After picking up 10 points from their first 4 games theyve now lost 5 in a row a club record apparently. I said at the start of the season Lambert would get the chop and we'd see Keano thrust into the foreground. With Pulis and Moyes sitting by the phone I wonder how much longer Randy Lerner gives Paul Lambert? One thing is for sure, the more teams struggling is all the more good for us. Arry & Pardew have bought themselves time. Who will be the first manager for the chop?
They started well by their own standards then they had a shocking run of fixtures to play, people argue that you play every team twice but most teams don't have Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea & City back to back. They look void of confidence now, last night I watched from 45 mins to about 80 mins and they were shocking, that Sanchez is awful. QPR were made to look good by Villa, they looked ok at the back but they have nothing in midfield, Harry 'The Twitch' Redknapp will be deep in the **** by the end of this month I reckon.
I said they'd go down, I still think they might. Lambert was given a new deal so I doubt he'll be fired, they do have a few decent players though, and some experience, that might get them through it. They are hideous to watch, awful.
Benteke needs to rediscover his beast, he was unplayable two seasons back, now he's just a lump who the ball gets flung to from everywhere. Went from a £30m player to nothing in little over a year. If we take Vlaar from them (I hope there are better alternatives) in January, I can see them being whipping boys for the rest of the season. BTW, the lads who were getting excited (SAFC & NUFC fans) about the possibility of Cissokho joining them last summer are probably breathing a sigh of relief, he's absolutely terrible.
Shows how quickly things can change in football, only a few weeks ago the media were waxing lyrical about them and the "Keano effect" and Carew was coming out saying they'd be fighting for the Champions League.
Vlaar is top class mate, he's pulled all over in that team but alongside Rojo he could be an absolute beast for United. Benteke, easy to dismiss as flash in the pan, but he genuinely is quality like, I remember when we played them early doors after he signed at the SOL and he was quality, absolute tank of a lad. A mixture of injuries and negativity from being in a poor side are always gonna pin him back, but I'd take him in a shot. I can see him ending up at Spurs and scoring an absolute shedload, once he gets fit again. I actually quite like Baker & Delph as well, Guzan is a quality keeper, so they do have some talent there, certainly. It just doesn't work.
Same will happen to Koeman mate, no chance he's finishing in that top 4. They're better than Villa but the media would have you believe Southampton are on course for an unprecedented quadruple this season.
Agreed with you there pal, they'll end up around 7th-9th in the end I reckon. Looking at their fixtures they've had one of the softest runs of games out of all the teams, and the only time they've played the better sides (Spurs and Liverpool) they've ended up losing. That 8-0 mauling the other week was more to do with the fact that we were absolutely ****ing diaboloical than them being unstoppable.
No doubt Benteke has talent, but he's currently just not worth the boots he puts his feet into. £25m on Bent then your £30m striker loses the plot and all of a sudden Randy Lerner's £55m strike force is worth nothing. No wonder he wants to leave Villa. I don't mind Vlaar mate, I just don't think he's a natural leader. He seems a bit 'Lovren' to me, good at Villa but can't see him being able to make that step up. We do need experience though, I think Garay at the minute would prove a better option but LVG will probably opt for Vlaar for obvious reasons. Not a fan of Delph myself, I do like Baker and Weimann though. Another that surprises me is that Jores Okore, he was supposed to be a bit of a player him, can't get a game in that Villa defence though, maybe he's not all he was cracked up to be.
I'd put them in a pack with Everton and Spurs this season, if things carry on being unstable at United you can throw us in there as well and maybe Liverpool. Hell, a lot has to go wrong for other teams for Southampton to sneak in that top 4 mate, there's only 2 places to play for and realistically Arsenal should make it so it's 1. One of those teams will have a run of good games and take probably 3rd spot with Arsenal finishing in their favourite position again.
Southampton will drop away and finish around 8th. Then in the summer, Pelle Tadic Scheiderlin and Clyne will be sold. They've done well but that model isnt sustainable and relies heavily on good fortune. Pelle could have tanked like Altidore has.
We just going to ignore the picture of Falcao in my avatar and work on presumption then? I doubt you've beaten us in the last 10 years to be fair.
I don't buy the 'Keane, manager in waiting' idea tbh. He was supposed to have come in to give them some backbone much like 'Psycho' at Forest. But after an initial bout of hard stares & teeth grinding it's all gone flat ...... you can't inspire, on a long term basis by growling at people and telling them you've won more than they'll ever win. Keane should stick to trotting out the old stories for his daft books imo. I don't believe he'll become Villa's manager and will wait to see who I put my money on ..... Pulis is what I'm being told.
I think Okore is struggling with match fitness mate, he's an absolute beast of a lad and missing a long term is gonna take some getting over. I personally do think Vlaar is a leader, he was a great captain for Feyenoord from a young age and did a great job for Holland, I guess though we are talking United, and he's 29 and not the most cultured passer. Garay is the guy.
It was never not flat really, they beat Liverpool away which they did last season, apart from that there was never any surprising results. Keane came in and **** knows what he's doing there, but he'll make no difference, not because of who he is but because of the chump of a manager who is his boss.
i'd love Villa to go down - can't stand them after the Darren Bent "my dad's bigger than your dad" scenario and the way their fans went on at us. Much like some of the Hull board although they seem to have calmed now
