Lambert Out?

[levico]

I'm not yet at the Lambert out stage but virtually all start of season optimism has evaporated. I'm also getting irritated by PL's interview style. It does nothing for me, can't see how he can whip up enthusiasm among the players. Frankly I struggle to understand what he's saying but then again I am a bit mutt these days. Pardon?

[eastie]

I'm not yet at the Lambert out stage but virtually all start of season optimism has evaporated. I'm also getting irritated by PL's interview style. It does nothing for me, can't see how he can whip up enthusiasm among the players. Frankly I struggle to understand what he's saying but then again I am a bit mutt these days. Pardon?

He does have a tendency to mumble a bit in interviews, I always have to turn up the sound.

[claret and blue blood]

Looking through rose tinted glasses you can argue that if those Benteke sitters had gone in against Spurs and Fulham and the enforced changes in defence in particular hadn't happened we may well have a few more points.
You can also look at the squad and argue our best performers this season are Lambert buys i.e. Guzan, Vlaar, Benteke and Lowton.
Lets hope that after seeing his team play against his old team he has no more doubts about his current squad and picks a settled eleven built around those 4 plus the best of the rest which for me includes Ireland .
I would guess a few of the academy players won't be close to the first team by the end of the season.

[ozzjim]

He needs time, and Vlaar, Benteke and Lowton look excellent business, as does re-signing Guzan. Problem is our weakest area is midfield, KEA looks too weak at the moment, or looks like he needs a couple of players with some idea around him. The selection of Delph and Albrighton at the weekend baffled me, as they both look bobbins. Westwood and Ireland in and go narrow three, make Gabby come from wide as much as he hates it he is our best threat out there and have Holman on the other. If need be play Holman in the centre with Ireland and KEA even - he works hard enough. He may have to go back on Clark only playing centre half if it carries on and stick him in the centre of the park with Baker at the back to stop us being walked through. Not sure how Delph has leapfrogged Herd in the centre either for that matter.

Should have got blood Reo Coker back for 12 months.

Oh and Dunne getting fit would be useful!

[bertlambshank]

He needs time, and Vlaar, Benteke and Lowton look excellent business, as does re-signing Guzan. Problem is our weakest area is midfield, KEA looks too weak at the moment, or looks like he needs a couple of players with some idea around him. The selection of Delph and Albrighton at the weekend baffled me, as they both look bobbins. Westwood and Ireland in and go narrow three, make Gabby come from wide as much as he hates it he is our best threat out there and have Holman on the other. If need be play Holman in the centre with Ireland and KEA even - he works hard enough. He may have to go back on Clark only playing centre half if it carries on and stick him in the centre of the park with Baker at the back to stop us being walked through. Not sure how Delph has leapfrogged Herd in the centre either for that matter.

Should have got blood Reo Coker back for 12 months.

Oh and Dunne getting fit would be useful!

The narrow three included Albrighton,at times yesterday he was playing in the middle.The space down the right was massive but Mark kept going into the middle.The manager must of told him to play like that,which is why he played for 90 minutes.

[supertom]

Sometimes in these situations you need a big personality who'll rouse the troops, kick a few asses. I mean Lambert doesn't play favourites which is good, but I don't see him being the sort of guy who can send a team on the pitch to start, or on a second half, ready to tear shit up. Hate going back to O Neill so I won't, but even someone like Allardyce is good at getting his team fired up. There's more passion, confidence, determination. He won't stand for a bunch of scared boys, nervously trapsing round the pitch. Lambert seems a bit lacking in motivational skill. You obviously don't need to be a shouting raving bollocker to succeed in management, but you need a strong personality.

Lambert has to adapt. He's got to add more to his own game to add more to ours. If he doesn't we go down. Much as I don't like Big Sams style of football by any stretch, we wouldn't get relegated with him. Blackburn made an error sacking him. They'd still be up if he stayed. Likewise I expect WH to finish comfortably mid-table. Players like him it seems. They work for him, but I don't see him making that little bit of difference with the rousing team talk, or like Allardyce or pubehead getting that extra 10% out of average players.
If he gets a bit of the old school fire and thunder about him, with his more modern ethos we could go places. So far he's sticking to his guns in terms of what he wants, and it's not working. That's the worry. Either it starts working, or he has to shift a little, or we go down.

[Percy McCarthy]

Ozzjim's picked about the closest team to what I would, which has surprised me. The only thing I'd disagree on is Westwood. He can't be very impressive in training if, as one of PL's signings, he can't get a sniff in front of Delph.

[brian green]

The big worry for me is that you would expect as the season progresses for Lambert's players to start to gel and for him to establish a style of play which will work with the players he has in the squad.   The real bummer about that Norwich game is that Lambert seems no closer to climbing up the learning curve than he was at the start of the season.   I fear that it will be back to square one in January and the drafting in of players to keep us in the Premiership.   The one thing which managers do not have is time.   You will know when we are about to change to Plan B when he starts asking the fans to be patient.

[nick harper]

Apologies for feeling a bit glass half empty at the moment but on the assumption that we might scrape a point at Sunderland, but can't see anything but defeats in the next 3, we could very easily have 6 or 7 points from 13 games. This would leave us needing around 34 points from 25 games - or wins and or/draws in about half our remaining games. It is going to need a monumental turn around in our performances to achieve that.

If Lerner does loosen the purse strings, I fear it will be too late, even if Lambert was able to find the right experience and quality at what is normally a difficult time to do good business.

It feel as grim as the mid 80's at the moment.

[eastie]

Ozzjim's picked about the closest team to what I would, which has surprised me. The only thing I'd disagree on is Westwood. He can't be very impressive in training if, as one of PL's signings, he can't get a sniff in front of Delph.

Everything I've heard about Westwood is positive , seems to be comfortable in possession and a very good passer , lets give him a go at Sunderland - cant be any worse than recent choices.

[Clampy]

He needs time, and Vlaar, Benteke and Lowton look excellent business, as does re-signing Guzan. Problem is our weakest area is midfield, KEA looks too weak at the moment, or looks like he needs a couple of players with some idea around him. The selection of Delph and Albrighton at the weekend baffled me, as they both look bobbins. Westwood and Ireland in and go narrow three, make Gabby come from wide as much as he hates it he is our best threat out there and have Holman on the other. If need be play Holman in the centre with Ireland and KEA even - he works hard enough. He may have to go back on Clark only playing centre half if it carries on and stick him in the centre of the park with Baker at the back to stop us being walked through. Not sure how Delph has leapfrogged Herd in the centre either for that matter.

Should have got blood Reo Coker back for 12 months.

Oh and Dunne getting fit would be useful!

The narrow three included Albrighton,at times yesterday he was playing in the middle.The space down the right was massive but Mark kept going into the middle.The manager must of told him to play like that,which is why he played for 90 minutes.

I noticed that as well. It might be the reason why he was'nt very effective.

[Risso]

I'm not yet at the Lambert out stage but virtually all start of season optimism has evaporated. I'm also getting irritated by PL's interview style. It does nothing for me, can't see how he can whip up enthusiasm among the players. Frankly I struggle to understand what he's saying but then again I am a bit mutt these days. Pardon?

He does have a tendency to mumble a bit in interviews, I always have to turn up the sound.

He sounds like he's always got a mouthful of pork pie when he talks.

[JUAN PABLO]

I still  cant believe Ireland is not getting in the team.

I know a lot of people on here do not  like him but I think he has been alright when he has played this season , miles better than Delph , Albrighton and Gabby . in fact when hes play Villa have been in good positions score line wise , I remember him going off against soton 1-0 up and I think he played against Newcastle and Swansea when we looked good. I dont understand PL with that one.

[PaulWinch again]

I still  cant believe Ireland is not getting in the team.

I know a lot of people on here do not  like him but I think he has been alright when he has played this season , miles better than Delph , Albrighton and Gabby . in fact when hes play Villa have been in good positions score line wise , I remember him going off against soton 1-0 up and I think he played against Newcastle and Swansea when we looked good. I dont understand PL with that one.

Agree completely, we look a better side with him in it for the most part. Part of that is that he replaces one of the awful players like Delph or Albrighton, but he's also played quite well.

[not3bad]

I still  cant believe Ireland is not getting in the team.

There was a lot of talk from Ireland last week about "playing through the pain barrier", so he obviously isn't out of the woods injury wise.