Aston Villa

[lillywhites61]

Watching the semi final, I see a team absolutely void of ideas. They look like a team beaten and I don't see them bearing the drop at the moment, there are other teams with far more fight, what a massive team to drop if they do.

An amazing fall from grace over the past few years.

 

[Syn_13]

So is Lambert getting the chop now or does winning the match, despite losing the tie, save his skin for one more game?

I partly feel sorry for him as he has fuck all to work with and it sounds like the well was dry in terms of funding last summer and this window.

 

[OneHotspur1988]

Didn't they draw?

 

[Dougal]

On my way back to the hotel from Villa Park. They look hopeless. It's not even about finding form, they need to find a team. 4th from bottom at the end of the season would be a success.

 

[lillywhites61]

On my way back to the hotel from Villa Park. They look hopeless. It's not even about finding form, they need to find a team. 4th from bottom at the end of the season would be a success.

This is what I mean, I do feel for the fans, the players looked so dejected after Bradford scored, just no confidence at all.

 

[inclineyid]

i would never have left norwich for aston 'no pot to piss in' villa last summer, dumb move in the extreme from the unlikeable lambert

also if you think our transfer windows are frustrating imagine being a villa fan

 

[OmarsComing]

A poorly run club for the past 50 years. Should be as big as any English club, but sadly for them, they're not.

They went from European champions to relegated in 6 seasons in the 80's. Conversely, Doug Ellis fell ill and resigned as chairman and they won the league and the European cup in his absence. He came back to power after their success and then they went back to being shit.

 

[dav3j]

Completely gutless, and they're looking worse and worse as the season goes on. Bradford were getting really scrappy after Villa scored, you'd have thought a decent Premier League side would have the confidence and class to pick them off at the right moments, but they clearly didn't. The "throw everyone forward" tactic in the last minute where you had Bent, Benteke, Agbonlahor etc all sitting on the edge of the box about two yards apart was completely ridiculous too. Clueless stuff by Lambert.

 

[kungfugrip]

Benteke looks like he'll be unplayable in a year or two. Bit rough round the edges at the moment but think he will be a very good player. Pity he's only one year into his four year deal.

 

[Mullers]

I've never had a problem with Villa, in the past we've always found them hard to beat. I hope Paul Lambert can turn it around I think he is a good coach.

 

[HappySpur]

I thought that Lambert had made embraced a youth revolution at Villa and that it was being lauded by the press but not working too well yet. They are hoping the return of a few injured players with more experience will help.....like Vlaar and Petrov. Not sure as this all from podcasts, but it would seem from this that Lambert will be given time.

 

[Francis Gibbs]

i would never have left norwich for aston 'no pot to piss in' villa last summer, dumb move in the extreme from the unlikeable lambert

also if you think our transfer windows are frustrating imagine being a villa fan

according to those who know he spent in excess of £20m in the summer

 

[lenny7]

I think old Randy should shoulder a good percentage of the responsibility for their nosedive. He's made some bad decisions and it's costing them. His reluctance to invest and that business with McLeish, which was just so obviously doomed from the word go in the most ridiculous sense, are but two of many howlers. Bearing in mind one of those things is recurring, it's fantasticly ironic that his surname is Lerner.

 

[kr1978]

There is another thread on Aston villa in this forum having pretty much the same debate a few weeks ago. Randy Lerner has put something in the region of £250m into villa and the main issue was he invested too much in Martin o'neill without getting the champions league they were banking on. He may have made some bad decisions but he has certainly backed and invested in them

 

[lenny7]

Lambert buys well, it shows in the Norwich squad, but he's not been backed at all, it's not even like he'd spend a great deal, he just needs backing, they desperately need players.

 

[kr1978]

Agree they desperately need players but they spent over £20m net last summer. I think what has hurt them most is the near total reliance on youth- they have been missing the experience of dunne and Stephen Ireland pretty much all season and didn't adequately replace the likes of petrov and Collins.

I still thinkLambert is a great manager though and I think he will pull them out of it.

 

[kaz Hirai]

I feel for Lambert and his vision of creating a team of young stars is admirable. But I fear they will be relegated if they dont axe him or spend big in the last week of the window. Villa is such a big club historically, and their fans are decent, wouldnt like to see them drop out of the Prem for the 1st time in it's history.

Ideally west ham will return to the abyss, and they can take Stoke City with them

 

[dontcallme]

I said at the beginning of the season Lambert had made a big mistake joining Villa and got slaughtered for it being told were a bigger club. True, but they were on a downward curve and going through a process of sorting out their finances.

In MON's 4 season Villa had a net spend of £53m and the 2nd highest wage bill compared to turnover ratio in the Prem. This despite the big sales of Milner, Downing, Barry and Young. Last season Norwich finished 9 points above them and are financially sensible.

That's not to say Lambert hasn't made mistakes. I think he has been a bit over-confident/arrogant in believing he can field such a young side and do well. It might pay off but he might just get one of the 7 ever-present Prem clubs relegated.

 

[hughy]

I feel for Lambert and his vision of creating a team of young stars is admirable. But I fear they will be relegated if they dont axe him or spend big in the last week of the window. Villa is such a big club historically, and their fans are decent, wouldnt like to see them drop out of the Prem for the 1st time in it's history.

Ideally west ham will return to the abyss, and they can take Stoke City with them

Barring maybe Benteke and Weimann, I fail to see anyone who could could even potentially become a 'star' in the Villa squad. Even the players like Albrighton and Bannan(obviously I'm aware they weren't Lambert purchases) looked like they had potential a couple of years ago, but look way out of their depth this season. I don't think getting relegated would be the worst thing in the world for Villa. It's going to take a lot of work with the current squad of mainly 21-25 year-olds, to gain the confidence to start picking up points on a consistent basis. It looks like the transfer budget was blown in the Summer as well, so Lambert can't even tinker this month.

I actually genuinely like Villa as a football club, and always have. Having only been alive for the PL era, It'd be sad to see one of the 7 remaining founding clubs to go down, but you just feel it's becoming a bit inevitable.

 

[Gbspurs]

I said at the beginning of the season Lambert had made a big mistake joining Villa and got slaughtered for it being told were a bigger club. True, but they were on a downward curve and going through a process of sorting out their finances.

In MON's 4 season Villa had a net spend of £53m and the 2nd highest wage bill compared to turnover ratio in the Prem. This despite the big sales of Milner, Downing, Barry and Young. Last season Norwich finished 9 points above them and are financially sensible.

That's not to say Lambert hasn't made mistakes. I think he has been a bit over-confident/arrogant in believing he can field such a young side and do well. It might pay off but he might just get one of the 7 ever-present Prem clubs relegated.

6 ever present clubs.....isn't it?