How would you feel....

[Concrete John]

One thing I miss is a midfielder who gets the ball and runs forward with it. All our three did yesterday was just lay it off to the nearest player. Albrighton did at least try and make something happen yesterday, even at 3-0 down.

Or heaven forbid.. a midfielder getting in front of the ball when we are in the last third of the pitch.

I think we have that in Delph, but I think his forward instincts are restricted by a lack of confidence in what's behind him.

[aj2k77]

It's also on something like 15 or 16 players to rebuild a squad. If we'd just bought 5 or 6 players i'd be sat on the bench as a sub as we'd have no players.

Paul e has it right, we've rebuilt the squad numbers wise, now it is time to start buying first team players, not squad players.

Helenius, Tonev, Sylla, El Ahamadi, Bowery, Kozak, Luna add the square root of nothing. There's at least £16m quid there that could have been spent better on a smaller amount of players. If we play young donkeys we might aswell use our young free donkeys rather than £16m quids worth of other teams donkeys.

[PeterWithesShin]

I love it when Delph goes on one of his runs with the ball, I just wish he'd do it more than once or twice a game at most. We do seem to have a problem at times with players in the box though, which is a bit of a hindrance to a counter attacking side if you break down the wings and no fucker is in the box.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Every window up until this one he's been filling gaps in the squad to give us cover in every position and a decent sized squad.  I can't really see any need for another window of that sort, instead Jan and next summer should be about picking up 1-2 players who come in and improve the best 11.  A midfielder who can play between the lines (some will call this a 10 but I think we need some one playing a little deeper than that) is top of that list.  I think getting the right player in that role could be the key to us progressing from where we are and, importantly, give us the ability to open teams up at home.

I agree that we should now be looking to bring in players to improve the XI, not the squad. My only concern is will Lambert know what to do with them? It's as though he's bought players in without thinking what they can actually do should he need them. I'm sure there's some speculation on his side as to given time they'll be very useful but like every team, we suffer injuries and need the full squad to be ready to step up. He simply doesn't have the luxury of bringing them in slowly. Tactically he looks clueless which is something I never expected from him. I always had him down as a thinking man's MON. Right now it's difficult to spot the difference.

He really needs to focus on what we do at Bodymoor Heath and get a well drilled squad together where we can seamlessly bring in a player and maintain our shape rather than the disjointed shambles we've seen for most of this season who look like they met 5 minutes before kick off. He still has my support, just. It shouldn't be too difficult to improve this side providing they know what they're supposed to be doing. Whilst accepting it does take time to get a team to gell, the fact we are so poor and actually seem to be getting worse despite a couple of decent results, gives me little faith he can actually turn it around.

I hope I'm wrong but I think we'll know more about Lambert in 5 or 6 weeks time. Some great home performances will most certainly help his case of convincing me he's the right man for the job.

[mrfuse]

One thing I miss is a midfielder who gets the ball and runs forward with it. All our three did yesterday was just lay it off to the nearest player. Albrighton did at least try and make something happen yesterday, even at 3-0 down.

Or heaven forbid.. a midfielder getting in front of the ball when we are in the last third of the pitch.

I think we have that in Delph, but I think his forward instincts are restricted by a lack of confidence in what's behind him.

This is the issue isint it, would you be happy attacking a defence in the knowledge that if you lose it El Ahamadi and Westwood will be able to get it back again? I think Westwood probably okay but not in the same team as El Ahamadi, he need quality next to him.
We need a hard working midfielder that will get stuck in and just let the other two play. Delph for me seems to doing all the midfield tasks himself he gets his foot in and carries the ball as well.

[Fuse]

Aside from player recruitment which I think he has shown to have wasted money one of the areas we dont seem to have any plan on is set pieces. It revolves around a speculative chip by Westwood whetehr from the elft or the right. No variety whatsoever. What coaching are they doing? We spent more money recruitign addiitonal members of the coahcing team in the summer and seem to have regressed from how we were olaying at the end of last season.

Ball retention seems to have gone out the window completely.

Despite all this I still support him and dont suggest we change manager again but he needs to pull his finger out, stop being pig-headed and not buying experienced quality and play some decent football.

[barrysleftfoot]

 If we was offered Sissokho, and we turned him down, then that policy is looking more stupid by the day.He is exactly the kind of player we need, and he was on a free transfer, and he is what 24?

[Ads]

How much has Lambert spent since he arrived? Anyone got a rough idea of the total?

I am guessing it is over £40m. Wish he had bough 5-6 players with that rather than the dross he has

£43m as confirmed by both Faulkner and the accounts. Certainly not pidgeon feed and a bit more than Lambert would have you believe.

It needs to be put into context;

£43m split over 15 players to completely rebuild a squad, with the bulk spent on Kozak and Benteke and in comparison to what our peers have had to spend (i.e. us being perhaps the only club to completely start anew) then I think it is a very small amount.

We used to spend more on a new back four every summer, which is one of the reasons why we have had to modify our spending.

[Ads]

It's also on something like 15 or 16 players to rebuild a squad. If we'd just bought 5 or 6 players i'd be sat on the bench as a sub as we'd have no players.

Paul e has it right, we've rebuilt the squad numbers wise, now it is time to start buying first team players, not squad players.

Helenius, Tonev, Sylla, El Ahamadi, Bowery, Kozak, Luna add the square root of nothing. There's at least £16m quid there that could have been spent better on a smaller amount of players. If we play young donkeys we might aswell use our young free donkeys rather than £16m quids worth of other teams donkeys.

Kozak has contributed at least four points this season. The useless fucking donkey.

[Monty]

I like Kozak.

[Ads]

I like Kozak.

So do I. His movement is excellent in the box. If we had a number ten in behind him to feed the right balls to him, then he would score a boat load. He doesn't have Benteke or Gabbys pace, so its vital the midfield get up and support him oh, and stop lumping balls into him, that would also help.

[aj2k77]

.

[Toronto Villa]

We need two very solid players this January that will not only boost the playing ability of the squad but boost the morale around the place and the fans. Let's say it was Young and Lescott, irrespective of what people's personal opinion on either might be they exactly the senior type players we'll be pissed off if they go to a club like an Everton or worse someone in or around us. I'm supporting Lambert's overall strategy but he needs to relax a little on it being the only strategy. Wages spent on proper motivated experienced talent which I believe both would be will comfortably separate us from the bottom 7 or 8 clubs and with a bit of luck push us even further up.

[aj2k77]

It's also on something like 15 or 16 players to rebuild a squad. If we'd just bought 5 or 6 players i'd be sat on the bench as a sub as we'd have no players.

Paul e has it right, we've rebuilt the squad numbers wise, now it is time to start buying first team players, not squad players.

Helenius, Tonev, Sylla, El Ahamadi, Bowery, Kozak, Luna add the square root of nothing. There's at least £16m quid there that could have been spent better on a smaller amount of players. If we play young donkeys we might aswell use our young free donkeys rather than £16m quids worth of other teams donkeys.

Kozak has contributed at least four points this season. The useless fucking donkey.

But the £7m on him was a waste, it was much more badly needed elsewhere. I appreciate he's scored the 3 goals but in a sense to me he's the right player at the wrong time maybe.

[Ads]

Its not wasted. We got the player the manager wanted, we just didn't get the other player the manager wanted to go with him.

And while I don't think £7 million is a lot for a striker, much like Benteke, that fee is inflated.