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

[olaftab]

I bet you have one of those multi purpose super duper hedge trimmers?

[Toronto Villa]

I bet you have one of those multi purpose super duper hedge trimmers?

You never know what type of bush you might run into. I'm pretty sure the bush in Toronto varies from that found in Montreal, or when I travel to the US. You should always be prepared, as it says on our badge.

[olaftab]

For the purposes of bush research I am looking forward to my trip to Brazil in that case. Amazonian forest is what I expect!

[Toronto Villa]

For the purposes of bush research I am looking forward to my trip to Brazil in that case. Amazonian forest is what I expect!

Just to be safe, you might want to take some shears along with the trimmer just in case you find something extra

[gpbarr]

Well that's the disagreement though - I think he's done a very impressive job given the state the club was in, finances available, and the transition from old overpaid to young hungry squad. I think many in the footballing community admire greatly the job he's done. So while I agree he isn't off to a Champions League club tomorrow, I could see him poached by a club on the fringe very easily. And my point wasn't that fans fickle nature (the nonsense after the Palace game to almost hero worship after Chavski) would make the difference - just that it doesn't help.

And me. The sacking talk was nonsense and if anything, simply increases the chances he will walk away when the big job offer comes his way - I could not really blame him either though

You think that because lots of people on the internet wanted him sacked, and because the team got booed when failing to win back to back home games for almost four entire years, Lambert is thinking "first really good opportunity, I am off"?

I think he's going to make his mind up on far more concrete stuff than that - like what he can do still to improve us, the support he's had from the chairman, how he feels things are going.

It's amazing. Two wins ago, there was a cacophany of people saying he should either get sacked now or in the summer and he was doing a poor job, fast forward a couple of weeks, and people are talking about him being driven off to the first big job that comes his way.

The fact is, to even get considered for a "bigger" job (and let's be honest, there aren't that many of them around usually) he will have to do an excellent job here. Not a passable one, or an iffy one, and not one that just involves getting Villa to mid-table, but significantly better than that.

If that becomes the case that he's achieved those things, then I think everyone will be happy, but to start worrying now about what happens if he does seems hugely premature.

[Damo70]

You mention the difference in people's attitude towards him after the Palace game and after the Chelsea game. I don't think I am fickle because I was all for him staying right up to the Palace game. And that wasn't about one game, it was the build up of a season and a half of home results under him. Equally I don't just want him stay now because we beat Chelsea. I want him to stay because of the performances and results against Albion, Norwich and Chelsea along with away performances like Sunderland, Liverpool and the second half at Cardiff.

[not3bad]

Well that's the disagreement though - I think he's done a very impressive job given the state the club was in, finances available, and the transition from old overpaid to young hungry squad. I think many in the footballing community admire greatly the job he's done. So while I agree he isn't off to a Champions League club tomorrow, I could see him poached by a club on the fringe very easily. And my point wasn't that fans fickle nature (the nonsense after the Palace game to almost hero worship after Chavski) would make the difference - just that it doesn't help.

I think it's generally acknowledged, including by Lambert, that Villa are very much a work in progress. It is also generally acknowledged, including by Lambert, that Villa's home form has been dreadful in the last few years. Considering what they've had to put up with I think Villa's fans have been, on the whole, pretty patient. Yes people come on here and vent their spleen but when you've just seen your team play badly and get turned over for the nth time, then your initial thoughts aren't about cutbacks and young squad etc, your thoughts are "what they f*ck am I doing spending my money watching that sh*t?" It's only human to react like that.

As for other teams, whatever position they might be in, in the champions league or "on the verge", do you think Villa have a monopoly on fickle fans who like to have a moan?

[taylorsworkrate]

For me personally, the last couple of games (great though they have been) and the handful of other decent performances this season are still outweighed by the large amount of dross that has been served up.

There has been a few false dawns already in the Lambert era, and until it is shown that performances can be decent on an anywhere near consistent basis, then people have the right to remain sceptical.

[eastie]

For me personally, the last couple of games (great though they have been) and the handful of other decent performances this season are still outweighed by the large amount of dross that has been served up.

There has been a few false dawns already in the Lambert era, and until it is shown that performances can be decent on an anywhere near consistent basis, then people have the right to remain sceptical.

Agreed, lets see how we finish the season before making any decisions on a new deal.

[OCD]

For me personally, the last couple of games (great though they have been) and the handful of other decent performances this season are still outweighed by the large amount of dross that has been served up.

There has been a few false dawns already in the Lambert era, and until it is shown that performances can be decent on an anywhere near consistent basis, then people have the right to remain sceptical.

Thing is changing the manager doesn't necessarily mean decent performances on a near consistent basis either. In fact changing managers on a regular basis would probably result in the opposite. Plus it's impossible to know who we would end up with. The board have a poor record on that.

[taylorsworkrate]

For me personally, the last couple of games (great though they have been) and the handful of other decent performances this season are still outweighed by the large amount of dross that has been served up.

There has been a few false dawns already in the Lambert era, and until it is shown that performances can be decent on an anywhere near consistent basis, then people have the right to remain sceptical.

Thing is changing the manager doesn't necessarily mean decent performances on a near consistent basis either. In fact changing managers on a regular basis would probably result in the opposite. Plus it's impossible to know who we would end up with. The board have a poor record on that.

I'm not suggesting getting rid, as recent results have improved, and unless there are a spate of incredible scorelines, we ain't going down.
 
My point is more about the contract talks. I still don't think he's done anything like enough so far to warrant an improved deal.

[OCD]

Problem there though is that once we're into the summer, he'll have one year left. If we didn't extend his contract, the media start speculating, the players start to wonder what's going on and any potential signing has to ask whether the manager's staying. I agree that it was premature when word about the new contract broke but barring a disastrous last 9 games, I don't think they've got any choice at this point.

[mr underhill]

yes but it's so easy to be blindsided by the short term  . Say we continue to play well for a few more games. Lambert gets a new three year deal. Then we begin to revert to type again at the beginning of next season - or worse -, and you're loyalty suddenly looks like a bad idea. Do you stick by the guy or do you bin him and risk huge compo payoff? I honestly think that you have to err on the side of caution, given the unpredictability of his tenure, and simply offer him a rolling one year extension should we survive this season.

[Matt Collins]

There's a lot of problems with the side and some of this year has been dross

But we're unquestionably better than we were last year and given the number of managerial changes of late I can't see the sense in letting him go unless we're genuinely at risk of going down

There's enough in this side to hint at something genuinely good to keep plugging away

If we can get Okore fit and Bertrand in, plus one or two creative players then I can't see us struggling at all next year. That's if we keep benteke which is a big if of course

[supertom]

End on a high and significantly improve on 41 points from last year, and he'll just about warrant an extension. To be perfectly honest though, it could probably wait till next january. He's never gonna get poached by a bigger club than us in a million years. We all know, and I'm sure Lambo is probably well aware, that this is the biggest job he'll get.

It's on him now to end on a high, be positive with the side and send us out looking like a side trying to play football and win. Recent weeks have shown we can. Given our position, the games we have left and the competition against us, I think it would be very disappointing not to finish 10th, and at the start of the season that would have greatly satisfied most of us.