Lerner backs Villa boss Lambert

[Legion]

Can we change the 'b' to an 's'?

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert says he has received support from club owner Randy Lerner following Friday's FA Cup defeat by Championship club Millwall.

Villa, 17th in the Premier League, lost 2-1 against the Lions and were also recently knocked out of the Capital One Cup by League Two side Bradford City.

Lambert said he shared an encouraging phone call with Lerner and that his message was to "keep on fighting".

"We have an excellent relationship and talk all the time," said Lambert.

Villa are on a run of six Premier League games without a win, since their 3-1 victory against Liverpool in December.

Lambert's team, who face fellow strugglers Newcastle at Villa Park on Tuesday, are one point above the relegation zone and the Villa boss believes his side need six league wins from 15 games to stay in the top division.

After their League Cup semi-final defeat to Bradford, it was suggested that Lambert's job was safe even if his team drop into the Championship.

When asked if there was any chance he would quit, Lambert said: "No. I can only do, or try to do my best.

"There's no chance I'd walk away from it.

"You have to fight like anything to get up. You pick yourself up - there's no point in lying down and accepting it.

"I've never had a run like this as a manager or been hit from pillar to post like this. It's an experience you take on board and you use it.

"You can't have everything going your way in your managerial career every single time. You have to take the rough with the smooth and when the rough comes you take it."


Lerner, who has put more than £250m into the club in just over six years - including its purchase - is in regular contact with Lambert, 43, about possible transfers during the transfer window.

But Lerner has told the manager the amount of money available to buy players is limited.

"I have no complaints about having very little money to spend - I knew the remit when I took over," added Lambert.

"He [Lerner] hasn't washed his hands of this club but there will be no splashing out like Darren Bent two years ago [who joined Villa for £18m].

"How many players are we short? There's a few. But I knew the remit was to rebuild. To rebuild something you have to strip it right back.

"I'm pretty sure the chairman knows exactly what he is doing. It's his money and he's the man who has put x amount of money into the club over the years.

"We can only go with what we've got."

Stuck like a broken record.

[rob_bridge]

No surprise

[richtheholtender]

Its better when he does his new trick of ignoring the press.

[kippaxvilla2]

To rebuild something you have to strip it right back.

Is that a pre-requisite then - I suppose it is in the sense of an actual building.......

[UK Redsox]

Stuck like a broken record.

Yep, by Chumbawamba

[neo_Villan]

McLeish made similar noises before he was packed off. Not saying Lambert will be sacked, but you can't really read much into it can you? Until Lerner actually sacks him, he won't be telling Lambert anything other then he backs him etc.

[Greg N'Ash]

well i'm glad he's picking himself up, but not going again. I was worried he was going to lay down and go again.  If he goes again and picks himself up I feel things could get back on the right track.

[Mazrim]

Stuck like a broken record.

Yep, by Chumbawamba

Heheheheh.

[David_Nab]

Like to see his backing should we get stuffed tomorrow night.Fans only have so much patience

[bertlambshank]

'Very little money to spend' Somebody go tell eastie.

[Ron Manager]

Roll on Thursday then we might know what the future holds.

[Drummond]

Can we change the 'b' to an 's'?

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert says he has received support from club owner Randy Lerner following Friday's FA Cup defeat by Championship club Millwall.

Villa, 17th in the Premier League, lost 2-1 against the Lions and were also recently knocked out of the Capital One Cup by League Two side Bradford City.

Lambert said he shared an encouraging phone call with Lerner and that his message was to "keep on fighting".

"We have an excellent relationship and talk all the time," said Lambert.

Villa are on a run of six Premier League games without a win, since their 3-1 victory against Liverpool in December.

Lambert's team, who face fellow strugglers Newcastle at Villa Park on Tuesday, are one point above the relegation zone and the Villa boss believes his side need six league wins from 15 games to stay in the top division.

After their League Cup semi-final defeat to Bradford, it was suggested that Lambert's job was safe even if his team drop into the Championship.

When asked if there was any chance he would quit, Lambert said: "No. I can only do, or try to do my best.

"There's no chance I'd walk away from it.

"You have to fight like anything to get up. You pick yourself up - there's no point in lying down and accepting it.

"I've never had a run like this as a manager or been hit from pillar to post like this. It's an experience you take on board and you use it.

"You can't have everything going your way in your managerial career every single time. You have to take the rough with the smooth and when the rough comes you take it."


Lerner, who has put more than £250m into the club in just over six years - including its purchase - is in regular contact with Lambert, 43, about possible transfers during the transfer window.

But Lerner has told the manager the amount of money available to buy players is limited.

"I have no complaints about having very little money to spend - I knew the remit when I took over," added Lambert.

"He [Lerner] hasn't washed his hands of this club but there will be no splashing out like Darren Bent two years ago [who joined Villa for £18m].

"How many players are we short? There's a few. But I knew the remit was to rebuild. To rebuild something you have to strip it right back.

"I'm pretty sure the chairman knows exactly what he is doing. It's his money and he's the man who has put x amount of money into the club over the years.

"We can only go with what we've got."

Stuck like a broken record.

There is nothing wrong with any of his quotes there, none.

Frankly that people keep tearing his quotes apart as he repeats the thing about picking up etc is pathetic. try focussing on the issues at hand. I've put in bold what I see as the most important line in there. He's absolutely right, any time I've had problems in a team I've had to tear it apart, get rid of a lot of problem causers and those with attitude problems and had to rebuild with people that actually want it, who are hungry and want to go places. They may be raw at the beginning and you have to take a step back before you can leap forward.

I know people are hurting, justifiably, but please stop targeting the man who is trying to sort out years of short sighted and differing approaches that have won us nothing. It's hardly like the world has been rosy since we last won a trophy.

[Billy Walker]

Spot on Drummond.

[ktvillan]

Can we change the 'b' to an 's'?

"I'm pretty sure the chairman knows exactly what he is doing. "

There is nothing wrong with any of his quotes there, none.

Oh I don't know...

[Risso]

"I have no complaints about having very little money to spend" - apart from the £23 million in the summer, you mumbling incompetent?  How many teams had as much as that to spend?  It's nobody's fault but Lambert's that he bought entirely the wrong type of player with what was a decenttransfer pot.  It's exactly the same as when his hero spunked £20m on Davies and Cuellar, only for them both to be shite, and then spending another £12m on Dunne and Collins.  If you don't buy a single player with any Premier League experienc, don't be surprised when it all goes to pieces.  Kids from the lower leagues were never going to be what we needed.