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

[eastie]

Liverpool recognised Bannan as a weak link quite early on I think.

Start of the 2nd half they visably picked up the pace and pressured us on the ball a lot more.  That was the start of their dominant period where they scored the goals, but aside from that I don't think Bannan did all that badly.  However, he does seem to have his better games against the weaker opponents, where he can then dictate things.  Liverpool are a decent enough PL side that he can't do that against them, which then leaves him with very little else to offer.

Thats why he would be good at Wolves

Or Cowdenbeath!

[eastie]

Paul Lambert insists Villa have the necessary knowhow to survive the relegation battle.

Lambert would have preferred to be higher up the table now in safer waters.

But, in a strange way, he believes the fact Villa have been scrapping in the lower reaches for most of the season will stand them in good stead for the battle ahead.

Lambert insists other teams will now have to "get their heads around" the fact they are in a fight to the finish.

Villa are just four points away from twelfth, with Southampton, Stoke, Newcastle, Norwich, Sunderland and Wigan only just about Lambert's side.

He said: "Every team in the bottom half of the table is in a battle now.

"We are four points off twelfth and for much of the season we have been accustomed to this situation.

"We've been living through it and we've dealt with the pressures it brings.

"Suddenly, there are other teams that have been pulled into it, teams who haven't had to get their heads around it and we'll see now what happens.

"The important thing for us is that we don't get caught up in it all, that we continue to focus on our games, on our jobs and that's what we'll do."

[Mister E]

Start of the 2nd half they visably picked up the pace and pressured us on the ball a lot more.  That was the start of their dominant period where they scored the goals, but aside from that I don't think Bannan did all that badly.  However, he does seem to have his better games against the weaker opponents, where he can then dictate things.  Liverpool are a decent enough PL side that he can't do that against them, which then leaves him with very little else to offer.

The way I saw it, Liverpool did what Montenegro did to England: they pushed up on the fullbacks and pressurised Lowton and Bennett much more in the second half. BB, I suspect, was collateral damage in a much more tenacious approach overall. However, it was two poor defensive lapses that undid us - whether they were a result of oppo pressure or not, they were basic.

Bottom line of all of that is that Lambert was 'turned over' by his opposite number in the half-time / tactics battle; again.

[Risso]

Indeed, it was supposed to be a strength of his but no sign so far this season.

[Concrete John]

There have been time when he's changed things around at half time.  Although we still lost, Newcastle at home is a good example.  In truth, he shouldn;t have been messing with what was working well at half time on Sunday.  Should he have acted quicker once the 2nd half started?  Well, some will naturally say yes, but it's quite uncommon to make subs within the first 15 minutes of the of the restart.

[Mister E]

There have been time when he's changed things around at half time.  Although we still lost, Newcastle at home is a good example.  In truth, he shouldn;t have been messing with what was working well at half time on Sunday.  Should he have acted quicker once the 2nd half started?  Well, some will naturally say yes, but it's quite uncommon to make subs within the first 15 minutes of the of the restart.

Certainly true to say that the players were still in the dressing room when the underwhelming Henderson scored ...

... but our season has been littered with these types of incidents and it is not unreasonable to expect a management team to have ironed out these transgressions by now.

[MarkM]

Indeed, it was supposed to be a strength of his but no sign so far this season.

I agree.

Rogers changed his formation at half time and Lambert failed to pick up on the change.

Lambert should have given instructions to hold fast for the first 10-15 minutes but instead they played forward too far and got caught.

I do wonder about his tactics

[Chris Smith]

Indeed, it was supposed to be a strength of his but no sign so far this season.

I agree.

Rogers changed his formation at half time and Lambert failed to pick up on the change.

Lambert should have given instructions to hold fast for the first 10-15 minutes but instead they played forward too far and got caught.

I do wonder about his tactics

Then we'd have seen posts slating him for sitting back and inviting pressure.

[saunders_heroes]

Indeed, it was supposed to be a strength of his but no sign so far this season.

Crickey, Lambert's tactics and halftime team talks are the stuff of nightmares. They really are.

[saunders_heroes]

Indeed, it was supposed to be a strength of his but no sign so far this season.

I agree.

Rogers changed his formation at half time and Lambert failed to pick up on the change.

Lambert should have given instructions to hold fast for the first 10-15 minutes but instead they played forward too far and got caught.

I do wonder about his tactics

Then we'd have seen posts slating him for sitting back and inviting pressure.

Then perhaps he's out of his depth?

[ozzjim]

I would still stick by him even if we drop. He needs time to get it right, and firmly believe he would bring us straight back up with ease.

[eastie]

I would still stick by him even if we drop. He needs time to get it right, and firmly believe he would bring us straight back up with ease.

Not for me - if we drop he has to go and i would hope by his own choice so we don't have pay him off .

If we survive he will no doubt get another shot at things next season.

[ozzjim]

And appoint who? He is rebuilding the squad from top to bottom with a strategy that in my view will pay off in the long term. Sure, it will be horrible to go down but I would take the seasons pain to stick with a longer term strategy that again, in my view will see us move forward with a way of playing, purchasing and bringing through players. The short termism does't work unless you have bucket loads, while the idea of being a Stoke type side bobbling about mid table playing shit football with no long term progression bores me to tears. The premier league is dull enough as it is, I can deal with a bit of Championship to stick with a plan. It is not the b all so to speak for me.

[Chris Smith]

I would still stick by him even if we drop. He needs time to get it right, and firmly believe he would bring us straight back up with ease.

Not for me - if we drop he has to go and i would hope by his own choice so we don't have pay him off .

If we survive he will no doubt get another shot at things next season.

It's naive to think anyone would just leave without being paid what they're entitled to, would you do it? He signed a contract in good faith and the club have to honour it, one way or another.

Not that I think it will come to that.

[Dave Clark Five]

I would still stick by him even if we drop. He needs time to get it right, and firmly believe he would bring us straight back up with ease.

Not for me - if we drop he has to go and i would hope by his own choice so we don't have pay him off .

If we survive he will no doubt get another shot at things next season.

He either has to go or he doesn't. We have been flirting with relegation all season. The narrow divide between drop or not is not enough to use it as a sacking criteria.
The decision that seems to have been made is to keep him until the end of the season at least as a new manager would struggle to make his mark in a short time.
They may already have plans to sack him, regardless of how we end up.
I am for keeping him, by the way.