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

[supertom]

Learning from your mistakes is important and he appears to be doing that. The youth experiment was mostly disastrous. I'm glad not just Lambert, but also the club have addressed certain things which weren't working. Those two cretin coaches have gone. Faulkner resigned, but something about much of what's happened since might suggest he was a negative influence for one reason or another. I think perhaps he walked before he was pushed.
The Keane appointment was brave. Bringing back the bomb squad also was too because it means that Lambo had to hold his hands up and admit he was wrong. He can't particularly say it was entirely forced on him, though it probably was an idea put to him before he signed on.

We've now got options in defence. Options in midfield, and with everyone fit, options in attack. It's the best squad we've had since the one Houllier left.

[Matt Collins]

As much as we might say we've moved on from the experiment with youth, the team last night had four starters who were very much considered unproven kids when lambert started, plus cleverley, benteke, grealish.

[Dave]

I voted that we should keep him. I knew things would turn out fine.

Here's to our easy win over Arsenal.

On that note, we might as well have a poll reset.

It was 65% broadly in favour of sacking him, 35% in favour of him staying.

[Damo70]

I went for cautiously optimistic.

[Rigadon]

He's employed a coach, we are organised.  If benteke comes back the same player I'd have us about 8th.  Massive improvement and he deserves credit.

[Archie]

In the last 5 years, I have had for Lambert different feelings.

Phase 1: appreciation for the Norwich manager and Lambert in

When he was at Norwich, I did appreciate him for his open approach to the game. He made the canaries to play   a pleasant, passing, attacking football, based on a diamond formation with Hoolahan in the hole.
So, I wanted him at Villa when he was still in the Canaries'books: http://www.heroesandvillains.info/forumv3/index.php?topic=45075.0
 

Phase 2: from the honey moon for the new Villa manager to Lambert out

So I was happy when he was signed, but if his first season was quite disappointing, I agree with the poster that wrote that in the second Lambert presided over one of the worst managed seasons of the Villa all times.

His tactically inaptitude, his incapacity to read the game, the absurd 4-3-3 formation not sustained by a solid midfield, the poor quality of the players he signed (Luna, Bowyer, Tonev, etc.) convinced me  that I wrong to rate him, and I did want him to be sacked.

Phase 3: Lambert maybe

This season opens a third phase.
I must give credit to him for improving the team despite of the financial restrictions and the fact that the club is on sale.
Never I would have thought that Hutton - Senderos - Baker - Cyssoko would be a reliable back four even in the Championship, but yesterday they were absolutely reliable in the Premier League, and we won at Anfield with them.
The defensive organisation is hugely improved.
Lambert has corrected many mistakes he had committed, included the choice of the 2 team coaches.
We are unbeaten and have conceded only one goal in four games. And we are without our best player, a striker that can score 20 goals a season.
I think that PL deserves credit for these achievements. Probably Roy Keane has many merits too.

But I do not think that from a day to another Lambert has become Pep Guardiola.
Our style of play remains poor.
We still have the lowest percentage of possession in the Premier League.
Yesterday we have tried and play football the way it has to be played for the first 20 minutes.
Ok, normally it is not easy to play at Anfield, but Pool were nothing special yesterday. They were slow and inconsistent.
So, I am disappointed that after 20 minutes we have completely renounced to play, and limited to defend. 
And every  time our defenders  intercepted the ball, the only thing they did was to belt it clear; we were absolutely unable to start and create from the back. With this approach, with a defensive 4-5-1 formation you lose the 90% of the games.
At the end of the day (or of the fair, as we say in Italy), I am happy to see the team much more solid than in the last two (ok, four) seasons, but I think that we still have more to work, even if I now am more confident than I was at the end of the last season.
And I think that Benteke, Sanchez and Grealish, when ready and fit, will enter in the starting XI and will improve our style of play.

[Deano's Mullet]

Cautiously optimistic. Maybe he's learnt from his mistakes? Or maybe Roy Keane is the difference.

[Ger Regan]

Cautiously optimistic. Maybe he's learnt from his mistakes? Or maybe Roy Keane is the difference.

Perhaps, but it was lambert's decision to bring him in.

I'd be very interested to understand why someone would think it would be a good idea to sack lambert right now, considering the start we've made in the league. I can completely understand someone being unconvinced (and to be truth i'd be somewhere in between unconvinced and cautiously optimistic), but actually wanting him sacked?

[Archie]

Cautiously optimistic. Maybe he's learnt from his mistakes? Or maybe Roy Keane is the difference.

I do not think that he has all the merit. To be honest, Roy Keane did not do well as a manager. . .

[not3bad]

Whatever is different they should keep on differenting it.

[Ger Regan]

Cautiously optimistic. Maybe he's learnt from his mistakes? Or maybe Roy Keane is the difference.

I do not think that he has all the merit. To be honest, Roy Keane did not do well as a manager. . .

Managers and coaches / assistants have different skill sets though. There are many examples of good coaches being poor managers.

[olaftab]

Not sure till he wins a cup.

[mrastonvilla]

I'm in the optimistic camp too. I think you have to give him a lot  of credit as it would have been very easy to walk away over the summer given the terrible end to the season, no real money to spend and the club being put up for sale.

Lambert has made some big mistakes but it's often forgotten that he is a relatively young and inexperienced manager. I hope he has learnt from the previous couple of seasons and we see the benefit of sticking with him this year.

[Steve67]

Cautiously optimistic too. Bloody nice to be sitting second, even though it is very early in proceedings. We look much tougher in all areas. Fair play. Hope it continues.

[leylandalbion]

many discussions with my brother on this.  I have always stuck by him, despite the dross, embarrassment we have had in 2.1 years, but I think stability is a massive positive, I really wouldn't want anyone else given the current constraints.  I would have been content with double figures after 8 games, and we have that now after 4.  Cup is a pisser, but it may be a positive as we play Champs league teams without a midweek game ourselves.  He has some dignity and is always supportive of his players - which is something I would also see as a good manager...I say stick.