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

[Leighton]

The bloke looks utterly dejected. Just like me and 37,000 others thanks mainly to him. No pity. Zero sympathy. Jog on.

[Jimbo]

Apparently the players were tired after the "excursions" midweek at Man City.

[Matt Collins]

In fairness they would have been tired. We were chasing the ball for 80 minutes of that game and spurs didn't play

I also maintain that this time last year we WERE on an upward trajectory and there was a foundation of something to build on. I can't really explain exactly what went wrong but a combination of bad luck with injuries, a lot of second season syndrome, behind the scenes issues and the weird 'decision' (?) to start playing long ball stuff made it a miserable season

[adrenachrome]

In fairness they would have been tired. We were chasing the ball for 80 minutes of that game and spurs didn't play

I also maintain that this time last year we WERE on an upward trajectory and there was a foundation of something to build on. I can't really explain exactly what went wrong but a combination of bad luck with injuries, a lot of second season syndrome, behind the scenes issues and the weird 'decision' (?) to start playing long ball stuff made it a miserable season

I agree on both points, but it is clear that PL has now decided that the project/experiment will not work, and we are are comprehensively fucked.

[pauliewalnuts]

I also maintain that this time last year we WERE on an upward trajectory and there was a foundation of something to build on.

I think there is hardly anyone here who would disagree with that.

Lambert had almost total support at the end of last season, there were definite signs of something to work with.

It is gutting that he hasn't managed to improve things. In fact, they have got significantly worse.

Today was just pathetic, but really, the most pathetic thing about it was just how frequently we've been served up utter shit like that this season. I appreciate there's a limit to how well he, or anyone, could do with this squad of shit, but that doesn't excuse the fact that

- he bought a significant chunk of this shit squad himself
- what he has managed to achieve with it is significantly lacking by comparison to what he should have achieved

A largely awful season last year, with a strong finish and lots of things beyond results to be cheered about, to a truly dreadful season this year, with nothing to be cheered by.

Those comments about the players resenting being coached in long ball tactics by Culvershite and Khazi, for example.

Either Lambert didn't know about it, which means it is truly shocking management to not know what your coaches are doing, or he did know about it, which is even worse, the thought that all that lumping it long that saw us play more long balls than anyone else in the league is something that he actually *wanted* us to do.

Honestly, I like the bloke in many ways, too, and I am not going to pretend his first season was without positives, because it wasn't, but his performance in his role this season has been absolutely scandalously poor, and there's really no excusing it.

[OzVilla]

I thought he came over quite well, actually.

Me too, he's honest enough.

And me. Not sure what more he could have said to be honest.  He needs to at least try to put a positive spin on things for his own future.

I also think he knows more than he's letting on re the takeover. I think he knows something's on.

If Lerner stayed I think Lambert would too.

[David_Nab]

2 years in job and still our derence is shocking.From what I gather and from the stats the same was true at Norwich if you have limited funds you have to make yourself tough to beat and we are not ..not even close .

[Stu]

Is it Lambert's daughter asking villa fans to unfollow her on twitter?

How must her mother have felt? It's a fucking disgrace.

[olaftab]

Post Match Interview

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/9307759/premier-league-aston-villa-boss-paul-lambert-hails-his-own-achievement

Good interview and makes some salient concise points.

[damon loves JT]

I think Lambert knew all along about the plan to sell. His part of the plan was to build a playing squad growing in value, and thereby growing in value as an asset himself.

It hasn't worked, and the first thing any new owner will do is pay off his contract, rather than give him a new one.

I'm sorry for him, but he clearly went into it with his eyes open and was confident he could succeed.

[adrenachrome]

I think Lambert knew all along about the plan to sell. His part of the plan was to build a playing squad growing in value, and thereby growing in value as an asset himself.

It hasn't worked, and the first thing any new owner will do is pay off his contract, rather than give him a new one.

I'm sorry for him, but he clearly went into it with his eyes open and was confident he could succeed.

Exactly.

I  feel sorrier for us, though.

[Des Little]

Three words. Time to go.

[pauliewalnuts]

The ownership situation is way, way more important that the management one at the moment. It's not even close.

Change the manager but not the owner and we might improve by 2 or 3 places.

There needs to be a gigantic overhaul at the club, it's an absolute mess and tinkering with the manager position won't make anything like enough difference

[Chris Smith]

The ownership situation is way, way more important that the management one at the moment. It's not even close.

Change the manager but not the owner and we might improve by 2 or 3 places.

There needs to be a gigantic overhaul at the club, it's an absolute mess and tinkering with the manager position won't make anything like enough difference

Agreed but the middle paragraph should also say 'or worsen by 2 or 3 places'.

[PeterWithesShin]

A good interview overall, and he came across well. Apart from the staying up being an achievement stuff.

Now unless things are far far worse behind the scenes than we think, then staying up is never an achievement for Aston Villa FC, its players, or its manager.