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

[hilts_coolerking]

Why is it?

Half a transfer window is two weeks plus a few days. In that time we need to get the new man in, hope to fuck he's spent the last few months scouting rather than sitting watching SSN all day, and pray he can do some business in the few days he'll have left.

Because after the end of January he won't have any time at all.  Some is better than none, obviously.

[Risso]

If they were to sack Lambert then right now is the optimum time to do it.  Half a season still to go, half a transfer window to do a few deals.  It's not in their nature though, seemingly, to act decisively or swiftly.

Why is it?

Half a transfer window is two weeks plus a few days. In that time we need to get the new man in, hope to fuck he's spent the last few months scouting rather than sitting watching SSN all day, and pray he can do some business in the few days he'll have left.

Lambert has said he's unlikely to get anybody else in, and said on the BBC that today's result doesn't change that.  We're therefore left with a decision - who's going to best organise the team to stay up; Lambert who been spectacularly shit to date, or somebody else.  If somebody is definitely going to take us down, then surely it's worth a shot on somebody else.  And there's no point in complaining that we've only two weeks of the window left, when you were arguing the same none-reasons for keeping Lambert two weeks ago when a new man would have had time to at least look at a few loans.

[PaulWinch again]

We're a shambles noone is denying that, but changing the manager will do nothing. Lambert has done a good job at his previous clubs over the last few years, and deserves a chance. However the board have to actually support the club properly and finance us suitably. Bottom line is we need finance from Lerner and without it could be Lambert or anyone else we'd still drop.

[hilts_coolerking]

Was the general air really better as we finished 15th, 19th, 16th, 16th, 21st (relegated), 16th (old div 2), 18th (old div 2), 21st (relegated to division 3)?

Before my time.  This is as hapless as I've ever seen the club I reckon.

[pauliewalnuts]

If they were to sack Lambert then right now is the optimum time to do it.  Half a season still to go, half a transfer window to do a few deals.  It's not in their nature though, seemingly, to act decisively or swiftly.

Why is it?

Half a transfer window is two weeks plus a few days. In that time we need to get the new man in, hope to fuck he's spent the last few months scouting rather than sitting watching SSN all day, and pray he can do some business in the few days he'll have left.

Lambert has said he's unlikely to get anybody else in, and said on the BBC that today's result doesn't change that.  We're therefore left with a decision - who's going to best organise the team to stay up; Lambert who been spectacularly shit to date, or somebody else.  If somebody is definitely going to take us down, then surely it's worth a shot on somebody else.  And there's no point in complaining that we've only two weeks of the window left, when you were arguing the same none-reasons for keeping Lambert two weeks ago when a new man would have had time to at least look at a few loans.

Yes, I was arguing that two weeks ago, and I am even more convinced now, with even less time, that it would be a stupid move.

The major problem is not the manager, it is the man above the manager, and the man above him.

[ozzjim]

Look at the voting in the poll above. Thank fuck there are enough of us who can see the wider picture and aren't just perenially angry and wanting to show it, regardless of the cost.

Then you can enjoy paying your money in the Championship with all the other people clever enough to see the wider picture.  Well done you.  And thank god we didn't get Big Sam eh, phew, bullet dodged there.

You act like those of us who disagree with you either don't think we are at risk of relegation, or actually want to go into the Championship. As if we've not noticed how shit results are.

The fact is, you were shouting for Big Sam, who may or may not have kept us up at that point, without thinking that that would have meant being lumbered with him for the foreseeable future.

You yourself would then have turned out to be the very first person calling for his head when we witnessed his neanderthal brand of "football" the following season.

Risso, you were in the wanting Lambert in the summer camp. And you were just as big a critic of McLeish as anyone, including his organisation. Second half of last season was just as bad as this and at times worse. At least we had 16 attempts today!

The only thing today showed second half is that there is a bit of fight there, which until today I had not seen. They showed there is still a bit of passion, and need to keep that going next week against Albion.

[Dave Clark Five]

Was the general air really better as we finished 15th, 19th, 16th, 16th, 21st (relegated), 16th (old div 2), 18th (old div 2), 21st (relegated to division 3)?

Forgive me, it might be nostalgia. As a young lad in those days, I got goose pimples being anywhere near Villa Park. If you blindfolded me and put me in the ground in the middle of the night, I would know where I was. There was an atmosphere and 'feel' about it that I have never forgotten.

[Greg N'Ash]

People wanted Houllier out after the Liverpool game, TSM before he'd got through the door, so Lambert is comparison has had the honeymoon period, and 2 years living together. I don't see why he's any different from the last two. Yes a lot of people wanted him and yes he's got a piss poor deal (like the last two managers) BUT if he's not motivating or organising the players what do you do? Just accept it or hope a new guy can get the players onside? We're poor, everyone knows that, but we could stay up if they play to their strengths and get the confidence and belief back. That's not going to happen under Lambert sadly.

[Risso]

Look at the voting in the poll above. Thank fuck there are enough of us who can see the wider picture and aren't just perenially angry and wanting to show it, regardless of the cost.

Then you can enjoy paying your money in the Championship with all the other people clever enough to see the wider picture.  Well done you.  And thank god we didn't get Big Sam eh, phew, bullet dodged there.

You act like those of us who disagree with you either don't think we are at risk of relegation, or actually want to go into the Championship. As if we've not noticed how shit results are.

The fact is, you were shouting for Big Sam, who may or may not have kept us up at that point, without thinking that that would have meant being lumbered with him for the foreseeable future.

You yourself would then have turned out to be the very first person calling for his head when we witnessed his neanderthal brand of "football" the following season.

Actually I like Big Sam, and the game I saw the other day when Cole made his debut was far better footballing wise than anything we've managed this season.

[dave.woodhall]

Was the general air really better as we finished 15th, 19th, 16th, 16th, 21st (relegated), 16th (old div 2), 18th (old div 2), 21st (relegated to division 3)?

Forgive me, it might be nostalgia. As a young lad in those days, I got goose pimples being anywhere near Villa Park. If you blindfolded me and put me in the ground in the middle of the night, I would know where I was. There was an atmosphere and 'feel' about it that I have never forgotten.

I have a theory that some time between getting promoted in 1975 and winning the league we lost our mystique. Maybe it's because people really hadn't studied us closely before then; we were more myth than reality.

[Risso]

Look at the voting in the poll above. Thank fuck there are enough of us who can see the wider picture and aren't just perenially angry and wanting to show it, regardless of the cost.

Then you can enjoy paying your money in the Championship with all the other people clever enough to see the wider picture.  Well done you.  And thank god we didn't get Big Sam eh, phew, bullet dodged there.

You act like those of us who disagree with you either don't think we are at risk of relegation, or actually want to go into the Championship. As if we've not noticed how shit results are.

The fact is, you were shouting for Big Sam, who may or may not have kept us up at that point, without thinking that that would have meant being lumbered with him for the foreseeable future.

You yourself would then have turned out to be the very first person calling for his head when we witnessed his neanderthal brand of "football" the following season.

Risso, you were in the wanting Lambert in the summer camp. And you were just as big a critic of McLeish as anyone, including his organisation. Second half of last season was just as bad as this and at times worse. At least we had 16 attempts today!

The only thing today showed second half is that there is a bit of fight there, which until today I had not seen. They showed there is still a bit of passion, and need to keep that going next week against Albion.

And when we lose that, you'll be in the "out" camp as you said in your post after the Bradford game.  So we agree really, you're just a bit slow to catch up!

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm not sure that Risso's ability to come up with decent alternatives has any bearing on whether Lambert should stay or go.  I'm sure Lerner and Faulkner could come up with someone they thought was suitable.  "Here he is guys... Sir Clive Woodward.  Er no, sorry.   Sir Clive Sinclair!"

Quite, so we sack Lambert, and who chooses his successor? Randy and his sidekick, the Boy Blunder.

There are two seperate issues here.

1. Does he deserve the sack?
2. Is sacking him the best course of action for us right now?

On 1., yes, if you look at recent results especially, that's a record that gets managers the sack.

On 2, no, I don't think it is. For a start, I don't trust our fuckwit of an owner to not do something totally, totally stupid, on a McLeish stupidity level. I also think that the main constricting factor currently is not the manager, and changing him is far from a guarantee that you will improve things. The chance to add to the squad and improve under Lambert seems, to me, to be the better option than to take our chances under whoever Lerner decides to appoint next.

What fucks me off is this view that if you agree with my point re point 2, you've somehow not noticed the shit results, and all the other badness referred to in the first point.

Of course we fucking have. That's what has wrecked our weekends for months. Years, in fact, by and large. We're not fucking stupid. We (a lot of us) thought McLeish was shit, too, but we're not sufficiently stupid to think "well, at least he's not McLeish" is a good reason to keep him on.

That is what gets on my tits.

[saunders_heroes]

I started going to the Villa in '77 and I've never seen a Villa team as bad as this. If others on here think that's being OTT so be it, but that's what I honestly think. I had a season ticket last time we went down and we were nowhere near as poor as we are now. We've been humiliated so many times this season I've lost count. Last season was nothing compared to this disaster.

Maybe we should just shout at you and call you deluded, like you do anyone who doesn't follow your line?

Don't be silly.

[pauliewalnuts]

Was the general air really better as we finished 15th, 19th, 16th, 16th, 21st (relegated), 16th (old div 2), 18th (old div 2), 21st (relegated to division 3)?

Forgive me, it might be nostalgia. As a young lad in those days, I got goose pimples being anywhere near Villa Park. If you blindfolded me and put me in the ground in the middle of the night, I would know where I was. There was an atmosphere and 'feel' about it that I have never forgotten.

I have a theory that some time between getting promoted in 1975 and winning the league we lost our mystique. Maybe it's because people really hadn't studied us closely before then; we were more myth than reality.

For me, I thought we were at our most glamorous in that period from 77-79 or so. We had a kind of swagger that may or may not have been merited, but as a kid, I definitely felt it.

I think you also have to remember, though, when talking about the past, that football is so different now. It's hard to get goosepimples about football at all, because it is all so sterile, anodyne and increasingly elitist.

[pauliewalnuts]

I started going to the Villa in '77 and I've never seen a Villa team as bad as this. If others on here think that's being OTT so be it, but that's what I honestly think. I had a season ticket last time we went down and we were nowhere near as poor as we are now. We've been humiliated so many times this season I've lost count. Last season was nothing compared to this disaster.

Maybe we should just shout at you and call you deluded, like you do anyone who doesn't follow your line?

Don't be silly.

Why not?

That's what you seem to do all the time recently.