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

[Monty]

Lambert's bad signings are at least confined to largely insignificant amounts of money. You could argue that, instead of filling up the squad with cheap duds, he could have bought fewer but better players, but in the £4-7m range he's actually been largely successful. Vlaar and Benteke are obviously excellent (mostly), Okore and Kozak both looked good before their injuries. I think he can sign players - it's using them he has a problem with.

[Concrete John]

If he's a good footballer, what's the problem again?

Because being a good footballer doesn't mean you are a good defender perhaps?

As long as the basic ability is there, the defensive side of the game can be learnt.

[Villa in Denmark]

My own personal view is that whoever is playing fullback is on a hiding to nothing, as they for the most part get no protection from midfield, and are entirely reliant on Gabby or Andi tracking back.
Otherwise they're left 2 v 1 far to often. In that scenario, even Maldini would have started to look mortal. (and no I'm not comparing Lowton or Bennett / Luna to him.)
The secondary effect of this is that one of the centrebacks inevitably gets pulled wide to cover, leaving a gaping hole in the middle.

I'm not saying any of our fullbacks are looking for a transfer to Barcelona any time soon, but there's a lot that could be done to make them.look less vulnerable.

[OCD]

My own personal view is that whoever is playing fullback is on a hiding to nothing, as they for the most part get no protection from midfield, and are entirely reliant on Gabby or Andi tracking back.
Otherwise they're left 2 v 1 far to often. In that scenario, even Maldini would have started to look mortal. (and no I'm not comparing Lowton or Bennett / Luna to him.)
The secondary effect of this is that one of the centrebacks inevitably gets pulled wide to cover, leaving a gaping hole in the middle.

I'm not saying any of our fullbacks are looking for a transfer to Barcelona any time soon, but there's a lot that could be done to make them.look less vulnerable.

That goes back to the midfield (or perhaps the tactics) not offering enough protection. If the 2 full-backs are going to bomb on, more often than not we would need 2 good defensive midfields who can slot in and cover when needed. A lot of work has to be done to the midfield in the summer given that the need to become better on the ball with improved possession is so patently obvious.

[saunders_heroes]

Lowton and Westwood both had really good seasons last year and I had no worries about either for this season - however neither have hit the heights they achieved in their 1st season with us - Lowton is still worth persevering wih in my opinion and Westwood seems to be regaining some form - I would rather Lowton at right back and bacuna wide midfield .

I thought both were criminally overrated last season and I said so at the time. Westwood contributed little to the team and was laughably talked up for England a couple of time. Lowton cost us games because of being constantly out of position. Both played their part in one of the worst Villa teams in memory.
The sooner the pair of them are kicked out of the club the better, in my opinion.

[eastie]

Lowton and Westwood both had really good seasons last year and I had no worries about either for this season - however neither have hit the heights they achieved in their 1st season with us - Lowton is still worth persevering wih in my opinion and Westwood seems to be regaining some form - I would rather Lowton at right back and bacuna wide midfield .

I thought both were criminally overrated last season and I said so at the time. Westwood contributed little to the team and was laughably talked up for England a couple of time. Lowton cost us games because of being constantly out of position. Both played their part in one of the worst Villa teams in memory.
The sooner the pair of them are kicked out of the club the better, in my opinion.

Goodness gracious !
Both played a key role in our good spell last season and had stepped up two leagues - ridiculously harsh.

[taylorsworkrate]

Lowton and Westwood both had really good seasons last year and I had no worries about either for this season - however neither have hit the heights they achieved in their 1st season with us - Lowton is still worth persevering wih in my opinion and Westwood seems to be regaining some form - I would rather Lowton at right back and bacuna wide midfield .

I thought both were criminally overrated last season and I said so at the time. Westwood contributed little to the team and was laughably talked up for England a couple of time. Lowton cost us games because of being constantly out of position. Both played their part in one of the worst Villa teams in memory.
The sooner the pair of them are kicked out of the club the better, in my opinion.

Goodness gracious !
Both played a key role in our good spell last season and had stepped up two leagues - ridiculously harsh.

I think both did ok last season, both better during the last third of the campaign. They have both been very poor this season though

[Isa]

As long as the basic ability is there, the defensive side of the game can be learnt.

Not really as there isn't a link between footballing ability and defensive ability.  Some of our best defenders in recent times haven't been strong footballers. Mellberg and Laursen spring to mind. Whereas somebody like Clark who is a decent footballer isn't a very good defender. Also Lowton is 25 in June, so I'm not sure exactly how long we are suppose to give him to suddenly learn how to defend.

[saunders_heroes]

Lowton and Westwood both had really good seasons last year and I had no worries about either for this season - however neither have hit the heights they achieved in their 1st season with us - Lowton is still worth persevering wih in my opinion and Westwood seems to be regaining some form - I would rather Lowton at right back and bacuna wide midfield .

I thought both were criminally overrated last season and I said so at the time. Westwood contributed little to the team and was laughably talked up for England a couple of time. Lowton cost us games because of being constantly out of position. Both played their part in one of the worst Villa teams in memory.
The sooner the pair of them are kicked out of the club the better, in my opinion.

Goodness gracious !
Both played a key role in our good spell last season and had stepped up two leagues - ridiculously harsh.

And they also played a key role in our appalling part of the season, which was most of it.
The longer we have players as average as Lowton and Westwood in the team the longer we'll be relegation fodder.

[Villa in Denmark]

Re Lowton, and his defensive attributes or lack of.
There must be a world of difference between looking competent in League 1 to even surviving in the PL. That he's even looked remotely like he could survive at this level says that he must have something about him, so yes even though he's 25, there is still a chance that he'll improve.

Will he ever play at the absolute highest levels?Probably not.
Is he good enough to be a squad player if the hoped for signings of improved quality begin to arrive in the summer, probably yes.

Re Westwood, the same statements apply.

One further qualification I would add is that he's not the player to take a game by the scruff of the neck, as say Roy Keane used to (Delph potentially could).
But that is to misunderstand his role in the team. It really is as simple as to keep us ticking over, maintaining possession, and if the opportunity arises switch the angle of attack. (Something he did quite well on a number of occasions 2nd half against Cardiff, where he played Albrighton in with a pass inside their wide midfielder, but far enough from the fullback to give him something to to run onto.)
That requires movement around him to give him half a chance.
The reason he gets slated for too many backwards or sideways passes? Next time you're thinking that, have a good look at what alternative passes were on.

[Clampy]

I thought Lowton was decent overall last season. Westwood did ok for his first season in the Prem as well but this season they've struggled and looked a bit out their depth at times.

[Isa]

In a nutshell, the above from Villa in Denmark sums up the problem with attitudes towards these lower-league signings. Expectations are so low upon their signing that even them performing to a mediocre standard at this level is classed as a success. It also seems to perpetuate the patience for such mediocrity in the team.

But that is to misunderstand his role in the team. It really is as simple as to keep us ticking over, maintaining possession, and if the opportunity arises switch the angle of attack.

In Westwood's own words:

My job is to try and protect the back more, and if the lads behind you talk and tell you what you are doing it makes it ten times easier.

As a defensive-midfielder, it is his job to protect the defence and he fails miserably at this.

[LeeB]

In a nutshell, the above from Villa in Denmark sums up the problem with attitudes towards these lower-league signings. Expectations are so low upon their signing that even them performing to a mediocre standard at this level is classed as a success. It also seems to perpetuate the patience for such mediocrity in the team.

But that is to misunderstand his role in the team. It really is as simple as to keep us ticking over, maintaining possession, and if the opportunity arises switch the angle of attack.

In Westwood's own words:

My job is to try and protect the back more, and if the lads behind you talk and tell you what you are doing it makes it ten times easier.

As a defensive-midfielder, it is his job to protect the defence and he fails miserably at this.

And the bit of the quote you didn't highlight would possibly tell you why playing that role in front of our centre backs may be something of a challenge at times.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I think he can sign players - it's using them he has a problem with.

As I've already mentioned earlier in this thread, he also has a problem developing them. For that and his tactical ineptitude, I really don't think he's the right man for the job. In an ideal world we'd replace him at the end of the season but due to the incompetence of the board, we couldn't rely on them to find somebody better and they probably know it which is why they're covering up their own inadequacies by delaying the process and extending Lambert's contract.

[Isa]

And the bit of the quote you didn't highlight would possibly tell you why playing that role in front of our centre backs may be something of a challenge at times.

Seeing as there hasn't been much problem with the performance of our centre-backs this season (when Vlaar plays), that arguement doesn't hold and how exactly are the centre-backs to blame for him never dispossessing the opposition, tracking opposition runners from midfield or continuous ball-watching?