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

[ChicagoLion]

Turner, McNeill, TSM and Lambert

The 4 worst Villa Managers in the last 40 years.

The difference is that Lambert has been given nearly 2 seasons now.
 

[Richard E]

Anyone still backing Lambert either finds the last two seasons of regular home defeats and embarrassing Cup exits acceptable or sees them as necessary pain as progress is made towards a better future.

Since it can't be the former I'd love someone to show me the cause for optimism about the latter because all I can see is a team going nowhere fast.

I really wanted Lambert but it clearly hasn't worked. Evidently there are issues with the way the club is being run which would make it difficult for anyone but I refuse to believe there is no-one who could get more out of this squad.

[Walmley_Villa]

I supported his appointment in the hope he would bring some German structure, discipline and methodology to the club. Also, some tactical nous with a team playing good attacking football. Failed on all, I'm out.

[brian green]

On my way into the Aston Tavern the bouncer said to me "Are you a Villa fan?" to which I replied that my grandfather had been barred from that pub in 1908.   His response was "You are not wearing anything claret and blue" to which my admittedly prissy answer was "I don't need to."
I feel the same sense of the need to justify myself when I come on this forum.   I must somehow prove my integrity as a Villa fan to seek the solace of fellow sufferers.   I know that the instant I confess to the belief that Paul Lambert is (most regrettably) proving to be way, way below our expectations of him I shall be accused of being glad the Villa lost to further an agenda of personal negativity.   No Villa fan, especially those that endure the agony of actually being at the Villa games should be expected to endure accusations, however dissembled or cloaked by verbiage, that they want to see Villa lose.

[Archie]

The most depressing and alarming thing is that there are pages and pages of discussion on if Lambert should be sacked.
He humiliated our beloved and noble club in any manner doing things that I had never seen in a football pitch, no matter the category, and still we are discussing IF he should be sacked.

Believe me mates, that could happen only in England. In any other country of the world he would have been sacked 4 months ago, if not last season.

Please note that I do not want to criticize, you surely have a culture and a vision of football that is unique in the world, but one thing that I do not understand is how you can give to the stability  more importance than to the logic.

[Richard E]

He should have gone after managing to be eliminated from two cup competitions by lower league clubs in the space of 4 days let alone anything that has happened since. When (not if) he keeps his job in May it will just be confirming that the club see all this as acceptable.

[Archie]

To discuss if he should be sacked or not it is like to discuss if it is the earth that revolves around the sun or viceversa.

[Reuben]

Working in the voluntary sector, we're a charitable bunch and therefore often criticised in being reactive in making decisions rather than proactive.

As our club is run by businessmen I expect a proactive, uncharitable decision rather than waiting to act until the inevitable relegation in 2-3 seasons.

As others have pointed out - the gap between finishing 8th - 10th and where we are pointswise is only a matter of us having an average home record.  Despite the seemingly poor players we have I believe they are capable of being mid-table without having to nervously look at Sunderland and Norwich results and then we can build on that.

[pbavfckuwait]

Two seasons he has managed to have me looking at other clubs results holding as much importance as our own, hoping teams that I do not have any personal beef with lose, between him and TSM they have managed to strangle any pleasure football brings into my hum drum life, something that even in the dark dark old days of the late 60's could not do, whether that was because I was young and now I am old I am not sure, I know then I had hope that even if we stepped backwards, it would not be long before we sprang forward again, all I can see from Lambert and his tactical awareness, his ability to buy on the whole crap and the people above him, is a gradual, getting steeper by the season downward spiral.
Can I have my Aston Villa back please Randy.

[mr woo]

Quite right. Results and performances under Lambert have been unacceptable, I think we all agree.

Come the end of the season, assuming we stay up, we are at a crossroads yet again. Another year of wage cutting, another season's TV money, rumours there WAS cash available last January....all suggests the purse strings could be loosened a little this summer.

The question is - does Paul Lambert deserve first dibs at the dosh on the evidence seen so far?

Well, if I'd seen games where we bullied, dominated and imposed ourselves on weaker opposition, when we've played them, I'd say that was a sign of what this man could do with a better class of player. Unfortunately, being outfought and outplayed by perceived underdogs Bradford, Millwall and Sheffield Utd does little to suggest things will improve. Those are the cold hard facts. It's hard to argue a case to keep him any more.

[claret and blue blood]

If he was sacked now who would fill in for the last 6 games?

[pbavfckuwait]

Mentioned this before, but would really appreciate other peoples view of it.
What we will have to spend this summer will make Randy run for cover. Check List: Minimum of 3 defenders, 2 full backs and a Centre half, Midfield at least two, then we would need to keep Westwood and Kea as back up, one of those midfielders to have the ability to go wide and open our play up a bit, forwards at least 2, one of those who gives us the option of not going long all the time. That's 2 seasons into Lambert's reign and we are still looking at 7 players, to make the team competitive, to get us to what now seems like the promised land of mid table mediocrity, to push on from that those 7 players would need to be in the 6 to 10 million mark in today's market minimum.
Do not think Lambert is the man to spend that type of money on the evidence of his bargain and plentiful buys up to now.

[aev]

I am still torn as to whether I think he should stay or go.

In his defense, his brief has obviously been to cut costs, and his better players (certainly more valuable) have often been struggling with injuries. When you consider the players we had out yesterday it is difficult to not to have any sympathy for him.

The thing however that really concerns me is the lack of real progress, either in terms of playing style and organisation - much of this could of course be due to the point I made above.

Either way, it is clear that serious investment is required over the summer, and I am not sure that it will provided. How much money do we think would be needed to get us up to 8th for example - I bet the money invested to potentially achieve that would dwarf the resulting increase in incomes. We as fans probably don't really give a toss as long as we see progress and entertainment, but I reckon this is how the owners now view it.

[Ads]

Everytime I get a feeling about a game, I always end up being right. I am always hopeful, but occasionally I will say "I fancy us tonight". Liverpool away was an example. I heard their team and said "no way we are getting beat with the front four he has picked" and we murdered them. Chelsea away under TSM was another. I wish I got them more often, I may take up gambling then.

Oh yes?

Fulham are a very poor side and need to score 3 to even draw most games. They're as good as down and I think we will beat them pretty handily.

*wink*

Ha ha! I said I was always hopeful! Pre-Liverpool away I got a strong sense something was in the offing. Americans call it hinky.

[Ads]

Turner was as culpable as McNeill, Docherty had us bottom, O'Leary proved he couldn't do it without money and somehow managed to alienate the squad and support under Dougs nadir. McLeish goes without saying and Dr Jo may have been ahead of his time, but he was still poor.

Taylor, Little and Atkinson all had seasons equivalent to this one or the previous one, so even our very best in recent years have their wobbles. I would put all three above Gregory and O'Neill though.

Oh for FFS get a grip mate, O'Neill get 3 consecutive top 6 finishes! We'd die for that now!

You do realise he said SGT, Atkinson and Sir Brian were better than Pubehead, not that Lambert was?

As I said earlier, get a grip mate, I know you're trying to make out O'Neill was the Anti Christ but no matter how you try you won't change history. His Villa teams finished top 6 three years on the trot, but since he left we've we've become perennial relegation strugglers. This is a fact - nothing you will say will change this.

I have had to relenquish my grip, as it's a two handed job at this time of the morning and I can't type that quickly with my nose.

I think you have jumped off at the deepend there. I think SGT, SBL and BFR were all better managers than O'Neill and Gregory because they were more successful. O'Neill and Gregory brought a good level of consistency, but they both spent a good deal of money to do so.

The others won trophies, promotion, took us close to winning the title or 4th and 5th, higher than the other two. I am not trying to change history, I am acknowledging it.