Complacency under Lambert?

[Rigadon]

I wouldn't say it's complacency I just think it's total and utter ineptitude. It's a manager who ultimately is out of his depth in Premier League level tactically and stylistically. We're losing 2-3 players away from being a side that could go down. Had Lambert to this point suffered the same injury to the spine of his side that McLeish did in the run in, I think we'd have gone down. As it is, though we've had piss poor luck with injuries (is it just luck, or our training?) but not quite as bad as when McLeish lost Dunne, Petrov and Bent within a month. At that point we were poor but reasonably comfortable in mid-table. But losing our best defender, best midfielder and top scorer shatted us up.

If we were to end up without Vlaar, Delph and Benteke for the last three months. We're gone. Simple as that. So keep your fingers crossed everyone. As it is my only positive with Delph's injury and Bentekes is, that they're early season. Vlaar tends to be a few weeks to a month off kind of guy. As yet, not long term, so hopefully that doesn't change for us.

Only thing I'd say to is if Lambert is incompetent (and I concede there's been enough turmoil in the two years he's been here to suggest he is rather than he isn't) how does he come up with these excellent game plans to beat Chelsea at home and Liverpool and Arsenal away?

If it was only happening once or twice a season then I'd agree it's luck. I thought the way we won the Man. City home game for example last season was a total fluke with Bacuna's free kick flying in at a crucial time.

However we do usually come up with this sort of unexpected result/performance once a month so is it just law of averages that eventually good players like Vlaar, Delph, Gabby and Benteke will all click and play well or does Lambert's tactics only work well against specific teams e.g us always putting in amazing performances at Anfield for some reason.

Because his one and only game plan is to counter attack, which is why we sometimes fair better against team who come at us and leave gaps behind their back 4.  Just not when they take their chances (the last 4 games).

With our first 11 we are better than last year.  But the plan is the same, so when we have injuries (to key players like Vlaar, Senderos (!) and Delph we struggle. 

I long gave up on Lambert + the two.  I'm still willing to give Lambert + Keane a go.  But my patience is wafer thin once again.  We are now 3 points above the bottom 3, early days but it's starting to feel a bit groundhog day. 

[myf]

Lerner, Lambert and mcleish have all contributed to create a culture of defeat. The team doesn't have any kind of leadership, winning mentality or confidence. We seem to get a few shock results every once in a while but on the whole we are a very poor and disorganised team which is incapable of a good run of results. We've been like this for last 4 or 5 seasons and the rot is well established. Nothing is going to change with the two "leaders" in charge of our once great club

[Holte Sweet]

When teams such as Southampton and Hull, who were in the Championship not so long ago, are making a decent fist of it in the Premiership the excuses for Lerner and Lambert are rapidly running out.

[Olof's Beard]

Lerner, Lambert and mcleish have all contributed to create a culture of defeat. The team doesn't have any kind of leadership, winning mentality or confidence. We seem to get a few shock results every once in a while but on the whole we are a very poor and disorganised team which is incapable of a good run of results. We've been like this for last 4 or 5 seasons and the rot is well established. Nothing is going to change with the two "leaders" in charge of our once great club

This is it for me.  It's destroyed our once promising youngsters who have no expectation of anything other than defeat now.  I would think some of the win percentages for those players are awfully low.  You could see it on Saturday, it was so easy for Everton yet not one player looked annoyed, upset, bothered.  There was no professional pride about how comfortably the opposition strolled to victory, just a bizarre acceptance of the norm.  I used to think Weimann would end up the pick of the Bodymoor produced players because he was a niggly bugger who hated losing but he is the same as all the others now.  They don't seem to have any pressure of them to succeed.  It might well need a mass clear out to change the culture.

[Clampy]

Lambert's reign reminds me in some ways of Houiller's season, a case of one step forward then three back. A good win every now and again, the hope that we'll kick on only to follow it by a few defeats. I'm not overly sure, but i think Saturday's defeat might have been the 4th or 5th time we've lost 4 on the trot under Lambert.

[Ads]

I think we've just been badly outclassed in the most recent games and the limitations of how we play have been exposed and its left us solidly in mid-table. Within spitting distance of both the top and bottom six.

I'd like to see a bit of imagination ahead of the next three games in the midfield set up and players selected.

[aj2k77]

Lambert's reign reminds me in some ways of Houiller's season, a case of one step forward then three back. A good win every now and again, the hope that we'll kick on only to follow it by a few defeats. I'm not overly sure, but i think Saturday's defeat might have been the 4th or 5th time we've lost 4 on the trot under Lambert.

Well we've had under him


5 games without a win  Sep 22- Nov 3 2012
1 win in 6 Nov 10 - Dec 15 2012
9 games without a win Dec 23 - Feb 10 2013
1 win in 7 Oct 5 - Dec 4 2013
5 games without a win Dec 8 - Jan 4 2014
1 win in 7 Jan 13 - Mar 4 2014
1 win in 9 Mar 23 - May 11 2014
4 losses in a row Sep 20 -Oct 18 2014

So basically for 52 games out of 84 games under him we've been in bad runs. I wouldn't say it's complacency I'd say he's shit and getting beaten is the norm.

[levico]

New record alert!

Apparently we've never gone 5 PL games without scoring.

[supertom]

New record alert!

Apparently we've never gone 5 PL games without scoring.

We look like we could obliterate that record at the moment. Draw a blank against QPR and I don't see us scoring against Spurs. We don't generally score too many against West Ham either. Southampton also look a class above us at the moment.

[Walmley_Villa]

Have we ever had a game under Lambert where the opposition keeper has been man of the match?

[PeterWithesShin]

Have we ever had a game under Lambert where the opposition keeper has been man of the match?

Cardiff away spring to mind.

[supertom]

Have we ever had a game under Lambert where the opposition keeper has been man of the match?

Can't think of one. I can think of plenty where Guzan took the honours for us. We've only properly blitzed a couple of sides under Lambert. The Sunderland home win, 6-1, and spanking Norwich 4-1 last season. I can't see us mullering anyone this season unfortunately. I'd be interested to count up the amount of times we've scored more than 2 in a game under Lambert. I don't think it'd be many at all.
When he came, and I believe he even said as much, I think many of us expected to concede a lot, but equally to score a fair few too. Win a game 4-3, lose a game 4-3. End up mid-table but be reasonably entertained. It's been nowt like that though.

[Meanwood Villa]

Lambert's reign reminds me in some ways of Houiller's season, a case of one step forward then three back. A good win every now and again, the hope that we'll kick on only to follow it by a few defeats. I'm not overly sure, but i think Saturday's defeat might have been the 4th or 5th time we've lost 4 on the trot under Lambert.

Well we've had under him


5 games without a win  Sep 22- Nov 3 2012
1 win in 6 Nov 10 - Dec 15 2012
9 games without a win Dec 23 - Feb 10 2013
1 win in 7 Oct 5 - Dec 4 2013
5 games without a win Dec 8 - Jan 4 2014
1 win in 7 Jan 13 - Mar 4 2014
1 win in 9 Mar 23 - May 11 2014
4 losses in a row Sep 20 -Oct 18 2014

So basically for 52 games out of 84 games under him we've been in bad runs. I wouldn't say it's complacency I'd say he's shit and getting beaten is the norm.

I'd agree with this. As well as the numerous bad runs you highlighted how many good runs have we had under him? I bet we've never gone above the 4 unbeaten at the start of this season. Which now I think about it included the 4th exit to lower league opposition in his reign so can we even call it 4 unbeaten? Being useless is the norm, good results are aberrations.

[supertom]

In Lamberts 2 and a bit seasons we've scored more than twice in only 11 Prem games. I can't bring myself to count how many times we've conceded more than 2 in a game. That would make horrific reading.

[supertom]

Lambert's reign reminds me in some ways of Houiller's season, a case of one step forward then three back. A good win every now and again, the hope that we'll kick on only to follow it by a few defeats. I'm not overly sure, but i think Saturday's defeat might have been the 4th or 5th time we've lost 4 on the trot under Lambert.

Well we've had under him


5 games without a win  Sep 22- Nov 3 2012
1 win in 6 Nov 10 - Dec 15 2012
9 games without a win Dec 23 - Feb 10 2013
1 win in 7 Oct 5 - Dec 4 2013
5 games without a win Dec 8 - Jan 4 2014
1 win in 7 Jan 13 - Mar 4 2014
1 win in 9 Mar 23 - May 11 2014
4 losses in a row Sep 20 -Oct 18 2014

So basically for 52 games out of 84 games under him we've been in bad runs. I wouldn't say it's complacency I'd say he's shit and getting beaten is the norm.

I'd agree with this. As well as the numerous bad runs you highlighted how many good runs have we had under him? I bet we've never gone above the 4 unbeaten at the start of this season. Which now I think about it included the 4th exit to lower league opposition in his reign so can we even call it 4 unbeaten? Being useless is the norm, good results are aberrations.

Didn't we do 5 unbeaten in his first season. Unfortunately this was just before the horrendous 15-0 run over crimbo, so it counted for very little.