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

[danlanza]

The bottom team in the Premier League next season will pick up more than the £60m in prize money that Man City took home last season.  I cannot stress how important it is, now more so than ever to stay in the Premier League.  That being the case, surely Lerner can see the case in spending on a couple of top drawer players to ensure we stay up?

What's going on at the Villa makes no sense whatsoever at the moment. I can't fathom the thought process behind the wage bill at the moment.

Join the club. I find it hard in todays game that we are paying Championship wages and expecting Premier league performances. Baffled really.

[saunders_heroes]

What do you mean by 'towing the party line'?

Saying its his decision to buy players from the lower leagues. It's obvious Lerner wants all the top earners off the books, which most of them are by now (I'm sure the rest will follow). It only makes sense that we have to look at lower league players because they are relatively cheap when it comes to salary demands.

You could also argue that not only a few months ago he was able to bring in a Belgian international and a Dutch international.

I bet they're on the same kind of relatively cheap wages the rest of the signings are on.

[Greg N'Ash]

The bottom team in the Premier League next season will pick up more than the £60m in prize money that Man City took home last season.  I cannot stress how important it is, now more so than ever to stay in the Premier League.  That being the case, surely Lerner can see the case in spending on a couple of top drawer players to ensure we stay up?

What's going on at the Villa makes no sense whatsoever at the moment. I can't fathom the thought process behind the wage bill at the moment.

Join the club. I find it hard in todays game that we are paying Championship wages and expecting Premier league performances. Baffled really.

maybe his plan is to get us running at a profit on the old money level, so when the new money comes in he can use that to pay himself back.

[VillaAlways]

What do you mean by 'towing the party line'?

Saying its his decision to buy players from the lower leagues. It's obvious Lerner wants all the top earners off the books, which most of them are by now (I'm sure the rest will follow). It only makes sense that we have to look at lower league players because they are relatively cheap when it comes to salary demands.

What puzzles me I'd why would he leave Norwich to work under such stringent conditions? Unless he really felt he could build his own team from scratch in one season ie He thinks he is a better manager than he actually is

[eastie]

What do you mean by 'towing the party line'?

Saying its his decision to buy players from the lower leagues. It's obvious Lerner wants all the top earners off the books, which most of them are by now (I'm sure the rest will follow). It only makes sense that we have to look at lower league players because they are relatively cheap when it comes to salary demands.

What puzzles me I'd why would he leave Norwich to work under such stringent conditions? Unless he really felt he could build his own team from scratch in one season ie He thinks he is a better manager than he actually is

Although apparently he didn't get on with Norwich chairman .

[ASHTONVILLA]

I voted out.

I can't fault the appointment Randy made in Lambert, he had a good pedigree and was my preferred choice- however it just isn't working. I have been patient till now, but enough is enough. I can't see him being able to keep us up. A new manager might struggle also, but they often give a fillip to existing players when the come in, and that might just be the difference between staying up and going down.

If we do go down I can't see Randy changing his 'live within means' policy on wages, so could see us really imploding in the championship.

As for who to bring in - not sure. Think we need a holding appointment till the end of the season. Could consider GT for a third spell. Maybe bring Gary McAllister back. RDM. Hughes.

Anything is worth a try, as we are likely relegated if we don't make a change.

[Greg N'Ash]

I voted out.

I can't fault the appointment Randy made in Lambert, he had a good pedigree, and was my preferred choice- however it just isn't working.I have been patient till now, but enough is enough - I can't see him being able to keep us up. A new manager might struggle also, but they often give a fillip to existing players when the come in, and that might just be the difference between staying up and going down.

If we do go down I can't see Randy changing his 'live within means' policy on wages, so could see us really imploding in the championship.

As for who to bring in - not sure. Think we need a holding appointment till the end of the season. Could consider GT for a third spell. Maybe bring Gary McAllister back. RDM. Hughes.

Anything is worth a try, as we are likely relegated if we don't make a change.

Have to admit GT has entered my thoughts  a few times. He's not the answer obviously but he knows Aston Villa and short term he'd raise morale, get us organised and deal with the senior players who are taking the piss IMO under Lambert.

[Drummond]

The debate is at times getting personal on here, all I would ask is if people could please try and stay away from calling other people morons, deluded, insane etc.

All opinions matter and are valid, even if you're an idiot for not agreeing with me! ;-)

Clearly we care going through a really hard time, we're having the piss taken out of us all the time and appear to be heading for a possible relegation.

It got nasty on here when DOL was being shit (spell check said shot,  which may have been more appropriate!) and I'd ask you to think about the words you use before hitting enter.

I think we all agree that the owner is the root of the problem, let's hope he does something soon. I'd prefer that not to be sacking a manager who has had to pick up the worst squad problems we've had for a long, long time. In my view Lambert is trying to plan a long term way forward, it's not coming off yet though there are patches when it all clicks (just not often enough).

Youth has to be the way forward, but it's naive to expect them to do well without a core of decent, experienced players to steady the ship. I think Lambert did the right thing in getting bad influences, Collins, Warnock etc from the squad, he just needed others to step up, which they have spectacularly failed to do. We need rid of them too.

[midnite]

I'm not sure sacking the manager again is the right thing to do. We've had numerous managers now all under achieving/not getting the best out the players. I don't think it's a managerial problem anymore. This is something deeper going on at the club. It's the only common denominator. The players are changing now and yet we're still under achieving as a club. Yes we do still have some of the senior lot to get rid of but some of these haven't been anywhere near the first team of late.

This is something in the background or at board level now. We can't keep sacking the manager as each time we do we still end up with the same outcome. This isn't a sack the board post either, I'm just wondering if there's a certain philosophy (from a business perspective) which the club what to stick to that just isn't working.

I'm currently watching the man united game and the way in which they're creating space and playing the game at the moment, we're a million miles away. With the type of football we're playing at the moment, compared to what's on the tv, we are playing championship level football.

[Kevin_Brum12]

What on earth do you do?  It's a bit like being in a Russian Roulette game with five bullets in the gun.

Keep Lambert, and if he does not bring anyone, and in the dire run of results continues, and we go down.  And based on his current record of acquisitions can you honestly trust him to bring in the right personnel to turn things round?

Sack him, then who do you get in?   Newcastle sacked Allardyce in the January in the season when they were relegated and look what happened?   I don't think Di Matteo will come here in a month of Sundays, and unlike Wolves if Lambert did walk/get the boot I don't think they have anyone whatsoever lined up.   

We are screwed and can look forward to Cardiff, Forest and Morrisons next door neighbours on the Coventry Road next season, unless they go into administration.  Thank McGrath we are not in the same state as that shambles, but shame on Randy for allowing our club to collapse into a laughing stock. 

[PaulWinch again]

It's our owner being hopeless that's the main problem, changing the manager won't change that. Unless the owner invests adequately we will never improve.

[midnite]

Exactly, the way the club have run things in the past, can you see a replacement already lined up before they sacked the manager? I don't. They'll sack him, say they want to do things the right way, short list, conduct interviews etc. it'll be the end of feb before they get a new guy in. By which time the window will be closed and the care taker manager sealing our fate.

[Dave Clark Five]

I think the Football Manager's Association would probably advise their members not to take a job at Villa in the present climate.

[Monty]

After a night's sober reflection, I feel we just need to give him money to spend. He can't be unaware of the problems, everyone can see it. I don't care what he says in the media, either, he's never given anything away on any issue, so I don't expect him to give away his transfer plans either. Sacking him, especially given the track record our owner has of appointees, would raise more questions than answers and, in my view, almost certainly relegate us. The way up for the team is to add some quality (Randy, come on, you can't be blind to this), rally round and show some fight and togetherness. Sacking the manager would lead to the notion of a club in freefall and disarray - and while we may currently be the former, we can prevent the latter.

[LeeB]

After a night's sober reflection, I feel we just need to give him money to spend. He can't be unaware of the problems, everyone can see it. I don't care what he says in the media, either, he's never given anything away on any issue, so I don't expect him to give away his transfer plans either. Sacking him, especially given the track record our owner has of appointees, would raise more questions than answers and, in my view, almost certainly relegate us. The way up for the team is to add some quality (Randy, come on, you can't be blind to this), rally round and show some fight and togetherness. Sacking the manager would lead to the notion of a club in freefall and disarray - and while we may currently be the former, we can prevent the latter.

As usual sir, bang on the money.