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

[NeilH]

We are damned if we do and damned if we don't frankly. The problems stem from mental ability and quality. Unless these are addressed it won't matter a jot who we sack and replace.

[eastie]

Ne clearly cannot get the best out of his players or motivate - get rid!
Can understand why randy doesnt want to give him more money - lets get a new man in fast and bring back warnock and bent into the team , get a couple of players in and see the knock on effect of a new manager .

Would even consider nigel adkins.

[VillaAlways]

RDM only worked at Chelsea because he had quality players. Can't believe anyone wants him

He must have had to deploy some sort of tactics to win the European cup and FA Cup surely? Or did he just say to the players run round and please yourself and you tell me when you want me to make subs

[puppyfeat]

We've painted ourselves into a corner and there's no way out. Keeping him is wrong, sacking him is wrong. I hope he can turn it round cos I think he has the right idea. And there's no guarantee any other replacement you care to mention would be any better. Sacking a manager every year until one sticks is one easy way to spiral down out of control. On the other hand, he's looking inflexible and there's hubris in his personality that seems to be dragging us down. Everyone sees the problem with the team and either he doesn't or he does and can't fix it.

I have no bloody idea how this can be fixed.

Sadly I feel exactly the same way and couldn't have put it any better. If I was Randy, given the money that recent managerial changes at Villa have cost, I'd probably stick with Lambert and hope he can either perform some miracle now or, failing that, get us promoted first time next season. When I look at the squad we've got, I'm not sure if there's any manager either available or gettable right now who could turn them around quickly enough this season to keep us up. Would Nigel Adkins be worth sacking Lambert for? Could he do any better with our players? Could anyone? I'm not sure it would make any difference either way, so we may as well stick with who we've got.

But now is the time for Randy to act if he's going to - because if he doesn't, IMO there's not much point getting rid of Lambert in summer after we're down. And his track record so far suggests he won't sack a manager in mid-season.

[DB]

RDM will take us down, I really don't rate him. OK, Lambert is trying his hardest to take us down also, but out the 2 I would stick with him. Just wish he would play with width and bring back some of the older squad.

[ez]

With 8 days of the transfer window left I fear its too late now to find a manager and get the players in we need. We're just going to have to endure. How much more of this do we have to put up with? Could be a lot more. Its like the proverbial nightmare you can't wake up from.

[DaveD]

This is one of those EU polls, where we have to keep voting until we get the answer the question setter wants,  right ?

While concerned about Lambert's subs and tactics in the second half of the last 2 games, I still don't see who better would take the job *under the current constraints* - it's been that way since MON left...

Secondly, if we were going to do it, we should have done it at the beginning of the transfer window, not at the end. Unless we have already tapped up a replacement and the players he wants, it's too late.

Finally, to those who point out Lambert spent £25m in the summer - that would have been an acceptable budget if we'd needed two or three players. Except we needed six or seven. And God knows what wage restrictions are also in place, cutting down the options.

We are doomed this season now whatever we do. Let's avoid another hefty compensation sum and let Lambert do what we already know he can - build a team to get into *and compete in* the Premier League.

[Jarpie]

Get rid ASAP, I think he has clearly lost the players and doesn't seem to have any clue how to fix the tactics and organize the team. Mark Hughes wouldn't be the worst choice to replace him, at least better than Curbishley who's been out of the game for 5-6 years and Hughes might get best out of Ireland again.

Too bad Wolves already got Deano, at least he would instill some positivity into the team, knows the club and would be popular choice at least.

[PaulWinch again]

I agree with Paulie any manager would struggle to fashion a good side out of this squad, but to be honest Lambert's tactics are embarrassing bad. Lerner needs to realise that of our academy products only Weimann is going to be a top player and the rest just aren't. Clark, Bannan, Baker, Lichaj, Herd just aren't up to playing in the Premier League week in week out. We have to invest in the squad now, 4 players could save us and the mananger does need to go now.

[rob_bridge]

If Mark Hughes and RDM are the offers on the table then no point twisting IMHO.

Adkins maybe but would he take the job now? I'm not being funny he could get offered a better opportunity than us in the next 6 months because Villa at the minute is a poisoned chalice (Martinez for one certainly thought so).

[Risso]

Is he still here?

[paul_e]

Lots of good reasons being put forward to not get rid of him but none of them really address the fact that he got the tactics totally wrong in the last half hour.

At half time it was clear that, if we got wide and crossed in, they couldn't handle Benteke, as such we should have pushed Bannan out left (the best crosser in the team by a long way), nzog out right and got Ireland to tuck in a bit deeper.  Then keep working it out wide, get Bennett and Lowton to overlap and we'd have created lots of chances.

Overloading the central area with forwards and hitting it long to them just played into their hands as they'd been defending deep with 2 banks of 4 all night so they just backed themselves to deal with long balls.  Yes we scored from one of them but it still didn't work as a tactic.

His inability to see that making us wider was the answer was poor, to make the decision to actually make us narrower was unforgivable.

I like what Lambert is trying to do and everything he's done in terms of transfers and removing people from the squad I back, but you can't ignore the fact that in the last month he has got things wrong in every game, that prolonged tactical naivety can't go on, he's currently not performing as a premier league manager in that aspect and it's difficult to see how he can turn it around.

[VillaAlways]

Is he still here?

I'm desperately checking twitter every minute for any hint that he might be on his bike. Nought doing. I was hoping he'd be saying his goodbyes to the players this morning a la McLeish

[Jarpie]

The problem for getting new manager is that they would probably want 20 million warchest and if it's true that Lerner won't sanction anything else than 30k salaries for max, I can't see anyone taking the job.

[OzVilla]

This is one of those EU polls, where we have to keep voting until we get the answer the question setter wants,  right ?

While concerned about Lambert's subs and tactics in the second half of the last 2 games, I still don't see who better would take the job *under the current constraints* - it's been that way since MON left...

Secondly, if we were going to do it, we should have done it at the beginning of the transfer window, not at the end. Unless we have already tapped up a replacement and the players he wants, it's too late.

Finally, to those who point out Lambert spent £25m in the summer - that would have been an acceptable budget if we'd needed two or three players. Except we needed six or seven. And God knows what wage restrictions are also in place, cutting down the options.

We are doomed this season now whatever we do. Let's avoid another hefty compensation sum and let Lambert do what we already know he can - build a team to get into *and compete in* the Premier League.

100% right imo.