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

[Rip Van We Go Again]

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

3 new signings would soon instill some motivation into our current lot.

[Chris Smith]

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.

In my view it's explained, to a large extent, by a succession of injuries and subsequent loss of confidence. We've been forced into playing players out of position although you might get away with that for a game or two eventually it catches up with you. I think the first half yesterday demonstrated how much more confident we looked by having a bit of experience back on the pitch, again injuries disrupted things and the old problems surfaced in the second half but it did show what we are capable of when we can put our better players on the pitch at the same time.

[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.

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.

aye. its thats old cliche that peddled anytime a manager is doing badlly. He's lost the dressing room - well i don't think he has, but he's fucked over their confidence, both in themselves and his tactics imo and he needs to get it back quick. As i said in my earlier post, we were shit 2nd half but not the disorganised rabble we've seen in some of the preceeding games. That's something to build on and a draw with a clean sheet would be a godsend, probably more than 3-2 win.

[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.

In my view it's explained, to a large extent, by a succession of injuries and subsequent loss of confidence. We've been forced into playing players out of position although you might get away with that for a game or two eventually it catches up with you. I think the first half yesterday demonstrated how much more confident we looked by having a bit of experience back on the pitch, again injuries disrupted things and the old problems surfaced in the second half but it did show what we are capable of when we can put our better players on the pitch at the same time.

yep. there's no doubt the injuries and lack of cover  have contributed massively to our problems

[old man villa fan]

The problem with inexperienced players is that you can send them out with a game plan to face up to the opposition but if the opposition change tactically during the game, inexperience sometimes means that you can adapt quickly enough on the pitch.  That is why you need leaders on the pitch to reorganise.  The manager can only do so much from the sidelines which is usually limited to getting messages to his captain to make changes.  Older pros make the necessary changes easily but with younger players it sometimes just confuses them.  That, I believe, is what happened against Chelsea and to a lesser extent since then.

We were a bit unlucky yesterday with Jacob getting injured as Clarke was forced to bring on Thomas which changed the way Albion set themselves up.  This meant that they were able to get a player in behind our wingback and constantly getting a run on Lowton.

[KRS]

Will PL still be in the job if we dont beat Bradford and get to Wembley? I'd much rather not find out the result of that scenario and be discussing how we're going to beat our opponents in the final.

[tomd2103]

The problem with inexperienced players is that you can send them out with a game plan to face up to the opposition but if the opposition change tactically during the game, inexperience sometimes means that you can adapt quickly enough on the pitch.  That is why you need leaders on the pitch to reorganise.  The manager can only do so much from the sidelines which is usually limited to getting messages to his captain to make changes.  Older pros make the necessary changes easily but with younger players it sometimes just confuses them.  That, I believe, is what happened against Chelsea and to a lesser extent since then.

We were a bit unlucky yesterday with Jacob getting injured as Clarke was forced to bring on Thomas which changed the way Albion set themselves up.  This meant that they were able to get a player in behind our wingback and constantly getting a run on Lowton.

They didn't even do that really.  They just got the ball wide as early as possible and for some reason our wingbacks were left one-on-one with their wingers.  For the majority of the second half we were almost playing with a flat back five and our wing backs hardly got forward. 

Also, the number of times in the last few games that we have been caught on the break off our own throw ins in the final third and our own corners is inexplicable.   

[Mister E]

They didn't even do that really.  They just got the ball wide as early as possible and for some reason our wingbacks were left one-on-one with their wingers.  For the majority of the second half we were almost playing with a flat back five and our wing backs hardly got forward... 

Which is an interesting point, Tom.
At Chelsea we suffered because the manager did not respond to the oppo's tactics of isolating our 3 centre-backs using Hazard and Moses. He could have pushed Herd into midfield and gone 4 at the back but Lambert did not take this option and we got mullered.
Yesterday it appears as if a similar scenario took place where, in the second half, Albion pushed on early and wide: the obvious thing to do would have been to go flat back four. Whether, with the niggly injuries we were getting, we had the personnel to do that I'm not sure, but it does raise the questions of adequate resources on the bench and the ability to change tactics partway through a game.
On the latter point, PL was lauded at Norwich for his ability to switch tactics in response to the opposition.

[Mister E]

... That is why you need leaders on the pitch to reorganise.  The manager can only do so much from the sidelines which is usually limited to getting messages to his captain to make changes.  Older pros make the necessary changes easily but with younger players it sometimes just confuses them.  That, I believe, is what happened against Chelsea and to a lesser extent since then.

I know what you're saying here, but most of these kids (well, 23 and under) have been playing organised and perhaps high-level footie for perhaps 10 years. They have worked with various coaches and been in academies and played under close scrutiny in a professional environment.
So, why are they less adaptable than the older pros?

I know that experience is important - as in any job - but I just don't get it, given the environment in which many of these kids have been working in!

[PaulWinch again]

He needs us to play like we did in the first half, also not make bonkers decision like Holman for N'Zog.

[old man villa fan]

... That is why you need leaders on the pitch to reorganise.  The manager can only do so much from the sidelines which is usually limited to getting messages to his captain to make changes.  Older pros make the necessary changes easily but with younger players it sometimes just confuses them.  That, I believe, is what happened against Chelsea and to a lesser extent since then.

I know what you're saying here, but most of these kids (well, 23 and under) have been playing organised and perhaps high-level footie for perhaps 10 years. They have worked with various coaches and been in academies and played under close scrutiny in a professional environment.
So, why are they less adaptable than the older pros?

I know that experience is important - as in any job - but I just don't get it, given the environment in which many of these kids have been working in!

These players may have been at the club for 6 or 7 years but youth and reserve team football is played to set tactics that the club want to develop with limited adjustment during games to suit opponents.  They tend to concentrate more on their own game and less on the opposition.  Stepping up to PL level is a completely different environment where you can come up against world class players who have that ability to see weaknesses and exploit them without the manager on the sideline telling them.

[Jon Crofts]

I defy anyone to tell me they still want Lambert as our manager after this.

[PaulWinch again]

That's it for me, sack him now.

[Ross]

Anyone who defends him now is clinically insane.

[ozzjim]

Reset

Was massively in favour of him staying.....

Knock yourselves out....