Results aside are we actually any better than last season?

There's an interesting set of statistics on the BBC website today, have a look about halfway down here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29262223

It shows that on average we're doing worse than last season (which in turn was worse than the season before) at average passes per game, pass accuracy, possession, shots per game and shots on target. Ok, the Liverpool match was probably an anomaly as we scored early and spent the rest of the match defending and only ever passing the ball back to the opposition but even so, have we really improved? It's early doors with only four matches from which to take data but there could be a big dose of reality round the corner

Yes, i think we are better than last season.

A. We are stronger defensively
B. Much more experience in the side
C. Players and Manager seem to have suddenly started to care.
D. Roy Keane
E. Some decent young lads around the place.
F. A few shrewd signings.

Probably a few other reasons, but they will do for starters.

I think we're better, and I think we're playing with more confidence and an air of assurance.

I think this stems from the defence - our players are less concerned that losing the ball in midfield could result in a goal as they have faith in the back 4. There's spirit, fight, and determination across the pitch and the performances match it so far IMO

Realistically we're not going to know the truth for about another 8 games. It does look a lot more promising though. I'm really not too worried about the stats either, a solid defence will do wonders to the offensive game in the long run. I also think once everyone is back and everyone is comfortable in their role, there is nothing plenty of creativity potential and right now I'm quite optimistic.

Of course when we play shit there is not many people there that can do something out of nothing but I think general chance creating will increase quickly.

FoxyAV wrote:There's an interesting set of statistics on the BBC website today, have a look about halfway down here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29262223

It shows that on average we're doing worse than last season (which in turn was worse than the season before) at average passes per game, pass accuracy, possession, shots per game and shots on target. Ok, the Liverpool match was probably an anomaly as we scored early and spent the rest of the match defending and only ever passing the ball back to the opposition but even so, have we really improved? It's early doors with only four matches from which to take data but there could be a big dose of reality round the corner

I saw this too! Enlightens a lot of stats in all fairness but regardless I don't care about stats as long as results after 90 mins go our way!

We are better but not as good as our league position.

Angel of Haarlem wrote:We are better but not as good as our league position.

Until we give Chelsea a right royal beating

In terms of results from corresponding fixtures from last season Villa are better this season, so far. I think the style of play will evolve over the coming months when all players are available and new players get up to speed. Let's not forget that against Arsenal we were missing Vlaar, Westwood, Benteke, Kozak, Okore.......we lost Weimann at half time. Most clubs outside the top 4 or 5 would be hurt by losing 3 or 4 of their 1st teamers on match day.
We shouldn't get carried away by our improvement and think we can compete regularly against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea etc, but we should be encouraged that the downward spiral looks to have been arrested and the climb back to respectibility has begun. With a fully fit midfield of Cleverley, Delph, & Westwood, and Benteke being fully fit up Front, i am sure you will see improved possession stats(not that i'm overly concerned with possession for possession sake) and more scoring opportunities. The fact of the matter from the Arsenal game is that their £42million superstar chose this game to have a world class 10 minute period, and that the Aston Villa team were laid low by a virus.

Here's a thought ... should we play Cissokho upfront? He certainly seems to be able to get on the end of things in the six yard box & get shots on target.

We have noticeably better team spirit, we appear fitter (apart from virus day) and we have a better first choice defence.

The football hasn't improved, but the tempo that we play it at has.

I'll suspend judgement on our potential this season until Benteke and Kozak are match fit.

Only saw the home games live,
Newcastle ( As bad as last year )
Orient ( As bad as last year )
Hull ( First half a lot better, second half pretty ordinary )
We were pretty good & should of been 1-0 up b4 Arsenal scored, the rest of the game was a non event !
In conclusion , I would say we have improved a little !

I don't expect the football to improve while Lambert is manager. I expect the attitude and aggression to increase by a couple of notches with Keane's influence, but possession and inventiveness are not part of PL's toolbox.

I think we're better, defensively a lot more solid, more experience in the team and the likes of Benteke to come back, which could be needed as we haven't scored many goals and I heard somewhere that our goals to chances ratio is the best in the league, which would suggest we don't create any chances!!!

That said, it's been a good start but might be a bit false, one great result against Victimpool, drew at home to a very poor Newcastle, just beat a poor Stoke and Hull then the Arsenal mad 3 minutes, but what got me with the Arsenal game is we just gave up after that and handed them the game!!

We've got better players and have also had to play 2 games with our fifth and sixth choice defender while both our main strikers are injured. That would affect ANY team in the league.

Screw stats. We can see we are better.

The problem with Villa is confidence, it think we are better this season (last season we would ahve thrown away the points against Hull) but i think it remains to be seen if our confidence is any better. I think Roy Keane could be the man to affect this but it does remain to be seen, i think how we respond after the next two games will be important as i can't see us getting anything (ever the optimist eh ?). The game against Everton could be quite telling in how our season will go and depending on results how theirs does as well.

I think we are defensively, and in an attacking sense, once Benteke is back and Grealish moves past cameos into regular starter, we'll have more about us up top. It's a shame Joe Cole is likely to never be fit because in terms of ability he'd make a difference, I just don't see he'll ever be fit enough to see it through. It's hard enough for him anyway but he basically had no pre-season, and even the best players can suffer when that happens.

For me the biggest thing is that at the end of PL's first season, I said I didn't want to go into the next season with Agbonlahor and Weimann starting every week. At the end of last season, I said I didn't want to go into the next season with Agbonlahor and Weimann starting every week.

Right now, they both have to start every week.

That's not to say that either of them have no place at Villa, but neither should be starting every week in a decent Premier League team. Nor, for that matter, should N'Zogbia or Richardson. It's a front 4 of painstaking averageness, though now Cleverley is here I don't suppose the 4 will start as much. Probably only one more time this season in our 3rd round FA Cup exit to the Dog & Duck.

So in terms of forward play, I am where I have been for a while; we can work on the organisation of the defence and midfield (which we have), our coaching can be better (and probably already has improved), tactically things can be better, but up top will only really be solved by better players. Thankfully we have some already at the club, doesn't mean I don't want to see more in January/next summer though :)

Benteke scored today in an U21 match against Bolton.