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

[Concrete John]

I think that's one to be judged after 38 games.  If we have more points, are higher up the league, have scored more goals and let fewer in, then I'll be content at worst, although I know many won't be!

[Fergal]

I was on the phone with a potential client in Glasgow this morning, had a chat about a few things as you do.  I mentioned I am a Villa supporter and how I wished we could walk the league like Celtic have done etc.  He came out with a good one, his son works at Celtic and had told him that Lambert is off to Celtic in the summer to replace Lennon (being lined up by another premiership club). Deal as good as agreed and that could be the reason why no money was spent in January as Randy wants more available for the new manager in the summer.  No idea who it could be though.

[Monty]

Ha, that sounds like the kind of rubbish which gets thrown around whenever Lennon flirts with leaving every four weeks. I wouldn't put much credence in it, though it is possible that Celtic would first want Paul Lambert should Lennon go and that this contingency has filtered down through Chinese whispers to the client's son. Everything at Parkhead's a mess anyway - they're seriously lucky Rangers went and Enronned it all up, otherwise their weaknesses would be really exposed.

[Concrete John]

Not too sure what to make of this one.

In leaving Colchester for Norwich and Norwich for us, he's shown he's ruthlessly ambitous about his own career.  As a player who played at the highest level you can only imagine he fancies himself managing there as well.  Celtic may be a useful stepping stone to that in so far as he could but a couple of trophies on his CV and manage in the CL.

I have no idea how true it is, but if it is true than I can see him jumping ship.

[Monty]

I could certainly see him jumping ship, and Celtic is a nice combination of higher levels and lower levels - a higher level of competition (the CL), higher domestic expectations, but easier to achieve those expectations because of the lower standard of play, as well as get himself a bit noticed in those European games. I just doubt very much that he is going, it wouldn't make much sense given what we've heard from the Villa recently, not least the piece of news which started this thread.

[Concrete John]

It's worth pointing out that the piece of news that started this thread was 17 days ago and we've heard nothing since.  Not that that necesarily means anything, of course.

[Chinchilla Bathhouse]

You're right Paulie, it is all about expectations, and I do think some people need to readjust theirs at the moment for the sake of their sanity, or at least to save them an ulcer.

I think most of us just don't want to think like that. You are right though, based on events over the last 3 years we should grasp the reality of Mid Table mediocrity as being the limit of our ambition.

I would replace the word limit with extent and add "at the moment" at the end of the sentence. I don't think don't think for one second this where we aspire to be for eternity.

I think this is the key point.  There seems to be a reluctance in some people to lower their expectations and stare reality in the face, as if to do so would be to accept and consign us to eternal failure.  This is just not the case.  It'd merely be recognising that right now we're in a bit of a struggle.  It'll change, it always does. 

I do understand that the "We are Villa" stance is born of emotion and frustration, I didn't highlight it to mock it or make some personal attack on anyone, I merely think that it gets us nowhere.  In my lifetime Villa has largely been a comfortable mid-table top division side that has enjoyed a few seasons of magnificent triumph and endured a few of abject failure.  That's the reality as I see it.  I've never had the certainty of either success or failure to base my hopes on, so I try to keep my expectation levels pretty fluid.  Doesn't rid me of the constant worry, but it helps me manage it a bit.  I'd just like more people to take a step back sometimes and find some perspective, because I'd like to see a Villa man hoisting a trophy aloft at some point in the next decade, and I don't want it to be SuperTom with the Heartlands Shield for "Most Fans Of One Club On The Same Ulcer Ward".

[supertom]

Back to the original point of course. I don't like the notion of rewarding a manager a new contract in the middle of a season. Things change quickly in football. We've seen teams in and around the top of the league, tail off in the final furlong (we did it under Gregory, we did it under O Neill). Other teams have started impressively and ended up going on a horrendous run leading to relegation.
So certainly, the success of a season should really be gauged on what's happened after the final whistle on game 38. Look at McLeish for example. He wins the League Cup. At that point he's pretty much got Godlike status among the troglodytes, but come the end of the season he's been soured by relegation.

I don't want Lambert sacked as things stand but I don't want him rewarded for mediocrity. Same as players sometimes get rewarded too soon. We saw that with Bannan and Fonzie for example. I remember JPA got a bumper new deal after his 03-04 season but was never the same after that.

We can look in the summer. If we go on a run like we did tail end of last season we'll finish very comfortably and he may well deserve it. A  couple of inspired backroom appointments may also help us push on more too. I think Marshall has made a bit of a difference, coupled with Vlaar's upturn.

[eastie]

I was on the phone with a potential client in Glasgow this morning, had a chat about a few things as you do.  I mentioned I am a Villa supporter and how I wished we could walk the league like Celtic have done etc.  He came out with a good one, his son works at Celtic and had told him that Lambert is off to Celtic in the summer to replace Lennon (being lined up by another premiership club). Deal as good as agreed and that could be the reason why no money was spent in January as Randy wants more available for the new manager in the summer.  No idea who it could be though.

If only this proved to be true ... I was interested to see Ronald koeman saying he hopes to be managing in the premiership next season and also van gaal but I can't see randy as the type to tap up other people before doing the dirty deed.

Regarding lambert and Celtic - as a Celtic man I would expect he would be very interested in managing them , with the crowds they get and virtually certain trophies as well as being close to his children and the added attraction of European football, but I won't build my hopes up too much just yet.

[Fergal]

I am not building my hope up, I want him to stay and build stability and success into our club.

[TheSandman]

I could certainly see him jumping ship, and Celtic is a nice combination of higher levels and lower levels - a higher level of competition (the CL), higher domestic expectations, but easier to achieve those expectations because of the lower standard of play, as well as get himself a bit noticed in those European games.

This is what seems believable about the story to me. It's the kind of job that could do someone's career the power of good. A fairly guaranteed degree of success (bearing in mind that it'll be at least one more season before Rangers will be in the same league and longer still before they will be a threat) and as you say a platform where a manager can get noticed. It's an easy job whereas the job with us, in the past two seasons, has been a hard one. Lennon is the big unknown, he has been voicing his discontent with the some of the issues he has to face up here for quite some time but has of yet not moved on. Does he want to stay out of loyalty or has he yet to receive the right offer?

As for the new contract story, I suppose it could be as much the club testing the waters or even a case of a couple of journalists being wrong about something. As quite a lot of us seem to think it doesn't make sense to give Lambert an extension when he has a lot of time left on his existing one and we are not pulling up any trees so why does Lerner feel that way?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Celtic fans seem to be a bit tired of Lennon's tactics and poor transfer record and he himself may decide to quit at the end of the season with Norwich looking to line him up. Lambert may have been approached to see if he's interested but from the quote below, I'd imagine it's not for him:

"I had eight terrific years at Celtic but there comes a time when you have to cut your ties," Lambert told the Daily Record. "I still look for Celtic's result and Seville will always remain the biggest disappointment in my football career. But the idea of coming back doesn't appeal to me.

"I mean no disrespect to Scottish football but England is just a bigger place. I'm proud of my Scottish heritage but a move back home is not for me.

"The idea of playing the same club anything from four to six times a season doesn't appeal to me."

[pauliewalnuts]

Celtic is a big club, but it plays in a piss poor league. Yep, you get to play a handful of CL matches every year, but really, I am not sure the SPL is the level an ambitious manager would consider a step up from a PL club.

I certainly find it hard to see it as enough of a draw (again, not the club, but the whole "package") to attract a manager from Villa to Celtic.

[Brend'Watkins]

Celtic fans seem to be a bit tired of Lennon's tactics and poor transfer record and he himself may decide to quit at the end of the season with Norwich looking to line him up. Lambert may have been approached to see if he's interested but from the quote below, I'd imagine it's not for him:

"I had eight terrific years at Celtic but there comes a time when you have to cut your ties," Lambert told the Daily Record. "I still look for Celtic's result and Seville will always remain the biggest disappointment in my football career. But the idea of coming back doesn't appeal to me.

"I mean no disrespect to Scottish football but England is just a bigger place. I'm proud of my Scottish heritage but a move back home is not for me.

"The idea of playing the same club anything from four to six times a season doesn't appeal to me."

Judging by his performances in the cups to date I'd say anything more than twice wouldn't appeal.

[andrew08]

I'd prefer him to be here in August as that would mean we haven't been relegated. But a new contract? After Bradford and Sheffield and the worst run of home form in living memory he should really resign with a statement of apology.