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

[LTA]

I get the feeling that Lerner has asked Fox to take pretty much complete control of things, so that he doesn't have to worry about it. If a buyer comes along, fine. If not, then someone else is handling it anyway. As long as it's not costing him a fortune, which it seemingly isn't anymore, from what they've been saying of late, he doesn't have to worry about it.

That would concern me.  Fox has little experience in running a club.  Plus Arsenal didn't seem to bothered about him leaving.

[pauliewalnuts]

That would concern me.  Fox has little experience in running a club.  Plus Arsenal didn't seem to bothered about him leaving.

Serious question - how could you possibly know that?

[LTA]

I don't recall hearing anyone there saying they were sorry to see him go.   At least not publicly anyway.

[PaulWinch again]

Why would they say that?

[kippaxvilla2]

Problem is he's probably only three matches away from being vilified and totally slagged off again (guilty as charged).  What happens then?  Lambert Out Threads again?

[Ian.]

Problem is he's probably only three matches away from being vilified and totally slagged off again (guilty as charged).  What happens then?  Lambert Out Threads again?

Of course, but not by all. Some of us have been as frustrated as the rest but have also been still behind him. He's had a very patient crowd, to be fair to the fans but it was turning last season. The thing is I believe he has turned a corner but I know as with all teams from probably 7th down you'll hit a grim patch.

[Ian.]

These signings keep being brought up. He spent very little on these players, these players who were from lower leagues were a gamble but at little cost

We were told by Lambert that this was a strategy, not a gamble. "Young and hungry" and all that rubbish. Now that he has effectively admitted that he was totally wrong and has shored up the squad with some experience, we might be able to strive for Premier League safety a lot sooner than we have in the last 2 disatrous seasons. And maybe Keane can teach Lambert some tactics at the same time as putting a bit of spine into the side

Yes but he was working under instruction. I think the words used though by Lambert was marketing bullshit made up in some crazy meeting. I also think he has been guilty of believing in too much in the policy and has been a bit naive about it. The thing is the our form at the end of his first season was so good it papered over too many cracks.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Problem is he's probably only three matches away from being vilified and totally slagged off again (guilty as charged).  What happens then?  Lambert Out Threads again?

Thats true of pretty much all Premier League managers though.

It speaks volumes about the deep level of goodwill Lambert has enjoyed from fans that the criticism has been so muted.

For me the reason I stick with him is I just keep seeing these glimpses that there is a really intelligent, canny manager there who can take us back up the table.

Also the man may not be the best speaker in the world but he doesn't come across as a deluded cock like most other managers I see interviewed. I have never, ever seen him throw his players under the bus to deflect blame or try and take credit away from the players for a victory.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't recall hearing anyone there saying they were sorry to see him go.   At least not publicly anyway.

That is the absolute lightest of "evidence" to be using to suggest Arsenal weren't sad to see him go. Talk about tenuous.

This is the bloke who put together their new 30m a year Puma kit deal. I bet they'll have been grateful for that.

[Clampy]

I don't recall hearing anyone there saying they were sorry to see him go.   At least not publicly anyway.

What point are you trying to make?

[pauliewalnuts]

Problem is he's probably only three matches away from being vilified and totally slagged off again (guilty as charged).  What happens then?  Lambert Out Threads again?

That's the thing.

If you said:

"Lambert getting a new contract is because it brings stability" - I'd have seen that as decent reasoning.

or

"Lambert getting a new contract is about making sure the club has staff on appropriate contracts in the case of a sale" - I'd have seen that as decent reasoning.

or

"Lambert getting a new contract puts the club in a better position to negotiate deals with Vlaar and Delph" - I'd have seen that as decent reasoning.

But:

"Lambert getting a new contract is a reflection of the fact we're doing very well at the moment" - that is really stretching credulity.

I am glad as the next man we've started well - who on earth wouldn't be - but honestly, to start going on about us doing much better or being in "a better place" on the basis of four league games (and one embarassing cup match) is fickleness of the absolute highest order.

Someone was saying how the club is "in excellent shape, top to bottom".

It is four games, that is nothing whatsoever, it isn't enough to judge a manager as having turned anything round, and it also wouldn't be enough to denounce a manager as having "lost it".

The way we see people swinging from one extreme to the other is just nuts. I expect the same people will be moaning about the new deal if we lose the next four matches.

[ez]

I get the feeling the new contract is little to do with Lambert's ability or lack of it, well obviously. It's about Randy getting the job filled for for the foreseeable future so he can go back to whatever he does when not interrupted by Villa things.

[olaftab]

We are where we are.

That's brilliant. I wish I could think of phrases like this. Are you a top corporate manager somewhere?

[olaftab]

Good bit of business by Villa, tying Lambert down on a long term contract before absolutely nobody comes in and poaches him from us.

It's called agility with urgency I understand in corporate world when action is taken in face of no danger at all!

Thank God contracts are worthless

However compensation is not.

[OCD]

We are where we are.

Youth of the Nation.

(sorry - that's 'we are, we are the youth of the nation').