After yesterday’s game, I am looking at the Villa team and wondering how we lost to a West Ham side that was without one of its biggest players in Andy Carroll. After our spirited win against the Baggies, I thought we would fight on at home and beat West Ham, in my opinion a team we should be beating. It just goes to show that the Villa team is full of unpredictable performances.
The weather was dreadful, making the long ball difficult, causing Villa lots of problems as we often rely on a ball upfield. We had to revert to playing the ball on the floor, which led to slow build up, with West Ham putting all their men behind the ball in the first half. After the excitement against the Baggies at home, to see Villa back to often clueless football was disappointing.
If you were a betting man, I would urge you to stay clear of Villa matches as it is unclear whether we are likely to see the spirited, focused and determined team that all fans wish for week in, week out or the clueless, slow football we see more often than not.
As I highlighted in my article last week, I do believe the Villans are going to escape relegation but it could once again be a close call. Teams below us are picking up form while we are still struggling to find any consistency. Games against the likes of West Ham and Cardiff are vital and after losing yesterday it is essential the boys in claret and blue get a win away at Cardiff on Tuesday. If we fail to do this, I may have to reconsider my article from last week, as we will be in trouble and it could be a nail biting end to the season.
Yesterday, Bacuna looked poor in the first half yet Lambert still stuck with him in the second half when it was clear a change was needed. The tactical change of taking Lowton off and moving Bacuna to right back baffles me and was unpopular amongst the home crowd. Albrighton was a positive yesterday, trying to create and find an opening when he came on for Lowton late on. I worry, however, that if he were to start his performance would not be as good as if used as an impact sub.
It’s worrying to see a team that seems incapable of consistency, especially at home where many teams rely on creating a fortress. Villa Park creates a great atmosphere and when the team are performing it can be a really difficult place to come. This year the team have under-performed in most games and the crowd have got on the players’ backs. I believe teams no longer fear coming to Villa, seeing it as an opportunity to get three points against a team that very often has bad days.
Cardiff is key on Tuesday and without three points Villa will be in lots of trouble once more. It just goes to show how easily the table can change and a position you think is safe can quickly turn into a nightmare.
Let’s hope for a win on Tuesday!
If the atmosphere is so great why is it that so many teams enjoy visiting ? Sadly it’s because it is the home team that has to invite the crowd to create that great atmosphere by entertaining them ! And yesterday for much of the match all that could be heard from the microphones was the sounds of the Spammers . Untill that is the last 15 mins or so when could it be the doom & gloom merchants were already leaving the stadium ?
I didn’t see any of the match not even MOTD and by the sounds of it I am lucky.
TBH from the stats I assumed we were unlucky, 68% possession and more shots but then I read a review and I don’t know what to think. How can you have that much possession and deserve to get beaten?
lose to Cardiff and we will go down every villa fan I speak to are not going to renew next seasons tickets with lamberts dull boring team and football he will empty villa park very sad villa fan
Alex don’t feel too bad about this result.
Chelsea recently couldnt score against West Ham.
They have (Injuries apart) the best defensive record in the League
11 Clean Sheets, The weather was crap and admittedly until the second half your attack did nothing but there is enough in the Villa Team to ensure they stay up and to build on for next year.
I’m losing faith in “the project” and quick. I’m a doggedly loyal Aston Villa fan but I have to admit I left the ground early yesterday- something I never thought I’d do! I just couldn’t sit freezing my knackers off totally bored with what was being offered as so called entertainment any longer. I’ve been told that the club has been sold and this will happen in the summer. Hope it’s true as mr Lerner seems to have run out of steam. He has done great things for the club and community and I know he will do what he thinks is right for the club to get us back where we belong which is challenging for honours.
keep hearing talk of being where we belong & about winning trophies but it’s a load of baloney ! Yes Villa have won a lot but there’s also been big gaps inbetween when they’ve been in the wilderness with little to show for their existance
When Lerner took over many were happy , but there were a few who against him from the start & only too ready to stick the knife in @ any oportunity
Yes we as fans were promised great things @ the start but Randy appointed the spend a lot O’Nearly , which was a mistake even though some do not see it as such . And they can not see that if one wipes the slate clean & starts again with a new squad comprised mainly of young players that there will be many hiccoughs on the way to success . Hopefully yesterday was one such hicough & the team will learn from their mistakes As for Lambert yes the squad is his but half are new signings from last summer & just as last season with such a large influx it takes time for them to bed in & consistantly produce results for him
I have to agree with you Colin. Villa have never really been a top of the table team. I love the club but all through my life we’ve been hit and miss. European Cup, relegation, a near miss on title, couple of league cups. Not much really. Most of my memories of Villa actually involve mid table mediocrity and relegation battles.
What I said was we should be challenging for honours along with Spurs Everton etc. if you think that’s baloney then what’s the point of our club? Just being happy to stay in the Prem is not good enough for The Villa. Nor should we ever accept that as our expectation level.
B7 what is the point of the club we support? Is it to have 90 mins of glory so that fans who have not experienced Villa winning a top award can have bragging rights for a short while because that’s what it sounds as if those clamouring for yet more change want . And how much time will such fans give the next manager 12 months , 6 months or perhaps just 3 months before they are shouting hor him to be sacked .
Constantly sacking the manager will not bring long term success but it if we’re lucky & I do say lucky it might bring 5 minutes of glory , but equally it could spell dooom for the club
Currently Villa is treading a tried & tested path to possible succcess trod 1st in the old 1st Div by ManU & more recently in the Bundisliga . But to succceed in the Prem is harder as competition is far greater than in the old 1st Div,or the Bundisliga . But if it is to work Lambert needs far more time than fans impatient for trophies want to give him . However if the plan is allowed to reach fulfillment it should mean that Villa would be a top 4 club for many years after , unlike in the past when trophies have been followed by nothing !
So no it is not baloney to want to support a successfull AVFC , but perhaps it would be better to be patient just a season or 2 longer so that Villa can really be a top club
Colin I’m not clamouring for change an I back the club all the way.. What I’m saying is we should expect our club to be challenging for honours an you called that baloney. It is going to be a long haul an I really hope it comes good but I have sat through some of the worst football in my life at Villa Park this season an that can’t continue or the crowds will dwindle an then where will that leave us? When I spend my hard earned cash to sit an watch teams come to our ground an lord it over my beloved Aston Villa I reserve the right to be grumpy about it.
Expectations & history are different and I stand by my claim that it is baloney about the how Villa have performed inbetween the successes . But why is it that away teams are so happy to visit Villa Park yet the home team is not ? It’s not just a recent thing , & it is a joke amongst fans of other clubs as to how quick the home fans are to turn on the team . Against the spammers it was not untill the last 15 mins that the home fans got behind the team and for most of the match one could be mistaken to think the commmentary was commming from Upton Park so loud were the Spammers . The problem is that there are some fans who think their sole aim in life is to berate the players for the slightest mistake .Even the most skillfull Young players make mistakes & more experienced one prey on those mistakes , and the more so those from rubbish teams . And in doing so they draw young teams such as Villa’s down to their level aided by the lack of support from the home fans . I’ve seen much criticism of Westie asall too often he’s like Bambi caught in the headlights of a car , but given given a verbal boot from the captain & cheered on by the crowd he’s a diffferent player . And that goes for many of the team not just him
No mate I said we should expect villa to be challenging for honours. You called that baloney. I never said we should expect to win things. That would be stupid. As for the atmosphere at VP it really is no different elsewhere. I usually get to a couple of away games each year an I have many mates who travel regularly an trust me our away support iis always very loud and often dominates the home crowd. I love to see Villa Park rocking an I think it’s one of the greatest venues when it is. But sadly with such poor offerings from the team this year have killed the atmosphere on numerous occasions. It’s been like that for donkey’s tears.
It would seem we are talking different languages ! Wanting Villa to challenge for honours is what all fans should hope for , but it is baloney to think that the club always did so in the past as that is not true ! Yes Villa has had some big wins including the European cup but inbetween there has been many seasons of nothingness ! As for the away support yes that is better by far than the home support . But that has not always been so , so much so that on travelling from tyneside in the 70’s to the old Roker Park @ Sunderland I could barely hear them when stood by chance with the home fans in the stand below where they were sat .
But that aside the idea of cheering is to encourage the team to succcess . The away fans can do it so why not the home ones ? As you say it’s been like that for donkeys years , and it would seem some fans only go to gripe about the team , although @ present not as bad as in the past when boos started when the team was announced if certain players were included .
I regard us as a big club don’t you? Big clubs expect to at least challenge for things when the season starts. We all know that there has been long spells without success- that’s obvious mate- bur I like to think that we’re are capable of putting in a challenge come August time. I always give the team my full vocall support every time. I hate serial moaners and if I get em by me any time I let them know!!!!
yes Villa is a big club , but I’d prefer to wait a little longer than next August if it could have more than single seasons of success followed by more nothingness If the current plan works Villa could have many years of success , but 1st the squad has to mature & the players reach their full potential