West Ham United v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Ketzster]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Yes, let's get rid after ten matches while we're mid-table. Then let's appoint our fifth manager in just over three years. That's a surefire formula for success.

It's ok keep saying that it would be bad to appoint a new manager, but would it be much worse than having to watch the dross that is being served up at the moment? I'm not saying he should go yet, but when you look at the midfield and think they are all Lambert's signings, signings which I may hasten to add don't look like they have the potential to improve, where do you find hope in what he is doing?

My point is that do you think either Lerner or Faulkner could identify an available alternative who would be an improvement.

Graham Taylor has oft said it takes 2-3 years for a manager to shape the team in their own image. If we have another 35 or more game relegation scrap as we had for 3 seasons then serious questions should be asked. I don't see us in that bracket this season.

I don't trust them no. But there is shaping a good squad and shaping a squad filled with rubbish. At the moment I don't see that any of his summer signings with the exception of Bacuna are enhancing the squad. By now I think we would be seeing signs of a squad developing if you are taking Graham Taylor's 2-3 year thing seriously. If that squad was developing players like KEA wouldn't be getting anywhere near starting a game but because he bought so dreadfully this summer the squad is dismal and we still see KEA doing absolutely nothing for example. I'm not as anti Kozak as many on here but players like Helenius and Tonev for example were just a total waste of funds

[SheffieldVillain]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Yes, let's get rid after ten matches while we're mid-table. Then let's appoint our fifth manager in just over three years. That's a surefire formula for success.

It's ok keep saying that it would be bad to appoint a new manager, but would it be much worse than having to watch the dross that is being served up at the moment? I'm not saying he should go yet, but when you look at the midfield and think they are all Lambert's signings, signings which I may hasten to add don't look like they have the potential to improve, where do you find hope in what he is doing?

- Wins against Man City and Arsenal, near misses against Liverpool and Chelsea.
- Only 4 goals conceded in the last 4 league games - a big improvement on last year
- Benteke coming back to full fitness.
- Agbonlahor and Delph to come back into today's team, plus a recognised left-back.
- Clark and Delph having improved hugely on last year.
- Okore, albeit out for the rest of this season, having looked like a very astute buy.

No, everything's not perfect, far from it. But many reasons to find hope. 

If asked what we had to do from last season to improve, most people would have said sort out the defence. There are signs of improvement there. The next step is to improve again going forward. 

[brontebilly]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Yes, let's get rid after ten matches while we're mid-table. Then let's appoint our fifth manager in just over three years. That's a surefire formula for success.

Mid table or the 8 team relegation battle as it was last season?

Mid table to me means comfortably avoiding relegation, I see no evidence to suggest we will be anything but down in the thick of another relegation battle this season.

We are playing as bad at the moment as anything produced under McLeish.

I think Lambert made a real balls of things over the summer with some shocking signings and the promise shown at the end of last season has evaporated.

[dave.woodhall]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Yes, let's get rid after ten matches while we're mid-table. Then let's appoint our fifth manager in just over three years. That's a surefire formula for success.

Mid table or the 8 team relegation battle as it was last season?

Mid table to me means comfortably avoiding relegation, I see no evidence to suggest we will be anything but down in the thick of another relegation battle this season.

We are playing as bad at the moment as anything produced under McLeish.

I think Lambert made a real balls of things over the summer with some shocking signings and the promise shown at the end of last season has evaporated.

This is what I don't understand. We're awful, dreadful, appalling, doomed. And yet, a point away and no goals conceded in three away games is bad. You can't have it both ways.

[saunders_heroes]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Yes, let's get rid after ten matches while we're mid-table. Then let's appoint our fifth manager in just over three years. That's a surefire formula for success.

Mid table or the 8 team relegation battle as it was last season?

Mid table to me means comfortably avoiding relegation, I see no evidence to suggest we will be anything but down in the thick of another relegation battle this season.

We are playing as bad at the moment as anything produced under McLeish.

I think Lambert made a real balls of things over the summer with some shocking signings and the promise shown at the end of last season has evaporated.

This is what I don't understand. We're awful, dreadful, appalling, doomed. And yet, a point away and no goals conceded in three away games is bad. You can't have it both ways.

The point was welcome, but the performance was dreadful, again. I don't think that is a controversial viewpoint.

[SheffieldVillain]

[Mid table or the 8 team relegation battle as it was last season?

Mid table to me means comfortably avoiding relegation, I see no evidence to suggest we will be anything but down in the thick of another relegation battle this season.

So if we finished one place above the relegation zone in 17th, but 10-12 points clear of the next team, that would be mid-table according to your definition then?

[pauliewalnuts]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Yes, let's get rid after ten matches while we're mid-table. Then let's appoint our fifth manager in just over three years. That's a surefire formula for success.

Mid table or the 8 team relegation battle as it was last season?

Mid table to me means comfortably avoiding relegation, I see no evidence to suggest we will be anything but down in the thick of another relegation battle this season.

We are playing as bad at the moment as anything produced under McLeish.

I think Lambert made a real balls of things over the summer with some shocking signings and the promise shown at the end of last season has evaporated.

This is what I don't understand. We're awful, dreadful, appalling, doomed. And yet, a point away and no goals conceded in three away games is bad. You can't have it both ways.

Although no goals scored in four games isn't too clever. I don't think a point away at West Ham is ever going to be thought of as a "bad" result, not at all. And I also thought we defended very well today. That's a definite positive point.

We're not as awful as some are painting us out to be, that is definitely true.

We are, however, a pretty poor team at the moment. We create next to nothing, we don't pass the ball or keep it, and we don't fight to get it back, or move off it I hope it doesn't stay like that for too long, as I think a lot of us who have bought into the project will start to lose faith if it does.

I think basically it is just a bit frightening when we see performances so devoid of creativity, they could have come from the McLeish season.

It's like adopting a dog from an abusive home. He'll be largely alright and relaxed in his new environment, but every now and then, you'll cough unexpectedly, and he'll jump out of his skin. A reminder of what has happened in recent times.

[saunders_heroes]

Benteke should have buried that header though.

[brontebilly]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Yes, let's get rid after ten matches while we're mid-table. Then let's appoint our fifth manager in just over three years. That's a surefire formula for success.

Mid table or the 8 team relegation battle as it was last season?

Mid table to me means comfortably avoiding relegation, I see no evidence to suggest we will be anything but down in the thick of another relegation battle this season.

We are playing as bad at the moment as anything produced under McLeish.

I think Lambert made a real balls of things over the summer with some shocking signings and the promise shown at the end of last season has evaporated.

This is what I don't understand. We're awful, dreadful, appalling, doomed. And yet, a point away and no goals conceded in three away games is bad. You can't have it both ways.

5 points from playing Norwich, West Ham and Hull is poor imo. Particularly away from home where we tend to be better.

Of course you could also choose to ignore our appalling home form, dreadful football and lack of goals as you have....

[dave.woodhall]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Yes, let's get rid after ten matches while we're mid-table. Then let's appoint our fifth manager in just over three years. That's a surefire formula for success.

Mid table or the 8 team relegation battle as it was last season?

Mid table to me means comfortably avoiding relegation, I see no evidence to suggest we will be anything but down in the thick of another relegation battle this season.

We are playing as bad at the moment as anything produced under McLeish.

I think Lambert made a real balls of things over the summer with some shocking signings and the promise shown at the end of last season has evaporated.

This is what I don't understand. We're awful, dreadful, appalling, doomed. And yet, a point away and no goals conceded in three away games is bad. You can't have it both ways.

5 points from playing Norwich, West Ham and Hull is poor imo. Particularly away from home where we tend to be better.

Of course you could also choose to ignore our appalling home form, dreadful football and lack of goals as you have....

As I said - we're shit, going down, doomed, and yet five points from three away games is poor. You could also choose to ignore beating the team who are running away with the league and the team who are currently fourth, as you have.

[Sexual Ealing]

In regard to the 'McLeish would've been slaughtered...' posts, that's true, he would have. But McLeish didn't oversee home and away wins over Man City, an away win at Arsenal, a 6-1 win to Sunderland etc.

For better or worse, we seem to visit the extremeties a lot with Lambert. MON and Gregory, for example, wouldn't have lost to Bradford, but then they wouldn't have effctively got us out of trouble with a 6-1 thumping (true, they probably wouldn't have got us into trouble in the first place), McLeish or Houlier would never have considered beating Man City 2-4 in a cup tie. Obviously the shite's difficult to take, but I quite like the possibilities Lambert offers.*

*Written after a boring 0-0 against West Ham. It's no wonder I'm atracted to our lack of coherence.

[tomd2103]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Yes, let's get rid after ten matches while we're mid-table. Then let's appoint our fifth manager in just over three years. That's a surefire formula for success.

It's ok keep saying that it would be bad to appoint a new manager, but would it be much worse than having to watch the dross that is being served up at the moment? I'm not saying he should go yet, but when you look at the midfield and think they are all Lambert's signings, signings which I may hasten to add don't look like they have the potential to improve, where do you find hope in what he is doing?

- Clark and Delph having improved hugely on last year.

I accept that you don't get the full picture from watching MOTD, but Clark had two really poor pieces of defending today.  His wild miskick that gave Jarvis a chance and ball watching that allowed Nolan in were schoolboy stuff.   

[Ads]

Another good away point and a clean sheet. Fuck any ****** thay thinks an away draw is a poor result.

[olaftab]

If there is no improvement before January I think he has to go!

why wait that long Lambert a run of the mill Manager

Feckin comedians are out tonight in a big way!

[ozzjim]

Over all Clark has been much better though Tom. As has Vlaar.

Lowton  and Westwood have both had second season syndrome, and as a fan of Westwood I have been disappointed, but he will come back, and I don't agree with the post about potential. I think one of the things that has hurt us this season is not getting the right 3 in the middle, and that would be Delph, Westwood and Sylla, the former who is knocking on the door of the England squad and the latter 2 who do have potential and showed it last season. The way people are written off on here is amazing. I was quilty with Delph, and have been happily proved wrong.

And for all the being woeful... we had 2 great chances to win it today, the better chances but missed them at Hull, could have been 2 up last weekend before conceding and Weimann was unlucky not to see Morison sent off early on. All in all we have been "in" almost every game despite not being very good much of the time, which bodes well for the times we do get it right.

A manager needs time. Sure there might be some tepid shite along the way, but building a squad on a shoestring is not going to make us Brazil. It is going to take time to lay foundations before being able to stick in some windows and soft furnishings. We can all see what we need, I am 100% sure Lambert can too. But giving people time seems to be an alien concept these days. Give him 3 full seasons before judging him in my view.