Kendrick Says It's Time To Ask Questions

[mattjpa]

Whatever happens - and I agree with Kendrick when he says that the supporters need to get together and demand answers from the Board - we need to keep it positive inside Villla Park on match days.  Meeting up outside the ground before/after matches and letting our feelings be known just could be the way ahead.  I'm totally behind the manager BUT I need to know what the vision of the Board is.  A couple of seasons back PF stated that the aim of the club was to be in the top 20 wealthiest clubs in Europe every year (no mention of trophies among his aims, alas) and it seems to me that the Board has failed to even meet this target.

The Board needs to clarify where this football club is going - just what are the their aims and intentions?  The manager needs to be seriously backed this summer and if he isn't the alarm bells will finally start ringing with me.  At the very least we should be challenging for top six and cups - I need to see that the desire for this still exists in the Boardroom.

Im sorry Billy but backing the manager is absolutely the last thing this board needs to do. He has demonstrated an inability to buy quality players more often than not, form a reputable squad, bring players on or create any type of cohesion on the pitch. Hes had his chance, he doesnt deserve another penny imo.

[PaulWinch again]

Lambert thinks we are better team than last season but clearly hasn't seen the statistics.

Don't the statistics actually back him up?

It's actually watching the matches that says that he's wrong.

I agree, on the whole the stats back him up but in reality we're not.

[Dave Clark Five]

Nearly all agreed now then.

[Clampy]

Lambert thinks we are better team than last season but clearly hasn't seen the statistics.

Don't the statistics actually back him up?

It's actually watching the matches that says that he's wrong.

I agree, on the whole the stats back him up but in reality we're not.

I think we're a bit more of a solid team than last season, by which I mean we haven't taken the kind of beatings we did last season. We just haven't got the enough points to show for it though.

[PaulWinch again]

Lambert thinks we are better team than last season but clearly hasn't seen the statistics.

Don't the statistics actually back him up?

It's actually watching the matches that says that he's wrong.

I agree, on the whole the stats back him up but in reality we're not.

I think we're a bit more of a solid team than last season, by which I mean we haven't taken the kind of beatings we did last season. We just haven't got the enough points to show for it though.

Yeah but conversely we seem to have lost pretty much all our attacking flair, so I'd say on balance we haven't improved.

[not3bad]

Lambert thinks we are better team than last season but clearly hasn't seen the statistics.

Don't the statistics actually back him up?

It's actually watching the matches that says that he's wrong.

I agree, on the whole the stats back him up but in reality we're not.

I think we're a bit more of a solid team than last season, by which I mean we haven't taken the kind of beatings we did last season. We just haven't got the enough points to show for it though.

Defence more solid, attack more toothless. Midfield inept or bypassed.

[Dr Butler]

if he is serious about the Villa job, Lambert should be changing the coaching staff if he wants to keep the best job in football.

I can't remember who said it, but the head coach/manager should freshen up his coaching staff every 3/4 seasons..

probably Herbert...lol

[eastie]

if he is serious about the Villa job, Lambert should be changing the coaching staff if he wants to keep the best job in football.

I can't remember who said it, but the head coach/manager should freshen up his coaching staff every 3/4 seasons..

probably Herbert...lol

For me he is past the point of no return - time for randy to wield his chopper.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Until Lerner sells up sacking lambert is futile

[dekko]

if he is serious about the Villa job, Lambert should be changing the coaching staff if he wants to keep the best job in football.

I can't remember who said it, but the head coach/manager should freshen up his coaching staff every 3/4 seasons..

probably Herbert...lol

Well, he brought in a new defensive coach in the summer, so I don't think he's totally opposed to shaking up the coaching.  Its not just the coaching thats the problem though.

[Dr Butler]

if he is serious about the Villa job, Lambert should be changing the coaching staff if he wants to keep the best job in football.

I can't remember who said it, but the head coach/manager should freshen up his coaching staff every 3/4 seasons..

probably Herbert...lol

For me he is past the point of no return - time for randy to wield his chopper.

I dunno about the point of no return, Lambert can still sort this mess out if he really wants to and I admire Randy for putting his cash in to the Villa he really needs to start steering the good ship Villa instead of quietly letting it drift.

UTV

[Dr Butler]

if he is serious about the Villa job, Lambert should be changing the coaching staff if he wants to keep the best job in football.

I can't remember who said it, but the head coach/manager should freshen up his coaching staff every 3/4 seasons..

probably Herbert...lol

Well, he brought in a new defensive coach in the summer, so I don't think he's totally opposed to shaking up the coaching.  Its not just the coaching thats the problem though.

and to be fair to the coach and Lambert it has worked has it not ?

for me the midfield is a real worry which is suprising as Lambert was not a bad midfield player himself

[rob_bridge]

We are matgainally better than last year and we were margainally more better than the year before thus far.

No-one could have any real complaints if we play like we have in many recent games and get relegated.

[danlanza]

if he is serious about the Villa job, Lambert should be changing the coaching staff if he wants to keep the best job in football.

I can't remember who said it, but the head coach/manager should freshen up his coaching staff every 3/4 seasons..

probably Herbert...lol

For me he is past the point of no return - time for randy to wield his chopper.

I dunno about the point of no return, Lambert can still sort this mess out if he really wants to and I admire Randy for putting his cash in to the Villa he really needs to start steering the good ship Villa instead of quietly letting it drift.

UTV

I think waving his chopper around would get him into serious trouble. A simple P45 would suffice if things don't improve.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I think Matt Kendrick has touched on something at the club that maybe we haven't thought too much about which is the apathy of the fans. It's not as though the fans don't care and to be honest, I can't see, at least short term, how any fan group will change things. What we have here is a perfect storm, a classic Catch 22. Whilst plenty of fans are bored and tired with Lambert's football, I don't imagine many have the trust or faith in the board to find a suitable replacement. Whichever way it goes, we'll end up with something nobody wants.

In defence of Lerner/Faulkner, despite the horrific miscalculation in hiring McCleish, the appointment of Lambert was a largely favourable one. There weren't too many complaints and it wasn't just because anybody can be better than McCleish. Lambert had a good track record in the lower leagues and had a good season in the PL with Norwich. He was seen as an up and coming manager that could turn out to become very good.

What was not calculated into the managerial selection was the plan to build a young team, forgetting for a minute where we bought them from and for how much. Young players need nurturing, they need to be developed on so many different levels, it would take a specialised manager and coach to make the plan work. The greatest advantage for a manager working with young talent is they will give you everything, they want to learn, improve and they listen, hanging on your every word. Lambert was not the right manager to take on that role, despite his qualities he was/is still learning the job himself. He was used to more experienced players, players that knew what they had to do and easily understood what he wanted. Maybe somebody like Carlos Queiroz who has a vast knowledge of working with youngsters as well as PL experience would have been a better choice.

Whichever way you look at it, we have some serious decisions to be made this summer. Assuming we do manage to stay up, do we stick with Lambert and face another season of his tactical ineptitude, poor football, shocking home form whilst listening to him tell us how we were "excellent". Or do we trust Randy and Paul Faulkner to find the right man to execute their plan whilst getting us to play some progressive, exciting and entertaining football, bearing in mind just 10 days ago they were willing to give Lambert a 3 year contract extension?

Before you say, well Lerner needs to invest in the team, remember that we're the 6th highest net spenders in the PL over the last 5 years. It's more than the money, it's how that money is spent that is our biggest problem. I don't think Matt Kendrick got it quite right, the Villa fans are not apathetic, they're just stuck between a rock and a hard place and it's a real shit place to be.