Palace v Villa: Will the groundhog remain?

I have had it with Gabby, I hope the sugarbag gets shot, why the fuck was Benteke out on the wing or stuck in mid field for 3 quaters of the sodding match, bloody sick to death of it. Good job I'm staying away from Villa until Lambert is gone because if I saw Gabby after a game I'd punch him clean in the face!

#Gabby and Lambert OUT!

Yeah, sitting here in shock. Was waiting for the groundhog to pop up in the box for the last minute equalizer, but he didn't appear.

Warnock saw us coming today big time. He had two wingers on, running Hutton and Cissokho ragged, and all his players taking us on at every opportunity. Our defence looked so crap because they were being battered from the word go. I think they did a good job even though there were a few clangers.

Our one tactic seemed to be - yet again - wait for the opposition to put it out of play and let Guzan give the ball back to them to have another go and hope that one time in ten Gabby or Benteke manages to get the ball. By the end of the match something clicked and Guzan realised it was better to kick the ball into touch as we had a slightly higher chance of getting the ball back from an opposition throw in than from retaining posession.

Why when I see decent teams play do the defenders go wide to allow the goalie an option other than to punt the ball upfield? Every time Guzan punts it upfield and it comes straight back at us.

Lambert played the same formation and just didn't see that one coming. We should have been thumped and it was only some real last ditch defending and Palace not taking full advantage that saved us. And possibly Lambert's job. I feel sorry for him that he didn't add another record to his trophy cabinet but I'm sure he'll find something new to go for.

A very very lucky win from a lovely goal.

One other thing, why can't we ever play like Palace did?

FoxyAV wrote:One other thing, why can't we ever play like Palace did?

Because we have Lambert and they don't.

Guzan keeps playing the way he did then he'll be the next Enckelman.

I wonder if Lambert will come and say we were fully deserving of all 3 points? For me, Palace were properly robbed. LOL! That was as shit a performance as we're likely to see. I still can't believe we won!!!

I have to say that this back 4 is performing unbelievably well under incredible pressure. Okore and Clark are making me think selling Vlaar wouldn't make c difference to our form. Unless we're looking at Europe then Vlaar Okore partnership wouldn't get us any real benefit this year.

With Benteke there has to be some real width to give him a fair chance and that isn't there. Play one of Gabby or Weimann with him as a striker and see what they can do there. I've no doubt they'll struggle and be found out but at least play them in their position to prove it. Playing them in no man's land is no good for them or us now, or in the future.

Still, good win, 3 points and we could soon start looking up

Benteke is a world class player. He was the only world class player on the field on either side.

Otherwise, the defence showed some real quality.

Hutton was our best player. We wouldn't have got any points without him.

Sanchez still off the pace of the league but he's getting better. A few really typical Sanchez tackles breaking up play there tonight and he won 7 headers - the highest in the team - and made 5 interceptions.

Since he didn't make a really bad give-away tonight, of the three midfielders probably the best one, Cleverly second.

Weimann also made five important tackles and looks very fit compared to last season. Should have scored.

Credit also to the Clark/Okore partnership for getting a clean sheet, and praise Cissoko too because didn't buckle under the constant pressure.

Palace didn't really get a clean chance all night. Lots of nearly-chances and very close calls but no single chance that exposed the defence.

Guzan was butterfingers today for some reason but a couple of good saves too there tonight.

Away win against a palace team that has got pace, power and dribbling ability.

Agreed with Hutton being our best player. Hasn't he turned his career around?

Last time round I pointed out the two main ways to scupper Villa's plans. 1) keep Hutton and Cissokho quiet. I don't think I saw Cissokho get a single cross in, every time he went forward he stopped and passed backwards. Hutton at least tried but as I've pointed out before, he has two feet while Cissokho has only one. Palace's wingers had a field day didn't they? 2) cover Gabby but especially Benteke from the goal kick. I'm not sure how many balls Benteke won but I don't think he did much with them.

We won the game by a stroke of fortune.

I'm just really pissed off with that match. Lambert was like a rabbit in the headlights, he didn't know what to do. I stand by the players and think we have a good (in places very good) squad. I just find myself wondering what some of them have done to deserve a manager who succeeds in making most of them look like idiots week in week out.

Well what can I say, we played absolutely rubbish with a non existent midfield and we got three points. Benteke's goal was superb and has probably sealed a January move for him.

We were laughably bad for the whole of the match apart from Benteke's moment of real class, and Palace fans must be on their way home shaking their heads in disbelief.

I keep telling myself "what does it matter we got three points" but I can't celebrate this embarrassing crap that Lambert is proud to call "his kind of football".

This has to be the worst Villa midfield I have seen in six decades!

This has to be the worst footballing Villa team in God knows how many years!

I should be celebrating, but I can't take much more of this!

Lambert has reverted to his Type 1 tactic - get them to run around and hope Benteke shows a moment of genius and wins us the match. Villa have a mid-table/top 10 squad but the tactics are shocking.

I couldn't believe that he tried to run the clock down with subs in the last few minutes. Westwood was trying to run the clock down in the 40th minute!

Tonight was so bad it was almost funny. We can't afford to laugh though because tonight's three points means we're stuck with this shite for the foreseeable future.

Well that was ugly. 3 points, but I am rather embarrassed to have them. Bolasie and Zaha are frightening and resolute defending saved us. Okore  and Clark look stronger each game, Clark even looks as though he is thinking and then not lunging or diving in.
However, there is always a however,  why can'tany of our bloody team put an effing foot on it rather than lump it and lose posession. It was noticeable  that Palace were far better drilled off the ball with their positioning and we couldn't pass through them or disposess them either. Guzan, well he just can't find one his mates  ever. Every time he pumps it forward it comes straight back, if it doesn't it has gone out for a throw in. And why can't anyone move and show they want the ball at throw ins? We have so few set pieces in attacking positions it is shocking. Having said that, living among the Palace I will have that smug grin that you only get when you know you have just struck lucky, UTV, LAMBERT OUT.

I'm delighted to win again but a decent side would have murdered us. I hope this hast pulled the wool over Fox and Lerners eyes. We're a very poor side with one class player and a few plucky limited triers, depending on desperation and luck to try and sneak a point and pray for miracles to win.

That said, fuck you Colin Wanker. You disagreeable twat.

I thought we defended really well, admittedly I only watched the second half and the end of the first but I can't recall Guzan having to make a single save? Agree with the general concencus, 3 points is very welcome but we do look woeful

Lerner and Lambert have turned us into small heath, I remember blues fans in the past when they won and they couldn't celebrate it, Fuck off Lambert and especially Lerner.

Mazrim wrote:I'm delighted to win again but a decent side would have murdered us. I hope this hast pulled the wool over Fox and Lerners eyes. We're a very poor side with one class player and a few plucky limited triers, depending on desperation and luck to try and sneak a point and pray for miracles to win.

That said, fuck you Colin Wanker. You disagreeable twat.

who is Colin?

Mazrim wrote:I'm delighted to win again but a decent side would have murdered us. I hope this hast pulled the wool over Fox and Lerners eyes. We're a very poor side with one class player and a few plucky limited triers, depending on desperation and luck to try and sneak a point and pray for miracles to win.

That said, fuck you Colin Wanker. You disagreeable twat.

Oh the wool is well and truly pulled. You can bet your life on that.

Unbeaten in four games. Mid table having faced the big boys already. Even with massive injury issues, we can still travel away from home and win. Away fans singing "Paul Lambert's Claret n Blue Army".

Lerner will be planning his 10 million pound investment to get us into the champions league.

I wanted Lambert out after three months into his tenure with us and I still do but he does have the habit of getting a result when he needs it and that will be enough to keep us in the Premiership on a budget which will keep old Randy happy.

Our standard of football is awful though but not enough for Lambert to be sacked so we will go again until the end of another dreadful season under him with our better players gone.

South London Villan wrote:

Mazrim wrote:I'm delighted to win again but a decent side would have murdered us. I hope this hast pulled the wool over Fox and Lerners eyes. We're a very poor side with one class player and a few plucky limited triers, depending on desperation and luck to try and sneak a point and pray for miracles to win.

That said, fuck you Colin Wanker. You disagreeable twat.

who is Colin?

It's an anagram of Neil Warnock

Oh yeah, Doh.

Trotters wrote:

Mazrim wrote:I'm delighted to win again but a decent side would have murdered us. I hope this hast pulled the wool over Fox and Lerners eyes. We're a very poor side with one class player and a few plucky limited triers, depending on desperation and luck to try and sneak a point and pray for miracles to win.

That said, fuck you Colin Wanker. You disagreeable twat.

Oh the wool is well and truly pulled. You can bet your life on that.

Unbeaten in four games. Mid table having faced the big boys already. Even with massive injury issues, we can still travel away from home and win. Away fans singing "Paul Lambert's Claret n Blue Army".

Lerner will be planning his 10 million pound investment to get us into the champions league.

Please tell me the away fans weren't singing his name and that's just a little poetic license? Heaven forbid. From booing and chanting out to cheering for him...

I'm still bloody pissed at that perfomance and like others, think this buys PL a lot more time. FML