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

[Jimbo]

The sound bites being used on here to condemn the manager are in free flow however judging him after a poor home defeat is not the best thing to do. For me it's not been the same since his words before the Sheff Utd game and his prep of the team during the game. It showed that he is not a passionate football man but a compliance man merely doing as he is told by the owners. This coupled with reality that we have to  live on a "business like" budget is depressing. It is a shame that Aston Villa Football club has sunk to a level where just survival in the League will do.

Quite, but it's not an isolated 'poor home defeat' and that's the point. It's one of many, which, added to all the ignominious cup exits and severe thrashings - not forgetting the mind-numbing dreary football we insist on playing - is causing us to reach the end of our collective tether. On the whole we've been extremely patient, but it's running thin now.

[SoccerHQ]

Our midfield is just so poor nowadays.

Think back to the quality we had in the top 6 days......Barry, Petrov, Milner, Downing, Young. We had reserves (expensive) like NRC, Sidwell and Gardner who'd all be starting regularly if they were still here.

Now it's just so average compared to most teams we play. Yesterday an average player like Marc Noble was the best player on the pitch I thought, he was first to all the 50/50s and we know Nolan loves playing against us. You're talking a bottom 3 team that has better midfield options than we do. One of the best opposition players I've seen at VP this season was Ki at Sunderland. I'd suggest him as a possible signing if they still go down.

How many premier league teams have poorer midfield options than we do, I genuinely can't think of many.Even a typical case like Stoke has a goalscoring midfielder in Charlie Adam who has won them plenty of points lately and solid options like N'zonzi and Assiadi.
KEA garbage, Sylla looks really poor now compared to last season, Bacuna still learning the role but long term he'll be an up and down right sided midfielder imo, Delph has had a good season in fairness but again not amazing in terms of assists or goals.

Westwood's been poor but I still like some of his game, same with Lowton. However he's been pretty much an automatic pick this season which his performances haven't warranted.

Beats me why Lambert has hardly bothered to touch the midfield this season yet has no issue stockpiling left backs and 6ft + lump strikers into the squad. Should be a condition f this new deal that he's forced to buy two central midfielders ahead of other positions.

[Irish villain]

You've got one of the biggest clubs in the country, but you have to get all Geroge Osbourne on it for at least two seasons and cut to the bone. Tempting and terrifying. O'Neill certainly lacked the bottle, maybe I am being harsh on Martinez.

Very harsh. If football management was about 'bottle',wouldn't Leeds have got a top manager who was 'up for the challenge' by now?

Well that's Ads' argument blown clear out of the water.

Only if you think our financial situation is the equivalent to Leeds Uniteds. Which it plainly is not, thankfully very few clubs have had to suffer such financial catastraphoe as Leeds. They have also played third division football recently and been out of the top flight for ten years.

So yes, if you ignore all of the huge differences above, that make it a ridiculous comparison, then you might be able to say my argument has been rebutted.

No, you were the one saying a certain manager lacked 'bottle' because he didn't take on a job at a big club that had no money. I thought that was a ridiculous argument and just picked another big club on a decline. Oh, and, for the record I was more referring to Leeds circa 2003-04 when the shit first hit the fan for them. Didn't they get Peter Reid back then and then somebody else? Anyway, the same might be said of Rangers or Newcastle before they sorted themselves out again (Kinnear and Shearer?). If a big club is in a mess all the bottle in the world won't make it an attractive proposition for a good manager.

Martinez looked at the equations, did the maths and figured he'd be as well off sticking with Wigan. And can you say he made the wrong decision career-wise?

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

I find it pretty insulting how they're even considering giving Lambert a new contract. Lerner and Faulkner are so out of touch with the fans.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Just seen this..

Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has warned his critics that demanding a quick fix could be dangerous in the long-term for the club.

Lambert, who is talks over a new deal at Villa Park, has come under fire from sections of the Villa faithful who have questioned the club's ambition.

However, Lambert insists there is a long-term plan in place and has thanked club owner Randy Lerner for his support.

"A lot of the work has probably been unseen but in the long-term it will benefit the club. That is the important thing," Lambert told the Daily Mirror.

"If you are going to build something you will never do it in 18 months. But I am lucky that Randy has been fantastic in that aspect of it and he can see what we are trying to do.

"You need the people at the top to believe in what you are doing. I think they see the vision and the work that has gone on behind the scenes. If you have a vision, you have to have people at the top seeing and backing it.

"The chairman Randy has been fantastic with that. He knows what has happened and the way we want to go.

"A quick fix is sometimes pretty dangerous in the long term.

"You have to be big enough to take the hits at certain stages along the way.

"I know the remit here. We are planning to drive the club forward. We are miles from where we want to be. But we are sitting near the top of the group who are fighting like everyone else at the minute.

"A lot of teams would like to be where we are."

Which teams exactly?

[bertlambshank]

I am fed up with Lambert using the 'vision' word.Pity his team doesn't play with any.

[brian green]

There are words for such people.   Fantasist is one.

[saunders_heroes]

"A quick fix"?
We've been in the shit for 4 seasons now and he's calling for more patience. He sounds desperate.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

Another thing I'm sick of is the bullshit he comes out with in the media. Every article sounds like him pleading with Lerner not to sack him.

[brian green]

Getting Grant Holt in is truly visionary.

[brian green]

Randy Lerner must be the most gullible billionaire on the planet.

[JUAN PABLO]

Im sorry  quick fix  , this is just shit


we want a few wins at home please and some decent football more times than we are getting

quick fix?    whats he on about

[Mazrim]

What is this work in progress? What is the framework and Key performance indicators? What is it measured by? We were playing far better football and the end of last season than we are now, after another £20m spent. So what is going on behind the scenes? More importantly, who gives a flying fuck? All that matters is what the supporters are having to endure, especially at Villa Park.

Please, explain what the plan is and where we're at in it. Because I reckon there is no plan and it's just a poor excuse for playing shit ineffective football.

[JUAN PABLO]

so we should have loaned a CB than get Grant Holt

he played it safe with Holt . We didnt need Holt , we had enough up front and whats the point in Bowery then ??  another mad signing

he knows Vlaar is injury prone , thats why he dont play for a top club .   

yes getting a CB  , might not have been a quick fix  but it would have bloody helped.

[Malandro]

Ken Bruce replied to somebody who said his team  was in 'transition'  by saying it was another word (or excuse) for being rubbish.

I think that sums it up nicely.

Lambert must think he's won the lottery, he knows he can probably go on for a number of years like this.

What a shit time it is for us fans (sorry the fans who think its shit, that is)