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

[mrfuse]

Im happy too still stick with him. We need to look at long term rather than short term fixes and I believe that Lambert can be successful but only if he is given time to do so.

[paul_e]

I think any other manager would have found a way with £25mil to make us more solid short term.

I like ,I assume many others thought Savage was talking out of his ass at the beginning of the season when he said we didn't have enough experience and would be in a relegation fight turns out the twat was right.

But when you look at who Lambert signed in the summer, you have to agree that it wasn't nearly enough and it wasn't hard for Savage to come to that conclusion. Lambert has gambled our Premier League status on inexperienced players, it was incredibly irresponsible - it was worrying me right from the start of the season that we didn't have enough Prem experience in the side.

I still think he expected the experienced players we had to play a much bigger part than they have, injuries and poor performances from Given, Dunne, Ireland, Nzog and Bent have robbed us of the experienced players we should have been able to rely on.

[PaulWinch again]

Im happy too still stick with him. We need to look at long term rather than short term fixes and I believe that Lambert can be successful but only if he is given time to do so.

Problem is success in the future can't be made at the expense of survival in the present.

[Villafirst]

I agree, he needs to make a couple of key signings in the next week, we desperately need a leader in midfield and a leader in the defence.

Do you expect the board to act that quickly? - I've lost all faith in their timing of key decisions.

[mrfuse]

Im happy too still stick with him. We need to look at long term rather than short term fixes and I believe that Lambert can be successful but only if he is given time to do so.

Problem is success in the future can't be made at the expense of survival in the present.

This is true its a very fine line at times. Im in the minority but I would accept relegation if it meant we were building something great but again it could also be at a cost we cannot recover from.

[silhillvilla]

For me it's a big OUT now. I've been around football long enough to tell when it's over. It's getting worse under Lambert . He's out of his depth and broken. I think he's lost the players too.

[PaulWinch again]

I don't think we would be building something great, that's the problem.

[Drummond]

How could we be worse if we sacked Lambert?  Could the defence get any worse?  Could we be more disorganised?  Could we score fewer goals?

We may - I pray - be sorting out signings right now. Some of them might be decent. Changing manager now would kybosh that for starters.

Put it this way, if we're not sorting out reinforcements, then I think we are fucked, whoever the manager.

I'd at least rather go down fighting than meekly giving up without a fight like we do under Lambert.  His idea to motivate people is to mutter something about "going again" and treating defeat and wins in the same way.  Does anybody imagine that Alex Ferguson treats his rare defeats in the same way he does a win?  I'm sorry, but Lambert is a small club manager in a similar style to Owen Coyle, who should have stayed where he was comfortable and left the big job to somebody else.  The only possible argument against getting rid of him is the thought of what that utter pair of cretins Lerner and Faulkner would try next.

You've no idea how Lambert reacts with the players. nor Ferguson for that matter (tea cup kicking episode aside).

I'm sick to death of the short-term thought process people are taking, more than I'm sick of being kicked every week.

We have to stick with someone that can take us forward, Lambert has been successful everywhere, as a player and manager.

I know it's difficult, christ, I'm in Birmingham today and it's not fun, that on top of the texts I received last night, however, we lost the first leg of a cup semi final. The time to judge is after the second leg at Villa Park. i.e. when the tie is over.

I know we've lost lots of other games badly, I'm not happy about that either, but I genuinely think we only need a couple of wisened heads in the mix to stop the rot and encourage the players. Anyone who thinks there is a quick fix for our club is in cloud cuckoo land.

[onje_villa]

I just want a bit of stability. How about this, MON bails and we wobble, Houllier comes in, clears some out brings some in, he bails when his heart goes, we bring in Mcleish, he clears some out brings some in, gets the boot, Lambert comes in clears some out brings some in...

Who in their right mind would come and join us with that worrying trend? Who could we convince to leave their current job just to let history repeat itself? The team's pretty much been picking itself because of injuries and we need a couple of shrewd January signings to keep the wolf from the door, that's all.

I subscribe to this view, but you have to admit he's not exactly doing a good job, is he? The whole thing is just an awful mess and has been since Pubehead spat his dummy.

I'm not his most vehement supporter, but he has my full support for the time being. He certainly made the right noises upon his arrival (as most would to be fair), he was talking about playing the right way, even if you're down by a couple and chasing a game That every player should try their heart out for 90 minutes, and we saw early flashes of that. He talked about bringing in players of a younger age because it wasn't too late to mold them, drill disciplines into them and making an impression on them for the greater long term good, I believe he said that it wasn't a dig at the older pro's but that you just can't change their game when they get to a certain age. He talked about how we were a bunch of route one hoofers who couldn't keep the ball down. When he brought in Vlaar our distribution from the back was better and we were keeping it down.

Fast forward a few months and it would seem that he's done the complete opposite to all the problems he identified. We hoof it up field because we haven't got a decent midfield, the kids are ill disciplined at the complete basics, like staying tight to your man and not letting them goal side when marking, not getting dragged out of position, and trying to hit 30 yard hopeful passes instead of short triangles. We capitulate, roll over and die at the 65 minute mark in virtually every game. he started putting it all right, then all of a sudden we started going backwards. We went from 4-4-2 to 4-5-1 to 3-5-2 to 5-2-1-2, he's been doing the okey cokey with Shay and Brad while trying to juggle the Zog's bipolar form, Bannan's 'I'm the finished article' attitude, Ireland's general crapness at life, no midfield width for which he seems to think Gabby and Andi are the way forward, swapping out kids for kids and a midfield that like to kick the ball straight to the oppositions feet.

The thing that makes it tolerable for me is I see flashes of the team we could be, rather than the team we are. Every now and again Clark will keep it low, release Westwood who finds Bannan who miraculously hits his pass spot on to Benteke who heads in on to Weimann who slots it under the advancing keeper. You just have to put up with about 60 minutes of shit to be treated to it.

Good post mate.

[Risso]

For me it's a big OUT now. I've been around football long enough to tell when it's over. It's getting worse under Lambert . He's out of his depth and broken. I think he's lost the players too.

Spot on.  Our one tactic last night against a 4th division side was to hoof long balls up to Benteke.  There's no sign of things improving whatsoever, and he should be gone already.  Not many other owners would accept such dismal performance from the manager.

[Chico Hamilton III]

but I genuinely think we only need a couple of wisened heads in the mix to stop the rot and encourage the players. Anyone who thinks there is a quick fix for our club is in cloud cuckoo land.

Isn't getting a couple of experienced players in ASAP exactly that? a quick fix?

His long term vision ( if he has one - and I don't share others' confidence about that) can only work if he fixes us short term

[not3bad]

but I genuinely think we only need a couple of wisened heads in the mix to stop the rot and encourage the players. Anyone who thinks there is a quick fix for our club is in cloud cuckoo land.

Isn't getting a couple of experienced players in ASAP exactly that? a quick fix?

His long term vision ( if he has one - and I don't share others' confidence about that) can only work if he fixes us short term

From what Matt Kendrick is saying that is going to happen.

[ozzjim]

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.

Me too. In our current squad I would have him at Left Back before centre back if all were fit.


How much would Huth and Hangelaand set us back?! Get them together in the middle and stop being walzed through.

[VillaAlways]

@JamesNursey: Ladbrokes: "PAUL LAMBERT is the hot favourite in the dreaded Premier League sack race market according to Ladbrokes.He's now the 11/10 "

[Concrete John]

but I genuinely think we only need a couple of wisened heads in the mix to stop the rot and encourage the players. Anyone who thinks there is a quick fix for our club is in cloud cuckoo land.

Isn't getting a couple of experienced players in ASAP exactly that? a quick fix?

His long term vision ( if he has one - and I don't share others' confidence about that) can only work if he fixes us short term

Whilst I agree with your last paragraph, I think a quick fix is something like Distin on a 6 month loan.  A signing like Lescott, even though he's 30, as part of a more longtern strategy of signing the RIGHT experienced player to go with our youth.