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

[villan from luton]

Wasnt McAllister more unpopular than Benitez? As for Cowans, that is a fantasy choice surely?

Absolutely. he was despised by the fans and the players who he drilled more than they wanted on things like set peices. Thing is he was a small bright spot of competency over the past two years.

That is a matter of opinion, we may have finished 9th, but were deep in the brown stuff till next to the last game

[onje_villa]

Lambert is not the problem.

He is doing the best he can with what he has got.

Injuries, bad luck and poor refs don't help.

OK, yet McLeish WAS the problem?

Difference? And please don't say "we're playing better football".

[levico]

How can it be his fault when he doesn't have the backing? He's been given transfer budget but no wage budget, its all well and good paying a fee if he cant pay a player.
Today the referee was fucking abysmal and Benteke should have had 3, I wouldn't blame Lambo for that

Managers with lesser budgets and players are doing better than him. We all know resources are thread bare, but the lack of organisation is a coaching failure, the abysmal goal difference position demonstrates tactical failure, and the body language of players and staff indicates motivational failure. 

The combination of an abysmal absent owner and incompetent, out of depth manager is a perfect storm I'm afraid.  Relegation seems inevitable.

Have to agree with this. Yes we don't have huge resources but we still spent 20 odd million in the summer which is plenty more than lots of other teams.

To me the main reason he should go is his clear inability to motivate players however young or inexperienced. His mumbling, repetitive post match interviews are barely intelligible so I have no faith in his ability to rouse and gee up players, particularly those for whom English is not their first language.

[onje_villa]

The problem is not Lambert. I only wish it was because we could have a go at fixing that for the remaining games.
The problem is Lerner. That cannot be fixed in the short term.

You see, I do think we're being badly run and need more investment but there are plenty of teams out there who've spent LESS than us and yet they are doing better. The setup and organisation of the team is shambolic at present.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Wasnt McAllister more unpopular than Benitez? As for Cowans, that is a fantasy choice surely?

Absolutely. he was despised by the fans and the players who he drilled more than they wanted on things like set peices. Thing is he was a small bright spot of competency over the past two years.

That is a matter of opinion, we may have finished 9th, but were deep in the brown stuff till next to the last game

No question. But he did turn our trajectory after Houiller got ill. Maybe he had a lucky run but for sure he made such extreme changes in training intensity that some of our players disliked him for it. I cant help but think the two things were linked.

To be honest I dont really have him as my dream manager but we need someone to steady the ship right now. With Arry  the escape artist gone to QPR and halfway through a transfer window I dont know who else would be a good choice. Shrug, open to other ideas.

[NeilH]

Lambert is not the problem.

He is doing the best he can with what he has got.

Injuries, bad luck and poor refs don't help.

OK, yet McLeish WAS the problem?

Difference? And please don't say "we're playing better football".

Unfortunately McLeish was the problem because his CV meant that he was always going to be in the firing line, like it or not.

Lambert was a popular choice, the board know it and the fans are still largely backing him, so its doubtful he's going to go anywhere soon.

[London Villan]

I'm sure it's been said, but if the club can't afford players then the club can't afford to sack another manager.

The best sacking would be that of Faulkner and get someone in who can run a football club... the management team at Swansea would be the first place I'd look, then Stoke.

[onje_villa]

Lambert is not the problem.

He is doing the best he can with what he has got.

Injuries, bad luck and poor refs don't help.

OK, yet McLeish WAS the problem?

Difference? And please don't say "we're playing better football".

Unfortunately McLeish was the problem because his CV meant that he was always going to be in the firing line, like it or not.

Lambert was a popular choice, the board know it and the fans are still largely backing him, so its doubtful he's going to go anywhere soon.

And yet the point remains.

McLeish was to blame and yet Lambert isn't?
Same owners, same working conditions.

I'm playing devil's advocate here, I certainly didn't want to keep McLeish and I certainly like the sound of Lambert's plan but to suddenly put it all at Lerner's feet because it suits us to do so is rather hypocritical, in my opinion.

[OzVilla]

We're most probably fucked unless we back Lambert with some money.  We've been saying this for weeks.

As always it's now over to Randy and the Board and has been since 1st January.  This is where strong leadership must kick in one way or the other..........................

I'm not optimistic.

[eric woolban woolban]

Tactically naive, inept. Stubborn as MON.

Will go down in history as the manager of the team who had their record defeat.

Too few goals, too many conceded.

No hope I'm afriad. We're doomed.

[hawkeye]

Lambert is not the problem.

He is doing the best he can with what he has got.

Injuries, bad luck and poor refs don't help.

OK, yet McLeish WAS the problem?

Difference? And please don't say "we're playing better football".

Unfortunately McLeish was the problem because his CV meant that he was always going to be in the firing line, like it or not.

Lambert was a popular choice, the board know it and the fans are still largely backing him, so its doubtful he's going to go anywhere soon.

And yet the point remains.

McLeish was to blame and yet Lambert isn't?
Same owners, same working conditions.

I'm playing devil's advocate here, I certainly didn't want to keep McLeish and I certainly like the sound of Lambert's plan but to suddenly put it all at Lerner's feet because it suits us to do so is rather hypocritical, in my opinion.

I think you have a point, Mcliesh took the job knowing that he had limited funds and blew them on Hutton and Nzog, then tried to grind out results with the most negative football ever seen at Villa, it seemed in Lambert that we had a manager with ideas and investment in youth which looked like a more sustainable approach. But we are where we are because of a series of bad decisions by lerner, so to pick on any of 5 of his appointments is probably unfair.

[Ian.]

I will vote to keep him as I don't trust the board to make another decision. Let him have some funds, bring some one bodies in and it might just give us a kick up the arse and confidence we need.

It was said in the match thread we are not too many players off a goodish side.

If we don't I have no idea where the confidence, spark and fight will come from to dig us out. Two or three players if right might just do it.

[Ducksworthy]

I dunno why Lambert is making such a faff of this job. I play Football Manager all the time and I'm quite good at it, it's not that hard...

[maidstonevillain]

How can it be his fault when he doesn't have the backing? He's been given transfer budget but no wage budget, its all well and good paying a fee if he cant pay a player.
Today the referee was fucking abysmal and Benteke should have had 3, I wouldn't blame Lambo for that

Managers with lesser budgets and players are doing better than him. We all know resources are thread bare, but the lack of organisation is a coaching failure, the abysmal goal difference position demonstrates tactical failure, and the body language of players and staff indicates motivational failure. 

The combination of an abysmal absent owner and incompetent, out of depth manager is a perfect storm I'm afraid.  Relegation seems inevitable.

Have to agree with this. Yes we don't have huge resources but we still spent 20 odd million in the summer which is plenty more than lots of other teams.

To me the main reason he should go is his clear inability to motivate players however young or inexperienced. His mumbling, repetitive post match interviews are barely intelligible so I have no faith in his ability to rouse and gee up players, particularly those for whom English is not their first language.

Couldn't agree more. I have always been of the view that there is a direct correlation between being a good manager and being an articulate and good communicator. If a manager cannot communicate to the fans, to the media, how can he be expected to communicate to the players. Mumblers don't make managers.

[ciggiesnbeer]

I dunno why Lambert is making such a faff of this job. I play Football Manager all the time and I'm quite good at it, it's not that hard...

Are you sure you want to quit without saving? Y/n

Load Game - Aston Villa December 16th.

"Dat backheel"