Lambert: I want to build a top team

[Risso]

In any case the fact that our form and points total have improved since then suggests that it wasn't as clear cut an argument as some of you suggest.
 

On the first of Jan we had 19 points from 21 games, we've now got 34 from 34, so it's hardly been a meteoric improvement.  And of course it's austerity, we've sold just about every single one of our decent players, and replaced them with kids.  Refusing to buy a defender after the December we had, and getting in the likes of Dawkins and Sylla show that it isn't a strategy but a reaction to the fact that there is no money available.

[Mazrim]

Difficult to talk about long term when we're by no means certain to even stay up.  I'd have a bit more faith in the long term planning if Lambert and the board had taken the necessary steps to strengthen the defence in January.

Spot on. I'm on board with the philosophy but not taking the opportunity to strengthen a naive, weak and inexperienced defence in January was absolute madness. If we pay the price for it, so be it but it was very much avoidable. Especially when our two senior centre halves are injury prone and in Vlaars case still feeling the league out. I just don't understand it. Not even a loan?

[Pete3206]

Concentrate on Sunderland Mr Lambert. That's all that matters right now

[Clampy]

I would'nt call Vlaar or KEA  'kids' but yes a little bit of expereince in the back line in January was needed. There might not be enough money to pay the wages we used to, but i still think we'd pay a decent transfer fee if we needed to.

[PaulWinch again]

I think we'll be a really good side in the long term, but we need to make sure we don't get relegated in the short term.

[ktvillan]

I'm ambiguous about Lambert.  I admire and support his long term strategy, but have doubts whether he is good enough to implement it successfully at the top level.   He has significant  weak spots, mainly often bizarrely naive or just plain wrong tactics,  a seeming inability to produce any semblance of a solid defence especially from set pieces, and a massive over-reliance on slow and insufficiently  gifted full backs to provide the only width in the team.  All three flaws have cost us dearly at times this season, and unless he changes something I can't see him ever doing a Dortmund.  Generally I think managers should go if they get relegated, but I'd be tempted to keep him as he is probably one of the better bets for getting us back up.

[Salsa Party Animal]

I would love PL and Jurgen to get together and have a chat with each other for tactics and team and players and while they are at it organise a pre season friendly.

[supertom]

Whether january was all down to Lambert, or partly down to lack of funds too (probably), we can't say.

But it was all too clear that we need to sign first 11 players. Had we signed a decent centre half and a decent center mid, we'd probably be a few points better off. The Samba argument is irrelevant. We don't have the money to make such a desperate signing and it was desperate. Even at his best, Samba's not worth nearly that.

But our central defence has been so bad, that I'm sure we could have spent 2 mill on a defender in the championship or abroad who could have improved us.
Signing Dawkins and Sylla was baffling. Dawkins never plays. Sylla has the odd, unimpressive cameo. To me, that's a waste of money. They may not cost much, but we may as well not have bothered at all. We must have an 18 yr old in our youth side who's better than Sylla. Certainly I'd play Carruthers over Dawkins.

I appreciate Lambo's sentiment and I like they guy. If we go down though, we can't build a top team. His ethos in principal could work, but we've really lacked a couple of reliable older heads to help these lads through. Particularly at the back and in the middle.

[villa `cross the mersey]

I`ve said before and I`ll say it again - buy Championship quality players and sooner or later you will end up in the Championship. I agree we need a strategy (what happened to the General`s 5 year plan?) and yes we should get behind a manager and give him our full support - however I am not sure this guy is the right manager - as stated above defensivley he is extremely naive and he has been out thought tactically on a fair few occasions.Sounds to me like he is sounding out Lerner in respect of his long term future .. although Lerner has stated that he will support him if we get relegated.

Frankly Mr Lambert I couldn`t give a toss about the Ajax or Dortmund model I care passionately about my club - your "project" has seen me witnessing record 0-8 defeats at Chelsea, 0-3 at home to Wigan and most embarassingly, defeats in the Cup competitions to lower league "giants".

We now appear to be relying on other clubs to fail in order for us to survive. Frankly the fans have given you an easy ride - many will argue that they are seeing "green shoots of recovery" - fair play to them however as much as I crave to watch progressive , attractive football I suggest the time for that type of luxury is when you are winning 3-0 with 10 minutes to go or when you have already secured 40 points for safety.This is a results business - fans will not start flocking to Villa Park because we have young lads playing tippy tappy across the back line - they will come in droves if we start winning games irrespective of the manner in which they come - I am not advocating the "Stoke way" by the way.

I would love for the guy to turn this around but I think he is playing Russian Roulette with his current philosophy - a case of too much too soon - plus the quality of some of the players is not of premiership material - especially the defence.

[PaulWinch again]

In fairness our form of late has been pretty good, so that'd suggest the green shoots of recovery are there.

[Irish villain]

I would also say attendances are (slightly?)  up on last year? We had no sell outs last year and only one 40,000 +.

[Chris Smith]

The very same people who were criticising MON for short term thinking and leaving us with unproductive players draining the wage bill are now advocating that Lambert does the very same thing. If players do not fit in with the way he wants us to play AND with the clubs strategic direction in terms of costs then signing them then it leaves us in 12 months time with them acting as a drain on the wage bill and us back to the position we were under Houllier and Mcleish, and all the pain of the last few years has been for nothing.

Talk of short term contracts etc is just pie in the sky, any signings we make are not going to do it on that basis unless they have no other options and if they have no other options then you'd have to ask yourself why.

[PaulWinch again]

I support the long term plan and it's been a lot more entertaining than last year.

[LeeB]

The very same people who were criticising MON for short term thinking and leaving us with unproductive players draining the wage bill are now advocating that Lambert does the very same thing. If players do not fit in with the way he wants us to play AND with the clubs strategic direction in terms of costs then signing them then it leaves us in 12 months time with them acting as a drain on the wage bill and us back to the position we were under Houllier and Mcleish, and all the pain of the last few years has been for nothing.

Talk of short term contracts etc is just pie in the sky, any signings we make are not going to do it on that basis unless they have no other options and if they have no other options then you'd have to ask yourself why.

Spot on Chris.

[Chris Smith]

This is a results business - fans will not start flocking to Villa Park because we have young lads playing tippy tappy across the back line - they will come in droves if we start winning games irrespective of the manner in which they come

We were (mostly) winning under O'Neill with two good cup runs in his final season thrown in and still people (on here at least)moaned like fuck so I'm not sure that argument holds much water.