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

[danlanza]

Now I've been sacked I might reconsider getting a season ticket and just use something like viagogo to buy for individual games on an ad-hoc basis.

No chance of a new contract then ?

[Legion]

Just the occasional appearance every now and then I believe.

[danlanza]

Sad days for all H&V buyers and vendors, old and new.

[Concrete John]

My guess is he will also want assurances from the club that we will not just tread water for the next 2-3 years. He'll advocate that he's kept his end of the deal. The fact that he talks openly about the great relationship he enjoys with the chairman and CEO suggests to me they are already on the same page regarding the present and future.

Correct.
I agree with those who say that he has served up some pretty dire stuff, but the club are clearly taking a long-term view on the future and I suspect they're prepared to take the flak from fans for the poor recent fare in pursuit of a more stable long-term position.
Had the attendances plummetted, maybe Lambert would not be getting a new contract; but they haven't.

...... yet. A lot of people thought we'd kick on this season after a reasonable end to last season but we haven't. The performances at Villa Park have been abysmal for the most part. I'd be worried about season ticket sales if I were Randy.

We have result wise and in terms of league position.

[kippaxvilla2]

Michael Laudrup is available should we not manage to tie Lambert down quick enough before the vultures come calling.

[caster troy]

My guess is he will also want assurances from the club that we will not just tread water for the next 2-3 years. He'll advocate that he's kept his end of the deal. The fact that he talks openly about the great relationship he enjoys with the chairman and CEO suggests to me they are already on the same page regarding the present and future.

Correct.
I agree with those who say that he has served up some pretty dire stuff, but the club are clearly taking a long-term view on the future and I suspect they're prepared to take the flak from fans for the poor recent fare in pursuit of a more stable long-term position.
Had the attendances plummetted, maybe Lambert would not be getting a new contract; but they haven't.

...... yet. A lot of people thought we'd kick on this season after a reasonable end to last season but we haven't. The performances at Villa Park have been abysmal for the most part. I'd be worried about season ticket sales if I were Randy.

We have result wise and in terms of league position.

Have we though? We've done worse in the league cup, the same in the FA Cup and although we've had less drubbings than last season we've played worse football and relied on smash and grab away victories to keep us a far from safe 5 points off relegation.

[Concrete John]

My guess is he will also want assurances from the club that we will not just tread water for the next 2-3 years. He'll advocate that he's kept his end of the deal. The fact that he talks openly about the great relationship he enjoys with the chairman and CEO suggests to me they are already on the same page regarding the present and future.

Correct.
I agree with those who say that he has served up some pretty dire stuff, but the club are clearly taking a long-term view on the future and I suspect they're prepared to take the flak from fans for the poor recent fare in pursuit of a more stable long-term position.
Had the attendances plummetted, maybe Lambert would not be getting a new contract; but they haven't.

...... yet. A lot of people thought we'd kick on this season after a reasonable end to last season but we haven't. The performances at Villa Park have been abysmal for the most part. I'd be worried about season ticket sales if I were Randy.

We have result wise and in terms of league position.

Have we though? We've done worse in the league cup, the same in the FA Cup and although we've had less drubbings than last season we've played worse football and relied on smash and grab away victories to keep us a far from safe 5 points off relegation.

I wasn't talking about cups, but league wise we finished 16th last season and are now 10th.  So somethings had improved

[PeterWithesShin]

Have we though? We've done worse in the league cup, the same in the FA Cup and although we've had less drubbings than last season we've played worse football and relied on smash and grab away victories to keep us a far from safe 5 points off relegation.

Yes we have. Higher league position (we were in the bottom three after 24 games last season with 20 points) more points, more goals scored and less goals conceded. However you try and look it, things have improved even if the quality is lacking at times.

[caster troy]

Have we though? We've done worse in the league cup, the same in the FA Cup and although we've had less drubbings than last season we've played worse football and relied on smash and grab away victories to keep us a far from safe 5 points off relegation.

Yes we have. Higher league position (we were in the bottom three after 24 games last season with 20 points) more points, more goals scored and less goals conceded. However you try and look it, things have improved even if the quality is lacking at times.

I don't remember many games at villa park where I've been thinking 'this is better than last season.' Like I said we've relied on smash and grab away victories, if they desert us we'll struggle.

[PeterWithesShin]

So more points, goals scored and less conceded over 24 games isn't better?

[caster troy]

So more points, goals scored and less conceded over 24 games isn't better?

Well obviously it is better if you reduce it down to just those things in isolation. What about the fact that we are averaging less goals at Villa Park than last season, we've failed to score in 6 home games already compared to 6 in the whole of last season, and we are have the same win percentage (25%) at home? That isn't progress. Then there's the fact that we are currently 5 points off the relegation zone, last season we finished 5 points off the relegation zone.

Yes we have eliminated the batterings we took such as the 8-0 at Stamford Bridge, we are definitely harder to beat away from home now I will give you that. However the football being played has gotten worse, we have not been able to beat lower league opposition at home again. We have been comprehensively outplayed in the majority of games I have watched.

I am clinging to the hope that we will beat West Ham on Saturday and finish the season strongly but if we carry on as we have been I will view this season as a bigger disappointment than last, because Lambert has had time now and in a lot of the ways that matter to me we have gone backwards.

[dave.woodhall]

So more points, goals scored and less conceded over 24 games isn't better?

Well obviously it is better if you reduce it down to just those things in isolation. What about the fact that we are averaging less goals at Villa Park than last season, we've failed to score in 6 home games already compared to 6 in the whole of last season, and we are have the same win percentage (25%) at home? That isn't progress. Then there's the fact that we are currently 5 points off the relegation zone, last season we finished 5 points off the relegation zone.

Yes we have eliminated the batterings we took such as the 8-0 at Stamford Bridge, we are definitely harder to beat away from home now I will give you that. However the football being played has gotten worse, we have not been able to beat lower league opposition at home again. We have been comprehensively outplayed in the majority of games I have watched.

I am clinging to the hope that we will beat West Ham on Saturday and finish the season strongly but if we carry on as we have been I will view this season as a bigger disappointment than last, because Lambert has had time now and in a lot of the ways that matter to me we have gone backwards.

But not in the presumably unimportant things such as points and league placing.

[caster troy]

So more points, goals scored and less conceded over 24 games isn't better?

Well obviously it is better if you reduce it down to just those things in isolation. What about the fact that we are averaging less goals at Villa Park than last season, we've failed to score in 6 home games already compared to 6 in the whole of last season, and we are have the same win percentage (25%) at home? That isn't progress. Then there's the fact that we are currently 5 points off the relegation zone, last season we finished 5 points off the relegation zone.

Yes we have eliminated the batterings we took such as the 8-0 at Stamford Bridge, we are definitely harder to beat away from home now I will give you that. However the football being played has gotten worse, we have not been able to beat lower league opposition at home again. We have been comprehensively outplayed in the majority of games I have watched.

I am clinging to the hope that we will beat West Ham on Saturday and finish the season strongly but if we carry on as we have been I will view this season as a bigger disappointment than last, because Lambert has had time now and in a lot of the ways that matter to me we have gone backwards.

But not in the presumably unimportant things such as points and league placing.

My original point was about season ticket sales suffering. If we finish 6 points better off than last season but win less home games scoring less goals I think that we will sell less season tickets, irrespective of whether people on here judge the season as being 'progress' overall. When I'm deciding to spend my £500 again it'll be Crystal Palace/Swansea at home I'm thinking of, not Sunderland away. Maybe that's just me, hopefully it is.

[dave.woodhall]

Then you went on to talk about league places and points gained as "just in isolation." They're the most important things in football.

[ozzjim]

If we win less home games, but sign 3-4 better quality players this summer as is being mooted in the press, the home performances this season will soon be forgotten. Bums off seats players sell season tickets, sign a couple of exciting forward players and they will sell.