The Paul Lambert thread - poll reset after our capitulation to Hull

[silhillvilla]

Okore has been a big difference. Okore got into the team by default , not via any tactical genius or insight of lambert. I think it's still way too early to call with him, I suspect we will never get to that place with him. It's been 80% garbage and 20% decent under him overall.

[RussellC]

Okore has been a big difference. Okore got into the team by default , not via any tactical genius or insight of lambert. I think it's still way too early to call with him, I suspect we will never get to that place with him. It's been 80% garbage and 20% decent under him overall.

That's a little bit unfair. Yes, Lambert made him wait for his chance, but it would have been harsh on Baker or Senderos to have dropped them for Okore prior to them getting injured.  In fairness, as good as he looks now, Okore's pre-season form was a bit shakey and Lambert's hesitancy in throwing him in was probably based on that alone.

[aj2k77]

Sorry but what credit does he deserve for ending another one of his failed genius ideas, the long ball?

He's a moron for training us in that way in the first place and the fact he thought it was a legitimate tactic tells me all I need to know about him.

He's clueless.

[tomd2103]

Okore has been a big difference. Okore got into the team by default , not via any tactical genius or insight of lambert. I think it's still way too early to call with him, I suspect we will never get to that place with him. It's been 80% garbage and 20% decent under him overall.

That's a little bit unfair. Yes, Lambert made him wait for his chance, but it would have been harsh on Baker or Senderos to have dropped them for Okore prior to them getting injured.  In fairness, as good as he looks now, Okore's pre-season form was a bit shakey and Lambert's hesitancy in throwing him in was probably based on that alone.

From what I have seen of him, Okore is in a different class to Nathan Baker. 

[RussellC]

Okore has been a big difference. Okore got into the team by default , not via any tactical genius or insight of lambert. I think it's still way too early to call with him, I suspect we will never get to that place with him. It's been 80% garbage and 20% decent under him overall.

That's a little bit unfair. Yes, Lambert made him wait for his chance, but it would have been harsh on Baker or Senderos to have dropped them for Okore prior to them getting injured.  In fairness, as good as he looks now, Okore's pre-season form was a bit shakey and Lambert's hesitancy in throwing him in was probably based on that alone.

From what I have seen of him, Okore is in a different class to Nathan Baker. 

That still doesn't change the fact that it would have been harsh to drop Baker for Okore before he got injured. He played a big part in our early season form (including the win at Anfield) and was worthy of his place in the side.

[IAmTheOneIanOlney]

Sorry but what credit does he deserve for ending another one of his failed genius ideas, the long ball?

He's a moron for training us in that way in the first place and the fact he thought it was a legitimate tactic tells me all I need to know about him.

He's clueless.

Maybe he never thought the team he could put out was capable of it before and now with a fully fit Benteke and Sanchez and Okore being up to speed, he thinks we're strong enough through the team to play expansive football and not just use industry and counter attack.
Or maybe this is the first instalment of "the plan" and the last three years have been a massive bluff to get other teams off guard.

[Ads]

Sorry but what credit does he deserve for ending another one of his failed genius ideas, the long ball?

He's a moron for training us in that way in the first place and the fact he thought it was a legitimate tactic tells me all I need to know about him.

He's clueless.

I believe this sort of thing is usually called damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[pauliewalnuts]

Sorry but what credit does he deserve for ending another one of his failed genius ideas, the long ball?

He's a moron for training us in that way in the first place and the fact he thought it was a legitimate tactic tells me all I need to know about him.

He's clueless.

I believe this sort of thing is usually called damned if you do, damned if you don't.

I think there's a decent point in there somewhere about him having persisted with horrific tactics for so long, though. What a shame we had to sit through month after month of witless lumping it long.

[aj2k77]

Sorry but what credit does he deserve for ending another one of his failed genius ideas, the long ball?

He's a moron for training us in that way in the first place and the fact he thought it was a legitimate tactic tells me all I need to know about him.

He's clueless.

I believe this sort of thing is usually called damned if you do, damned if you don't.

It's a basic I expect from anyone in his position to put out a team who will try to play a bit of football and win a game. How he and his cohorts conjured up this backs to the wall long ball shit and persisted it not for a few months or handful of games but for dozens of games and over a year I'll never know, despite all the evidence pointing to it doesn't work.

It's a basic I expect, like fielding a Goal keeper.

[kippaxvilla2]

To go back to a well debated point, it does strike me that given the abject crapness of what has gone on previously and the only mini upturn in fortunes have both been as a result of backroom changes, makes me wonder if Lambert knew anything at all about what was going on at the training ground.

[Chris Smith]

To go back to a well debated point, it does strike me that given the abject crapness of what has gone on previously and the only mini upturn in fortunes have both been as a result of backroom changes, makes me wonder if Lambert knew anything at all about what was going on at the training ground.

We have lost 2 from 8, both when reduced to ten ten men. That pre-dates Keane going so I am not sure it is a valid argument.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Don't give Lambert any credit if you prefer, but for gods sake do not discourage it. Having Villa play football that is watchable and dare I say entertaining has been a long time coming. I would hate it to end up being as a little experiment that is abandoned after a loss (like after that West Ham season opener).

[dave.woodhall]

And re-set.

[Toronto Villa]

Fans will accept defeat if the intent to play attractive football is there and importantly the desire to win. For too long now we have had to endure games, especially at Villa Park where you'd swear the very opposite tactic and desire was declared to the team before they left the changing room. It's nice to see the change. I hope he never changes from this new approach irrespective of how long it has taken him to see the light.

[pauliewalnuts]

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out.

Lambert's major problem was never that he couldn't get some decent results or the occasional excellent performance, it was always that he could never do it over any long period of time.

It'd be nice if he managed to do it this time.