Paul Lambert confirmed as new manager (reply #544)

[Monty]

The more I think about this, it is actually an exciting appointment. He's one of the most promising young manager's in the country. He's had one season in the Premier League, there's a good chance he's learnt a lot from that and I'm sure he can develop his style. He also has had exposure to European football at the highest level, and began developing his coaching in Germany. This could be great. Frankly given that all we did last season was defend badly it's all going to look great.

He will feel his stylistic instincts to have been vindicated by his first season in the Premier League. However, for all his flexibility with formations, I hope his instincts were towards attacking rather than towards the idea of a Big Man getting the ball pumped at him.

Well I would suggest his admission that he took Norwich to go and watch Barcelona train and then had a long discussion with Guardiola about tactics means that his long term goal is to adopt a passing approach. It's another admirable quality he obviously wants to evolve his style.

Can you find me quotes of this?? I have to say, that sort of thing would make me feel massively more positive!

[PaulWinch again]

The more I think about this, it is actually an exciting appointment. He's one of the most promising young manager's in the country. He's had one season in the Premier League, there's a good chance he's learnt a lot from that and I'm sure he can develop his style. He also has had exposure to European football at the highest level, and began developing his coaching in Germany. This could be great. Frankly given that all we did last season was defend badly it's all going to look great.

He will feel his stylistic instincts to have been vindicated by his first season in the Premier League. However, for all his flexibility with formations, I hope his instincts were towards attacking rather than towards the idea of a Big Man getting the ball pumped at him.

Well I would suggest his admission that he took Norwich to go and watch Barcelona train and then had a long discussion with Guardiola about tactics means that his long term goal is to adopt a passing approach. It's another admirable quality he obviously wants to evolve his style.

Can you find me quotes of this?? I have to say, that sort of thing would make me feel massively more positive!

I don't have quotes I'm afraid. He was on Goals on Sunday towards the end of the season and was talking about it on the programme. It was quite interesting and made me feel quite positive towards him.

[Monty]

The more I think about this, it is actually an exciting appointment. He's one of the most promising young manager's in the country. He's had one season in the Premier League, there's a good chance he's learnt a lot from that and I'm sure he can develop his style. He also has had exposure to European football at the highest level, and began developing his coaching in Germany. This could be great. Frankly given that all we did last season was defend badly it's all going to look great.

He will feel his stylistic instincts to have been vindicated by his first season in the Premier League. However, for all his flexibility with formations, I hope his instincts were towards attacking rather than towards the idea of a Big Man getting the ball pumped at him.

Well I would suggest his admission that he took Norwich to go and watch Barcelona train and then had a long discussion with Guardiola about tactics means that his long term goal is to adopt a passing approach. It's another admirable quality he obviously wants to evolve his style.

Can you find me quotes of this?? I have to say, that sort of thing would make me feel massively more positive!

I don't have quotes I'm afraid. He was on Goals on Sunday towards the end of the season and was talking about it on the programme. It was quite interesting and made me feel quite positive towards him.

Well I found it in an interview the Sun reported. He praised MON a bit much, but he's always going to. The evidence is that he cares more about tactics than MON ever did. The one thing he said was 'I have my philosophy' about the way to play, which is generally something only attacking managers say (defensive ones say things like 'my job is to win football matches', or other such tedious cliches).

I've said, I'm trying my hardest to be positive about this. I hope we're not all disappointed. One thing is for sure, he does have an appetite to learn.

[Nev]

Good record, ambitious and driven. I can't see him being in thrall to "the elite" unlike our previous two managers, and thats a MON-like trait that I think we all agree is positive.

I do have a nagging doubt about him but I'm not sure why, time will tell on that and I hope I'm wrong but if he does join us i will be pleased overall.

[alan_clarke]

Very very happy if this appointment comes to fruition!

[Dr.Feelgood]

if we all cast our minds back 4 weeks ago....?

i'll drive to Norwich & pick him up myself !

onwards, upwards...

[TopDeck113]

Looks positive and I really hope this is going to happen... but when Mark Hughes resigned last summer I thought he was heading our way, so you never know.

[James]

Quote Monty:

I hope we're not all disappointed.

I doubt it, he was the preferred choice here in all bar the OGS polls wasn't he?

It'll be an excellent appointment for us!

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I've said, I'm trying my hardest to be positive about this. I hope we're not all disappointed. One thing is for sure, he does have an appetite to learn.

The way I see it is our stock has suffered over the last few years and are seen as having no money, a selling club, a poor board and fickle fans. We're very easy to ignore or completely forget about by the media, which is understandable when you see us on TV, our football has been dull for far too long.

Whilst there has certainly been a great selection of potential managers out there, realistically with our media profile the best wouldn't be interested even if we were to meet their salary demands. Lambert is probably the best we can hope for right now but I do believe he can drive us in the right direction. Give him 3 years to rebuild us and when the Celtic job becomes available, thank him and let him go. We'll be in a much stronger position to bring in the type of manager that can push us even further, the type that won't consider us this summer.

[alan_clarke]

Think Randy must have promised him a decent spend for him to burn all his bridges at Norwich too

[OCD]

I've said, I'm trying my hardest to be positive about this. I hope we're not all disappointed. One thing is for sure, he does have an appetite to learn.

The way I see it is our stock has suffered over the last few years and are seen as having no money, a selling club, a poor board and fickle fans. We're very easy to ignore or completely forget about by the media, which is understandable when you see us on TV, our football has been dull for far too long.

Whilst there has certainly been a great selection of potential managers out there, realistically with our media profile the best wouldn't be interested even if we were to meet their salary demands. Lambert is probably the best we can hope for right now but I do believe he can drive us in the right direction. Give him 3 years to rebuild us and when the Celtic job becomes available, thank him and let him go. We'll be in a much stronger position to bring in the type of manager that can push us even further, the type that won't consider us this summer.

As someone said earlier, Lambert was on Goals on Sunday toward the end of the season and they asked him whether he would manage in Scotland at some point. He very quickly dismissed it. He clearly is very ambitious, to the point of being ruthless about it as shown by the way he left Colchester and now Norwich. If he does well for us and someone who are perceived to be bigger come in for him he'll be off like a shot. I'm not too worried about that - firstly he will have to do well for us and we should be in a strong position to replace him at that point.

[paulcomben]

Wow. A manager so keen to join the Villa that he resigns before the compensation argy bargy. When did we last see such marvellous enthusiasm?

About 12 months ago when one resigned by e-mail before taking the post?

You guys! Sharper than an Eck's brain is blunt.

[rob_bridge]

Well for the first time in over 2 years we genuinely have something to  shout about.
The last 2 were terrible appointments by the board/owner - in fact they were abject and ill thought  through in equal measure.
I am very pleased though he has an enormous job in replacing the remenants and deadwood of MON, change the attitude of those signed subsequently by the Clueless Duo and instill some confidence in the younger squad members, And put 5000 more on the gate. And some other stuff.

[sonlyme]

Some interesting reading on our proposed new manager...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4214891/Norwichs-Paul-Lambert-Give-top-jobs-to-Brit-bosses.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/feb/13/paul-lambert-norwich-swansea

And a good interview from Sky about MON

http://www.skysports.com/video/inline/0,26691,12606_7472913,00.html

So lets hope there is more than a long ball game to the man.

[OCD]

"“I also went to Barcelona the other week to have a look at the training and I spoke to Pep Guardiola." - Paul Lambert from the first article that sonlyme provided. That's what Monty wanted to see and it is encouraging.