The Paul Lambert thread - poll reset after our capitulation to Hull

[eastie]

Brian Green, who is unable to post at the moment, has asked me to chip in his thoughts:

Dennis Healey once said "The ultimate stability is the stability of the graveyard." He was talking about economic stability but precisely the same law applies to football.

I bet that caused a few raised eyebrows

[Dribbler]

If i hadn't of watched any games this season, or looked at actual game stats as a whole, i would be inclined to think Lambert is doing a good job. Ooh balance sheet looking good with a nicer wage to turnover ratio, cosy owner-CEO-Manager relationship, "comfortably" midtable after half the season etc., etc.

Alas I've watched most of our games and watched us running around chasing a football for the large percentage of most of those games and hoofing up the field for the majority of the rest of the time. But thats not important really. I'm sure he's also broken numerous records since he's been here and given us many memorable moments we won't forget, sign him up!

[saunders_heroes]

If i hadn't of watched any games this season, or looked at actual game stats as a whole, i would be inclined to think Lambert is doing a good job. Ooh balance sheet looking good with a nicer wage to turnover ratio, cosy owner-CEO-Manager relationship, "comfortably" midtable after half the season etc., etc.

Alas I've watched most of our games and watched us running around chasing a football for the large percentage of most of those games and hoofing up the field for the majority of the rest of the time. But thats not important really. I'm sure he's also broken numerous records since he's been here and given us many memorable moments we won't forget, sign him up!

Really?

[LeeB]

I think its good news.  Just me then

No, me too.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

The thing that annoys me the most is that we're not even trying. We're simply settling for this terrible brand of football.

[Dribbler]

If i hadn't of watched any games this season, or looked at actual game stats as a whole, i would be inclined to think Lambert is doing a good job. Ooh balance sheet looking good with a nicer wage to turnover ratio, cosy owner-CEO-Manager relationship, "comfortably" midtable after half the season etc., etc.

Alas I've watched most of our games and watched us running around chasing a football for the large percentage of most of those games and hoofing up the field for the majority of the rest of the time. But thats not important really. I'm sure he's also broken numerous records since he's been here and given us many memorable moments we won't forget, sign him up!

Really?

No.

[saunders_heroes]

If i hadn't of watched any games this season, or looked at actual game stats as a whole, i would be inclined to think Lambert is doing a good job. Ooh balance sheet looking good with a nicer wage to turnover ratio, cosy owner-CEO-Manager relationship, "comfortably" midtable after half the season etc., etc.

Alas I've watched most of our games and watched us running around chasing a football for the large percentage of most of those games and hoofing up the field for the majority of the rest of the time. But thats not important really. I'm sure he's also broken numerous records since he's been here and given us many memorable moments we won't forget, sign him up!

Really?

No.

Sorry, I've just re-read your post.

[Concrete John]

Chris, I think the point about having a good, consistent style against lesser sides means it's drilled into the entire squad and not reliant on the presence of individual players. You're right in a sense that we play the same way against them: impatiently, directly, narrowly and without any clear sense that anyone on the ball feels comfortable or unjittery for even a moment. If we were going to play a proper game with a bit of intelligence, hard work in training and, dare I say it, modernity (because in no industry in football are the methods of the past so celebrated and recommended so long after their era of usefulness), we would see evidence of it now. In point of fact, the football is getting worse and worse.

That's fine in theory, or when you have a large and talented squad, but with us a lack of quality can show through.  We have a poor midfield, which I don't think anyone really disagrees with, yet we're still expecting us to pass through it against competitive PL sides.

Lambert has done some good stuff and some bad stuff so far, but I think next season is the key to seeign where we're going.  Bomb squad gone, decent numbers in the squad, so no excuse not to take that step in quality of recruitment.  And then no excuse to not see something more consistent on the pitch.

Michael Laudrup said that you can't teach players to be Messi or Ronaldo, but you can help them pass the ball five yards to each other and move into space - real basics. I actually don't think our midfielders are that bad, they've all showed they can play on occasion (yes, all of them), but there's clearly very little structure in place, no frame of reference for them. It's all done, quite literally, on the hoof.

Michael Laudrup needs to sort out Swansea's awful form before we can regard him as a footballing guru worthy of quoting.

[Concrete John]

I'm happy to hear they're thinking ahead and negotiating a new contract with Lambert.  As others have said, stability is important for the club.  Above that, though, I do think Lambert is doing a very good job.  I know performances have been up and down - going from the Liverpool performance to the Everton one in the space of a week is a real frustration but this is where we are for the moment in terms of squad depth and quality.  I'd be happy with a mid-table finish this season  as long as we start to kick on next year - and I think we will.

I'm struggling to comprehend how anyone can think Lambert is doing a very good job.

Very?  No, I wouldn't go that far.  But good?  Yes, he is as far as I'm concerned.  Not perfect and things to improve on, but on balance he's doing OK.

[sirlordbaltimore]

If i hadn't of watched any games this season, or looked at actual game stats as a whole, i would be inclined to think Lambert is doing a good job. Ooh balance sheet looking good with a nicer wage to turnover ratio, cosy owner-CEO-Manager relationship, "comfortably" midtable after half the season etc., etc.

Alas I've watched most of our games and watched us running around chasing a football for the large percentage of most of those games and hoofing up the field for the majority of the rest of the time. But thats not important really. I'm sure he's also broken numerous records since he's been here and given us many memorable moments we won't forget, sign him up!

Sounds about right.

[eastie]

The news that we had a substantial bid for a player turned down last month is very positive , it shows there is money available and we have targets we may revisit in the summer.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

The news that we had a substantial bid for a player turned down last month is very positive , it shows there is money available and we have targets we may revisit in the summer.

Bit strange how this is the first we've heard of it. If Kendrick knew, why didn't he say anything?

Like you said, positive news if true. I think we all agree that we need quality rather than quantity now.

[eastie]

The news that we had a substantial bid for a player turned down last month is very positive , it shows there is money available and we have targets we may revisit in the summer.

Bit strange how this is the first we've heard of it. If Kendrick knew, why didn't he say anything?

Like you said, positive news if true. I think we all agree that we need quality rather than quantity now.

Maybe faulkner told him when they spoke yesterday?

[martin o`who??]

If this is true, then PL has to be given funds to finish the job, but that doesnt seem likely to happen any time soon, i read elswhere on this thread that some supporters see us improving next season, cant see it myself, same manager, much the same playing staff, perhaps with Okore coming back the defence may improve, but that isnt a given. Same old same old i think.

[Monty]

Chris, I think the point about having a good, consistent style against lesser sides means it's drilled into the entire squad and not reliant on the presence of individual players. You're right in a sense that we play the same way against them: impatiently, directly, narrowly and without any clear sense that anyone on the ball feels comfortable or unjittery for even a moment. If we were going to play a proper game with a bit of intelligence, hard work in training and, dare I say it, modernity (because in no industry in football are the methods of the past so celebrated and recommended so long after their era of usefulness), we would see evidence of it now. In point of fact, the football is getting worse and worse.

That's fine in theory, or when you have a large and talented squad, but with us a lack of quality can show through.  We have a poor midfield, which I don't think anyone really disagrees with, yet we're still expecting us to pass through it against competitive PL sides.

Lambert has done some good stuff and some bad stuff so far, but I think next season is the key to seeign where we're going.  Bomb squad gone, decent numbers in the squad, so no excuse not to take that step in quality of recruitment.  And then no excuse to not see something more consistent on the pitch.

Michael Laudrup said that you can't teach players to be Messi or Ronaldo, but you can help them pass the ball five yards to each other and move into space - real basics. I actually don't think our midfielders are that bad, they've all showed they can play on occasion (yes, all of them), but there's clearly very little structure in place, no frame of reference for them. It's all done, quite literally, on the hoof.

Michael Laudrup needs to sort out Swansea's awful form before we can regard him as a footballing guru worthy of quoting.

He's having a bad time but has a good record of getting teams to play well and relatively successfully. Anyway, I was just paying due homage to the source of the quote - the content isn't that easy to refute.