Initial impressions under PL

[andrew08]

And I'm not saying we should sell him either.  But he's from that other era when we purchased expensive England internationals with our carefree billionaire owner who is now trying to do it another way (on the cheap). Under these guidelines a swap for Bent on big money and Benteke on less money makes sense.

It makes no odds to me really, I'm with the new program and backing PL to sort it. VTWD an all that

[Steve R]

Our decline really started when we bought two complete defences in the space of two summer transfer windows and not a single one of the incomers was worth the money we forked out.

For the next two years or so we were carried by the few good players we already had - Mellberg, Laursen & Barry together with the two or three good signings we did manage to make.

At the point O'Neill left, we probably had 5 years worth of rebuilding to do to get to the level we thought we were already at. We spent the next two years doing little else but dig a bigger hole.

Against that backcloth I don't see how you can pass any kind of judgement on a manager after 7 games, other than seems to be doing ok thus far.

[N'ZMAV]

I'm not sure we have the physical fight to get out of this battle. I think we're a bit soft.

[JJ-AV]

Like him, like most of what he's done so far.

Thought his subs v Spurs were awful, and I'd like to know why he didn't sign another midfielder.

[silhillvilla]

I'm trying to work out if he's more miserable than Ron Saunders

[darren woolley]

I've got faith in PL he will get us there in the end keep the faith I think he his doing a good job I know the results haven't been what we wanted but the results will come in the end.

[pedro25]

One win from 7, when we've played the likes of West Ham, Southampton and the Baggies is not good going, so far I'm not impressed.  No sign yet that Lambert will get more out of Bent, Gabby, Ireland and N'Zogbia than the previous manager did and if we cant get those four playing and back to their best form I don't believe we have enough quality elsewhere in the squad to see us through. 

[N'ZMAV]

I'm not buying into this narrow 4-4-2 system, it leaves our young inexperienced full backs way too exposed. I think he needs a wider 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 system, to give Lowton and Bennett more cover. Maybe playing N'Zogbia and Holman wide would give us more protection. I'm pretty sure he's also going to sell Bent in Jan if we're stable enough in the league placings.

[Chipsticks]

silhillvilla: you wanted someone to talk you through selling Bent. It's when a club offers us (and him) money to let him go and play for them.

Okay?

Well at least your answer wasn't condescending.

[rutski]

I'm not buying into this narrow 4-4-2 system, it leaves our young inexperienced full backs way too exposed. I think he needs a wider 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 system, to give Lowton and Bennett more cover. Maybe playing N'Zogbia and Holman wide would give us more protection. I'm pretty sure he's also going to sell Bent in Jan if we're stable enough in the league placings.

then we will go back to playing the tried and tested way we have always done, 4, 4, 2, 2 holding midfielders, 2 wingers, forwards running the channels. if you always do what youve alwys done, youll always get what you always got! No Success!
playing with 2 attacking full backs is the way to go! it is exciting, just need everyone to stay calm. i certainly can see the light!

[Rigadon]

Our decline really started when we bought two complete defences in the space of two summer transfer windows and not a single one of the incomers was worth the money we forked out.

For the next two years or so we were carried by the few good players we already had - Mellberg, Laursen & Barry together with the two or three good signings we did manage to make.

At the point O'Neill left, we probably had 5 years worth of rebuilding to do to get to the level we thought we were already at. We spent the next two years doing little else but dig a bigger hole.

Against that backcloth I don't see how you can pass any kind of judgement on a manager after 7 games, other than seems to be doing ok thus far.

Agree completely.   

Unless we go on an obviously / ridiculously disastrous run, say we're looking like being cut adrift by christmas,  Lambert needs a season at least.   

[Aston Villa]

Our decline really started when we bought two complete defences in the space of two summer transfer windows and not a single one of the incomers was worth the money we forked out.

For the next two years or so we were carried by the few good players we already had - Mellberg, Laursen & Barry together with the two or three good signings we did manage to make.

At the point O'Neill left, we probably had 5 years worth of rebuilding to do to get to the level we thought we were already at. We spent the next two years doing little else but dig a bigger hole.

Against that backcloth I don't see how you can pass any kind of judgement on a manager after 7 games, other than seems to be doing ok thus far.

Agree completely.   

Unless we go on an obviously / ridiculously disastrous run, say we're looking like being cut adrift by christmas,  Lambert needs a season at least.

This.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm trying to work out if he's more miserable than Ron Saunders

Ron was never miserable. He may have appeared so to the media but to Villa fans he had a wonderful, dry sense of humour that almost everybody understood and appreciated. The comparison with Lambert is however interesting. Lambert's not one to over state an issue and tries his honest best to explain his actions to us. He also seems, like Ron to have a very high respect for the Villa fans and understands their importance in the team's success.

I still believe we'll start to have a home record to be proud of, something we haven't really seen since Saunders' days.

[tomd2103]

I'm not buying into this narrow 4-4-2 system, it leaves our young inexperienced full backs way too exposed. I think he needs a wider 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 system, to give Lowton and Bennett more cover. Maybe playing N'Zogbia and Holman wide would give us more protection. I'm pretty sure he's also going to sell Bent in Jan if we're stable enough in the league placings.

Problem with 4-4-2 is that it will leave us exposed in central midfield and we would get overrun in there.  You could drop a forward into the "hole" to help out, but we don't really have someone who can do the defensive duties in that role and contribute their fair share of goals and assists as well.  The other options are a more defensive 4-5-1 or even a 3-5-2 style formation which MON employed when Lambert played under him at Celtic.  The latter could be an option when Dunne comes back and we could have a line up looking like:

                 Guzan

      Vlaar     Dunne    Clark

Lowton   El Ahmadi   Delph     Bennett     

                 Ireland

            Gabby      Bent

[frank black]

The team seems to be willing, enthusiastic and hardworking. Just like a young apprentice trying to impress. However it lacks experience, gile and the winning attitude.

I can't really judge Lambert yet. I would predict we will survive this season and next season. Finally establishing ourselves as an upper mid table club, with the occasional cup run
thereafter.