Let the record show

[Risso]

edit double post

[Risso]

Give me some examples. Who else managed to sign the type of player we were looking for?

Wigan - Paul Scharner (loan)
Reading - Daniel Carrico (£600K)
Southampton - Vegard Forren (£4.2m)
QPR - Tal Ben Haim (free)
Newcastle - Moussa Sissoko (£1.8m)
Fulham - Emmanuel Frimpong (loan)

etc, etc

Exciting. Just the sort of players you've been calling for in fact.

Eh?

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't think there's a single person on here who hasn't repeatedly reiterated the need for a defensive midfielder and a centre back, ideally experienced ones, over the last few months.

[eastie]

Give me some examples. Who else managed to sign the type of player we were looking for?

Wigan - Paul Scharner (loan)
Reading - Daniel Carrico (£600K)
Southampton - Vegard Forren (£4.2m)
QPR - Tal Ben Haim (free)
Newcastle - Moussa Sissoko (£1.8m)
Fulham - Emmanuel Frimpong (loan)

etc, etc

Exciting. Just the sort of players you've been calling for in fact.

I would quit while behind here drummond, you are in danger of looking like villa were at chelsea.

[supertom]

Coker on a free now, if we can.
Do it.
We need an experienced leader in the middle. He's a bit shite, but he'd improve our midfield.

[eastie]

Coker on a free now, if we can.
Do it.
We need an experienced leader in the middle. He's a bit shite, but he'd improve our midfield.

Free agents can still be signed i think - nothing to lose.

[Risso]

I haven't once called for exciting or expensive players, just a bit of experience, ie a defender and midfielder who can tighten us up, and hit the ground running.

[Greg N'Ash]

Haven't we got a press conference today? Can't wait to see what the mumbling retard comes out with next. No doubt there's a very good reason why he thought a reserve spurs attacking midfield player was his No.1 priority this transfer window.

[Mister E]

I have one question to lambert - why didnt spent all of the money available to you?

Because either;

A) He did, he had virtually no budget to speak of - 4/5 million maybe.

B) Player and Agents knew we were in trouble so fees and salaries go up, players don't want to be tarred with a relegated side.

You can vent all you like at Lambert but you're missing the real issue.  The dismantling of the club over the last 3 years will finally lead to our relegation.  Poor managerial choices, selling your best players, lack of re-investment, lack of a clear plan for the Club, this is why we are where we are this today.

So you complain about Lambert if you like, sure he has his shortcomings, but I can't in all honesty think of many Managers that with this squad and this level of investment that would do much better.

The problem at our Club is Faulkner and Lerner and until they leave I can't see us really improving.

C:  He's staked his reputation on the young and hungry line and by signing experience would be admitting that he got it wrong and he's not yet willing to do that, so he's backed himself and the squad to turn it around and prove everyone wrong.

He's been telling us as much for months but the fans don't want to hear the manager telling them that he's risking the clubs league status as part of an ego trip.

He could've arranged a loan for central defender, I refuse to believe there wasn't a single experienced central defender available (Upson going out on loan is proof enough of this).  He, therefore, clearly feels he can get more of the current defenders than we've seen so far, that's not a decision from Lerner or Faulkner, that's 100% Lambert.

Paul, I think this is right. Lambert - like MON and others before him - appears to be pretty convinced by his own rectitude and admitting to an apparently failed strategy is incredibly difficult for people who see themslves as natural leaders. It, however, shows much more leadership capability to be able to re-assess and revise strategy on the go.

The lack of defensive reinforcement is mind-blowing, in the context of the last three and a half seasons' performance.

[Clampy]

I'm all for a long term plan. I'm also all for a defence that dose'nt constantly concede from corners and lose to Bradford over two games. That's the difference.

[The Laughing Policeman]

I've heard that since MON ran away the club has paid out getting on for £50 million in compensation to our various ex managers and their staff. That's money that could and should have been spent on players.
Getting rid of Lambert now would mean more compo to pay out, in turn leading to less money for the next poor sod that rocks up as manager to spend on players.
We have to get out of this cycle of dumping managers every 18 months and Randy Lerner needs to back the manager to the hilt with the proper financial resources needed.
It's a bloody ridiculous situation when we are spending more on getting rid of people than we are spending on the future of the club.

[Ger Regan]

Give me some examples. Who else managed to sign the type of player we were looking for?

Wigan - Paul Scharner (loan)
Reading - Daniel Carrico (£600K)
Southampton - Vegard Forren (£4.2m)
QPR - Tal Ben Haim (free)
Newcastle - Moussa Sissoko (£1.8m)
Fulham - Emmanuel Frimpong (loan)

etc, etc

Exciting. Just the sort of players you've been calling for in fact.

You might have noticed that Sissoko did rather well against us on Tuesday.

[eastie]

Its of course important to have a manager long term but if it is the wrong man then there is no justification in doing so.
Lerner cannot be blamed for appointing lambert but he sure as hell is to blame for not having got rid of him by now.

[achilles]

Give me some examples. Who else managed to sign the type of player we were looking for?

Wigan - Paul Scharner (loan)
Reading - Daniel Carrico (£600K)
Southampton - Vegard Forren (£4.2m)
QPR - Tal Ben Haim (free)
Newcastle - Moussa Sissoko (£1.8m)
Fulham - Emmanuel Frimpong (loan)

etc, etc

Exciting. Just the sort of players you've been calling for in fact.

Desperate times call for desperate measures!

[Irish villain]

I haven't once called for exciting or expensive players, just a bit of experience, ie a defender and midfielder who can tighten us up, and hit the ground running.

Yes. When you look at the players being suggested by fans in the Window thread they weren't world beaters. They were journeymen, some of whom had played for us under MON, who could come in and do a job until we stayed up, collected the money from next year's TV deal and tried to move on from the past three years of being run-down.

The Board have down-sized, and managed expectations downwards for three years and Aston Villa fans have responded accordingly. We were defining out expectations around the likes of NRC, Davies, Gosling, Scharner  etc where a few short years ago we coveted trophies and some of the top players in the game.

And the really sad thing? Even our very, very, very low ambitions this window actually proved unrealistic for the Lerner and Faulkner circus had reduced the bar still further.

Brian is spot on in his post. Even if we somehow stay up with this squad, let the record state that Lerner and Faulkner's 'management' displayed a wilful neglect of Aston Villa to at least equal what Doug did in the 80s.