Re: Aston Villa v Stoke City : Saturday October 3rd at 3PM.

by **villabromsgrove** Sat Oct 03, 2015 4:58 pm

If Fox doesn't realise that he has to act quickly to replace our failed apprentice manager, we're going to be cut adrift. Chelsea away next! Sherwood has refused to take advantage of our easier matches, and now we're into the hard ones without a plan or a clue!

by GadgetMan Sat Oct 03, 2015 5:05 pm

villabromsgrove wrote:If Fox doesn't realise that he has to act quickly to replace our failed apprentice manager, we're going to be cut adrift. Chelsea away next! Sherwood has refused to take advantage of our easier matches, and now we're into the hard ones without a plan or a clue!

Exactly how I see it. Tim worryingly looked like a beaten man most of that match. Too much to hope he will walk and point the finger at the owner for the rot that runs through the club? Would save a bit of face and the fans would applaud that approach too. Other managers have took the cash and not 'fingered' Lerner as the main problem.

2 shots at home to Stoke, deary me!!

by **villabromsgrove** Sat Oct 03, 2015 5:13 pm

If our squad turned up an hour before the match and sorted their game plan out themselves, they would play better than they are currently doing with Tim Sherwood in charge. (As long as Hutton isn't allowed to play on the right wing! have you seen the red line stats?)

Having no manager would be better than having Sherwood screw the players over on a weekly basis. What a state for Villa to be in.

by GadgetMan Sat Oct 03, 2015 5:56 pm

Match Report and post match comments all here. Perhaps give your own match report and/or player ratings?

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34366599

by **Sandie** Sat Oct 03, 2015 6:17 pm

Post-Game platitudes

On the game...

It was a poor performance and a poor result.

We are disappointed all round.

I thought it was a draw, to be honest, that would have been a fair result. I thought both teams were poor.

We will go back to work and do our best to put things right.

On playing three at the back…

We need to find ways to get crosses into the box to Rudy more than we have done because at the moment he is our main threat to score goals.

He has proved this over the last few weeks.

But we didn't do that well enough in the first period.

We didn't get the balls out to Hutton and Amavi no way near enough.

So we changed it half-time to find another way.

I thought we took the game to them better in the second period but we never had that one person who could show that maverick ingredient to do something really special.

Unfortunately that was missing today.

On trying to work out the best way…

I think the team selection shows that every week.

We are trying to find the right way.

You can't persevere with a team that hasn't won.

You have to keep jigging it around and find the best solution.

At the moment, I haven't done that.

I am the manager of the football and take sole responsibility for the performances and results.

That's my job and I understand that fully.

On signs of encouragement…

They are there in patches, not on a consistent basis I will be honest.

I see good possession in patches. It's a little bit boring at times - passing the ball square and backwards too much.

I want it passed forward.

Sometimes you need someone on the pitch who can open people up - drop their shoulder.

At the moment, we haven't got that.

On his personnel…

I am still learning about the guys.

We are eight games in and it's disappointing.

But I'd rather be in the bottom three eight games in than the bottom three with eight matches remaining.

On Ciaran Clark's absence…

He's got an injury - a thigh strain.

On Jose Angel Crespo's performance...

I thought he did alright.

He's got to get used to the pace of the game obviously.

He did no worse than anyone else out there.

Jose is like the rest of the lads. They will take time to adapt.

I wouldn't say time is running out but the clock is ticking.

On Micah Richards...

I thought Micah was head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch.

He deserved a goal today. It was a good chance.

He drove us on. He picks up the tempo of the game.

He's been great since he's been at the club.

by **villabromsgrove** Sat Oct 03, 2015 6:52 pm

Whatever 'Temporary Tim' says about things, the sad fact is that we said on here a couple of days ago that if he played that team we'd lose 1-0. Now none of us are clairvoyant so it was that obvious to all but Tim. The unanimous verdict on every Fans forum as soon as the team was announced was "we've lost this one."

Tim and his back room team must be as thick as **** not to realise what was going to happen.

by **Sandie** Sat Oct 03, 2015 7:51 pm

It's odd, isn't it? He claims to have racked his brains to find the best team but not yet really hit on the kind of teams and tactics being suggested on various forums. Is that because he knows something we don't? Is it because he's scared of losing? Is it because he's just clueless? Who can say.

Post-match stats if you can bare to look:
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/statszone/8-2015/matches/803237
http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/959805/Live

by **villabromsgrove** Sat Oct 03, 2015 8:02 pm

Sandie wrote:It's odd, isn't it? He claims to have racked his brains to find the best team but not yet really hit on the kind of teams and tactics being suggested on various forums. Is that because he knows something we don't? Is it because he's scared of losing? Is it because he's just clueless? Who can say.

Post-match stats if you can bare to look:
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/statszone/8-2015/matches/803237
http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/959805/Live

I'm certain there's a fear of losing, and I also think he's telling the truth when he says that he doesn't know his best team or his best tactics. It also appears that his methodology until his players reach this 'mythical fitness level,' is to pack the team with defenders to try to stay in the game, and only attack in the second half if we go behind.

by **Sandie** Sat Oct 03, 2015 8:08 pm

The irony is that when you're defending you actually need to have higher levels of fitness because you're required to close people down, mark etc. To be honest, our lack of fitness might well be showing as we're bloody poor at closing the opposition down, moving off the ball etc.

by GadgetMan Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:52 pm

villabromsgrove wrote:
Sandie wrote:It's odd, isn't it? He claims to have racked his brains to find the best team but not yet really hit on the kind of teams and tactics being suggested on various forums. Is that because he knows something we don't? Is it because he's scared of losing? Is it because he's just clueless? Who can say.

Post-match stats if you can bare to look:
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/statszone/8-2015/matches/803237
http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/959805/Live

I'm certain there's a fear of losing, and I also think he's telling the truth when he says that he doesn't know his best team or his best tactics. It also appears that his methodology until his players reach this 'mythical fitness level,' is to pack the team with defenders to try to stay in the game, and only attack in the second half if we go behind.

To me it's as clear as day he's trying to pick a side not to lose at the start and then has to change it to appease a restless fanbase. Fear has set in and that can cripple people. It got Lambert and then the players, it's only a matter of time before the players either lose faith in him, or buy into the fear factor, of that happens we're screwed.

He is now basing his whole tactics and formation around one man. problem is that man isn't Benteke he's a guy that's never played in the top flight and looks to be severely limited. He paid 8m quid for Ayew, as much for Traore, has Kozak, Sinclair, Gil, Gabby, Grealish and yet picks a team and tactic to play through Rudy Gestede who's got approx 4 starts to his name. Jeez!! Maybe the clue Tim, is in how we've ended the last two games....ie it's more likely to work than your effing starting tactic you buffoon.

Stick Gestede and Ayew up front, have Grealish/Sinclair LM Gana and Veretout CM and Traore RM and tell them to go out and bloody attack. If you're getting the ball forward and into the box and having shots, you're far more likely to score. 2 shots today against Stoke, at HOME. He says he's trying, fair enough, but he's not been very smart with it. The only thing he hasn't tried is starting in the same vein he's asking them to finish games. Try it Tim, it may just work!! Arrrrgghhhhh!!! Aston Villa v Stoke City : Saturday October 3rd at 3PM. - Page 6 3679068969

Aston Villa v Stoke City : Saturday October 3rd at 3PM. - Page 6 3679068969

Aston Villa v Stoke City : Saturday October 3rd at 3PM. - Page 6 2182316234

by GadgetMan Sat Oct 03, 2015 10:03 pm

Good article by John Percy

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/11909369/Aston-Villa-0-Stoke-City-1-match-report-Tim-Sherwood-facing-crisis-after-Marko-Arnautovic-winner.html

by **villabromsgrove** Sun Oct 04, 2015 12:20 pm

I think we're all clear that it's not the players letting us down, it's the manager. I wonder how long it will be before the people running Villa agree with us?

by avfcff1982 Sun Oct 04, 2015 4:25 pm

Sherwood is pinning all his hopes on Gestede, so why set the side up with 5 defenders, 2 holding midfielders, 1 attacking midfielder, who spent most of the game having to help out in defence, and Gestede with no supply, not forgotten Sinclair, but he wasn't in there to cross to the striker, but support him, but how? there was no creativity in the side, Veretout tried but was alone.

The manager has to forget that system, play Ayew up front, he's looking settled and will cause big problems for the opposition, use Grealish alongside and just behind him, Veretout, Gil, Adama or Sanchez as the forward thinking midfielders, and Gana in front of the back 4.

There has to be attacking intention in every starting line up, Sherwood has tried, and failed with his tactics of fear, no idea why he can't see that.

The next few games will be very interesting, we can only sit back and cross our fingers. UTV Aston Villa v Stoke City : Saturday October 3rd at 3PM. - Page 6 205019816

Aston Villa v Stoke City : Saturday October 3rd at 3PM. - Page 6 205019816

by **villabromsgrove** Sun Oct 04, 2015 4:36 pm

avfcff1982 wrote:Sherwood is pinning all his hopes on Gestede, so why set the side up with 5 defenders, 2 holding midfielders, 1 attacking midfielder, who spent most of the game having to help out in defence, and Gestede with no supply, not forgotten Sinclair, but he wasn't in there to cross to the striker, but support him, but how? there was no creativity in the side, Veretout tried but was alone.

The manager has to forget that system, play Ayew up front, he's looking settled and will cause big problems for the opposition, use Grealish alongside and just behind him, Veretout, Gil, Adama or Sanchez as the forward thinking midfielders, and Gana in front of the back 4.

There has to be attacking intention in every starting line up, Sherwood has tried, and failed with his tactics of fear, no idea why he can't see that.

The next few games will be very interesting, we can only sit back and cross our fingers. UTV

I agree with you. Mark Hughes said after the match that Villa made it easy for Stoke, because they only had to cut off supply to one man, Gestede. Sherwood still believes that Hutton can do a right winger supply job even though the stats show that he's only completed a couple of assists in three seasons, despite hitting hundreds of inaccurate crosses.

We should be playing four or five of our more technical players at the same time and coaching them to provide constant movement to stretch defences. That way we can use Rudy as a luxury front man who doesn't need to do much more than put himself about physically, and knock in the odd header or loose ball.

by **Sandie** Sun Oct 04, 2015 5:13 pm

avfcff1982 wrote:Sherwood is pinning all his hopes on Gestede, so why set the side up with 5 defenders, 2 holding midfielders, 1 attacking midfielder, who spent most of the game having to help out in defence, and Gestede with no supply, not forgotten Sinclair, but he wasn't in there to cross to the striker, but support him, but how? there was no creativity in the side, Veretout tried but was alone.

The manager has to forget that system, play Ayew up front, he's looking settled and will cause big problems for the opposition, use Grealish alongside and just behind him, Veretout, Gil, Adama or Sanchez as the forward thinking midfielders, and Gana in front of the back 4.

There has to be attacking intention in every starting line up, Sherwood has tried, and failed with his tactics of fear, no idea why he can't see that.

Wholeheartedly agree. Tim talks about racking his brains to find our best formation and team, he hasn't tried the kind of team you suggest and yet every time I look on a forum or Facebook group someone suggests this kind of team. Where's the difficulty here? He seems to be paralysed by the fear of the opposition. McLeish and Lambert could be like that but not even they managed to do that at home to a struggling side like Stoke. We don't have the players or the fitness to defend and chase down the opposition. We rely on crosses yet our only effective width is from overworked fullbacks.

Our entire gameplan relies upon one man and he's a striker who's just embarking upon his first top flight season and his one skill is aerial prowess. He's no Christian Benteke, yet Tim goes on about how we have to keep getting crosses into Gestede. Just scroll up the thread to his post match comments "We need to find ways to get crosses into the box to Rudy more than we have done", "We didn't get the balls out to Hutton and Amavi no way near enough." and so on. I'm not knocking Rudy, he's alright but limited and he's not even played 10 Premier League games. Why is he our key man? It's all just so frustrating.

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