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

[Tom_Mc9?]

I think Lambert should have next season - if there's no improvement on home form and cup runs, I won't be sorry to see him go but disappointed it didn't work out for a manager I had high hopes for. He may still turn it round though.

[Ads]

I responded to his post a few pages back. I don't see how anybody is re-writing history by saying challenging for the title, winning trophies and finishing 4th and 5th is better than O'Neill or Gregory's achievements.

[Clampy]

I think if there is a change in management at the end of the season, I reckon yesterday's defeat was the game that decided it.

[Des Little]

Lambert is the luckiest manager in the country. Not just the Prem. How he's kept his job given results is baffling....how much longer can we stand this utter, utter shite that he serves up and comes out with?

[Ads]

Who would people like to see come in?

[Tom_Mc9?]

So who do people want to come in? There's hardly a wealth of options. If Lambert did go, then we'd probably get no better than Mackay.

[supertom]

I don't necessarily disagree, but the "Doug wouldn't have done this way" stuff pisses me off.

Doug was an utter arse that used this club for his own ends, and he's responsible more than any one person for the sea of mediocraty I've witnessed as a supporter since 1985.

Why does it piss you off? I've no doubt Ellis would have sacked Lambert long before now and I'm convinced he would have sacked him after the 8-0 humiliation at Chelsea, and rightly so as well.
And I wouldn't mind some of that Ellis mediocrity right now. I don't ever remember losing 19 home matches in less than 2 seasons under Ellis.

Whatever anyone thinks of Doug, he loved the Villa and was here at every game, rain or shine. And yes, he'd have canned Lambert 16 months ago. He'd also never, in a million years (ironically, his age) have hired McLeish.

Herbert wasn't perfect by any means, but I'd have him over Lerner who seems to have lost interest in being competitive in the last 3 years. His footballing naivity has also been shocking. Plus, Lerner didn't invent the bicycle kick.

[Clampy]

Who would people like to see come in?

I was chatting to someone about this last night over a pint/s like you do. We came up with Laudrup and not a lot else.

[Ads]

Did Doug love the Villa while he was at the Noses and the Dog Heads?

As to the managerial appointment, I would look to Pochertino (sp) and that sort of progressive, young foreign name.

[Des Little]

So who do people want to come in? There's hardly a wealth of options. If Lambert did go, then we'd probably get no better than Mackay.

Laudrup for me too.

[baddowvillans]

I'm inclined to let him stay till Summer but no longer. I know we will not attract a top manager but I refuse to believe we cannot get someone who can get more out of these players. I don't wish Lambert ill and fully recognise the brief he has had to reduce the wage bill but I do believe he is out of his depth Eddy Howe worth a punt?  At least his teams seem to play football.  Somehow I don't think Van Gaal fancying the Villa

[supertom]

So who do people want to come in? There's hardly a wealth of options. If Lambert did go, then we'd probably get no better than Mackay.

Mackay can organise a team. When he left Cardiff they were about 16th and in touch with 10th (a couple of points behind us). They should have kept him and they might have had a sniff of staying up. I wouldn't want him to be honest but right now he'd be preferable to Lambert, and we have to be more ambitious than that and wave some cash in front of a decent manager with a good track record.

I think we're at the stage now where we just need a new perspective. We've got to make a decent appointment in the summer. 4-5 signings and we've got enough quality to be pushing Southampton and Newcastle, not scrapping at the arse end again. Anyone with anything approaching a bit of tactical nous will take us up a level.

[supertom]

Did Doug love the Villa while he was at the Noses and the Dog Heads?

As to the managerial appointment, I would look to Pochertino (sp) and that sort of progressive, young foreign name.

I'd love to see an appointment like that but the trouble is, Southampton are well set up, they had people in place with the nous to make that appointment and in doing so axe a manager who was actually doing very well for them. It was ballsy sacking Adkins and replacing him with someone no one had heard of.

Our problem though is that we're relying on Faulkner and Lerner. I don't think they have it in them to make that sort of appointment.

[Small Rodent]

Lambert has gone some way to fulfilling his remit of balancing the books. He hasn't had the chance to move us on yet due to financial restrictions.

That's his only defence to me.

Against him, I would say this; the squad is good enough given the right tactics and instructions to not be repeatedly knocked out of cup competitions by lower league teams, and to have had 3 or 4 less defeats at home leaving us feeling more comfortable with the run in.

I can't see how keeping him would change this much. He may be able to buy "better" players in the summer, but footballers tend to do what they are told. These "better" players may save games occasionally by acts of individuality and put us in the next round or in a safer league position, but would this be despite the overall managerial game plan?

[Ron Manager]

Did Doug love the Villa while he was at the Noses and the Dog Heads?

As to the managerial appointment, I would look to Pochertino (sp) and that sort of progressive, young foreign name.

You can look to whoever you like. Young managers of promise are not going to come to a club where they are fairly certain that they will not receive sufficent funds to improve the team to the level that they wish to aim at.

The word progressive and Aston Villa do not fit. The only time it did is when Doug/Pat/ Tommy brought their revolution through the cast iron gates of Aston Villa FC.