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

[Rudy65]

If there's any hint of Spurs selling Andros Townsend this summer we'll be in for him like a shot as Sherwood has mentioned him about five times in various interviews.

Beyond that I don't know what our transfer policy will be this summer. At a guess I'd imagine we'll still concentrate on getting young players in.

I think he wants Grealish or Sinclair to be his Townsend. I mean why spunk 7-8m on Townsend when you have the we have for a combined 3m say, and N'Zogbia coming back into things? Townsend is good but I'd rather develop the players we have.

Both Grealish and Sinclair have a lot to do to convince me. Sinclair may have scored 3 goals already but I'm still not convinced by his all round game. He wasn't involved much yesterday. I accept he needs games and by the end of the season my view may have changed. Charlie looks a bigger threat going forward, but he only turns up a few times each season.

I like Townsend

[Toronto Villa]

If there's any hint of Spurs selling Andros Townsend this summer we'll be in for him like a shot as Sherwood has mentioned him about five times in various interviews.

Beyond that I don't know what our transfer policy will be this summer. At a guess I'd imagine we'll still concentrate on getting young players in.

I think he wants Grealish or Sinclair to be his Townsend. I mean why spunk 7-8m on Townsend when you have the we have for a combined 3m say, and N'Zogbia coming back into things? Townsend is good but I'd rather develop the players we have.

Both Grealish and Sinclair have a lot to do to convince me. Sinclair may have scored 3 goals already but I'm still not convinced by his all round game. He wasn't involved much yesterday. I accept he needs games and by the end of the season my view may have changed. Charlie looks a bigger threat going forward, but he only turns up a few times each season.

I like Townsend

you're right, but then with Townsend he was incredibly hot for a while and has seemingly fallen off the face of the map just as quickly. Almost Sinclair like...

[Dave]

If there's any hint of Spurs selling Andros Townsend this summer we'll be in for him like a shot as Sherwood has mentioned him about five times in various interviews.

Beyond that I don't know what our transfer policy will be this summer. At a guess I'd imagine we'll still concentrate on getting young players in.

I think he wants Grealish or Sinclair to be his Townsend. I mean why spunk 7-8m on Townsend when you have the we have for a combined 3m say, and N'Zogbia coming back into things? Townsend is good but I'd rather develop the players we have.

Both Grealish and Sinclair have a lot to do to convince me. Sinclair may have scored 3 goals already but I'm still not convinced by his all round game. He wasn't involved much yesterday. I accept he needs games and by the end of the season my view may have changed. Charlie looks a bigger threat going forward, but he only turns up a few times each season.

I like Townsend

Do you think that Townsend contributes all game, every game?

To put it another way, if you take out the couple of penalties that Townsend has scored Sinclair has scored as many for us in six games as Townsend has for Spurs  in the last three seasons.

I'd take Sinclair over Townsend any day based on what he has shown up to now.

[Archie]

Given how things quickly changed  since   Lambert got the sack, there is a thing that I really cannot understand.
Even if the so called pundits defended the so called Scottish manager, the major part of the users of this forum clearly realised that Lambert was totally clueless and tactically inept one year and half (1,5) ago.
In this long period the team has broken all the negative records: number of wins, number of defeats in a row, numbers of goals scored, number of goal's occasion.
So, my question is simple: how is it possible that in the extremely professional world of football the people that are paid to run the club didn't see what the 90% of the fans clearly saw, insisting on the suicide choice to confirm Lambert and even to extend his contract for four years, inducing thousands of fans to abandon the Villa Park for the frustration?
It is a mistery to me.
Thoughts?

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Perhaps Lambert is a nice and decent bloke, who gets on well with Lerner.

Or maybe he was able to persuade them that due to the limited budget, that's the best anyone could do?

And then we did used to pull off the occasional surprising win - we did beat Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool every now and again.

But really he should have gone after that terrible Christmas/New Year and Bradford City result. 

And the four year contract extension is unfathomable.

[PeterWithesShin]

Because they wanted to. So they can. And they did.

[Ad@m]

I think Lerner had a real emotional attachment to Lambert and given Lambert had bought in to Randy's new world of low transfer fees and lower wages he felt like he owed it to Lambert to give him time.

It took Tom Fox to come in and point out how desperate it was for Randy to pull the trigger.

[paul_e]

Perhaps Lambert is a nice and decent bloke, who gets on well with Lerner.

Or maybe he was able to persuade them that due to the limited budget, that's the best anyone could do?

And then we did used to pull off the occasional surprising win - we did beat Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Liverpool every now and again.

But really he should have gone after that terrible Christmas/New Year and Bradford City result. 

And the four year contract extension is unfathomable.

I disagree on the timing you've given for him to go, that would've meant sacking him after about 20 games, I don't think that's right, 12-18months and 50-60 games are needed, that way you're looking at 2-3 windows which is enough for the team to start being a reflection of the manager, I'd have sacked him before the January window in his 2nd season or in the following summer.

[ciggiesnbeer]

As one of his final defenders before I turned all I can say is you get in the hope business.

His decent to good transfer record and his ability to completely change tactical approach in a season led you believe things might turn around enough to survive, just like they did the first and second season.

They were not going to turn around this season mind. I was wrong. Fox made the right call. But I can see why Lerner & co didnt do it earlier, I was of the same mind.

As for his new contract, my guess is it was agreed upon verbally during the summer, both parties just agreed to wait to ink it until there was some good news results wise.

[dave.woodhall]

Do we really need another Lambert thread?

[pauliewalnuts]

So, my question is simple: how is it possible that in the extremely professional world of football the people that are paid to run the club didn't see what the 90% of the fans clearly saw, insisting on the suicide choice to confirm Lambert and even to extend his contract for four years, inducing thousands of fans to abandon the Villa Park for the frustration?

Because the people running the club are really not very good at running a football club. Lerner, at least.

It is a miracle Lambert lasted as long as he did. He had three or four spells when he did so badly that, had this been any other club, he'd have got the sack. The fact the bloke got a new four year contract and then the sack the same season just says it all, really.

Madness.

[Goldie.7]

Do we really need another Lambert thread?

This

[Dave]

Beyond that I don't know what our transfer policy will be this summer. At a guess I'd imagine we'll still concentrate on getting young players in.

Emmanuel Adebayor is out of contract this summer.

It's as inevitable as O'Neill signing Heskey and Lambert signing Holt.

[Damo70]

I would have sacked him after we lost to Palace on Boxing day halfway through his second season. My 'support' for him from then on was based on hope more than any expectation.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

So, my question is simple: how is it possible that in the extremely professional world of football the people that are paid to run the club didn't see what the 90% of the fans clearly saw, insisting on the suicide choice to confirm Lambert and even to extend his contract for four years, inducing thousands of fans to abandon the Villa Park for the frustration?

Because the people running the club are really not very good at running a football club. Lerner, at least.

It is a miracle Lambert lasted as long as he did. He had three or four spells when he did so badly that, had this been any other club, he'd have got the sack. The fact the bloke got a new four year contract and then the sack the same season just says it all, really.

Madness.

Look at the number of fans on here who defended Lambert under the banner of 'Stability'. I hope that as a fanbase, we've finally realised that managerial changes should be ideally made in the summer but even then, we shouldn't be afraid of change.

Obviously, the three calls a week with Lambert gave Randy great comfort, something he needed and probably craved after MON but the deciding factor should always be the fans. I guess expectations had been whittled down to not being relegated despite having a more than decent squad to play with.

Hopefully in the future our expections will never sink so low.