Just when you think that things couldn't get any worse....

[Risso]

Middlesbrough, the other finallist that season, also had a load of empty seats in their home leg of the semi, and they'd beat Arsenal the game before.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't really get it - we understand you think Allardyce would be a good appointment, but you're starting to sound like his agent now.

Forget the replacing Lambert part, that's clear enough, but would Allardyce be the best appointment?

And no, "better than Lambert" isn't enough - not if we accept your judgement of his merits. Would Allardyce genuinely be the one you wanted in to replace him? Above all others?

[Brian Taylor]

Judge him after the Arse game! Strong poss win. Draw maybe?

[MoetVillan]

Dont Stoke play under near capacity crowds week in week out?  Reached a FACup final.  Watch the play and there are more similarities, getting the best out of what you have, pick up the second ball, slowly build more football into your side when you have established yourself.  Is pulis a "poor mans" Allardyce?  I always thought Sam was harshly treated at Newcastle, they were "suprised" that he tried to emply tactics that had been so successful for him previously, and they wouldnt have gone down with him at the helm.  That said, I have watched Stoke, and Sam's Bolton, Blackburn and West ham, and while effective, its hardly the beautiful game.  Im on a sticky wicket here, as our results are not good enough, but some (some) of the football we have played this season is as good, if not better than anything we have done for four years

[not3bad]

Judge him after the Arse game! Strong poss win. Draw maybe?

We could lose at Arsenal and still stay up.  Stay up this season and kick on next season.  That's what I'm looking for.

[Concrete John]

Judge him after the Arse game! Strong poss win. Draw maybe?

We could lose at Arsenal and still stay up.  Stay up this season and kick on next season.  That's what I'm looking for.

Whilst it is fairest to judge the manager after 38 games, I think he needs some good form to bring a little belief back - both with the players and with the fans.  Houllier had a wretched first half to his season here, and I was one of those on his back, but he probbaly deserved another crack at it, health issues aside, based on the post Jan form, which was top 6 level.

I don't think we'll that that sort of return between now and May, but an upturn that eases us away from the relegation places and shows promise for next season is what I'm looking for.
 

[Risso]

I don't really get it - we understand you think Allardyce would be a good appointment, but you're starting to sound like his agent now.

Forget the replacing Lambert part, that's clear enough, but would Allardyce be the best appointment?

And no, "better than Lambert" isn't enough - not if we accept your judgement of his merits. Would Allardyce genuinely be the one you wanted in to replace him? Above all others?

I apologise wholeheartedly for bringing facts into the discussion. 

I like Allardyce and think he'd be a good manager under our current shambles of an ownership structure.  I also don't think that Lambert's football is anything to write home about, especially given how atrocious the results have been.  Tony Mowbray got dog's abuse on here for playing decent football with West Brom, but taking them down, well Lambert's football is nowhere near as good as that and the results are worse, yet people talk as if he's on the way to being the next Guardiola.

[Concrete John]

I think the difference is neither the fans, players or manager are saying 'I know we got beat, but look how pretty we played'.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Lambert's got a better "win rate" as a manager than the Dog Head.

Although Allardyce does have a much higher "twat rate" than Lambert.

[SheffieldVillain]

Lambert's football is nowhere near as good as that and the results are worse, yet people talk as if he's on the way to being the next Guardiola.

They don't though, do they? It's merely been said by one or two posters that the football played has at times been better than the previous couple of seasons.

[eastie]

Big sams style  of football is not pleasant on the eye but he does get results - i think there are far better managers out there that i would prefer to him- i would however take big sam over lambert though.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't really get it - we understand you think Allardyce would be a good appointment, but you're starting to sound like his agent now.

Forget the replacing Lambert part, that's clear enough, but would Allardyce be the best appointment?

And no, "better than Lambert" isn't enough - not if we accept your judgement of his merits. Would Allardyce genuinely be the one you wanted in to replace him? Above all others?

I apologise wholeheartedly for bringing facts into the discussion. 

I like Allardyce and think he'd be a good manager under our current shambles of an ownership structure.  I also don't think that Lambert's football is anything to write home about, especially given how atrocious the results have been.  Tony Mowbray got dog's abuse on here for playing decent football with West Brom, but taking them down, well Lambert's football is nowhere near as good as that and the results are worse, yet people talk as if he's on the way to being the next Guardiola.

I just don't see how you can refer to Lambert's style of football negatively yet then suggest the right replacement is Allardyce - a manager known for shit football.

Either the quality of football matters to you or it doesn't. I'm surprised if you're now going to say it doesn't matter, given how much you and I both complained about the style of play under O'Neill, though.

As for the Guardiola comment, I think you'll find, as mentioned above, lots of people on here can see the outbreaks of decent football we have had this season. In fact, I can think of two or three people at most who refuse to admit that.

I also don't really see how Allardyce is going to be a good fit under our current leadership./

For starters, employing him would mean spending a huge amount of money not just getting shot of Lambert, but then employing a manager who is known for travelling with an enormous back-room staff.

I don't see how that squares with Lerner's reluctance to spend anything in recent times, so that's one obstacle right at the start.

[SamTheMouse]

Lambert's football is nowhere near as good as that and the results are worse, yet people talk as if he's on the way to being the next Guardiola.

They don't though, do they? It's merely been said by one or two posters that the football played has at times been better than the previous couple of seasons.

Weirdly, I think I'd almost rather have nicer football and a scrape with relegation, than dour football and mid-table obscurity. At least this season is interesting (in a bum-clenching sort of way), with something really at stake and the promise of something better in the future if we can somehow avoid the drop.

It's shit or bust.

[pauliewalnuts]

Big sams style  of football is not pleasant on the eye but he does get results

He isn't getting many results currently.

West Ham are at the moment 19th in the current form table, have lost five away games in a row (including a loss to us), and have won one of their last six matches.

[SamTheMouse]

One thing that's very important for a club like Villa (in its current state) is the ability to generate value from player trading. Not sure what Big Sam's record is in that department. But I'd say Lambert has made the club a pretty penny on Benteke already. A few more like that and we'll be laughing.