Lambert in or out? Poll reset with majority 'in', 7th May

[pauliewalnuts]

Bring back Brian little until season end with Peter Withe his assistant

Shearer helped Newcastle didn't he? Now is not the time to make emotional decisions, things have to be looked at properly; players need to be identified and added to our pitiful defence and midfield, and quickly.

Exactly.

[Monty]

I've said it before, I think his approach has been too emotional. He got the young guys up for the fight, and if you score first at Anfield that's fine, they're going to feel great, it'll work out. If, however, you concede two good (if perhaps avoidable) goals at Chelsea, the heads will drop and the confidence will drop further, and after the eight-goal thumping, that confidence was shot. Conceding that first against Spurs did the same, and against Wigan they came up against a balanced side who've developed a bit of sang-froid, which comes from a manager who sticks unfussily to what he does, and got steamrollered.

What we need is calm, stoic, almost emotionless players - inevitably experienced ones, the young players who have that innately are one in a million. At the very least we need that sort of leadership from the manager, but he just looks depressed. Teams take their emotional cue from managers, so no matter how bad it gets a manager must never allow himself to be as downbeat as Lambert's become, because it will be reflected back at him from his players, especially young ones.

[Risso]

Bring back Brian little until season end with Peter Withe his assistant

Shearer helped Newcastle didn't he? Now is not the time to make emotional decisions, things have to be looked at properly; players need to be identified and added to our pitiful defence and midfield, and quickly.

Exactly.

Well I for one wasn't being serious, I just like the fact that Sir Brian's missus liked my comment!  Little's been out of things for too long and I wouldn't want his name tarnished by being associated with this current rabble.

[VinnieChase84]

Bring back Brian little until season end with Peter Withe his assistant

Shearer helped Newcastle didn't he? Now is not the time to make emotional decisions, things have to be looked at properly; players need to be identified and added to our pitiful defence and midfield, and quickly.

I agree to a certain extent. However, i think we are in the shut were in cause no one seems to show any emotion, passion, pride. Something's going to give in the next 7 days. Either we sign some experience and start to battle or this time next week PL is gone and were looking at our 'options'

[eastie]

Lambert at Norwich was on the touch line constantly urging his team on , last night he looked like a man wh knew the game was up, as inspiring as a dirty dishcloth - doesnt look the same man to me - maybe he is out of his depth in a similar way to mike walker when he went from Norwich to Everton.

[pauliewalnuts]

Spot on, Monty

That's the thing with the young players - too much loaded on to them, too soon, and when things go badly, it is next to impossible to lift them.

Ciaran Clark, for example, might make a good centre half, Nathan Baker might make a good centre half, but at the moment we're expecting them both to do it, now, and playing alongside each other.

[VinnieChase84]

Lambert at Norwich was on the touch line constantly urging his team on , last night he looked like a man wh knew the game was up, as inspiring as a dirty dishcloth - doesnt look the same man to me - maybe he is out of his depth in a similar way to mike walker when he went from Norwich to Everton.

Good point

[pauliewalnuts]

Bring back Brian little until season end with Peter Withe his assistant

Shearer helped Newcastle didn't he? Now is not the time to make emotional decisions, things have to be looked at properly; players need to be identified and added to our pitiful defence and midfield, and quickly.

Exactly.

Well I for one wasn't being serious, I just like the fact that Sir Brian's missus liked my comment!  Little's been out of things for too long and I wouldn't want his name tarnished by being associated with this current rabble.

Of course not. It just triggered horrible thoughts of Newcastle fans turning up to our game with them equpped with "next messiah" banners

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I have come to the conclusion that PL has bent the stick too far away from pragmatism and short termism and is planning too much for the future. Yes, under MoN we lacked the flexibility to break defensive teams down at VP and yes, to be successful in the Prem, you have to be able to play several different formations and be tactically flexible. 

But all the flexibility in the world is of fuck all use if you can't defend a corner and the entire defence is banjaxed by some elementary movement such as a run to the near post. Back to basics is needed at this stage.
Also, I like a bit of cultured passing and that class of thing, but I get very irritated when a player is left in acres of space, and instead of pressing it before making the pass, does it straight away, usually sideways. It is as though they have been programmed to pass it quickly whatever the circumstances. In the recent Wigan fiasco, their number 2 gave a demonstration on what can be achieved when this situation arises, which was frequently in that game.

In all the excitment of him joining us, we probably ignored the comments from Norwich fans claiming that in three years at Carrow Road, Lambert never managed to sort out the defence. I don't need the stats to see they had a very valid point.

[Monty]

Bennett and Lowton as well, Paulie. That is one inexperienced omnishambles of a defence right now. They just have no idea what to do in any given situation - when on MOTD it was pointed out that, for the Routledge goal, the whole back four was in a line vertically strung up the pitch I couldn't believe my eyes; it has to be the worst defensive positioning I've ever seen. That's what's happening at the moment, they don't have the calm to stop, think about their jobs and execute them - they're just desperately rushing to the ball and hoping for the best.

[pauliewalnuts]

The calmest head in the back four at the moment is Lowton, I reckon, but yes, an entire defence of novices asked to perform together.

Also, Lambert was quite insistent at the start of the season that Clark is a CB, and in no way a midfielder. I'm entirely unconvinced by that argument.

[David_Nab]

I think the cup run has what has kept him in the good books with Randy ,even with poor league performances he could point to the cup success as work in progress.Tim Abrahams from the E&S alluded to the fact PL would bring up the semi final when not prompted.Well after last night the cup dream looks in serious trouble as does the ridiculous marketing guaranteeing a cup final ticket for taking up a half season ticket

Against Wigan he was certainly up shouting instructions last night he just sat down the whole time no attempt to get them going at all.Look like a rabbit in the headlights as he did against Chelsea ...

If he stays I think we go down , if he goes not sure anyone who is avaliable who can come in and save us so we go down anyway... desperately depressing times.IF we somehow win Saturday thats are 7th win ..in 40 league games.

[Monty]

The calmest head in the back four at the moment is Lowton, I reckon, but yes, an entire defence of novices asked to perform together.

Also, Lambert was quite insistent at the start of the season that Clark is a CB, and in no way a midfielder. I'm entirely unconvinced by that argument.

I think Clark is a centre back, and perhaps a decent one, but he just looks in severe need of a break, it all looks too much for him at the moment. Lowton I think has also really dropped his performance level since (surprise surprise) the Chelsea mauling - he's been at least in part at fault for many of our worst defensive moments since, and is another one in need of a break.

[Greg N'Ash]

ATM I'd probably welcome GT MK3 for 5 months. Rapidily approaching the the point where it's not who can we get that's better, but who would possibly do worse?

[Billy Walker]

I genuinely can't believe people are debating another managerial change.  Four thousand Villa fans serenaded Lambert when his team gave our own a battering at Carrow Road last seasonand now, months into a tough rebuilding job, patience is already wearing thin.  We can't keep doing this.  We can't keep making and breaking managers because pretty soon our club (and suppporters) will be viewed as some kind of deranged, basket case - the proverbial poisoned chalice.  Lambert is a top quality young manager.  He needs time and he needs patience.

Here's a serious question:  Would it have been "wiser" for  Lambert's long-term managerial position at Villa for him to have thrown the earlier League Cup match v Man City in order to dampen down expectations and pressure on himself?