Lambert OUT

[cheltenhamlion]

I have to take issue with some of what you wrote there, SH.

Is the squad shit? Yes, I agree with that. But some of what you levelled at the chairman is unfair.

Actively sold our best players? I disagree. Actively would suggest he was touting them round. We got very good money for all of them.

And to suggest HE replaced them with a load of cheap crap is unfair as well. The managers make the signings.

You can certainly point the finger about him not being around, or making the wrong choices for manager, but the above seems unfair.

As in fact is moaning about his lack of investment. It is how the managers have invested it that has been the issue.

I will agree that we seem to have gone from A to C with no stop at B on the cost cutting.

What isnt clear at this point is whether the financial constraints have forced Lambert's hand in what he has signed or whether it is very much a plan of his own.

On the manager, I would give him longer. I could do without a Groundhog Christmas, and yesterday was woeful, but I believe it would do more harm than good to give him the elbow now.

Let him try to sort it in January and review things again at the end of the season is my view.

It doesnt mean it is not making for painful viewing mind.

[sirlordbaltimore]

which facebook page ?

[sirlordbaltimore]

And to suggest HE replaced them with a load of cheap crap is unfair as well. The managers make the signings.

Except that, in the case of Young/Downing we got 38m and did we spend that replacing them in the side ?. No, we spent 9/10m on N'Zogbia and expected him to replace them both

Can't remember us spending the 18m from Milner's sale replacing him either

And so on

[cheltenhamlion]

The counter to that is we blew a wedge in the previous January on Bent and Makoun. And anyway, the point I was making was that, regardless of the budget, it isnt the chairman that signs the players.

[lovejoy]

one point better off and in fairness we played decent teams on our bad run last year like Chelsea and Spurs. This year Fulham, Stoke, and Palace have turned us over and we rolled over for a United team that are beatable.

You are mis reporting facts to fit your argument, we played Wigan last year too and lost 3-0 at home. They were relegated.

[lovejoy]

The counter to that is we blew a wedge in the previous January on Bent and Makoun. And anyway, the point I was making was that, regardless of the budget, it isnt the chairman that signs the players.

But he does decide how much we spend.

A few more wins and the forum will be on about a shot at Europa league again.

[preston28]

Having supported him and supported him, today broke me I think.

Not because of the loss, but the fact for so many games we have looked so abject going forward.


Collymore and Francis both said today we are way to weak in the centre of midfield, they are right. We can't play as we don't own the middle of the park.

We have no one who can jink and beat a man.

For the first time tonight I would almost be a little relieved if he went tonight.

Anyone coming in could use the loan market to get in 2-3 experienced heads which we still painfully lack.

This says it all for me.  I was desperate for some stability and to build a team. I was supportive of him when he came but his plan is one of building a championship squad. We have the worst home record in all 4 divisions and he can't (or won't) address what the fans can see- weak defence, abject midfield and no width. All we do is punt the ball aimlessly toward a 6'3" striker or pass it horizontally amongst the back four.
But if he were to go , who in their right mind would come to us? We have a 'scrooge' owner and a poor squad?

[eastie]

one point better off and in fairness we played decent teams on our bad run last year like Chelsea and Spurs. This year Fulham, Stoke, and Palace have turned us over and we rolled over for a United team that are beatable.

You are mis reporting facts to fit your argument, we played Wigan last year too and lost 3-0 at home. They were relegated.

Either way we will ave played everybody once as we did last season at this stage - the worry is we are looking a shambles and playing badly while the bottom 3 are all improving and we could well be in the bottom 3 in a weeks time.

[eastie]

Having supported him and supported him, today broke me I think.

Not because of the loss, but the fact for so many games we have looked so abject going forward.


Collymore and Francis both said today we are way to weak in the centre of midfield, they are right. We can't play as we don't own the middle of the park.

We have no one who can jink and beat a man.

For the first time tonight I would almost be a little relieved if he went tonight.

Anyone coming in could use the loan market to get in 2-3 experienced heads which we still painfully lack.

This says it all for me.  I was desperate for some stability and to build a team. I was supportive of him when he came but his plan is one of building a championship squad. We have the worst home record in all 4 divisions and he can't (or won't) address what the fans can see- weak defence, abject midfield and no width. All we do is punt the ball aimlessly toward a 6'3" striker or pass it horizontally amongst the back four.
But if he were to go , who in their right mind would come to us? We have a 'scrooge' owner and a poor squad?

I think a club of the stature of Aston Villa will always be an attraction for a lot of managers .
Expectation levels are not high and the chairman doesn't interfere like at some clubs - the wage bill has been addressed in the main and villa is still a decent job .

[aj2k77]

Yes, we aren't a top tier side anymore but there aren't many of those in the world are there. We are a step below that. Please don't believe for one second we are thought of in football terms as a Fulham or Stoke because we are buying shite at the moment, ''potential'' is important and managers looking at making there way to the very top will get a lot more recognition from achieving something at the Villa than at a Fulham.

There are hundreds of managers out there who know their football and could do a better job and would be willing to come. As for a scrooge owner. Yes he's reined in the unlimited spending and wages but likewise there are also many many managers who work on a smaller budget than £20m per season and can get their sides looking better than 11 drunken hobos meeting at a park bench.

Can Faulkner do his job? That is the question. Houllier, Mcleish, Lambert, suggests he knows little of the footballing world and has little to no imagination.

[brian green]

Lumping the ball forward is horrible and painful to watch but it would not be so bad if it worked once in a while.   We have a giant of a centre forward we paid £7 million for and I did not see him win the ball in the air once yesterday.   He can't jump.   What is the point of launching the ball in the air towards him?   Yesterday we had men in acres of space out wide who were persistently and repeatedly ignored and the ball pumped up to Kozak.   Ian Ormondroyd was the same.   No spring upwards towards the ball, just a laboured uncoiling.

[aj2k77]

Would it be fair to say there's been 45 minutes of good football played by us at Villa Park this season, Everton first half.?

[ozzjim]

I keep seeing the scrooge and much blaming of Lerner.

To flip that Lambert has had 35-40 million to spend, and given free reign of how to spend it. It is not that scrooge like a budget, it has just been spread across too many players.

[Dave Clark Five]

I might just start banning people who choose to ignore polite requests from us.

Maybe they think that they can get away with it as they did with the previous manager.

[sirlordbaltimore]

The counter to that is we blew a wedge in the previous January on Bent and Makoun. And anyway, the point I was making was that, regardless of the budget, it isnt the chairman that signs the players.

Wasnt Bent bought from the Milner money ?