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

[john e]

I just want Lambert's replacement to be someone with a proven desire to play football on the deck with ball retention high on his agenda. Also someone who values pressing the game at home. I realize those blokes don't grow on trees but they are certainly out there. I think there is money to spend and it didn't include selling Benteke, and you can find players in France and Spain that like to keep the ball. Our ability to give the ball away at times beggars belief. That simply has to be put right.

I agree entirely,
 but the bugger pissed of to Goodison Park instead of Villa Park

[Toronto Villa]

I just want Lambert's replacement to be someone with a proven desire to play football on the deck with ball retention high on his agenda. Also someone who values pressing the game at home. I realize those blokes don't grow on trees but they are certainly out there. I think there is money to spend and it didn't include selling Benteke, and you can find players in France and Spain that like to keep the ball. Our ability to give the ball away at times beggars belief. That simply has to be put right.

I agree entirely,
 but the bugger pissed of to Goodison Park instead of Villa Park

Everton's timing was fortunate for them, and Martinez walked into a much better and stable situation than he would have found with us off course. Remember he also turned down Liverpool. But there are other managers that want to play that way. It's whether we can find them and allow them the time to establish themselves at the club.

[curiousorange]

What I want at the club more than a new manager is a management team that isn't just the same person split into three. With MON and Lambert you can tell the back room discussions are two people telling the man that matters what he wants to hear. I want the coaches to come in with ideas and be a buffer between the manager and the players rather than a glorified PE department.

[tomd2103]

What I want at the club more than a new manager is a management team that isn't just the same person split into three. With MON and Lambert you can tell the back room discussions are two people telling the man that matters what he wants to hear. I want the coaches to come in with ideas and be a buffer between the manager and the players rather than a glorified PE department.

I quite like the Fantasy Football Club on Sky and it's interesting that pretty much every player that has been on there who played under MON has said how often he was absent from the training ground during the week.  Not wanting to start another MON discussion, but I wonder if it is the same with PL.

[caster troy]

What I want at the club more than a new manager is a management team that isn't just the same person split into three. With MON and Lambert you can tell the back room discussions are two people telling the man that matters what he wants to hear. I want the coaches to come in with ideas and be a buffer between the manager and the players rather than a glorified PE department.

I quite like the Fantasy Football Club on Sky and interesting that pretty much every player that has been on there who played under MON has said how often he was absent from the training ground during the week.  Not wanting to start another MON discussion, but I wonder if it is the same with PL.

The way we play I wonder whether the players are absent from the training ground, let alone Lambert.

[curiousorange]

You know that feeling you sometimes got when you saw Ferguson, or Wenger, or latterly Martinez, when you knew that spent every moment they had learning more about the game, with new tactical approaches or speaking to football people? Anybody get that feeling with Lambert?

And I've heard these stories about him popping over to Dortmund to talk football with his old buddies. It appears to me Dortmund are either fortunate to win so many admirers when their tacticians are clearly mental, or (more likely), it's wishful thinking on our part that continental management plays any part in Aston Villa.

[Dave Clark Five]

What I want at the club more than a new manager is a management team that isn't just the same person split into three. With MON and Lambert you can tell the back room discussions are two people telling the man that matters what he wants to hear. I want the coaches to come in with ideas and be a buffer between the manager and the players rather than a glorified PE department.

I quite like the Fantasy Football Club on Sky and interesting that pretty much every player that has been on there who played under MON has said how often he was absent from the training ground during the week.  Not wanting to start another MON discussion, but I wonder if it is the same with PL.

The way we play I wonder whether the players are absent from the training ground, let alone Lambert.

Lambert has been quoted as having said that O'Neill advised him to let the coaches do the talking during the week as the players would get sick of his voice otherwise. They would hear enough from him on a match day. It seems he is following his leader.

[john e]

What I want at the club more than a new manager is a management team that isn't just the same person split into three. With MON and Lambert you can tell the back room discussions are two people telling the man that matters what he wants to hear. I want the coaches to come in with ideas and be a buffer between the manager and the players rather than a glorified PE department.

I quite like the Fantasy Football Club on Sky and interesting that pretty much every player that has been on there who played under MON has said how often he was absent from the training ground during the week.  Not wanting to start another MON discussion, but I wonder if it is the same with PL.

The way we play I wonder whether the players are absent from the training ground, let alone Lambert.

Lambert has been quoted as having said that O'Neill advised him to let the coaches do the talking during the week as the players would get sick of his voice otherwise. They would hear enough from him on a match day. It seems he is following his leader.

Laudrup is much the same so it was said when he left Swansea

[Walmley_Villa]

Laudrup wouldn't come and inherit the 'squad' we have and have a small transfer budget paying low wages.

[Rudy65]

Laudrup wouldn't come and inherit the 'squad' we have and have a small transfer budget paying low wages.

Youre right. Unfortunately most other decent managers will be thinking the same thing

[Chris Smith]

What I want at the club more than a new manager is a management team that isn't just the same person split into three. With MON and Lambert you can tell the back room discussions are two people telling the man that matters what he wants to hear. I want the coaches to come in with ideas and be a buffer between the manager and the players rather than a glorified PE department.

I quite like the Fantasy Football Club on Sky and interesting that pretty much every player that has been on there who played under MON has said how often he was absent from the training ground during the week.  Not wanting to start another MON discussion, but I wonder if it is the same with PL.

The way we play I wonder whether the players are absent from the training ground, let alone Lambert.

Lambert has been quoted as having said that O'Neill advised him to let the coaches do the talking during the week as the players would get sick of his voice otherwise. They would hear enough from him on a match day. It seems he is following his leader.

That is at odds with what Westwood said in an interview in the week. He mentioned how he talks to them individually or in small groups about aspects of their game etc.

Clearly you employ coaches to do the bulk of the routine stuff but that doesn't mean that the manager just stays in his office playing darts.

[Mister E]

Laudrup is much the same so it was said when he left Swansea

Yes, Laudrup ended up not being flavour of the month with the Swansea players, it would appear.

I certainly cannot think of many good / realistic alternatives to Lambert right now but I'm not sure Laudrup would be on my short-list. But I do rather hope we get away from the dour British manager-types that we've had since 2006 (and I include GHou in that, despite his Gallic heritage).

Who realistically would be on the short-list?
Rene Meulensteen (not given enough time at Fulham IMO)?
Uwe Rosler (but Dave wouldn't release him)?
...

I don't know who else.

[john e]

Laudrup is much the same so it was said when he left Swansea

Yes, Laudrup ended up not being flavour of the month with the Swansea players, it would appear.

I certainly cannot think of many good / realistic alternatives to Lambert right now but I'm not sure Laudrup would be on my short-list. But I do rather hope we get away from the dour British manager-types that we've had since 2006 (and I include GHou in that, despite his Gallic heritage).

Who realistically would be on the short-list?
Rene Meulensteen (not given enough time at Fulham IMO)?
Uwe Rosler (but Dave wouldn't release him)?
...

I don't know who else.

They said he was lazy and didn't turn up for training very often,
It put me of him to be honest when I heard that

[brontebilly]

Thomas Tuchel at Mainz would be a good option I think. Used to overachieving on a limited budget and playing good football. Must be lots of others across Europe before we start considering the usual motley crew of Hoddle, Curbishley etc

We still have a wage bill that many managers across Europe can only dream of. I'm sure we are paying Lambert a very decent wedge. The opportunity to revitalise the club should be an enticing one for promising managers, though experience tells us that we seem to be a managerial graveyard rather than an enabler to bigger jobs.

[Dave Clark Five]

What I want at the club more than a new manager is a management team that isn't just the same person split into three. With MON and Lambert you can tell the back room discussions are two people telling the man that matters what he wants to hear. I want the coaches to come in with ideas and be a buffer between the manager and the players rather than a glorified PE department.

I quite like the Fantasy Football Club on Sky and interesting that pretty much every player that has been on there who played under MON has said how often he was absent from the training ground during the week.  Not wanting to start another MON discussion, but I wonder if it is the same with PL.

The way we play I wonder whether the players are absent from the training ground, let alone Lambert.

Lambert has been quoted as having said that O'Neill advised him to let the coaches do the talking during the week as the players would get sick of his voice otherwise. They would hear enough from him on a match day. It seems he is following his leader.

That is at odds with what Westwood said in an interview in the week. He mentioned how he talks to them individually or in small groups about aspects of their game etc.

Clearly you employ coaches to do the bulk of the routine stuff but that doesn't mean that the manager just stays in his office playing darts.

Fair enough. Here is the quote anyway:
Culverhouse is trusted to take the lead in the Bodymoor Heath training sessions. Their rapport allows Lambert to get his ideas across to the squad, but still maintain a distance – an approach he picked up from managerial mentor and former Villa boss Martin O’Neill. “One of the things the gaffer told me was ‘don’t let them hear your voice all the time every day because you’ll want them to hear it and listen to it on Saturday’’’, said Lambert

“So at training Ian does the sessions and I walk around and tell the players if I don’t think the standard is what it should be.”

However they do it, it clearly isn't working.