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

[PeterWithesShin]

Yep, my mistake. It was 4 points from 10 games but Poyet took over with them having 1 point from 7 games. So 24 points from 22 games, still not great but enough to keep them up over a full season.

[Toronto Villa]

So while they've done better with Poyet than the facist, it's hardly earth moving stuff. And it's hardly a shock they are playing better for Poyet than Di. Canio. I bet even TSM would have got better results than that wanker.

I want us to play better football and I would much rather see us play quick incisive football like we have done on occasion than the stupid long ball/direct approach we often lazily find ourselves resorting too. But whether it is Poyet or Lambert ultimately the results need to be better. Seeing better football but the same just staying up level of results doesn't interest me.

[pbavfckuwait]

What concerns me, is the thought for next season was , lets get in 3 or maybe 4 quality players and we can push on, problem being Right back who?  Left back on loan?, Clarke and Baker as back up for Ron and Okey ? Midfield bar Delph ? Benteke if he does go will need replacing, then we have the prolific scorers Gabby and Andi, that could see the requirement to bring in 10+ players and be left with, although agreed a cheaper bomb squad but a bomb squad none the less, under Lambert we seem to be treading water and requiring the same surgery every close season, yet still be a very below average outfit.
Thank you Mr. Lambert for your efforts, but please take your coaching team with you and turn the lights off as you leave the office. Were back to square 1, yet again.

[Dante Lavelli]

So while they've done better with Poyet than the facist, it's hardly earth moving stuff. And it's hardly a shock they are playing better for Poyet than Di. Canio. I bet even TSM would have got better results than that wanker.

I want us to play better football and I would much rather see us play quick incisive football like we have done on occasion than the stupid long ball/direct approach we often lazily find ourselves resorting too. But whether it is Poyet or Lambert ultimately the results need to be better. Seeing better football but the same just staying up level of results doesn't interest me.

I wouldn't call it a 'love in' Toronto just pointing out a difference between Poyet and Lambert.  Poyet's teams seem to have a very clear style and the team seem to know what they're striving for.  Whereas Lambert's teams give so many mixed messages that the fans have no idea what his footballing philosophy is and, I fear, that this identity crisis may also exist amongst the player.

Of course there are many other characteristics which make a good manager but this (for me) is Lambert's biggest weakness and possibly the Poyet's biggest asset and so to highlight it is very fair (if Poyet is as able in the transfer market as Lambert then they could have a very good manager).

[Damo70]

I think pretty much everyone will have a strong opinion if they want him to stay or go after the next five games. However, barring a disastrous run in I am certain he will be in charge next season. But without good results in the remaining home games he would start next season with very little, if any patience or good will in the bank.

[rob_bridge]

I think pretty much everyone will have a strong opinion if they want him to stay or go after the next five games. However, barring a disastrous run in I am certain he will be in charge next season. But without good results in the remaining home games he would start next season with very little, if any patience or good will in the bank.

Agree unless we really do nosedive he will be given the next transfer window.

Dante's point regarding playing styles is salient. There is no rhyme nor reason which seemed not to be the case at Norwich who stayed playing positive attacking football.

That was the main factor in many of us wanting him.

[supertom]

In our current austerity, Lambo will either have to be very bad or walkout. I don't think he'll get sacked because of how much we've spent on sacking managers in recent years. My worry is nothing short of relegation will get Lambert canned, so simply scraping in or around 40 points every year might be the extent of our ambition now.

[passitsideways]

I just get the impression with us that, although there might be a plan there (when we play through Westwood we are capable of playing some good football), there is also a "go to" option of smashing the ball up in the general area of Benteke and we revert to that far too much.  I just wish they would have the courage of their convictions to play a passing game through Westwood and stick with it because I think it would pay dividends in the long term.  One of the major things holding us back from playing that way though is not having a creative player who can keep possession and make things happen in the final third.  Initially good passing moves break down when they reach the feet of Weimann, Benteke or Gabby in the final third far too often and the fact that Lambert hasn't addressed that issue is one of his biggest failings in my opinion.     

I think I generally agree with the sentiment of this post, especially about us seeming to lack the bollocks to play a passing game in the face of pressure, which is surely down to the manager not pressing that point. Guzan, while obviously good at keeping, is the worst distributor I've ever seen, but I don't know whether that's down to him or down to Lambert telling him to knock it when in doubt because Benteke in an aerial duel is worth betting on.

I think Lambert deserves a bit of a break re his failure to buy a quality creative player who makes things go in the final third though - they tend to cost at least 8 million, and he hasn't exactly had the opportunity to spend that much in one go. I wonder how much substance the Coutinho or Kiyotake rumours really were - if he genuinely made a good bid but the other club still wanted a little more money, that's just tough luck.

[Richard E]

So while they've done better with Poyet than the facist, it's hardly earth moving stuff. And it's hardly a shock they are playing better for Poyet than Di. Canio. I bet even TSM would have got better results than that wanker.

I want us to play better football and I would much rather see us play quick incisive football like we have done on occasion than the stupid long ball/direct approach we often lazily find ourselves resorting too. But whether it is Poyet or Lambert ultimately the results need to be better. Seeing better football but the same just staying up level of results doesn't interest me.

By all accounts in recent weeks Sunderland's performances have been pretty dire.

[PaulWinch again]

I expect to see some sort of tactical consistency and awareness in the next few games, Lambert shouldn't have lost the job for next year but it certainly shouldn't be safe either.

[ChrisW]

What isn't tough luck is shipping 4 goals to Stoke who have only won one away all season and to the worst Man U side for the last 30 years.  The last two results have been unforgivable.  I've supported Lambert right up until Saturday.  Maybe I'll calm down in time, but this is the angriest I've been with Lambert and the team for a long time.

[aj2k77]

I don't think I've ever been happy with Lambert. It feels like the only good run we've been on was during a relegation run in and everything else during the 2 years has been intermittent wins surrounded by shit performances and beatings.

[rob_bridge]

I expect to see some sort of tactical consistency and awareness in the next few games, Lambert shouldn't have lost the job for next year but it certainly shouldn't be safe either.

And no new contract either. Proposterous idea to give him at this stage.

[saunders_heroes]

I don't think I've ever been happy with Lambert. It feels like the only good run we've been on was during a relegation run in and everything else during the 2 years has been intermittent wins surrounded by shit performances and beatings.

Agree with this 100%.
The good performances and wins are too few and far between. He really isn't up to it, but then beggars can't be choosers, and the longer Lerner runs the club on a relative shoe string the longer we'll be unable to attract a decent manager and Premier League standard players.

[mattjpa]

I expect to see some sort of tactical consistency and awareness in the next few games, Lambert shouldn't have lost the job for next year but it certainly shouldn't be safe either.

And no new contract either. Proposterous idea to give him at this stage.

Completely agree, too many bad decisions have been made recently, this would top all of them bar one (i think you can probably guess) What we are seeing at the moment is not progress and does not deserve reward. How long does he have left on his contract? depending on the summer budget, we should be saying to him as a minimum we need to be finishing 9th in the league and challenging for a higher position. We need to obtain a minimum of 50% win percentage at home and have some success in the cups. We need to be integrating the next generation of academy products into the first team (something he has done absolutely nothing about) and we also need to see some development in the current crop (Gardner, Albrighton, Weimann, Clark, Baker) or, if they are not good enough they need to be moved on.
Provided these KPI's are met we can discuss a new contract next summer. If you are not happy with that leave by mutual consent, no pay offs required.