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dpit

What will Lambert target as our weaknesses?

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I don''t think Lambert''s knowledge from last season will be much help.  Our back 4 is likely to have only one player from his time, Russell Martin - RM has been caught out by wingers a few times this season but tends to up his game against the better wing players like the ones Villa have.

 

Ditto further forward - Holt''s style of play is clear for all to see and difficult to counter.  As for Wes, playing just off Holt this season I think he''s getting better at receiving the ball and using it effectively in such a crowded area of the pitch, so it''s harder to shut him down than last year.

 

Tactically last year Lambert clearly looked at the opposition and adjusted his formation and team selection accordingly (not sure he has as much scope to change around the entire outfield 10 as he used to last year).  Sometimes the ideas he came up with worked, sometimes they backfired - we often fell behind.  Then, if we were losing, he''d change the formation again, often at half-time, and bring on a couple of subs at 60 minutes so they had plenty of time to make an impact.  As a result we were able to come back from being a goal down in lots of games - although he did make plenty of mistakes too, e.g. at home to Sunderland we were in front and comfortable when he used his last sub, so when Vaughan went off injured we had an uncomfortable 10 minutes or so down to 10 men.

 

I am sure he''ll have looked carefully at the games this year when we''ve been poor as well as the good performance, but what does that reveal ?  Aside from the fact that we have struggled in all the games Bassong hasn''t played.

 

So I am no more worried about coming up against Lambert than I would be if Villa had appointed one of the other likely candidates.  It''s a big game for both sides against a close rival in the table so both managers will be doing their best to make sure their players are motivated.

 

Defo agree with the comment about the first 15 minutes - if we can avoid falling behind early, and stop the crowd getting involved, we could do well.

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[quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]To say Lambert isn''t a good tactician is one of the most naive comments I have seen on this message board (which is quite some going).[/quote]

The argument was not that he is not a good tactician - it is that his main strength was more in  motivation and competitiveness. The tactics were not always that clever, regardless of what you say - good on occasion, not so great on others.   Accusing people of naivety because they hold that view is pretty naive in itself......................

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[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]To say Lambert isn''t a good tactician is one of the most naive comments I have seen on this message board (which is quite some going).[/quote]

The argument was not that he is not a good tactician - it is that his main strength was more in  motivation and competitiveness. The tactics were not always that clever, regardless of what you say - good on occasion, not so great on others.   Accusing people of naivety because they hold that view is pretty naive in itself......................

[/quote]

 

Culverhouse was/is the main man for tactics in that duo as lambert has admitted on several occasions. For what its worth i actually thought Lambert got it wrong as often as he got it right last season. It was a learning curve for him as much as for anyone and he is not infallible. Yes he clearly was effective at nullifying the likes of Swansea and QPR and yes we did Newcastle at home (but then I think most of us would have been able to work out how to target their weakness in that game) but I am not sure he was quite so adept against some of the bigger teams (although in some cases they are simply better than us) and quite a few times we had to chan ge tactics mid game because he had got it wrong with the starting line-up/formation

What is interesting is that looking at the Villa forums they are moaning about the diamond and how their midfield is too narrow and the struggle against wingers. It will therefore be very interesting to see what team he puts out because there are signs that we are settling into our 4-2-3-1 formation which, when it works, gives us the best of both worlds as we have Tettey and Johnson giving us strength through the middle but also Pilks and Benno out wide.

 

Personally i think he will go for pace up front and on the flanks as that is where we have generally come undone in the last season and a bit. I don;t think we will make it easy for them to play on the break though and if we play as we did last saturday this could end up being a very cagey affair indeed with neither team particularly keen to charge forward. Of course now we have beaten Arsenal a draw here woulodn;t be a bad result for us so the pressure is definitely more on them to take the game to us.

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The main issue about Lambert has always been whether or not he could manage "big" players. That is the bit currently missing from his CV. he has suceeded by buying lower league players and making them play. I dont agree about him being tactically inept, in fact I think he got more right than wrong, and our promotions support this.

The big question is whether he can buy bigger names, with a larger transfer pot and manage those players? Can he go into a club with higher paid players and make them play?  Darren Bent is the classic test for him. Let''s hope the answer is no.  

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[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Gareth"][quote user="lake district canary"]Lambert is imo not a great tactician.   His strength lies in motivating his troops and if he gets them competing they will give us  a hard game.   I don''t think he will be too bothered about our weaknesses from what he knows from last season - the team has changed quite a bit since he left.    Our  main weakness this season has been giving the ball away cheaply and putting ourselves under pressure - he will want  his players to pounce on any mistakes we make - but that is his main tactic anyway. Its up to the team to perform at the top of their game again and not give AV a sniff.   If we frustrate them the crowd will soon get restless and it should play into our hands.   [/quote]
Have to disagree LDC. Lambert is an exceedingly gifted tactician. In his three years at Norwich he attempted how many different formations? Even ones that weren''t popular in England, 4-3-1-2, 3-5-2. Lambert''s knowledge of formations and his ability to find a way to fit players into that formation was one of his greatest strengths.  You also have to look at his way of playing the game. We out passed some teams, were direct against others. We pressed high against Swansea (home and away) and sat deep against Man Utd. Lambert is probably one of the best tacticians in the premier league, I can''t think of many better. Moyes maybe? Martinez perhaps. Hughton is a good coach, he''s shown that already, he may only use one or two formations but he expects his players to perfect his style of play within that formation.  Here''s some quotes from Michael Cox, a tactics expert.   "Chris Hughton, similarly, favours a more consistent approach than predecessor Paul Lambert, a serial formation switcher." 
"Paul Lambert’s constant successful formation switches at Norwich probably make him a better candidate for his title... always changing his strategy to suit the demands of the particular opponent"  Paul Lambert was one of the finest (if not THE finest) tactician Norwich has ever seen. I think Hughton will be a success at Norwich, I think we''ll progress under him in a way that might not have been possible under Lambert. I think this is all a bit too revisionist for me. Lambert may have left in acrimony and i think he''s a bit of a tw@t but I can''t ignore that when it came to tactics and strategy Lambert was utterly, utterly fantastic.
[/quote] 

Throughout his time at Norwich - which was brilliant - it always struck me that it was the motivation and belief that got us through and winning games. Belief can get you along way.   Tactics and team selection?    I  can understand what you are saying,  but  there were occasions where because of poor tactics/team selection - he had to make severe changes in a match to get something out of the match.  So many games where I wished we had gone out with a more positive approach to start with.    So tactically I think he experimented alot,  sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn''t. That doesn''t make a great tactician to me.   The matches I went to last season, I never knew what team was going to be announced - but I trusted Lambert - he earnt it.    But it wasn''t foolproof.  

At AV I don''t think he has got the players to believe in him yet - it seems he is fighting a battle on that front - and the V fans don''t see any consistency or sense in the tactics he is employing.    If he gets the V players to believe in him - then - because of that he would do ok.    Tactically aware and prepared to try anything is one thing - but for me he hasn''t proved himself tactically.    The proof will be how he does as he progresses his career - which will be interesting to follow.     

As for Saturday, I hope he fails to motivate his players and is poor tactically!  [:)]

[/quote]
Of course it''s not all down to tactics, motivation and Lamberts ability to convince players they were good enough played a huge part in our (and his) success. But Lambert was a tactically very, very good. It takes a brave manager to try something different in order to capitalize on an opponents weakness/ our strengths, it takes an even braver manager to scrap the new idea because it''s just not working. Lambert was constantly changing tactics, he would prepare the team how he thought it should go and then change as the circumstances of the match changed. His shift to a diamond from a 4-4-2 against Swansea? Amazing. His game plan against Man Utd. compared to Swansea, compared to Arsenal, compared to Spurs? All different, all designed to target specific weaknesses in the opposition. Against Utd. Sit deep, maintain shape, don''t afford them space out wide and don''t let them counter you. Against Swansea press high, don''t let them pass out from the back, make direct runs, force the opposition to make decisions. Against Spurs he played Holt and Wilbraham because he thought that Ledley King would struggle in a more physical battle.
Lambert did make mistakes, of course he did, and at times it was only attitude, spirit and a bit of luck that got us by. But Lambert was a great tactician, willing to experiment, willing to change his ideas, willing to do almost anything for success. 
Also, I completely agree with you Villa comments. I think Lamberts tactics for most games are pretty good but they lack the motivation and spirit that marked his time at Norwich. Whether he has the time (or the ability) to get that spirit at Villa will be a massive factor in his success.

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You''re right, Gareth, the combination of skills of motivating, belief - and a willingness to adapt tactics positively to events as they unfolded on the pitch were a winning combination for Norwich.   

I''ll review my judgment  of Lambert''s tactical ability after I''ve watched the match on Saturday...............

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[quote user="lake district canary"][quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]To say Lambert isn''t a good tactician is one of the most naive comments I have seen on this message board (which is quite some going).[/quote]



The argument was not that he is not a good tactician - it is that his main strength was more in  motivation and competitiveness. The tactics were not always that clever, regardless of what you say - good on occasion, not so great on others.  

Accusing people of naivety because they hold that view is pretty naive in itself......................




[/quote]

 

Yob yob yob!!![:@]

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Not sure that I want to be giving Lambert any tips.  There are two players who I am hoping are not in the Villa starting line up on Saturday though.

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[quote user="Smudger"]Not sure that I want to be giving Lambert any tips.  There are two players who I am hoping are not in the Villa starting line up on Saturday though.


[/quote]

 

Bent and Agbonlahor?[:^)]

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[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

[quote user="Smudger"]Not sure that I want to be giving Lambert any tips.  There are two players who I am hoping are not in the Villa starting line up on Saturday though.

[/quote]

 

Bent and Agbonlahor?[:^)]

[/quote]Maybe, maybe not.

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[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

[quote user="Smudger"]Not sure that I want to be giving Lambert any tips.  There are two players who I am hoping are not in the Villa starting line up on Saturday though.

[/quote]

 

Bent and Agbonlahor?[:^)]

[/quote]Yeah I mean because after our crushing defeat against Arsenal, Hoot is not the man to get us a result is he?[:|]

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[quote user="Smudger"][quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

[quote user="Smudger"]Not sure that I want to be giving Lambert any tips.  There are two players who I am hoping are not in the Villa starting line up on Saturday though.


[/quote]

 

Bent and Agbonlahor?[:^)]

[/quote]

Maybe, maybe not.
[/quote]

 

Ring a ring a roses, a pocket full of poses, a tissue, a tissue, we all fall down.......

 

 

Nzogbia?[:^)]

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I think that Lambert''s only tactical weakness with us was an over-reliance on the diamond as a starting formation to fall back on when things weren''t going so well. It served us well in League 1 and The Championship, but often in the Prem it was caught out whenever we played teams with two advanced wingers, the best example being Sunderland away when they slaughtered us with counters down the flanks.Last couple of games at Villa he''s used the diamond too so hopefully he hasn''t learned from those mistakes yet. If he plays the diamond against us and Hughton sets us up in the same 4-3-2-1 system we played against Arsenal, I can see an easy win for us.There is however, worrying precedent with what we did to his former Colchester side in League 1.

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[quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"][quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

[quote user="Smudger"]Not sure that I want to be giving Lambert any tips.  There are two players who I am hoping are not in the Villa starting line up on Saturday though.


[/quote]

 

Bent and Agbonlahor?[:^)]

[/quote]

Yeah I mean because after our crushing defeat against Arsenal, Hoot is not the man to get us a result is he?

[:|]
[/quote]

 

[IMG]http://naimalett.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/what.jpg[/IMG]

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[quote user="lake district canary"]You''re right, Gareth, the combination of skills of motivating, belief - and a willingness to adapt tactics positively to events as they unfolded on the pitch were a winning combination for Norwich.   

I''ll review my judgment  of Lambert''s tactical ability after I''ve watched the match on Saturday...............

[/quote]
It''ll be interesting. Lambert is a changer, very reactive, always trying to adapt and change in order to capitalize on opponents weaknesses. Hughton, in contrast, is a coach not a tactician. He utilizes one or two formations and expects his teams to understand there roles perfectly within said formation. What Hughton has impressed me with is his small changes. Encouraging Holt to sit deeper in the attack against teams with 5 men midfields in order to stop being outnumbered, playing B. Johnson wide left in order to combat Ivaonvics physicality and E. Bennett wide right to try and stop the over-lapping runs of Santos against Arsenal. Hughton is more of a tinkerer, making small changes to his team within the same formation, rather than the mass changer of Lambert. It also shows in the style. Hughton likes his team to keep the ball when possible (against all teams) and likes his team to play on the counter, press in the right areas as well as maintain a solid defensive base (something Holt recently said in an interview) where as Lambert would often change wholesale how the team would play. I think the consistency that Hughton brings will see us be more successful in general, but we''ll be less likely to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as we did with Lambert.  

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[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"][quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"][quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

[quote user="Smudger"]Not sure that I want to be giving Lambert any tips.  There are two players who I am hoping are not in the Villa starting line up on Saturday though.

[/quote]

 

Bent and Agbonlahor?[:^)]

[/quote]Yeah I mean because after our crushing defeat against Arsenal, Hoot is not the man to get us a result is he?[:|][/quote]

 

[IMG]http://naimalett.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/what.jpg[/IMG]

[/quote]Exactly the response I was hoping for...*saves picture to hard-drive*  [:D]

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[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

 

Ring a ring a roses, a pocket full of poses, a tissue, a tissue, we all fall down.......

 

 

Nzogbia?[:^)]

[/quote]What, you mean that Lambert should overlook Andy Marshall?

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[quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"][quote user="norfolkbroadslim"][quote user="Grant Holts 3 year contract"][quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

[quote user="Smudger"]Not sure that I want to be giving Lambert any tips.  There are two players who I am hoping are not in the Villa starting line up on Saturday though.


[/quote]

 

Bent and Agbonlahor?[:^)]

[/quote]

Yeah I mean because after our crushing defeat against Arsenal, Hoot is not the man to get us a result is he?

[:|]
[/quote]

 

[IMG]http://naimalett.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/what.jpg[/IMG]

[/quote]

Exactly the response I was hoping for...

*saves picture to hard-drive*  [:D]
[/quote]

 

Don''t they have google in Noddy Land?[:^)]

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[quote user="Smudger"][quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

 

Ring a ring a roses, a pocket full of poses, a tissue, a tissue, we all fall down.......

 

 

Nzogbia?[:^)]

[/quote]

What, you mean that Lambert should overlook Andy Marshall?


[/quote]

 

You bin drinkin smudge?

 

You don''t want Andy Marshall to play???

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[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"][quote user="Smudger"][quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

 

Ring a ring a roses, a pocket full of poses, a tissue, a tissue, we all fall down.......

 

 

Nzogbia?[:^)]

[/quote]What, you mean that Lambert should overlook Andy Marshall?

[/quote]

 

You bin drinkin smudge?

 

You don''t want Andy Marshall to play???

[/quote]Of course I do.Why not?

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[quote user="Smudger"][quote user="norfolkbroadslim"][quote user="Smudger"][quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

 

Ring a ring a roses, a pocket full of poses, a tissue, a tissue, we all fall down.......

 

 

Nzogbia?[:^)]

[/quote]

What, you mean that Lambert should overlook Andy Marshall?


[/quote]

 

You bin drinkin smudge?

 

You don''t want Andy Marshall to play???

[/quote]

Of course I do.

Why not?


[/quote]

 

Erm yes, exactly, but I thought we were on about 2 players who you hoped weren''t playing?

 

Hang on...........

 

Are you just being a clever little smudge, is it Given and Bent!!!?[Y][:D]

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I''m not playing anymore smudge, you started off by saying 2 players who you hoped weren''t playing and now, you''re going on about ones you hope are.  You are either just being silly or are trying to be on a wind up?

 

I say, you''re beginning to get my gander up, you grotty little man.

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[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

 you grotty little man.
[/quote]

I didn''t realise you knew Smudger that well nbs.[;)]

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[quote user="dpit"]What will Lambert target as our weaknesses?[/quote]This message board.  I think he''ll send a couple of trolls out early on, asking polite questions such as "how do you think the game will go?"  The armchair experts here will then feed the trolls all the subtle nuances and tactical masterstrokes that Hughton would deploy, meaning Lambert will set up the perfect counter-strategy and easily beat us.Actually, I think Gary Karsa posts on this board as "The Acolyte".

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[quote user="norfolkbroadslim"]

I''m not playing anymore smudge, you started off by saying 2 players who you hoped weren''t playing and now, you''re going on about ones you hope are.  You are either just being silly or are trying to be on a wind up?

 

I say, you''re beginning to get my gander up, you grotty little man.

[/quote]See your PM''s.

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Lamberts Villa team are just as bad as the team that were lucky to leave carrow road a fe months ago with only a 2 goal defeat. I fully expect us to be leaving Villa Park with 3 points.

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