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

[Greg N'Ash]

i'm still in the 'out' camp, but there's little point changing this month at least, because of the transfer window. It's too late for a new guy so we will have to hope Lerner backs Lambert moneywise. After the transfer window its a different matter as it comes down to whether Lambert can motivate the existing players better than a new guy. Today was better. I can take us being shit but not completely clueless, so although we were shit 2nd half its a step up from recent performances.

[villan from luton]

i'm still in the 'out' camp, but there's little point changing this month at least, because of the transfer window. It's too late for a new guy so we will have to hope Lerner backs Lambert moneywise. After the transfer window its a different matter as it comes down to whether Lambert can motivate the existing players better than a new guy. Today was better. I can take us being shit but not completely clueless, so although we were shit 2nd half its a step up from recent performances.

Am confused by this as you want him out, but not until after the transfer window?

[old man villa fan]

The idea that Lerner would be able to sack Lambert and get somebody else in in less than a month is unreal.  So why people think that he would be able to do so and let the new manager go out and buy players in 11 days is just plain crazy but then again, some of the players that some fans think we could get in is along the same line of thinking.

Rebuilding the squad completely was always going to take time and a big risk considering the little money the manager was given to replace players, let alone improve the squad over night.  Lambert has shown elsewhere what he can do and what we are seeing this season is not what he is capable of.  To my mind it is a reflection of the quality of the squad and not the manager.  Too many experienced players under performing alongside young players whose confidence is very low and lack of leadership on the pitch.  Brian Clough was a great manager but his final season was a reflection of the quality of the team, not his managerial ability (even though the drink had the better of him at the time).

It seems that these days people want somebody to be accountable for failure and that the person should be sacked.  The feeling is that the next person will always do a better job.

I would stick with Lambert for at least two seasons.  We need some stability at the club.  We also need another season or two to rid the club of over paid and under performing players.  People go on about MON leaving an over paid playing legacy but McLeish went down the same path with Given, Hutton and to some extent, CNZ.  We have to learn that, if you over pay players and they do not perform, you will not be able to sell them as other clubs see no value in paying the same wages to the player and these days there are very few players that will take a cut in wages to move on.

[Mr Diggles]

You beat me to that quote MarkM! That Grauniad article about us makes very interesting reading

A spot on assessment, but Christ it's a hard read.

It is a tough read but the photo of the empty seating is harsh. That's the away section possibly against Wigan

Wigan were in the Lower tier.

it was wigan last season.

but, yeah, a very bleak piece.

And one which points to the failings of the club owner rather than the managers who can only work with the cards they are dealt with.

I think Lambert has to stay until at least next December irrespective of whether we are relegated or not. What he is trying to do needs time, and the one thing Villa desperately need is an end to the managerial (and by extension playing staff) swinging door.

[john e]

i dont believe in keeping a manager just for stability,
he has to be the right manager or at least one who can take the club forward otherwise there is no point and you need to get rid asap

what amazes me is that we have been through the worst set of results in history and still the manager gets 75%+ in the keep poll,
 thats incredible really, and even at the matches there is no move against him in fact quite the opposite his name is sung all the time,
 i like this because it sugests that people even though looking at the facts in the cold light of day which are bad, they still think Lambert is the man to turn things around and they still believe he is building something which in time can be succesfull,

Lambert gains a lot of time because of the last man in, and because of the high turnover of managers/caretakers over the last 4 years, people are fed up so are willing to give him more of a go than maybe they would otherwise, Lambert needs to make the most of this.

i personaly dont care about his accent or demeaner in press conferences, he sounds ok to me actually, i thought yesterday he was very animated and looked a leader on the touchline and not the 'dead man walking' which i've seen posted a few times on here,
his body language to me said he is up for the fight

there is a plan he is working to, he is building a young team from scratch, some dont think its working, i do think it will work i just hope it works well enough to escape relegation which is a real threat,

you only have to look at yetserdays game to see how different we play when we are confident and how fragile and vulnerable we are when under pressure, but we are not as bad a team as some suggest in my view, there is plenty of quality to work with, and some great football that is being played at times and great goals scored
 
Benteke is awsome and Lambert has every reason to feel good about him as he bought him, he could turn out to be one of the best centre forwards we have seen at VP, if he stays long enough

on to Tuesday, keep the faith

[eastie]

I think if randy was going to make the change he would have done so a week or more ago- any new man would need at least a couple of weeks in the transfer market- its probably likely lambert will stay , if we do go down i do not think he should or will  be at the helm next season .

[Greg N'Ash]

i'm still in the 'out' camp, but there's little point changing this month at least, because of the transfer window. It's too late for a new guy so we will have to hope Lerner backs Lambert moneywise. After the transfer window its a different matter as it comes down to whether Lambert can motivate the existing players better than a new guy. Today was better. I can take us being shit but not completely clueless, so although we were shit 2nd half its a step up from recent performances.

Am confused by this as you want him out, but not until after the transfer window?

Just logic really. Who's got more chance of turning it round? A new manager with no signings or Lambert with hopefully a few in? If come mid-february there's still no improvement then we might as well have one last roll of the dice,  and hope a new guy can motivate the squad we have.

[Dave Clark Five]

Motivation also needs to come from within, such as on the pitch.

[MonsXI]

i'm still in the 'out' camp, but there's little point changing this month at least, because of the transfer window. It's too late for a new guy so we will have to hope Lerner backs Lambert moneywise. After the transfer window its a different matter as it comes down to whether Lambert can motivate the existing players better than a new guy. Today was better. I can take us being shit but not completely clueless, so although we were shit 2nd half its a step up from recent performances.

Am confused by this as you want him out, but not until after the transfer window?

Just logic really. Who's got more chance of turning it round? A new manager with no signings or Lambert with hopefully a few in? If come mid-february there's still no improvement then we might as well have one last roll of the dice,  and hope a new guy can motivate the squad we have.

Sacking Lambert now or mid Feb would mean we've gone through this shit storm of a season for nothing. You cannot expect a manager to come into a club that has floundered in the bottom half of the table for a few years and change things in a matter of months. I honestly believe we've got the right man for job as did probably 90% of us in the summer, the biggest problem is some probably under estimated the situation at VP.

For the record I don't believe we'll go down but if we do I would not change the manager because of my first point we've got to give this a proper chance to work because I can't see another way of us moving forward under the current ownership.

[barrysleftfoot]

 For:Benteke
       Westwood
       Vlaar
       N'zogs form
       Weimann
       Style of football

 Against:Position

 Do i think he is a good manager?.....bizarrely after yday yes.Played good attacking football, Benteke is as good a foward as i have seen down VP, Yorkie, and Sir Brian included, Westwood has a touch of Alex Cropley about him, and we saw how much Vlaar was worth to us yday.I think if he is allowed to spend a bit of money this transfer window then we will be easily safe, and allow him to bring a couple of decent signings in the summer, then we are not far off.

 Guzan, Baker, Vlaar, Westwood, Weimann, and Benteke is a good base for a reasonable team, add to that an improving N'Zog, a more determined Gabby, Darren Bent, and SI, who could still be very good players at VP with a bit more self-motivation, and a good young player in Bennett coming through, we are not far off.

[Greg N'Ash]

Well its all linked. Confidence, motivation etc... Half our problem after the chelsea game was the players lost confidence in what Lambert was trying to do. He should have shut up shop and taken a 4 nil loss. At least that would have protected the players a bit. After that game, some of the players were obviously not entirely convinced by his tactics so you got the fragmented performances we've seen where some players were ignoring him and reverting to what they've done in the past.. Someone made a good point on the post-match southampton thread about at one stage most of our midfield were within 5 feet of each other while the one guy was on the wing. You don't need to have an opposition player with Cruyff-like vision to exploit the gaps. He needs to regain their trust and if he doesn't then let a new guy have a go at playing a system they believe in.

[MonsXI]

Well its all linked. Confidence, motivation etc... Half our problem after the chelsea game was the players lost confidence in what Lambert was trying to do. He should have shut up shop and taken a 4 nil loss. At least that would have protected the players a bit. After that game, some of the players were obviously not entirely convinced by his tactics so you got the fragmented performances we've seen where some players were ignoring him and reverting to what they've done in the past.. Someone made a good point on the post-match southampton thread about at one stage most of our midfield were within 5 feet of each other while the one guy was on the wing. You don't need to have an opposition player with Cruyff-like vision to exploit the gaps. He needs to regain their trust and if he doesn't then let a new guy have a go at playing a system they believe in.

If we keep turning over managers at one a season we will end up like Wolves or Blackburn. I can't see that the players don't trust Lambert I honestly can't see where your coming from there yes he  should've tightened up at Chelsea but did the player lose their trust for him then I don't see that at all.

[Greg N'Ash]

Well its all linked. Confidence, motivation etc... Half our problem after the chelsea game was the players lost confidence in what Lambert was trying to do. He should have shut up shop and taken a 4 nil loss. At least that would have protected the players a bit. After that game, some of the players were obviously not entirely convinced by his tactics so you got the fragmented performances we've seen where some players were ignoring him and reverting to what they've done in the past.. Someone made a good point on the post-match southampton thread about at one stage most of our midfield were within 5 feet of each other while the one guy was on the wing. You don't need to have an opposition player with Cruyff-like vision to exploit the gaps. He needs to regain their trust and if he doesn't then let a new guy have a go at playing a system they believe in.

If we keep turning over managers at one a season we will end up like Wolves or Blackburn. I can't see that the players don't trust Lambert I honestly can't see where your coming from there yes he  should've tightened up at Chelsea but did the player lose their trust for him then I don't see that at all.

Well how do you explain some of the games in the last month when marking or any sort of formation seemed to go out the door. I can't believe he told them to play like that so it sort of hints its the players mind-set thats the problem. Like it or not if your letting in shedloads of goals then its hard to be very confident in the way the manager wants you to play.

[eastie]

I see the logic in keeping a manager long term but only if it is the correct manager , i wanted lambert for the job but have been very disappointed with some of his selections, tactics , formations - i think tuesdays result will have a huge bearing on our season .

[MonsXI]

Well its all linked. Confidence, motivation etc... Half our problem after the chelsea game was the players lost confidence in what Lambert was trying to do. He should have shut up shop and taken a 4 nil loss. At least that would have protected the players a bit. After that game, some of the players were obviously not entirely convinced by his tactics so you got the fragmented performances we've seen where some players were ignoring him and reverting to what they've done in the past.. Someone made a good point on the post-match southampton thread about at one stage most of our midfield were within 5 feet of each other while the one guy was on the wing. You don't need to have an opposition player with Cruyff-like vision to exploit the gaps. He needs to regain their trust and if he doesn't then let a new guy have a go at playing a system they believe in.

If we keep turning over managers at one a season we will end up like Wolves or Blackburn. I can't see that the players don't trust Lambert I honestly can't see where your coming from there yes he  should've tightened up at Chelsea but did the player lose their trust for him then I don't see that at all.

Well how do you explain some of the games in the last month when marking or any sort of formation seemed to go out the door. I can't believe he told them to play like that so it sort of hints its the players mind-set thats the problem. Like it or not if your letting in shedloads of goals then its hard to be very confident in the way the manager wants you to play.

Confidence and lack of experience throughout the team but not lack of trust in the manager. These are young players they will look up to Lambert, if he had an older squad here who've been around other managers maybe dis trust but not this young group.