Don't blame the manager

[ROBBO]

There comes a point when blaming the manager has to stop, there are some who are sharpening their knives after a less than asatisfactory start to the season. When a business is failing you have to look at the top for answers for that is where the real power lies. What has happened over the last couple of years was very predictable even before the MON debacle, a point came when Randy Lerner literally pulled the plug, top players were sold and not replaced, wages became an issue but for me the really telling factor was the General disappearing to pastures new, he was no longer needed because Randy had given up, the dream of Europe was dead and our owner and leader was too embarrassed to come and see HIS club lose week after week. Until we get a new owner who will suffer and celebrate with the supporters i am determined no matter how tempted to criticise Lambert or whoever the next sacrificial lamb may be.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't think the majority are blaming the manager, but he needs to start winning games. I appreciate there's very much a transitional element to us at the moment with the young players and the inexperienced premier league players, but that doesn't excuse our last few performances. We need to win and win soon.

[Tuscans]

Its true that I think we need the gusto of Lerner when he first arrived without being led into a false sense of security under MON's "Reo Coker, give him 50k a week" moto. Im interested to see if anything at all will change after he sold the Browns, his heart to me doesnt seem to be in it as much as it did.

But I won't blame Lambert, not now, not until he plays 7 defenders againts Spurs or brings back Hutton as Captain.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I think its time to start blaming the manager actually. I like Lambert and his tactics but it isnt working. He was backed more than McLeish and yet is getting worse results.

We are coming to the end of our easy starting run of games, its been very poor. We are likely to be stuck bottom of the table end of December.

Its scary as hell. Blame Lerner all you like but he backed Lambert with a lot of cash.

I dont have a solution, I dont want lambert to leave, I like the way he has us trying to play, I just think we are now a bit like Wigan, the manager wants us to play good stuff but the players just are not good enough or havent clicked yet.

I think our only choice is to suffer. By the way, hats off to the away support. Thats one thing we have which is genuinely quality.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I don't agree he's had a lot of cash, he's had an average amount yes it was about £18m net but he had to spread it across the team what it needed was a couple of quality players for that amount. There isn't a decent winger nor a quality midfielder. Ireland was here before and if he's not doing it no-one is

[OzVilla]

Blame Lerner all you like but he backed Lambert with a lot of cash.

I must have missed that bit.  If we honestly wanted to be a genuine top 8 side we needed to astutely spend in the region of 40 million. 

I don't blame Lambert at all (yet) as he has a massive job on his hands and one that the Boardroom has once again underestimated.

It's going to take time and we need to remain patient, I just don't want to end up like Sheffield Wednesday with Paul Lambert being their Danny Wilson (their Board finally getting them relegated at the 4th attempt).

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I don't blame Lambert at all (yet)

That just about sums up every football managers job situation from day one of their appointment.

[preston28]

I have no intention of blaming this manager.  Hopefully he will see this difficult time through and see his plan / ideas bring fruition.

The last thing we need is a managerial change agin in the next 12-18 monhs- we need some stability first before we can begin to move forward.

[claret and blue blood]

It's a bit harder for me to judge based purely on performances as I only go to the home games which have been a bit of a mixed bag. The young fullbacks we have signed replaced two players who were absolutely hammered by all of us , Vlaar for Collins was a popular move , it's midfield where we look weak. The fact is we were lucky to stay up last season and we are like a promoted team trying to stay up this season.Lambert in my mind is doing Ok and needs our 100% backing and support. The blame for where we find ourselves has to lie with the very top of the club who have either sanctioned bad decisions or made them.We are like innocent bystanders caught up in their mess.

[Monty]

I do think Lambert does shoulder a fair amount of the blame for yesterday. We should never have gone to Fulham with two out-and-out strikers, we looked short in midfield and kept giving the ball away between the middle and final thirds. Guzan kept hoofing the ball to Hangeland and Hughes' heads with such unerring accuracy he's either been told to do it or not told not to do it, and we gave away so much needless possession that way. After the game he said he thought we didn't deserve to lose - well, I hope that's not what he told the players in private and is just stonewalling the press, because that performance and those tactics deserved to lose that game every day of the week.

I like him, and everyone makes mistakes, but if that were an Eck performance, and if it had led to him losing five out of his first eight games some on here would have been calling for his removal very early on.

[Irish villain]

Three years ago our midfield was Young, Milner, Petrov and Downing. Today none of our midfielders sand out as automatic premier league quality. Stephen Ireland is probably our best midfielder now.

[saunders_heroes]

Three years ago our midfield was Young, Milner, Petrov and Downing. Today none of our midfielders sand out as automatic premier league quality. Stephen Ireland is probably our best midfielder now.

Stephen Ireland isn't fit to wear a Villa shirt. He hasn't contributed a single thing of note since joining us. In fact I'd say he's pound for pound one of the worst signings this club has ever made.

[eastie]

Three years ago our midfield was Young, Milner, Petrov and Downing. Today none of our midfielders sand out as automatic premier league quality. Stephen Ireland is probably our best midfielder now.

Stephen Ireland isn't fit to wear a Villa shirt. He hasn't contributed a single thing of note since joining us. In fact I'd say he's pound for pound one of the worst signings this club has ever made.

A tad harsh but he certainly hasn't been anything like player he was at city, the midfield lacks quality without doubt and the likes of bannan,Delph,albrighton , are squad players at best and not good enough at this level.

[saunders_heroes]

Three years ago our midfield was Young, Milner, Petrov and Downing. Today none of our midfielders sand out as automatic premier league quality. Stephen Ireland is probably our best midfielder now.

Stephen Ireland isn't fit to wear a Villa shirt. He hasn't contributed a single thing of note since joining us. In fact I'd say he's pound for pound one of the worst signings this club has ever made.

A tad harsh but he certainly hasn't been anything like player he was at city, the midfield lacks quality without doubt and the likes of bannan,Delph,albrighton , are squad players at best and not good enough at this level.

He's a one season wonder and he's still living off it. It's soul destroying to see our team become so poor when just a few years ago we were a top 6 side.

[Clampy]

I was thinking back to the Swansea and Newcastle games and how well we did not giving either side time on the ball and closing them down. I had a look at both our line ups and the midfield for those games were Holman, KEA, Ireland, Bannan, with Weimman and Bent up front. You could argue there's no width there still, but we did look a better side and it had more energy.