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

[walsall villain]

I don't see Lambert turning this around. But he wasn't sacked last week so it looks likely that he will stay, it would make no sense changing managers at the end of the window.
There is a case for then giving him the opportunity to get us back up but I just can't see Villa fans having the patience for that. We will want our pound of flesh. Historically that's what we do.
This is all so bloody depressing, perhaps I should switch to the 'we will be fine' way of thinking. For those of you who have seen Life of Pi perhaps that's the answer, let's all believe in the wonderful version of events not the grim version!

[saunders_heroes]

I'm amazed anyone can think that Vlaar, Lowton, Guzan and Westwood are a pile of shit.

Yes it's staggering isn't it! What with the wonderful consistent performances they've given this season.
PS - Claiming Guzan as Lambert signing is stretching it a bit. He was barely out the door for a fortnight.

[pauliewalnuts]

First of all, patronising? You're up there with the best when it comes to that.

You make it difficult not to, with your enraged foot-stamping.

Secondly, as I've said on here many times, Lerner is the number 1 problem at Villa. That doesn't mean Lambert should get away with the diabolical job he's doing. Christ, even McLeish produced better than this.

That's precisely what I mean. A few posts ago it was Lambert's fault. Now it's Lerner's fault. And if you bothered to read anything I posted, you'd see I have gone nowhere near suggesting Lambert is blameless. Not even remotely.

So, once again, I'll ask both you and Greg - we go down, we sack Lambert, who do we appoint then?

And they'll have even less money to play with, as we will have burned another 3m or so getting shot of Lambert and Culverhouse.

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm amazed anyone can think that Vlaar, Lowton, Guzan and Westwood are a pile of shit.

Yes it's staggering isn't it! What with the wonderful consistent performances they've given this season.
PS - Claiming Guzan as Lambert signing is stretching it a bit. He was barely out the door for a fortnight.

He was out the door and gone. Lambert got him back.

So, you're sticking by your assertion that Vlaar, Lowton, Westwood and Guzan are all shite, are you?

[Risso]

It's hard to judge, apart from Benteke.  They've all showed promise at various times, even Bennett, but you can't get away from the fact that they make up a big part of a very poor side.

Some of them like Lowton and Westwood show promise, but they're not Premier League quality yet.  I watched the 'highlights' of the WBA game again, and Lowton does really badly in the lead up to one of their goals.  He loses his man completely, then on trying to catch the player again, runs straight into the back of another player while his target is now setting up the goal.  I know that's unfairly picking on one player/game to make a point, but that's what you get with young players who until recently were plying their trade in the lower divisions.  Same with Westwood, he's neat and tidy and tries to keep things going, but how much protection does he afford the defence, and how many chances has he set up?  They're the sort of players who if they were playing for Everton or Spurs, would be making a handful of sub appearances this season, or else being sent out on loan, but they obviously form the spine of our team and it's too much, too soon for them.

Lambert has therefore assembled a team that is ill-equipped for the Premier League, and it has shown for 90% of this season.  Our best managers in the past have built a solid defence as the bedrock from which to improve things, but Lambert hasn't got a bloody clue where that's concerned.  If we go down, I'd have no faith in him bringing us back up, and as Bolton found with Owen Coyle, just because somebody's managed it once, doesn't mean they can do it again with a different team and set of circumstances.  They way Lambert has performed this season I'd be more concerned about his ability to keep us in the Championship and out of League 1.

[PeterWithesShin]

I'm amazed anyone can think that Vlaar, Lowton, Guzan and Westwood are a pile of shit.

Yes it's staggering isn't it! What with the wonderful consistent performances they've given this season.
PS - Claiming Guzan as Lambert signing is stretching it a bit. He was barely out the door for a fortnight.

Yes, it is staggering, that's why I said I was amazed anyone could think that.

P.s. How is it stretching it a bit? Guzan was no longer a Villa player until Lambert signed him.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm amazed anyone can think that Vlaar, Lowton, Guzan and Westwood are a pile of shit.

Yes it's staggering isn't it! What with the wonderful consistent performances they've given this season.
PS - Claiming Guzan as Lambert signing is stretching it a bit. He was barely out the door for a fortnight.

Saunders you're wrong about all of them, they're not shit at all. Vlaar when match fit is a good player, Lowton has been very good but is tired and Westwood looks a great prospect. I agree that Lambert's defending and tactics have been woeful a lot of the time but most of his signings look good.

[silhillvilla]

Lowton has been shocking since late Dec, Guzan and Vlaar deserve more time to prove themselves

[VillaAlways]

I put in an earlier post I'd go back and get OGS. His style of play wouldn't be a million miles away from what PL is trying but failing  to implement.He could cut his teeth with us in the Championship

[saunders_heroes]

Google it you nutter! Use the tools man!

It's too stressful. I think I'll refer to him as Semolina Ron from now on. ;-)

[Risso]

Sorry, but Vlaar IS shit.  And not at all hard.

[Chris Jameson]

My scrolling thumb is begging you all to quit the bloody quotathons. Please!

[hilts_coolerking]

re your last point, I totally agree, the club won't have done enough to keep us up. They've accepted it. They've surrendered. The transfer market activity shows that.

I also agree we need to improve substantially to stay up, we need to win four or five games, and currently it looks like that'd take us four years, not four months.

But once again, we sack the manager, we have to replace him, and who with? Is there anyone out there more likely to bring about that level of improvement?

My argument is that, at certain points this season - even this week - we have played a half here and there of very good football, of the type that, if we managed to string a couple together, would get us some decent results.

I would rather back the manager with £££ now and trust him to manage that than sack him, burn yet more money on compensation, and hope for the best with the new bloke.

You have a point, certainly, but it just seems counter-intuitive to me that we sack all the blokes who don't get us relegated and yet stick by the bloke who does / might.  I guess it's par for the course with this screwy club.

I just don't buy the argument that there are no alternatives, period.  Let's face it, world football is overflowing with alternatives.  I would hope (while accepting it is a faint hope) that the club has some sort of succession plan, in the event that Lambert falls under a bus / falls ill / turns out to be shit.

I don't buy either that Lambert is the only man who could bring us back up.  I know he's been dealt a rough hand at the Villa but some of his decision making has been terrible.  There are lots of managers out there who can get teams promoted - three of them do it every season.

[pauliewalnuts]

Some of them like Lowton and Westwood show promise, but they're not Premier League quality yet.

The problem we have had is that we have played like, say, Nathan Baker, who is a very promising centre half but then he's playing alongside Ciaran Clark, who's a promising player, but not necessarily at CH. Then he's maybe alongside Chris Herd, who is a promising young player, but again, not a centre half.

Then we stick them with Matt Lowton, who I think has done well, but again, is a young player feeling his way into this league. On the other side, there's Joe Bennett, who is again, young, and struggling.

It's too many promising players thrown into it all at the same time, and their confidence is getting destroyed.

[mike]

Serious question - what is Lambert good at? I have heard some fairly specific criticisms but all the support seems a bit generalised. As a fence sitter who's losing faith, why should I believe?