Paul Lambert confirmed as new manager (reply #544)

[damon loves JT]

The bit about `sociograms' was interesting. Basically an admission that within a team there were players who like each other and play well together, and players who don't.

I used to play seven-a-side and there were four young black lads in our team who were really good mates and only used to pass to each other. Because they were brilliant, it didn't matter that (a) I was crap and (b) I never saw the ball, but the net result for me was I got fed up and jacked it in.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Found this on a Norwich forum; most were in agreement:

I think you're in for a shock. Lambert was getting alot of criticism for team selection/tactics in some games last season.   It was a bit hit and miss to be honest.   When it was right it was very good, but equally there were games where you thought - does this man know what he's doing. He's still learning - you are going to need your patience, I think.       
He will  mix the squad, rotate it at a bewildering rate - not always with good results - sometimes we were asking as fans - just what is he doing?     Ecstatic at the progress we've made in three years - but it was a combination of circumstances that led to it, not just Lambert's arrival.   To start with we are a well run club and we had signed a secret weapon in Grant Holt (not signed ny Lambert, btw). Just saying, but PL is not the finished article.     

This is something that has puzzled me as a Col U fan -all this talk from the Villa fans that they are getting a manager who "Plays the right way" -My recollection is as described above - when he got us playing well, we were very good (opening game of the 09/10 season for example!!) but it was often hit and miss, and sometimes not very exciting at all (mind you, still thrilling compared to what Boothroyd served up afterwards!). I'm not entirely convinced that Villa are going to get the "beautiful game" they're expecting

I think the key point is things will be an improvement on last season but we need to be patient, Lambert is still learning his trade. Whichever way you look at it, the season will be a positively interesting one.

"He's not the messiah..... but he likes to think he is..."

And there was me just thinking (praying) it was just the glasses and tracksuit.

[TheSandman]

He will  mix the squad, rotate it at a bewildering rate - not always with good results - sometimes we were asking as fans - just what is he doing?

Interestingly, that would make him the polar opposite of pubey.

[Ian.]

Well it's easy to criticise your ex-manager after 3 successful seasons. So they were good was because of Holt and the club being well run?
Anyway I'm not expecting us to play like Barcelona I just want us to compete to our very best ability and try and win every match we play.

[Clampy]

I would'nt read too much into the comments from those Norwich fans. They're gutted that he's gone and from the site that i read whilst we were in talks with him, some were hoping that he'd turn us down. Besides, you saw from the ovation that he got on the last day of the season what they thought of him.

[ozzjim]

They are probably right, certainly better placed that we are, and like when Sunderland fans came to gloat they had got O'Neill we warned them of the pitfalls, which were already creeping in by the last few games of the season for them. We need to accept that Norwich fans have probably got a good handle on Lambert, but his bad points have seen them go up as champions from League 1, get automatic promotion last season and then 12th with a squad realistically bottom 3 quality. As such, we will find out his quirks and bad points, and no doubt be frustrated by them, and moan like bastards about them, but we will be a million times better than we have been for a long time.

[richard moore]

Well it's easy to criticise your ex-manager after 3 successful seasons. So they were good was because of Holt and the club being well run?
Anyway I'm not expecting us to play like Barcelona I just want us to compete to our very best ability and try and win every match we play.

Exactly Ian, and no one in the premier league plays like Barcelona anyway.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Well it's easy to criticise your ex-manager after 3 successful seasons. So they were good was because of Holt and the club being well run?
Anyway I'm not expecting us to play like Barcelona I just want us to compete to our very best ability and try and win every match we play.

Exactly Ian, and no one in the premier league plays like Barcelona anyway.

If we have three successive seasons like Norwich had, improving each year, I doubt anybody will be complaining. I think the Norwich posts were just at the reaction to some Villa fans who were confusing Lambert with Guardiola.

Lambert seems clever enough to match his tactics with the squad of players he has available and who the opposition is. Villa is a genuinely big challenge for him, I doubt very much he thinks he's doing us a favour and we should think ourselves lucky to have him. It'll take time and investment to get it right and I'm more than willing to enjoy the ride.

[Summers]

Yeah Lambert and the way he set up Norwich had nothing to do with back-to-back promotions and then a fantastic first season in the Prem. All about Holt, the board and luck. Bore off, Norwich.

[adrenachrome]

[Toronto Villa]

Well it's easy to criticise your ex-manager after 3 successful seasons. So they were good was because of Holt and the club being well run?
Anyway I'm not expecting us to play like Barcelona I just want us to compete to our very best ability and try and win every match we play.

Absolutely. I'll take his win ratio in the last 3 years over ours thank you very much. It happens on here too regarding MON, and often stemmed by bitterness which is understandable. They have had three of the best years most of them can remember. Lambert is by no stretch the finished article and I imagine he has learned a lot since he started as a manager. Hopefully he'll continue to develop and improve with us.

[hawkeye]

They are probably right, certainly better placed that we are, and like when Sunderland fans came to gloat they had got O'Neill we warned them of the pitfalls, which were already creeping in by the last few games of the season for them. We need to accept that Norwich fans have probably got a good handle on Lambert, but his bad points have seen them go up as champions from League 1, get automatic promotion last season and then 12th with a squad realistically bottom 3 quality. As such, we will find out his quirks and bad points, and no doubt be frustrated by them, and moan like bastards about them, but we will be a million times better than we have been for a long time.

I hope he is not MON Mk 2, there appears to be a lot of evidence to suggest that he might be.
After TSM I am pleased we are starting afresh.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

They are probably right, certainly better placed that we are, and like when Sunderland fans came to gloat they had got O'Neill we warned them of the pitfalls, which were already creeping in by the last few games of the season for them. We need to accept that Norwich fans have probably got a good handle on Lambert, but his bad points have seen them go up as champions from League 1, get automatic promotion last season and then 12th with a squad realistically bottom 3 quality. As such, we will find out his quirks and bad points, and no doubt be frustrated by them, and moan like bastards about them, but we will be a million times better than we have been for a long time.

I hope he is not MON Mk 2, there appears to be a lot of evidence to suggest that he might be.

Relax, just because he's not Guardiola, it doesn't automatically mean he's MON Mk II. Worse case scenario, he's the thinking man's MON.

[pauliewalnuts]

They are probably right, certainly better placed that we are, and like when Sunderland fans came to gloat they had got O'Neill we warned them of the pitfalls, which were already creeping in by the last few games of the season for them. We need to accept that Norwich fans have probably got a good handle on Lambert, but his bad points have seen them go up as champions from League 1, get automatic promotion last season and then 12th with a squad realistically bottom 3 quality. As such, we will find out his quirks and bad points, and no doubt be frustrated by them, and moan like bastards about them, but we will be a million times better than we have been for a long time.

I hope he is not MON Mk 2, there appears to be a lot of evidence to suggest that he might be.

Relax, just because he's not Guardiola, it doesn't automatically mean he's MON Mk II. Worse case scenario, he's the thinking man's MON.

The tracksuit, socks tucked into trousers thing scares me a bit.

Other than that, I think he's exactly the sort of strong but progressive manager we need right now.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

They are probably right, certainly better placed that we are, and like when Sunderland fans came to gloat they had got O'Neill we warned them of the pitfalls, which were already creeping in by the last few games of the season for them. We need to accept that Norwich fans have probably got a good handle on Lambert, but his bad points have seen them go up as champions from League 1, get automatic promotion last season and then 12th with a squad realistically bottom 3 quality. As such, we will find out his quirks and bad points, and no doubt be frustrated by them, and moan like bastards about them, but we will be a million times better than we have been for a long time.

I hope he is not MON Mk 2, there appears to be a lot of evidence to suggest that he might be.

Relax, just because he's not Guardiola, it doesn't automatically mean he's MON Mk II. Worse case scenario, he's the thinking man's MON.

The tracksuit, socks tucked into trousers thing scares me a bit.

Other than that, I think he's exactly the sort of strong but progressive manager we need right now.

I know what you mean but I'd be more than happy if he turned up tomorrow in a black leather Ron Saunders coat. Saunders had style. Agree with you on the "strong but progressive manager". It's EXACTLY what we need right now.