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

[PeterWithesShin]

Albrighton's been a rare positive player wise in yet another season of depressing shite. But playing him in the middle yesterday was a decision bordering on retarded IMHO

Even more so when you saw the space down the sides he could've exploited

Sadly it was exactly the kind of daft decision i've come to expect from Lambert.

Please don't use terms like retarded on this site.

[mr underhill]

somewhere in the footballing universe, some other incompetent  is secretly praying twice daily to his God for Randy to pull the trigger.

[SamTheMouse]

If he sorts the middle of the park out, we'll be fine. The problem is, I think he actually believes that Westwood is right for the holding role. Which is worrying, as the lad is absolutely hopeless at tracking runners. He almost never does it, despite being the deepest-lying mid we have, and the result is that Baker is given far too many opportunities to make a tit of himself. Either Delph or KEA have the intelligence and energy to cover, but they're stuck in slightly wider roles and can't do anything when the opposition stroll through the middle.

It's fucking maddening watching it happen over and over again.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I don't think there's a great deal wrong that a few good additions in key areas and a little consistency wouldn't put right.  It's playing like we did against Chelsea then following it up with stinkers like yesterday that's holding us back.

My concerns are beginning to centre on Lambert rather than on the quality of the playing staff* - and I realise that they are not mutually exclusive. I don't believe it is difficult to get a team 'up' against Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Citeh, either motivationally and tactically (becasuse these teams will give the likes of us some space to counter-attack in). It's when we come to play the humdrum games that are in our capability to win. Take yesterday:

I was shocked by the double substitution: bringing on Albrighton into central midfeld and having Sylla on the pitch at all were massive mistakes by Lambert. I said to those around me at the time that the obvious substitutions were to bring on Bennett into left MF in front of Bertrand and Albrighton on the right, ahead of Bacuna (who was getting caught out of position regularly): doing this would not have exposed Sylla as being completely out of his depth and given us both width and fullback protection.
And I found it bizarre that in the second half Delph spent more time behind Bertrand than ahead of him ...

Tactically, he is really not cutting the mustard and I doubt his capacity to out-think oppo managers. Alladyce and Hughes have, in the last 4  weeks, completely beguiled him and exposed the weaker players in our team badly. Against Norwich , we had a wonderful 25-minute period and 65 minutes of mediocrity. Against Chelsea we got slightly lucky with the William second yellow, but we played well against a team playing very openly.

More or less agree but I've pretty much resigned myself to Lambert being here for the next few years regardless of what happens on the pitch. As long as he doesn't relegate us, he's going no where. Randy obviously gives great value and importance to his little chats with Paul. Lambert to his credit, despite being tactically inept has played a blinder pulling the wool over Lerner's eyes, not to mention a few on here that still want him as our manager despite not being able to come up with a reasonable argument that doesn't include the word, stability.

If I was to draw up a list of positives for Lambert it would look something like this:

POSITIVES

1. Generally bought well in the transfer market.
2. Frequently mentions how good the Villa fans are.
3.

Anybody care to add to the list as I can't think of anything else?

[sirlordbaltimore]

If I was to draw up a list of positives for Lambert it would look something like this:

POSITIVES

1. Generally bought well in the transfer market.
2. Frequently mentions how good the Villa fans are.
3.

Anybody care to add to the list as I can't think of anything else?

He's great at winding me up, which amuses my friends greatly

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

I'd love to know what Lerner is thinking. Surely he must know the fans aren't happy losing 4-1 at home to Stoke.

[eastie]

I'd love to know what Lerner is thinking. Surely he must know the fans aren't happy losing 4-1 at home to Stoke.

I was a talking to a browns fan who told me lerner if anything was quick to fire coaches who didn't do well.
Bottom 6 and I think lambert could be on his way .

[Ad@m]

Allbrighton is easily good enough to play in this team

That's the worry for me.  I don't think Albrighton has got any better, it's just the case that because the rest of the team is so much worse he looks better in relation to them.

I know it'll be controversial in the current climate but I'd say there's an element of the same about Delph.  He does a great job for us and he's been one of the few positives from this season but he's standing out in the worst midfield I've ever seen the Villa put out.  Talk of him making the England team is a nonsense until he stands out in a midfield that isn't made up of players plucked from the 3rd division or French 2nd tier.

[Ad@m]

It's fucking maddening watching it happen over and over again.

I heard a clip of Lambert's post-match interview on the radio this morning.  In it he did the usual "we go again" but also said that the players made mistakes but the important thing is that they learn from them and don't let them happen again.  I then found myself screaming at my car stereo "But Paul, they do keep letting it happen again!!!!".

It's so frustrating.

[john e]

I'd love to know what Lerner is thinking. Surely he must know the fans aren't happy losing 4-1 at home to Stoke.

I was a talking to a browns fan who told me lerner if anything was quick to fire coaches who didn't do well.
Bottom 6 and I think lambert could be on his way .

We're not bottom six though

[Toronto Villa]

It's fucking maddening watching it happen over and over again.

I heard a clip of Lambert's post-match interview on the radio this morning.  In it he did the usual "we go again" but also said that the players made mistakes but the important thing is that they learn from them and don't let them happen again.  I then found myself screaming at my car stereo "But Paul, they do keep letting it happen again!!!!".

It's so frustrating.

Thing is this group of have players have got us here, or to this point. Irrespective of how you measure what that point is. We're mid table, relatively safe. Nobody is saying much more than that. On the odd occasion we surprise ourselves and pull a superb result out of the bag, other times we wonder how it is we are not fixed to the foot of the table. Truth is, if Lambert has been told he'll be here, he'll also know which players will or won't be. Especially the latter. He'll know along with his staff those players that have served their purpose and will be moved on. Those that repeat errors or simply don't perform consistently. He's never going to publicly criticize them. It's not what he does. But don't be surprised to see a new lower profile bomb squad created and pushed out of the door.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

I'd love to know what Lerner is thinking. Surely he must know the fans aren't happy losing 4-1 at home to Stoke.

I was a talking to a browns fan who told me lerner if anything was quick to fire coaches who didn't do well.
Bottom 6 and I think lambert could be on his way .

Interesting. Perhaps Lambert has brainwashed him into thinking the fans have unrealistic expectations?

[Ad@m]

It's fucking maddening watching it happen over and over again.

I heard a clip of Lambert's post-match interview on the radio this morning.  In it he did the usual "we go again" but also said that the players made mistakes but the important thing is that they learn from them and don't let them happen again.  I then found myself screaming at my car stereo "But Paul, they do keep letting it happen again!!!!".

It's so frustrating.

Thing is this group of have players have got us here, or to this point. Irrespective of how you measure what that point is. We're mid table, relatively safe. Nobody is saying much more than that. On the odd occasion we surprise ourselves and pull a superb result out of the bag, other times we wonder how it is we are not fixed to the foot of the table. Truth is, if Lambert has been told he'll be here, he'll also know which players will or won't be. Especially the latter. He'll know along with his staff those players that have served their purpose and will be moved on. Those that repeat errors or simply don't perform consistently. He's never going to publicly criticize them. It's not what he does. But don't be surprised to see a new lower profile bomb squad created and pushed out of the door.

I agree and I also want what Lambert's trying to do to work.

But the sheer regularity of the embarrassments he's led us to, and the obvious, repeated mistakes from decisions he's made to things players do or don't do, is bending my mind!!!!

[Ian.]

It was a crazy result yesterday and one I guessed coming, although maybe by not so many.

I still believe Lambert is doing ok considering the cost of our team and the market most of our players have come from. We are very prone to error but we have been since MON's famous walk out. We have been making silly errors for so long now although now when it happens our confidence just seems to evaporate with it.

Someone said after the Chelsea match, I can't remember who but something we all need to consider. We have a young and inexperienced team but we also have a young and  inexperienced manager. They are making mistakes, hopefully in time they will all learn from it, as I'm pretty sure Lambert is here for the long term. If our home and away form was switched around I'm sure things would not quite seem so bad.

I have never know such a Jekyll and Hyde team though. It's quite unbelievable and the mood on H&V is very similar, it goes from being very upbeat to doom and gloom in a matter of games. One week a player is deemed to be a prospect and then the next he's not good enough to play at this level.

[Ian.]

I'd love to know what Lerner is thinking. Surely he must know the fans aren't happy losing 4-1 at home to Stoke.

Well I'd put my money on Randy being annoyed with the result, probably not the hardest conclusion to make. I'd also wager that Lambert, his staff and the players are pissed off too.