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

[Gerrin]

Lambert's played a blinder getting this new contract. Why the need to renew after 4 games, if we ignore the humiliation in the cup, I have no idea. Under almost any other circumstances he would have been sacked back in May, if not earlier back in January.

Like the appointment of McLeish, Lerner has a very personal way of judging his managers. Lambert has tactically played Lerner superbly. A fool and his money..

As for stability..I guess it really depends on the type of stability you're looking for. It's certainly no longer a club that functions as a meritocracy, quite the opposite in fact. Still, well done, Paul. Money for old rope.

So you're moaning because Lerner didn't sack him in May, despite him being right not to as we're now doing extremely well and the club's in a healthy place?

Christ.

You didn't read my post, did you?

You're calling Lerner a fool for giving Lambert his money and getting a new contract out of him?

If that's not what you've just said then i apologise, sounded like it though.

Just out of interest, if we had sacked him in May, who would you have realistically wanted in as a replacement?

Totally agree with this. I always wanted Lambert, and always wanted him to have time. We're always going to be gambling on unproven prem managers, or has beens, such is the state of the club. We need stability and I think Lambert provides that.

Also it would be hard to get the likes of Vlaar, Delph and Grealish to re-sign if the managers position was up in the air.

[pauliewalnuts]

Only reason I mentioned what the fans think is because you raised the PR perspective (Dave). I genuinely don't think they're even remotely bothered about the opinions of the fans.

My argument is that a new four year deal as a reward for achievement when that achievement consists of two abysmal seasons followed by four decent league games and a humiliating cup exit strikes me as a bit over the top, to say the least.

I don't want the bloke to be sacked, what's the point, we've got low expectations and low investment which is always going to be a problem, but at the same time, to read people going on about how we're doing brilliantly given the few games we've played so far is pretty amusing.

Like i said, four league games and a cup game, that's all we've played. It'd be equally stupid to sack him on the basis of four games, too, FWIW.

[Dave]

Also it would be hard to get the likes of Vlaar, Delph and Grealish to re-sign if the managers position was up in the air.

He's been here for a good amount of time while the above was an issue and it still doesn't seem to be particularly easy.

[GordonCowansisthegreatest]

Lambert's played a blinder getting this new contract. Why the need to renew after 4 games, if we ignore the humiliation in the cup, I have no idea. Under almost any other circumstances he would have been sacked back in May, if not earlier back in January.

Like the appointment of McLeish, Lerner has a very personal way of judging his managers. Lambert has tactically played Lerner superbly. A fool and his money..

As for stability..I guess it really depends on the type of stability you're looking for. It's certainly no longer a club that functions as a meritocracy, quite the opposite in fact. Still, well done, Paul. Money for old rope.

We could quite easily lose the next 3 or 4. What chance of a positive to middling reaction to a contract extension then. We need stability throughout the club and getting the manager tied down to a long-term deal certainly stops uncertainty relating to players that Lambert might want to sign, or even existing ones being offered new contracts.

I agree re the importance of stability, but it looks like in the reference to the next 3 or 4 games, you're suggesting that we'd best give him a new deal now, in case he loses the next few matches?

From a PR perspective that's probably the case. If the club had decided over the summer that he was getting a new contract regardless (for whatever reason), then announcing it when we're second in the table it's going to make it a more palatable decision than after we've just lost four in a row.

It wouldn't astonish me to find out that this had been decided a while ago and it was just a case of deciding when to announce it.

This was all sorted a week ago by all accounts, but still a good time to announce it.

[gervilla]

This last week reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons when Mr Burns is sniffing the Ether soaked handkerchief and Homer runs out saying "If you want to ask Mr Burns for something then now is the time, he's either doped up or dying or something"

[Dave]

Only reason I mentioned what the fans think is because you raised the PR perspective (Dave). I genuinely don't think they're even remotely bothered about the opinions of the fans.

My argument is that a new four year deal as a reward for achievement when that achievement consists of two abysmal seasons followed by four decent league games and a humiliating cup exit strikes me as a bit over the top, to say the least.

I agree. That's basically my point. I don't think it's a reward, I think it's an acceptance that we're probably not going to do any better, so why bother putting so much effort into trying. We're basically two single forty year-olds settling for something, because the alternative is even less palatable.

If they know that it's definitely happening anyway, why not make the announcement when there's a bit of cheeriness about the club to save themselves the bother of having to explain why they're doing it?

[pauliewalnuts]

It's not really stupid is it? Yes the seasons only just started, but the whole point of sacking someone is if they can't do the job right. He didn't sack him and the clubs in a great place from top to bottom, and we've started off this season better than any other manager could probably do. At the moment not sacking him is justified.

How is the club in a great place top to bottom?

In what way does doing well over four games make up for the utter dross of the last two years?

There's also a difference between "not sacking him" which I'd agree with and "giving him a four year contract", which, whilst I am not going to lose much sleep over, strikes me as undeserved.

Randy still cares and is providing contracts and signing to ensure we maintain our premiership status
New CEO who's suppose to be the dogs bollocks
Lambert & Keane combination appears to be working excellently
very strong first team and for the first time in a long while - a strong squad

It's all good, lets ride the crest of a wave and be happy, rather than anticipating the worst and being generally pessimistic like Villa fans tend to be

I'm not being pessimistic, I am not suggesting Lambert deserves the sack, not for a second.

I am only saying that if - as you suggested - the fact we are doing well is the deciding or a key factor in giving him this deal, then that just shows how fickle football is, given that it is a run of four league games and a humiliating cup defeat on which you're deciding it.

We've got a couple of players on new contracts (interestingly, not the two we're all worried about, mind), but investment is still minimal (emotional and financial), the Lambert and Keane combination has overseen a total of five matches, and the appointment of a new CEO is nice, but really, "excellent shape top to bottom"?

[pauliewalnuts]

We're basically two single forty year-olds settling for something, because the alternative is even less palatable.

Ha ha, that's about right.

On the bright side, TBAR will be in meltdown.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm surprised he got a deal, but hopefully it suggests there's an element of a plan and stability. Certainly I have more faith in our first team now than I've had for the last 4 years. I just hope we now sign Delph, Vlaar and Grealish to new deals.

[Steve67]

Excellent shape from top to bottom. Wow. Just wow.

I am reasonably pleased that we are looking stronger but this is a reward for shite. A recognition that there are no buyers out there. Mediocrity personified. I hope Lambert proves me wrong, I hope that Fox is a brilliant appointment and we are on the up, at last. I will try really hard to get behind Lambert now but I think we should have waited until at least Christmas to assess things. I presume Roy Keane will also commit too? Delph and Vlaar next.

[Ger Regan]

You'd certainly hope that's a possibility (if not a probability). Vlaar was signed by lambert and made captain, delph has played the best football of his villa career under him (leading to an international call up) and grealish has been given his chance by him, so you'd hope that they'd all have reasons to be glad he's sticking around a bit longer.

[danno]

With the club up for sale any illusion of stability the club can conjure up is welcomed by me.

A month or so ago we had no CEO, our top premier league goalscorer was in the last year of his deal,
as was our manager, and Randy had issued his shunammite statement.

A bad run and a front page "Villa in Crisis" special from the mail would not have been too far away.
Maybe not that big a thing in itself, but players don't often need that much of an excuse to under perform.

Ceo is now in place, manager has committed his future for the next few seasons, likewise the cult hero.

Vlaar and Delph extensions next please.

[dicedlam]

From a PR perspective that's probably the case. If the club had decided over the summer that he was getting a new contract regardless (for whatever reason), then announcing it when we're second in the table it's going to make it a more palatable decision than after we've just lost four in a row.

It wouldn't astonish me to find out that this had been decided a while ago and it was just a case of deciding when to announce it.

Same goes for Agbonlahor.

[WestleyArmsAV]

Because I love AVFC so much I am happy with the apparent fickle approach to PL, and a decent start, I am over the moon people see my gaffer in the same light.

[Ger Regan]

Because I love AVFC so much I am happy with the apparent fickle approach to PL, and a decent start, I am over the moon people see my gaffer in the same light.

What fickle approach?