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

[Chris Smith]

Kevin, it's that sort of short term thinking that has largely got us into this mess. When he's alienated half the support and we're in the bottom third again we'd have people suggesting Ossie Ardiles as his replacement.

I don't 'know' if Lambert will be a success or not but I do know for a fact that lurching about from one extreme to another has been an unmitigated failure.

[pauliewalnuts]

That's a dressing up of the argument after the event when in fact a regular criticism was that the football was dull and unimaginative.

And that is specifically the thing I don't understand.

People who were moaning about the quality of football under O'Neill - when that turgid football got us sixth three years in a row - now prepared to put up with a style that makes O'Neill's look amazing by comparison, and purveyed by a manager who traditionally occupies the mid level of the table at best.

I don't know what's funny or difficult to understand about it. 

I'll explain.

It is the way that some people, those who were so vocal over their dislike of the style of football we played under O'Neill are now sufficiently happy to entrust our future - because it would be that, not just a few months to keep us up and then get shot of him - in a man whose anti-football credentials are only exceeded by one other manager in the top flight.

I understand the "I want shot of Lambert" stuff, just not the perceived best option for us (ie Allardyce).

If you want to sack him, why not do so and replace him with someone who'll at least try to get us playing football, rather than the "any port in a storm" desperation that sees people touting the likes of Allardyce.

It is exactly the sort of lack of overall vision that has got us into this rut in the first place. The brainlessness of Lerner and co to go from someone with the beliefs of Houllier to the diametric opposite in McLeish. To then switch to a manager who wants us to play football again and then back to a prehistoric relic would be an extra stupid display of bad management.

One other thing - how many of the people calling for Allardyce now would be amongst the very first to start calling for his head once we'd got off to an iffy start and spent hours of our lives watching witless long punts at a big man up front while Kevin Nolan waits for the knock downs?

[damon loves JT]

I don't want to be the one to invoke Godwin's Law, but this is how Hitler got into power.

'I know he's a violent, anti-Semitic demagogue, but he can't be any worse than that twat Hindenburg'

[KevinGage]

Beggars can't be choosers. 

You've nailed your colours to the mast and said you'd prefer to see Lambert take us down 'trying' to play football (in the same way he probably 'tries' to get us to defend set pieces).

I could wear Sam Allthepies brand of football for the next few months (for the next 18 months >2 years if needs be) if it meant we got the 3/4 victories we need this season to stay up. We'd probably be reasonably safe next year too, even if the football is less than spellbinding.    We've survived O'Neill and McLeish, so we should be well primed when it comes to dull, unimaginative football. Would Big Sam really be such a culture shock?

The ideal scenario is that Lambert does turn it around, and things suddenly click. But I am not so enamoured with his approach, his vision or what he is 'trying' to do that I think a spell in the Championship is a price worth paying.

[pauliewalnuts]

That's the point, though, Kev.

It wouldn't be just the next few months, or the next year or two. Sam travels with a huge backroom staff. We'd need to spend a significant amount of money getting shot of our current team and getting him in. It isn't going to be a year or two of dullness and off he goes.

I'd also wonder whether, currently attracting crowds of 30k, we can afford to be putting people off coming to the matches any more than we already have.

I didn't suggest I think a spell in the Championship is a price worth paying, either, for what it's worth. I think relegation could be a disaster for the club. I just look at the possible appointments should we go down, and can't see any which would offer more than sticking with the bloke we have got.

[eastie]

Just to clarify again paulie , I have not seen one person say allardyce would be a dream
Manager, I've seen some argue he would be better than lambert- nothing more than that.

If I compiled a shortlist ralf rangnick and gus poYet would figure but big Sam wouldn't - I agree with Risso that he would do a better job than lambert but so would many other managers.

You were on more than one post match thread last month saying you agreed lambert should go and yet now you say you cannot think of anyone better - why the huge change of heart?

[Jockey Randall]

It is exactly the sort of lack of overall vision that has got us into this rut in the first place. The brainlessness of Lerner and co to go from someone with the beliefs of Houllier to the diametric opposite in McLeish. To then switch to a manager who wants us to play football again and then back to a prehistoric relic would be an extra stupid display of bad management.

I think you make a great point here. The style switch in managers the board has chosen is laughable when you look back at it. Swansea have consistently built on their success by appointing managers who have continued where the other left off. Our board seem to have not even considered style of football at all. People must also remember that if we appointed someone like Allardyce, he'd probably get shot of quite a few of our better players in favour of several Lebron James types. I'd imagine someone like Weimann would be in danger of the chop. This would also cost an arm and a leg to get his players in to replace the old ones. It's exactly the sort of decision, if we go by previous decisions they've made that the board could quite easily make. I'm trying to be positive though and hoping they've seen the error of their ways.

[pauliewalnuts]

Just to clarify again paulie , I have not seen one person say allardyce would be a dream
Manager, I've seen some argue he would be better than lambert- nothing more than that.

If I compiled a shortlist ralf rangnick and gus poYet would figure but big Sam wouldn't - I agree with Risso that he would do a better job than lambert but so would many other managers.

That's the thing.

If in one breath you (or whoever) says "Lambert is the worst manager we've ever had" then in the next, supports some other bozo with the claim that "he's better than Lambert", then surely by their own definition, that's really not the greatest of criteria on which to base a manager.

[PaulWinch again]

I'd hate Allardyce or Pulis to be in charge of Villa, much like I hated Mcleish being in charge. Lambert has done a poor job, but he has tried to win games at least and we have played nice football in places. If Lambert has to go, then looking at the likes of Allardyce is not the way to go. He'd saddle us with old players on high salaries, lets not forget he wanted Warnock, he would just drag us back towards what we're trying to get away from.

[KevinGage]

There's the cost of hiring him, his science crew, his roadies and anyone else.

And then there's the cost of going down.

Again, in a lesser of two evils I know which scenario -to me- is more palatable. 

Not that that matters much, RL's reluctance to spend in Jan indicates he's quite prepared to drift with the current and hope for the best.

[eastie]

For me ralf rangnick would be first choice if we are looking for a quality manager, poyet maybe if we are looking at an up and coming manager , I haven't seen anyone who would make big Sam first choice - for what it's worth I hope lambert proves me and other doubters wrong - I will be more than happy if he succeeds .

[pauliewalnuts]

For me ralf rangnick would be first choice if we are looking for a quality manager, poyet maybe if we are looking at an up and coming manager , I haven't seen anyone who would make big Sam first choice - for what it's worth I hope lambert proves me and other doubters wrong - I will be more than happy if he succeeds .

Hasn't Rangnick been out of the game since he had his mental problems at Schalke? He was in a bad place, I know that. I'm not sure whether we'd want to take a punt on that.

It's not about making Big Sam first choice. It is about, seemingly, sacking Lambert and replacing him with Allardyce, ie thinking he'd be a sufficiently better option.

[pauliewalnuts]

There's the cost of hiring him, his science crew, his roadies and anyone else.

And then there's the cost of going down.

And then there's the fact it is almost the end of February to consider.

It'd be more money thrown away in a desperate hope to change something, which probably wouldn't change anything this season any way.

Also, I don't know if you've checked out West Ham's form recently, but it is hardly stellar.

[eastie]

It depends on the ambition of the club I guess, we could all throw names in but would they want to come and work under the current financial guides , it could all come down to who would want the job - I certainly can't see anything happening until the season ends so let's see where we are and hope we can survive.

[JJ-AV]

I think Lambert has done badly so far, and probably should have gone by now. But if he's getting until the end of the season we may as well stick with him through the Summer whatever division we're in. I don't think he's a bad manager, just that he got the Summer transfer window horribly wrong.

I just hope it hasn't gone too far. Alot similarities between us and Coyle at Bolton last year.