Paul Lambert on Randy Lerner .

[Ad@m]

One thing Lambert could improve straight away is the discipline.

In other words, don't play Herd and Baker ;)

And teach Delph how to tackle.

[Clampy]

I think you have to take the team as a whole, not break it down it its component parts. A more solid defence allows the midfield to play with more freedom, a confident forward line gives them options when on the ball etc.

You could also argue that a better midfield that keeps the ball and closes down would put less pressure on an already dodgy defence.

As Chris points out, the injuries have hindered us and this weekend another player will be serving a suspension for the third match running. That said, it dose'nt excuse some of his strange team selections and subs.

One thing Lambert could improve straight away is the discipline.

Definitely. We're the dirtiest bunch of bastards in the league. We can't afford to keep losing players to suspension, particularly some of our few good players.

I don't think we're dirty at all. One or two booking that are picked up are from petty refereeing.

[JUAN PABLO]

Well, the loss of Okore and Vlaar is one specific problem.The fact that Lambert has been playing Bacuna at FB rather than in MF alongside Westie and Delph is a specific. The way he sees Herd as an auxiliary CB rather than as a holding MF is specific.

But I do understand the point you're making - it is muddled; made worse by the absence of some experienced players in key positions.

Fair point on Vlaar, he's a big miss.  But Okore? People are talking as if he's the missing link when we don't know if he's any good yet! He looks like he could be a quality centre half but we've hardly seen him play so I don't really subscribe to this view that everything will be fine when he's back. I just question why we've gone into the season with one experienced defender, as soon as he goes down you're going to struggle.

Don't mean to single out your quote Mr E, it's just that I've seen a lot of this on H&V and Twitter ...
[/quote]

I agree with your Okore point

Vlaar is an older experienced international that took a year to start looking good , where Okore might eventually and probably be a top top player but he is young and no experience of the Prem league. Look at Petrov too , it can take a while to settle.

[Toronto Villa]

the thing with Okore was in the little we saw of him we could all kind of figure out he would be better than Clark and Baker. In fairness to Clark he's improved a lot and has actually had a very good season next to Vlaar. Baker is a walking mistake waiting to happen and comfortably our 4th CB, and if Donacien comes through possibly our 5th.

[supertom]

I think you have to take the team as a whole, not break it down it its component parts. A more solid defence allows the midfield to play with more freedom, a confident forward line gives them options when on the ball etc.

You could also argue that a better midfield that keeps the ball and closes down would put less pressure on an already dodgy defence.

As Chris points out, the injuries have hindered us and this weekend another player will be serving a suspension for the third match running. That said, it dose'nt excuse some of his strange team selections and subs.

One thing Lambert could improve straight away is the discipline.

Definitely. We're the dirtiest bunch of bastards in the league. We can't afford to keep losing players to suspension, particularly some of our few good players.

I don't think we're dirty at all. One or two booking that are picked up are from petty refereeing.

I'm not sure we can blame petty refs. Westwood earlier in the season seemed on a mission to get himself sent off. Herd and Baker are a bit mental in the challenge. Delph is a leg breaker, Gabby's a dirty player, Weimann gets the red mist at times and some of our other youngens are perhaps less dirty, more clumsy.

I thought we were lucky to stay with 10 men in a few games this season, including the last run out. That said Stoke weren't much better. Horrendous. No surprise that us and Stoke are rock bottom of the fair play league.

I also think giving the ball away so much leaves us with little choice but to hack the opposition sometimes.

[Ad@m]

Baker's actually a tremendous tackler - it's easily his biggest strength. The trouble is he's always so out of position he has to throw himself into challenges. So far he's got almost every one right but I do fear the day he's a bit late with one and ends up breaking someone's leg.

[Toronto Villa]

Baker's actually a tremendous tackler - it's easily his biggest strength. The trouble is he's always so out of position he has to throw himself into challenges. So far he's got almost every one right but I do fear the day he's a bit late with one and ends up breaking someone's leg.

I think Baker is all a bit last ditch because his positioning is often so poor. He is a very good tackler in that sense and throws himself about which looks more dramatic than I wish it needed to be.

[PeterWithesShin]

I quite like that we can be dirty bastards, for too long we have been too 'nice' on the pitch. It just needs to be a bit more controlled dirty bastard.

[Clampy]

I think you have to take the team as a whole, not break it down it its component parts. A more solid defence allows the midfield to play with more freedom, a confident forward line gives them options when on the ball etc.

You could also argue that a better midfield that keeps the ball and closes down would put less pressure on an already dodgy defence.

As Chris points out, the injuries have hindered us and this weekend another player will be serving a suspension for the third match running. That said, it dose'nt excuse some of his strange team selections and subs.

One thing Lambert could improve straight away is the discipline.

Definitely. We're the dirtiest bunch of bastards in the league. We can't afford to keep losing players to suspension, particularly some of our few good players.

I don't think we're dirty at all. One or two booking that are picked up are from petty refereeing.

I'm not sure we can blame petty refs.

I think sometimes you can sometimes. I'm not sure how many players were booked overall at Stoke. I'd say around 7 because we had 5 booked and other than a rash Clark challenge, it wasn't really a dirty game. If you think about it, 5 bookings inside 17 games is not that shocking for a central midfielder. Gabby could do with cutting his down though.

[ez]

It's a discipline problem. Against Stoke the players got frustrated because they were behind, couldn't create anything and time's against us. That's when more of the fouling comes in. It's playing into the opposition's hands because they get the free kick and a bit more time is wasted. It does my head in.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

Frustration is partly responsible but I think they'd go in like that if we were winning. Lambert needs to have a word with them, as it's only a matter of time before we start picking up red cards.

[Mister E]

Well, the loss of Okore and Vlaar is one specific problem.The fact that Lambert has been playing Bacuna at FB rather than in MF alongside Westie and Delph is a specific. The way he sees Herd as an auxiliary CB rather than as a holding MF is specific.

But I do understand the point you're making - it is muddled; made worse by the absence of some experienced players in key positions.

Fair point on Vlaar, he's a big miss.  But Okore? People are talking as if he's the missing link when we don't know if he's any good yet! He looks like he could be a quality centre half but we've hardly seen him play so I don't really subscribe to this view that everything will be fine when he's back. I just question why we've gone into the season with one experienced defender, as soon as he goes down you're going to struggle.

Don't mean to single out your quote Mr E, it's just that I've seen a lot of this on H&V and Twitter ...

I agree with your Okore point

Vlaar is an older experienced international that took a year to start looking good , where Okore might eventually and probably be a top top player but he is young and no experience of the Prem league. Look at Petrov too , it can take a while to settle.

Even if Okore is relatively untried, he looked a cut above the alternatives for the few games in which he has played.
Losing both him and Vlaar has been damaging to us, specifically.

[frank black]

We are trying to make up for our lack of skill and guile by getting 'stuck in'.

The stats don't lie, we are a dirty team.

[olaftab]

I don't mind  that. Like being top in at least one measure.

[paul_e]

I don't think we are dirty at all.  On saturday Stoke were genuinely dirty, but they were canny enough to hide the worst of it.  Our players lack the subtlety of experience.  Look at how their left back handled Albrighton for example, he fouled him pretty much every time the ball went that side, and didn't get booked until around the 80th minute.