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

[eastie]

I'm not unreservedly convinced by Koeman. He has achieved some good and some bad things, but he seems to have a touch of the Jols about him, or the Laudrups, that is to say he isn't necessarily the hardest worker of players.

Before Feyenoord, I probably would've agreed. However, one of the things I have been most impressed with during his tenure there are his man-management skills. The motivation, focus and desire of the team in their performances has been key to them overachieving in the league. This also extends to his handling of players individually. He has managed to get the most out of some pretty mediocre players and excellently nurture the players promoted from the academy. In the case of Graziano Pellè, he revitalised his career. Recognising the ability he had only previously shown in rare glimpses and giving him the confidence boost to realise it by moulding the system around him and effectively making him the 'main man' so to speak. He is now arguably the best player in the Eredivisie.

Vlaar was under him at feyenoord  too, as was kea for a spell.

[Hookeysmith]

One question

Has he resigned yet?

[Monty]

Well fair enough, I'd be happy to take your word on it Isa. He's certainly from that stylistically fanatical Dutch background, so if he's got some conscientiousness going and has cut out the needle in his personal relations then great, all for him.

[JUAN PABLO]

One question

Has he resigned yet?

probably has

but Lerner didnt understand him

and just said  keep up the good work Paul , speak next month

[Clampy]

There's a lot of people on here wanting Lambert out and to be honest they're fully within their rights to do so. If he got the sack tomorrow, he couldn't really have too many complaints. However, sacking him is the easy thing to do. Finding a replacement is harder.

I'm not saying don't sack him, but if we went down that road, we'd need someone to come in who is not only better, not only available but they need to want to come. Posting stuff like, 'lets sack him and bring in Laudrup or Belisia' (whatever his name is) is too bloody easy to post on a forum. In real life, it's a bit more difficult.

[eastie]

One question

Has he resigned yet?

And miss out on a big payoff ? He will wait until randy wields his chopper.

[Monty]

There's a lot of people on here wanting Lambert out and to be honest they're fully within their rights to do so. If he got the sack tomorrow, he couldn't really have too many complaints. However, sacking him is the easy thing to do. Finding a replacement is harder.

I'm not saying don't sack him, but if we went down that road, we'd need someone to come in who is not only better, not only available but they need to want to come. Posting stuff like, 'lets sack him and bring in Laudrup or Belisia' (whatever his name is) is too bloody easy to post on a forum. In real life, it's a bit more difficult.

Of course it is. Pipe-dreaming at the moment, imagining a Villa team with Bielsa on the touchline.

[rob_bridge]

Manager picks so far

1) Houllier - baffling based on the fact he was in retirement football coaching / management wise. A rather ill judged appointment based on prior health issues and the fact Villa is a very hard job.
2) McLeish. Never in a million years is what I would sum up. A sponsorship letter from Sir Whingealot - technically a direct competitor - which was taken seriously. After Whelan made us look like a bunch of amateurs.
3) Lambert. We sung his name to antagonise the Norwich fans but we nearly ended up with OGS another Fergie accolyte.

Who next should the issue arise? I'm not sure it will make much difference.

There has been an underlying decline and mismanagement of the club for the last 5 years. It has been a slow death.

[rob_bridge]

There's a lot of people on here wanting Lambert out and to be honest they're fully within their rights to do so. If he got the sack tomorrow, he couldn't really have too many complaints. However, sacking him is the easy thing to do. Finding a replacement is harder.

I'm not saying don't sack him, but if we went down that road, we'd need someone to come in who is not only better, not only available but they need to want to come. Posting stuff like, 'lets sack him and bring in Laudrup or Belisia' (whatever his name is) is too bloody easy to post on a forum. In real life, it's a bit more difficult.

Agree and who is doing this hypothetical recruitment? That would be RL and PF.

Anyone who thinks it couldn't get any worse is as deluded as Lambert himself.

 

[Dave Clark Five]

Stop bed wetting we're 11th, 12th, 13th...

[Dave]

Whereas last season there were several teams safe and in mid table this year there are 10 scrapping to avoid the drop and fighting for points.

It must take a proper pessimist to look at that and conclude that it is more likely that we'll be relegated than it was last year.

[Ads]

Whereas last season there were several teams safe and in mid table this year there are 10 scrapping to avoid the drop and fighting for points.

It must take a proper pessimist to look at that and conclude that it is more likely that we'll be relegated than it was last year.

I am not sure how its possible to square the idea that Cardiff, Palace, West Brom, Sunderland or Fulham, as an example will find a way of finishing above us. That's not a position we want to be in of course, dogging it out, but if we're addressing the narrow issue of being worse of this year than last, then I certainly do not see it.

[Duncan Shaw]

I think the vast majority were pleased we appointed Lambert at the time.  I still think there's something there, I really do, but he seems to be lurching from one strategy to another, panicking that we are getting sucked in again.
He's been backed with money to spend though, not mega-bucks but enough, and that was used to gamble on stuff coming off.  It's his inability to pick a decent midfielder that gets me (apart from Westwood) as he was one himself.
I'd rather he wasn't sacked, I'm still just about with him, but won't gnash and wail if he is. 
I just keep thinking about Anfield, can't we play all our games there?

[Boz]

Whereas last season there were several teams safe and in mid table this year there are 10 scrapping to avoid the drop and fighting for points.

It must take a proper pessimist to look at that and conclude that it is more likely that we'll be relegated than it was last year.

TBH, I don't think I'm proper pessimist but looking at some of the performances and some of the players, it looks like Lambert is unable to motivate them enough to get the wins that are needed to get Villa out of the danger zone. I thought we'd be comfortably mid table but I'm thinkg some of the other teams are showing more fight than Villa at present.

There are teams worse than Villa but our current form worries me that we will drop into the bottom four and lack the will or ability to extract ourselves under Lambert, but don't think we can sack him at this stage without an identified replacement with some sort of track record.

[Irish villain]

Stop bed wetting we're 11th, 12th, 13th...

We win some we lose some. It is what it is, mid-table!

Hmmm.