new strcuture. If only it was that easy……
lambert already proved he can play good football, we’re struggling in the creative department and qualty of forward passing but 2 new forward thinking midfielders will remedy that, we have the quality goal keeper vlaar combative midfielders and our strikers are good even if goal shy lately they just need a better supply throught the center.
the seasons not over because we lost a cup game.
its not the end of the world
lambert doesn’t even have to turn anything around he’s already preforming better than last season, were progressing in the right direction
utv
What is happening is that the sole ambition of Aston Villa Football Club is avoiding relegation year in, year out. Nothing else matters to the chairman, CEO or manager, that’s why the fans are depressed and fed up. We’re supposed to be one the great names in English football yet we’re behaving and being run like Walsall. Its a complete and utter embarrassment
Bob, you do make some good points.
The season isn’t over because we lost a cup game.
Yes, we could come good with a couple of decent signings.
But can you really see Lambert being the man to get them?
He’s practically already told us what we’re going to get and whoever they are, they’re going to be cheap.
The part where you lost me is where you asked about us beating Arsenal.
I’ll be very surprised if one of Arsenal or Pool don’t tear us a new arsehole.
I do admire your positivety though mate.
villa played thier best football last year when the midfield was tight with quick one touch passes between westwood and delph with ireland or bannan as the creative element, ireland and bannan have both left and no one has stepped up, we need some one with a bit of creativity how’ll come looking for the ball and play throught balls for the forward. benteke’s hight and power forces opposition defence to push up so we should exploite the spaces with pace. (but not with the hoofball thier playing now, with through balls)
i think hoolahan could do this role and maybe that signing alone will allow lambert to play the football he wants.
utv
No Ireland and Bannan haven’t left at all. They’ve been pushed out by the very manager you’re arguing for!
See, that’s where your argument falls apart for me.
If we were playing some nice stuff last season (and we were) who’s changed it?
i’d have pushed them out ireland because of his overinflated ego and wages and bannan because off his off the field behaviour, I believe lambert tried getting replacments but they didn’t come off. were playing the same system as last season but were trying to exploite the spaces with long balls which give the opposition time to recover and all our midfielders pass the ball sideways or backwards. last season we’d have notised westwoods 1 or 2 good balls forward because they stood out from ireland or bannan constant failing but always trying balls, we’d also notice delph’s drives forward because the midfield were attempting to move the ball forward. were only 1 good midfielder away from a good team it should come this window (hopefully)
utv
Do you really think Hoolahan will enhance/ transform the 1st team Bob? He is too small and is a Jamie Redknapp carbon copy with the sideways passing…..oh…… Sound familiar…….very similar to Westwood…….we missed the boat big time with someone like Huddlestone or Scotty Parker as a midfield pairing……..I read that we have spent 38 million in the last couple of seasons…….and what, in terms if real, genuine quality do we have to show for it? That money should have been spends on the spine of the team……a quality centre half, playmaker and striker……then look at up and coming talent…….
Did someone not suggest that Lerner had in fact made more money available to Lambert in previous windows but he chose not to take it?
Lambert has replaced the team and brought in – or promoted from the reserves – relatively cheap cover for all positions. Would it be unreasonable to think that if all was going to plan, and assuming Lerner has been making the money available and is happy to continue doing so and the high wage bomb squad are off the books, this summer Lambert would be given a decent slug of money to go and spend on two or three quality players on proper wages and with good PL experience? The rest of the squad could be fine tuned over the following transfer windows. Yes, yes, I know some people think Lerner is in it purely for the money, to keep Villa just above relegation and he’s there in his palace gleefully rolling in the money, not giving a flying lobster thermidor about the fans, but let’s just assume for a moment that no one actually knows and he’s innocent until proven guilty.
I have a feeling this plan is in action, albeit with some spending brought forward due to injuries and the whole team – bar Gabby and Albrighton – stagnating and appearing to not give a flying toss about anything. Lambert keeps alluding to some kind of long term plan so let’s assume now we’re in 11th and have players in each place, the summer is when things get fine tuned with some better investment.
When Gabby scored against Swansea he ran straight to the bench. Lambert stood there and received a passing high five but Gabby took everyone to celebrate with the players on the bench. I wonder whether there are many happy players at the club. It doesn’t look like many of them are enjoying themselves and we might be seeing more emphasis on playing for the team rather than the management.
Lambert is waaaaaaaaay out of his depth with a tactic which relies on luck. Let them have the ball and on the balance of averages we’ll get lucky and/or they’ll make a mistake and the the pace and skill of Gabby, Benteke and Wiemann (increasingly Albrighton) will hopefully net a goal or two. Everyone can read the game plan and the strengths and weaknesses of the players. And that’s it. Sometimes we’re lucky (Southampton) and sometimes we’re not (take your pick). That’s our lot, to watch players look worse than League 1 standard. I don’t believe they’re as bad as they’re made to look, and when we do win it seems to be in spite of the manager rather than because of anything he’s done. I don’t even know what he’s for now. If we only have one tactic, whatever the formation, what exactly does he do?
I haven’t a clue what Lerner’s plan is, although I can’t imagine he wants his investment too close to danger, so 15th/16th is too risky. There’s now a big gap between the top seven or eight, Newcastle and Southampton who are punching above their weight, and the rest of the table from us and Hull down. Could it be that Lerner would be happy with us at the head of the second group, in 8th to 10th place, which would involve minimal investment but nowhere near the massive money needed to get us competing even with Spurs, Everton and Liverpool? Once in that position the club could then be in good financial health and ready to go on the market. I’m not convinced we’re that attractive a proposition at the moment.
I can’t see Lambert going. He’s too stubborn to walk and we’re in 11th place, which is probably slap bang where the five-year plan says we should be. I can see this being a miserable few months ahead as many of us stop going to Villa Park. Seven wins in 18 months? And we have to pay money for this?
There is a case for laying the blame for our current predicament at the door of Lerner/Lambert/Faulkner, and many have made this today and lots of times before. I personally think you should add the players to this. Too many have put in consistently poor performances. An in form Benteke alone would have transformed this season. Weimann can’t hit a barn door, Gabby only contributes a few and so on.
I read some comments from Lowton the other day where he said Vlaar had got all the defenders together at the start of the season and said let’s stop giving away sloppy goals, and that as a consequence they had been much more careful about pushing too far forward. Add to the lack of goals from our forwards the fact that we have had a midfield that can’t score for as long as I can remember.
This could yet turn around with just a couple of decent additions. That said, like most on here I’m not very confident about that happening.
Good post MD8, I think the problem with Lambert and experienced players is EGO and/ or a inferiority complex.
Not sure about that really BWS. Gabby/Vlaar/Guzan might suggest otherwise, plus people like Holt at Norwich. I just think that in the main the budget has not stretched to some of the players that Lambert may have wanted (Kiyotake?). With seemingly no prospect of a change of owner/manager we need to hope that the experience issue can be addressed. We’ll know soon enough.
DS weren’t there rumours about having big bust ups with Holt?
Anyway this morning mate they (Lambo, Fatty + Randy) are all twats (imo) and I’d quite happily put them against a wall and shoot em for crimes against AVFC.
Now that I can agree with! Don’t know about a bust up with Holt. Didn’t he fall out with the club when Lambert left? Think we were being linked with a move then.
I’ve been thinking about the whole situation a lot and it does seem that Lerner has either lost interest and wants out or is prepared to see us suffer in pursuit of a long term sustainable plan. It would be nice if he had the balls to a) turn up and b) tell us what he really thinks.
Given his track record I’d say the chances of that happening are pretty remote.
A number of posts keep coming out with this it’s a just business and yes it well be simply a commercial activity for Lerner but just what is the product he’s try to sell? Failure, Despair and Sorrow? We’re not exactly the best example of a business model in the world are we?
*may*
Hard to see a football club as a good business. They seem to be a rich mans vanity project or a lifelong fan/owners passion. It could be that Lerner is reducing his losses and looking to get out. Wouldn’t blame him for doing that but if that is the case better sooner than later
Well since i called Ted a LEMMING i see i am the head of their hate campain yet again but if they think it bothers me they are totaly fuckin wrong i have probably been a Villa fan a lot more years than they have and that as been 63yrs and in that time have seen it all good indifferent &bad & this as got to be the worst team in our history no passion no fight & not a clue & a manager that by now would have had the sack from Tamworth Town.he makes the likes of Billy Mc & Doctor Josef dead loss Venglos look like footballing gurus.
Now for those on here whom slag me off for the word LEMMINGS well i will tell you this carry on but when Englands second City Birmingham ends up without a team in the top flight of football.Just think what you have done to the greatest club in league history & the humiliation you have heaped up on our great City & Brummies & Villa fans whom were born & bred in the midlands by defending your man IMO you are a disgrace as reading between the lines most of you LEMMINGS only started to support Villa in the nineteen eighties you were never there when we were in the old third division.One more thing Lamberk is the worst manager in our history it;s his team & him that is heaping humiliation on our club not Lerner only him and his LEMMINGS.
No Way Back For Paul Lambert – He Needs To Go – Vital Villa
something has to soon change at Aston Villa – The Villa Blog
Villa Fans Can’t Take it Anymore – MOMS
This experiment of building the team back up with youth is not working – Up The Villa
TJ I think the Lemmings are falling into the minority mate.
The fact Vital Villa have turned against Lambert speaks volumes, i also heard a lot of media presenters saying it was not good enough for Villa to expect just survival before the Villa game.
Lambert may well be hanging on but if he stays it could leave his career in tatters, who will want to employ him after watching us this season
Terry its like talking to a brick wall with some, to me if Hitler told them to die they would, ffs sake wake up you people that pretending to be Villa Fans, Villa are under attack from usesless dick heads, our manager is incompetent to take our club forwards, I want a football club, how many of you remember what that was at Villa Park. NOT MANY….
Bill mate to me i think most of these LEMMINGS only started supporting VILLA after 1982 they were not anywhere to be seen when we were in the third division.I wonder how many of them remember our third division team winning the league cup not one.
Really don’t understand the clamour for Heitinga, does no one remember how shockingly bad he’s been against us over the years?
The clamour has more to do with the standard of our players than anything else, our left side of the pitch is awful
Agree with you Jaymo. I’ve seen him play some shockers so not impressed by that other than our backups are even worse
Anyone who still backs the project is one of a) an arm chair fan who has not endured at least 90 minutes of that shower of shit of football b)on drugs or not taking the right medication or c) Works for the club.
Lambert, Faulkner and Lerner are a disgrace to us fans and the fine history of our great club.
I’m not sure anyone supports the plan anymore apart from Lambert. I suspect really low ticket and merchandising sales did for McLeish more than fan unrest and I suspect the same again will do for Lambert.
I don’t think it made any difference financially just for atmosphere. St sales and merchandise are peanuts compared to sky money
BWS Thanks mate but for the life of me can;t understand how fans can defend him when we all know he as been given funds by Lerner how could anybody think that £40 to £50 million in eighteen months is not enough to at least build a team that can at least finish mid-table.There are teams like Swansea & Cardiff whose fan base is a lot lower than ours so their revenue is lower and yet they have teams that show signs of moving forward.I am not going to defend Lerner but the monies Lamberk as spent should have been enough to build a team that shows some fighting spirit and with players whom can move the club to the next level.I won;t call for Lerner out as he is not going to go BUT LAMBERK and his coaching staff must go before the inevitable happens and all we can do is read about our club in the history books.
Cardiff nor Swansea had give £100m + to managers to piss up the wall. Nor did they have more than a dozen players on £40,000 a week – that’s right, a fucking week – that they had to get off the payroll. They built organically, in their cases in lower divisions like Norwich, Wigan etc and were able to develop and build properly. Yes, Lerner and Faulkner are to blame, for appointing and allowing the managers and their expenditure.
Lambert’s job is to steady the ship, piss off the high earning freeloaders, and build from the bottom up. Even he would say he has made mistakes, but has been realistic enough to know it won’t happen overnight.
And if Bill Pearson thinks he is a worse manager than a man who took over a European Cup winning team and saw them relegated to the truly fucking awful Billy McNeil, he is either demented or experimenting with his medication.
Sorry, Terry Jones, who is Bill Pearson’s even madder alter ego.
Steady the ship?
You really think that?
I give up.
He’s made the hole that was in the sinking ship bigger, that’s all!
You are right in that he has got rid of the high earners though.
At any cost to how we actually perform, imo.
Sick to death of saying it, but it was too far, too fast and stupidly obvious to anyone with half a brain.
Whoever’s idea this was is a bloody fool.
And given that I think Lambert, Lerner and Fatty are all agreed on this policy, it tells you what I think of the lot of them.