Expect plenty more clichés like that
on this site.
Oh what to rant about this week? What
went so spectacularly right, or what went spectacularly wrong? In
fact the two are completely interlinked. We have exciting -
hairs-up-on-the-back-of-the-neck exciting – forward players but
they are also forward players who haven't got a flaming clue defensively.
That's not to say they are being lazy. When ordered to, they do try
to do their bit. They are just spectacularly bad at it.
Three “spectacularlys” in one
paragraph. I'm on fire today!
N'Zogbia's resurgence since being
placed in the hole has been encouraging and for those of us who had
written him off as a lazy winger happy to sit on the bench and take
the salary, it has been a revelation. Yet Charlie's loud proclamation
that attack is the best form of defence will only take you so far. The
opposition will attack sometimes, quite a lot if we've got Barry
Bannan on the pitch to give them loads of possession.
There is our issue, we can afford one
striker that is useless at defending, just leave that one up-field,
but more than one and you've got a serious conundrum. This is the
main reason why Lambert is so loathe to have Bent and Benteke on the
pitch at the same time and the reason why playing The Beast and N'Zog
in the same team is also problematic.
As Albion came out for the second half
playing like demons and we were forced onto the back foot (has the
art of shouting “defence out” completely disappeared, how deep
did we get?), Lambert may well have thought his hand was forced. The
swapping of N'Zog for Holman was sort of understandable. There's a
“but” though. I still thought our best chance of keeping the
three points was more goals. I'd resigned myself to the inevitability
that we'd leak at the back but I still wanted Charlie on that pitch,
providing the bullets for Gabby and the Belgian to fire.
So as the match continued, I found
myself getting angry at Brett Holman, not for anything he was doing
wrong but purely for not being N'Zogbia. This is hardly fair, but
it's hard to get angry with Lambert's tactics when you sort of know
what he's trying to do (I still managed this feat though).
The free header which assisted the equaliser was
entirely Benteke's fault and maybe the answer is just to try and
teach our flair players a bit more defensive technique, mind you our
defenders could do with a spot of that. Towards the end of the game,
I received a text from a mate saying “How shit is Lowton”. Shit
or out of position? Rubbish or losing self confidence? I think he'll
develop into a fine right back, but he is still developing and
in the dire straits in which we remain, every little mistake is put
under the microscope.
The biggest disappointment about
Saturday to me was losing Fabian Delph when he was having one of his
best games in a Villa shirt. If no new signings are coming then we
need players like him to rise to the occasion and he certainly did,
about time but credit where credit is due. Can't say the same about
Barry Bannan unfortunately, but Westwood played some lovely stuff at times.
I saw plenty to build on in this match,
it really isn't all doom and gloom, but the fact remains that this
squad needs help and it needs it now. Two more solid pros would make
all the difference at the minute. Even if we have to pay a tad over
the odds to get them, it's got to be cheaper than relegation.
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