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

[fbriai]

We are the Audley Harrison of the Premier League.

Shouldn't you have used Danny Williams  Dave?

Mind you I don't know why people have a go at Audley. Its not as though he's hurt anyone!

Danny Williams made the most of what talents he had. Audley could have done better, and anyone who takes the piss should remember he won Olympic gold and was European champion.

No disputing he had talent Dave but he lacked the drive to get to  top of his profession . But to constantly mouth off and then not back it
up in the ring was not to his credit.

Having given it a bit of thought, I'm hoping we are more akin to Lloyd Honeyghan.

[Chris Smith]

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.

Again, those players I mentioned make a difference not just because they improve us as individuals but because they make the rest more confident. Similarly, it's always noticeable how we improve if we go in front, the movement is better the passing more incisive and the tempo increases. It's as though they collectively grow 6 inches. Now, it can't be Lambert's fault when they play scruffy football but all down to the players when they perform well, can it?

[PeterWithesShin]

So a let's assume followed by a total guess as to why they would do the thing we had to assume they did. Makes sense to me 

[Monty]

No indeed, Lambert does have plenty to do with it. Like I say, he's not the worst manager of all time by any means imaginable. My impression is that he does want them to play good stuff but doesn't actually have a clear or structured idea of how to get them to do it, and we're a bit over-reliant on external factors, like the players feeling absolutely brilliant (all a bit precarious and bipolar for my liking) or the opposition getting their tactics wrong in a way which lets us play. Also, sometimes the reverse happens: we go ahead and get scruffier, stopping doing the things which got us ahead in the first place and retreat like a tortoise into its shell. It's quite clear that there's no real structure in place to facilitate us playing the passing style - it's all too wobbly.

[ClaretAndBlueBlood]

If he can show that he realises that Aston Villa should be better than putting everyone behind the ball and desperately clinging on against teams, and that possession and entertainment are important then so be it. He also needs to have decent funds available and start buying some quality players.

isn't the first point largely dependant on the second tho which is why I think he is doing a decent job at the moment and the proof of his managerial capabilities will become apparent once he has funds to buy some better quality players

[saunders_heroes]

I wonder why the club felt the need to release the news of of the contract talks - do they truly believe it is positive PR stuff to counteract the Sun's takeover story?

Who says they've released the news?

A journalist found out about it, and went with it. That's not necessarily as a result of them telling him.

It might not even be true.

Well let's for arguments sake say they did. Why would they think it was good PR to reward a man who has put us through so much humiliation?
They must live on a different planet to the fans.

You can't have a go at somebody for assuming they've done something?

We wouldn't be the first club to leak news to the press. Matt Kendrick is also reporting the news, so there must be something in it.

[pauliewalnuts]

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.

Again, those players I mentioned make a difference not just because they improve us as individuals but because they make the rest more confident. Similarly, it's always noticeable how we improve if we go in front, the movement is better the passing more incisive and the tempo increases. It's as though they collectively grow 6 inches. Now, it can't be Lambert's fault when they play scruffy football but all down to the players when they perform well, can it?

I do think we definitely have a confidence issue. You're right about how we frequently start doing everything better when we score.

What I've noticed, also, is that how often we score and it is a result of us - for one of the few times in the match - actually putting together a passing move.

Lambert needs to get that improved, so it happens more often. This long ball shite, I don't think he really wants us to play that way, but at the same time, although it's not him out on the pitch, he's the only person who can sort that out, hence the new contract on several million pounds a year.

[pauliewalnuts]

I wonder why the club felt the need to release the news of of the contract talks - do they truly believe it is positive PR stuff to counteract the Sun's takeover story?

Who says they've released the news?

A journalist found out about it, and went with it. That's not necessarily as a result of them telling him.

It might not even be true.

Well let's for arguments sake say they did. Why would they think it was good PR to reward a man who has put us through so much humiliation?
They must live on a different planet to the fans.

You can't have a go at somebody for assuming they've done something?

We wouldn't be the first club to leak news to the press. Matt Kendrick is also reporting the news, so there must be something in it.

Just because the story is true, why does that mean in any way, shape or form that we've leaked the news?

[Billy Walker]

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.

[saunders_heroes]

I wonder why the club felt the need to release the news of of the contract talks - do they truly believe it is positive PR stuff to counteract the Sun's takeover story?

Who says they've released the news?

A journalist found out about it, and went with it. That's not necessarily as a result of them telling him.

It might not even be true.

Well let's for arguments sake say they did. Why would they think it was good PR to reward a man who has put us through so much humiliation?
They must live on a different planet to the fans.

You can't have a go at somebody for assuming they've done something?

We wouldn't be the first club to leak news to the press. Matt Kendrick is also reporting the news, so there must be something in it.

Just because the story is true, why does that mean in any way, shape or form that we've leaked the news?

Because clubs use the press when it suits them. Do you honestly think it's never happened before?

[eastie]

I think we have come from behind to take more points than any other team this season but I am concerned how we seem to start so many games so slowly and lethargically - we look much better with a high tempo and taking the game to the opposition - it seems to take us too long to get into games .

[saunders_heroes]

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.

[PeterWithesShin]

Just because something has happened before doesn't automatically mean it is the case now.

[pauliewalnuts]

I wonder why the club felt the need to release the news of of the contract talks - do they truly believe it is positive PR stuff to counteract the Sun's takeover story?

Who says they've released the news?

A journalist found out about it, and went with it. That's not necessarily as a result of them telling him.

It might not even be true.

Well let's for arguments sake say they did. Why would they think it was good PR to reward a man who has put us through so much humiliation?
They must live on a different planet to the fans.

You can't have a go at somebody for assuming they've done something?

We wouldn't be the first club to leak news to the press. Matt Kendrick is also reporting the news, so there must be something in it.

Just because the story is true, why does that mean in any way, shape or form that we've leaked the news?

Because clubs use the press when it suits them. Do you honestly think it's never happened before?

No, where did I say it had never happened before?

My point was that you're making a big deal of the club leaking the story as PR when there's absolutely no evidence they have. The fact it frequently does happen is neither here nor there.

It's like reading someone's house burned down and saying "well, that's falling asleep with a fag in your mouth for you", purely on the basis that it sometimes happens that way.

[dave.woodhall]

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.