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

[brian green]

When we watched them in the pre season at Bochum the two stand out players you would have made your bankers to make it with us were Bacuna and Helenius (who scored a nice goal).   I can only imagine the way things have panned out that a sizeable number of his own purchases have annoyed him in some way and must wait forever in outer darkness.

[supertom]

When we watched them in the pre season at Bochum the two stand out players you would have made your bankers to make it with us were Bacuna and Helenius (who scored a nice goal).   I can only imagine the way things have panned out that a sizeable number of his own purchases have annoyed him in some way and must wait forever in outer darkness.

Helenius just seems miles away from making it. Maybe he hasn't settled in England, that happens, but he seemed up for it in his last game out and scored. That he hasn't appeared since is very strange.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

More than money, Billy, he needs to finally start demonstrating he understand the basics. Almost two seasons in and we struggle to pass the bloody ball.

[pooligan]

According to the club website Supertom ,Helenius has been out injured( must have happened in training because he never plays) and has just returned to training. We would'nt know because never tell us anything .

[brian green]

Sorry Billy I admire your loyalty and respect your opinion but if Lambert gets two more transfer windows like the ones he had already there won't be many at the games.

[supertom]

According to the club website Supertom ,Helenius has been out injured( must have happened in training because he never plays) and has just returned to training. We would'nt know because never tell us anything .

Ah, that explains recently then. Might account for why Robinson is making the bench ahead of him then. Nice to know. Still, I doubt we'll see him this season.

[pooligan]

Spot on Brian as usual

[mattjpa]

I've read all the suggestions here and it's made me more convinced that we have to see it through with Lambert.  He needs this summer's transfer window and the next January window for me.  Lambert has turned a club heading for the trap door into a more secure, mid-table outfit.  It's progress in baby steps and, while it's frustrating beating the team top of the table one week and then losing to the team bottom of the table a couple of weeks later, it is a sign of where we are at the moment.  The squad is still relatively small and lacking in quality cover (and I'm sure Lambert knows this) but, like I say, a couple more transfer windows should sort this.  I'm keeping the faith on this one.

Each to their own but I take issue with you calling us a secure midtable outfit, we are nothing of the sort. We are in a relegation fight and I would be very surprised if we are safe with more than 2 games to go. I also see absolutely nothing in the way the club is run to suggest next season will be any different.

Id love to be proved wrong because I am really sick of the whole thing.

[Walmley_Villa]

Sorry Billy I admire your loyalty and respect your opinion but if Lambert gets two more transfer windows like the ones he had already there won't be many at the games.

Agreed and if he keeps throwing on strikers at the expense of midfield supply in moments of panic I might throw myself off the Upper Holte. He can't even set them up or motivate them to beat lower league teams!

[pauliewalnuts]

I've read all the suggestions here and it's made me more convinced that we have to see it through with Lambert.  He needs this summer's transfer window and the next January window for me.  Lambert has turned a club heading for the trap door into a more secure, mid-table outfit.  It's progress in baby steps and, while it's frustrating beating the team top of the table one week and then losing to the team bottom of the table a couple of weeks later, it is a sign of where we are at the moment.  The squad is still relatively small and lacking in quality cover (and I'm sure Lambert knows this) but, like I say, a couple more transfer windows should sort this.  I'm keeping the faith on this one.

Each to their own but I take issue with you calling us a secure midtable outfit, we are nothing of the sort. We are in a relegation fight and I would be very surprised if we are safe with more than 2 games to go. I also see absolutely nothing in the way the club is run to suggest next season will be any different.

I agree we are far from a more secure mid-table outfit.

This time last year - P32 Pts 33 Pos 16th
Now P32 Pts 34 Pos 13th.

Currently two points between us and 17th.

Whilst I don't think we are going to get relegated this season, I don't really see much security in that. Or much progress.

[andyh]

Those stats posted by Paulie suggest that the only reason we 'look' safe is because there are more poorer teams than us this year.
In 2 years we look like we have made no progress whatsoever.

[Billy Walker]

Sorry Billy I admire your loyalty and respect your opinion but if Lambert gets two more transfer windows like the ones he had already there won't be many at the games.

Thanks Brian and likewise I respect your opinion and experiences as a long-standing supporter.  I suppose my view centres on my desire to see the club fight through with its vision.  I'm fed up of the crash and burn, boom and bust endless cycles of being a Villa fan and I can't see how these will ever end until we have owners who have the  finances and resources to compete with the very wealthiest.  Our only other option for the long-term success I crave is for us to have some kind of a plan and stick with it.  Lambert's twenty months in, I think?  Once we get this season out of the way I think he will have got through the dirtiest and toughest part of his remit - keeping us up whilst slashing the wage bill.   

If folk had been told at the start of the season that, come April, we would be three points off eleventh place having not once been involved with the relegation scrap in earnest, I think many would have taken that as acceptable progress on the previous season.  Yes, it's been shocking at times but we are making some form of progress. 

The next transfer window is, for me, the big one for the Lambert era as I think this is the one where he can now start fine-tuning and aiming for the quality additions that should lift us back into top-half territory.   I don't want to undo the strategy of the past couple of seasons and go back to square one again: I want the current strategy to be given the time to really bed in and be allowed to grow. To get rid of the manager now would mean all the pain and suffering of the past couple of seasons has been pointless - I'd rather embrace it all as part of the journey we are on back to the top. 

[Billy Walker]

Those stats posted by Paulie suggest that the only reason we 'look' safe is because there are more poorer teams than us this year.
In 2 years we look like we have made no progress whatsoever.

Or maybe the league this season is far more competitive from top to bottom?

[Mister E]

It seems clear to me that Lerner is not interested and hasn't been for quite a while. He's therefore not going to go through the hassle of sacking Lambert, paying off the rest of his contract and then having to recruit another manager who is going to want substantial financial backing.

It is far easier to offer Lambert an extension to his contract.

It's not working and I wish they would both move on!!

To suggest that Lerner is uninterested when he has invested 20-25% of his wealth in the club seems a little unlikely, don't you?
If I had done so, I'd be making sure that my decisions on key appointments and expenditure were as sharp as they possibly could be.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Sorry Billy I admire your loyalty and respect your opinion but if Lambert gets two more transfer windows like the ones he had already there won't be many at the games.

Thanks Brian and likewise I respect your opinion and experiences as a long-standing supporter.  I suppose my view centres on my desire to see the club fight through with its vision.  I'm fed up of the crash and burn, boom and bust endless cycles of being a Villa fan and I can't see how these will ever end until we have owners who have the  finances and resources to compete with the very wealthiest.  Our only other option for the long-term success I crave is for us to have some kind of a plan and stick with it.  Lambert's twenty months in, I think?  Once we get this season out of the way I think he will have got through the dirtiest and toughest part of his remit - keeping us up whilst slashing the wage bill.   

If folk had been told at the start of the season that, come April, we would be three points off eleventh place having not once been involved with the relegation scrap in earnest, I think many would have taken that as acceptable progress on the previous season.  Yes, it's been shocking at times but we are making some form of progress. 

The next transfer window is, for me, the big one for the Lambert era as I think this is the one where he can now start fine-tuning and aiming for the quality additions that should lift us back into top-half territory.   I don't want to undo the strategy of the past couple of seasons and go back to square one again: I want the current strategy to be given the time to really bed in and be allowed to grow. To get rid of the manager now would mean all the pain and suffering of the past couple of seasons has been pointless - I'd rather embrace it all as part of the journey we are on back to the top. 

Billy, I understand your concerns and agree with most of your post although I'm not sure the fans when asked fans at the start of the season, come April we're behind Stoke, Hull and West Ham and on the same points as newly promoted Palace, just four points above the relegation zone, too many "would have taken that as acceptable progress on the previous season".

Like you, I agree that the strategy should be maintained, I just don't see Lambert as the right man to deliver it. Any new manager would have to work with the majority of the existing squad as we don't have the money to replace them. It's possible to bring in a more talented manager to not only maintain what's been built over the last 2 years but also improve on it. Somebody like Rene Girard would be a perfect match.