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

[PeterWithesShin]

Changing whoever coaches the defence is the most important change we could make right now.

[bertlambshank]

Christ almighty.

Curbishley? He who has been sat at home watching SSN for the last five years?

I understand people want the manager replaced, but surely if we're going to do that, it should be with someone who can bring about some sort of long term plan, rather than someone chosen on an emotional "well, they could hardly be worse" basis?

Indeed and it's largely irrelevant without some new players. These players will be relegated whoever is the manager.

Exactly.

It's surely only a matter of time before someone starts calling for Avram "he almost won the champions league" Grant.

Lambert is a problem, clearly, but the bigger problem is the squad, and if the chairman won't do anything to improve it, we're fucked, regardless.

It hasn't been unknown in the world of football for a new manager to come in and raise the game of even the most appalling squads of players.
I think most of us realise we're doomed to relegation under the hapless Lambert, so why not take a chance? It's worth a shot.

If we are going to take a shot, why not take one on the basis of something better than "he can't be any worse".

You are right, some times a new manager comes in and improves things, but generally that's because the new manager knows what he's doing, and not because he used to play for the club in question, or managed them 15 years ago.

Come on he has lost it.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't understand your second bit though. If we replace Lambert with someone who comes in and does better than him then surely he's good enough.

Not at all.

What if he wins more matches than Lambert, but we still go down?

We don't just need to do less bad than we are now. We need to do *significantly* better.

[PeterWithesShin]

May as well stick it here as well (as the bishop said to the actress).

Paul Lambert said Villa will "take their medicine and go again" after his side's FA Cup defeat at the hands of Millwall.

Villa took the lead through Darren Bent before Danny Shittu headed the home side level before the break.

John Marquis put the London Lions into round five with just two minutes remaining.

But Lambert insisted there was no time for the team to feel sorry for themselves.

Lambert said: "It's not great, but you have to keep going.

"You take your medicine, pick yourself up and go again. There's no way you can lie down.

"I don't think we deserved to lose it, I didn't see that coming.

"We went 1-0 and conceded a goal from a corner again. It's individual errors that are hurting us at the minute.

"You've got to live with that, you've got to be prepared to be hurt in the penalty box.

"It's not been great but we had a lot of the ball. It's a game I thought neither team was going to win and I thought it was going to a replay."

Lambert felt his side bossed the game but he was frustrated to see yet another set-piece goal come into play during the match.

He added: "I was worried how they were going to react after the other night but they went and took the ball and gave it another go.

"But you can't defend set-pieces like that.

"We bossed it really, with the possession. It's individual errors that are costing us on set-pieces and the second goal was just a crossed ball and we should deal with that.

"I thought we showed grit. I thought we dominated the game and I never thought either team looked as if they were going to win it towards the end."

Lambert rested Christian Benteke and kept Gabby Agbonlahor on the bench with one eye on the big Barclays Premier League clash with Newcastle on Tuesday.

He added: "The lads have played a hell of a lot of games and we've not got the biggest of squads. You have to watch what you're doing.

"You can't make too many changes but the Premier League is the most important thing."

Lambert faces an anxious wait to see the extent of Fabian Delph's injury, after the midfielder limped off in the first-half.

[pauliewalnuts]

Christ almighty.

Curbishley? He who has been sat at home watching SSN for the last five years?

I understand people want the manager replaced, but surely if we're going to do that, it should be with someone who can bring about some sort of long term plan, rather than someone chosen on an emotional "well, they could hardly be worse" basis?

Indeed and it's largely irrelevant without some new players. These players will be relegated whoever is the manager.

Exactly.

It's surely only a matter of time before someone starts calling for Avram "he almost won the champions league" Grant.

Lambert is a problem, clearly, but the bigger problem is the squad, and if the chairman won't do anything to improve it, we're fucked, regardless.

It hasn't been unknown in the world of football for a new manager to come in and raise the game of even the most appalling squads of players.
I think most of us realise we're doomed to relegation under the hapless Lambert, so why not take a chance? It's worth a shot.

If we are going to take a shot, why not take one on the basis of something better than "he can't be any worse".

You are right, some times a new manager comes in and improves things, but generally that's because the new manager knows what he's doing, and not because he used to play for the club in question, or managed them 15 years ago.

Come on he has lost it.

Which is totally not the point in what I just said.

I didn't say anything about replacing Lambert or not, I was talking about the criteria we use to choose a replacement.

[mr woo]

Keeping Lambert is certain suicide

That's it. Depends whether you believe in life after death.(or not)

[Greg N'Ash]

For ages now the pro-lambert lobby have been saying who can we get better than Lambert and ridiculing any suggestions.  I can't think of anoyne with a worse record of non-football as we've seen with lambert. If you've got the worse possible manager what's to lose? At least we may get a guy with a mind of his own who's not an extension of Lerner and bestest pals with him

[curiousorange]

Personally, i don't know what would be best. Lambert has no idea how to raise his squad from the depths and his coaching team is as useful as a kick in the bollocks. But you sack him, you need to give the new man time, money and the opportunity to shape his squad. We can't offer a new coach any of that.

It's not so much the uselessness that's getting to me, it's the complete disregard for the club and its fans. I've given so much of my soul to Villa and it's not even dying on its knees - it's just fading away, meek and uncared for.

[hilts_coolerking]

If we are going to take a shot, why not take one on the basis of something better than "he can't be any worse".

It's no more ridiculous - in fact it's a lot less ridiculous - than wanting the current manager to stay out of fear of who the owner might appoint next.  And it's a lot less ridiculous than taking into account our form, our squad, and our manager's inability to get anything out of them and deciding that doing absolutely nothing is the correct approach.

Not that I'm saying you necessarily adhere to either of those views but that seems to be where we are right now.

[adrenachrome]

For ages now the pro-lambert lobby have been saying who can we get better than Lambert and ridiculing any suggestions.  I can't think of anoyne with a worse record of non-football as we've seen with lambert. If you've got the worse possible manager what's to lose? At least we may get a guy with a mind of his own who's not an extension of Lerner and bestest pals with him

I am extremely drunk, but I am sure there is a flaw in that argument somewhere.

[curiousorange]

The flaw is that it's utter bollocks.

[Greg N'Ash]

For ages now the pro-lambert lobby have been saying who can we get better than Lambert and ridiculing any suggestions.  I can't think of anoyne with a worse record of non-football as we've seen with lambert. If you've got the worse possible manager what's to lose? At least we may get a guy with a mind of his own who's not an extension of Lerner and bestest pals with him

I am extremely drunk, but I am sure there is a flaw in that argument somewhere.

plenty of clubs employ non-yesmen. Even we have. Depends how desperate we are to stay up. If we're not then i'm sure lerner will choose another Lambchop/TSM

[adrenachrome]

For ages now the pro-lambert lobby have been saying who can we get better than Lambert and ridiculing any suggestions.  I can't think of anoyne with a worse record of non-football as we've seen with lambert. If you've got the worse possible manager what's to lose? At least we may get a guy with a mind of his own who's not an extension of Lerner and bestest pals with him

I am extremely drunk, but I am sure there is a flaw in that argument somewhere.

plenty of clubs employ non-yesmen. Even we have. Depends how desperate we are to stay up. If we're not then i'm sure lerner will choose another Lambchop/TSM

So Lerner needs to employ a No man or non-yesman. Or a definitely maybe real nowhere man, living in his nowhere land with nobody.

That's it, right there. The flaw, that is. I don't think Randy would like that. 

[Greg N'Ash]

For ages now the pro-lambert lobby have been saying who can we get better than Lambert and ridiculing any suggestions.  I can't think of anoyne with a worse record of non-football as we've seen with lambert. If you've got the worse possible manager what's to lose? At least we may get a guy with a mind of his own who's not an extension of Lerner and bestest pals with him

I am extremely drunk, but I am sure there is a flaw in that argument somewhere.

plenty of clubs employ non-yesmen. Even we have. Depends how desperate we are to stay up. If we're not then i'm sure lerner will choose another Lambchop/TSM

So Lerner needs to employ a No man or non-yesman. Or a definitely maybe real nowhere man, living in his nowhere land with nobody.

That's it, right there. The flaw, that is. I don't think Randy would like that. 

Lerner's done it his way with the last two disasters in the managers seat. Now if he's not bothered with relegation then pick another personality-free stooge like Lambchop or keep him, but it won't keep us up. Basically anyone who agrees with his kids 'plan' is doomed because the plan is wrong.

Now if Lerner is bothered about relegation then he needs to realise he's wrong and pick a manager who has got a plan for the future because the chairman running the footballing side for the manager is never a good idea.

[Monty]

Why would Lerner sack a manager only to have to pay off his contract with the money he refused to back him with?