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

[john e]

He has had 3 seasons to show he knows how to organise a football team.
Lerner has had 8 years to show he knows how to run a football club.

I wonder how many of those 10,000 were Johnny Come Lately.

We were consistently 6th and chasing the top four, having had a manager who spent more on one player than Lambert has had as a entire seasons budget.

I seem to notice that our away support has not lowered, strange that.

UTV

Well i was going then because we had those really cheap season tickets in the lower north.

Yep, I spent a couple of hours on the phone one morning to get a couple of those north stand season tickets,
£200 each, best ever bargain of all times

[Mister E]

Another comparison is the form of Bertrand at Sourhampton this season and his swift downward trajectory at VP last season.
Lambert is clearly not the man. Get a real manager in (who? - no idea! But not Keane).

I think the fact that Bertrand is primarily focused on attacking is helping him for starters. He came in and looked good for us initially as he was allowed to push forward more consistently, but the more ground down and negative we became, and the more we invited pressure, the worse he got. He's the epitome of a modern fullback. Can run all game, much better going forward than in defence.

The fact Southampton can retain the ball also helps. We tend to give the ball away cheaply after 2-3 passes, before we've barely made it over the half way line.

I actually think the way Bertrand is playing for Southampton, he's a better player than Cissokho. Certainly in terms of going forward and his end product in the final third. In the summer I wouldn't have paid 8 million though.

Sure, agreed.  My point was that Lambert did not seem to get anything  like the best out of a good player.  He's not - apparently - capable of polishing 'diamonds in the rough', which I thought was the strategy.

[JUAN PABLO]

Another comparison is the form of Bertrand at Sourhampton this season and his swift downward trajectory at VP last season.
Lambert is clearly not the man. Get a real manager in (who? - no idea! But not Keane).

Excellent point . I was thinking the exact thing. A few players have looked great first two games and  then gone dire

[Gregorys Boy]

I say judge Lambert at Christmas.  This is a big season for him, it is virtually his squad now, and its his third season, so we do need to see some proper improvement.  So far there have been promising signs that we can improve, but there have also been signs that we have not learnt much from previous seasons.  We can't judge us on the sort of games we have played in recent weeks, but the next month should be crucial in how our season will go.

If we are mid-table at least at Christmas then Lambert should stay and look solid then Lambert should stay, but if we are looking deep in trouble again then it will be time for a change.

[SoccerHQ]

Are we going to re evaluate the Hull game now given they've gone to Liverpool and Arsenal in the last week and drew each game.

Never mind possession, maybe just beating them was a really good result in the end.

As was the Stoke result seeing as they've started to win at home.

[Gregorys Boy]

Are we going to re evaluate the Hull game now given they've gone to Liverpool and Arsenal in the last week and drew each game.

Never mind possession, maybe just beating them was a really good result in the end.

As was the Stoke result seeing as they've started to win at home.

What do you mean re evaluate?  We won the game and was happy to win the game, but it was only the third match of the season.  But yeah Hull do deserve credit for their recent results I think they should be fine this season.

[SoccerHQ]

Quite a few in the last few weeks on this thread have been using the lack of possession in the Hull game to criticise Lambert despite that being our best performance of the season by a mile.

[ciggiesnbeer]

The fact Southampton can retain the ball also helps. We tend to give the ball away cheaply after 2-3 passes, before we've barely made it over the half way line.

My number 1 complaint. It bothers me because I know Lambert can get a team, hell, this team, playing attractive possession based football but after his first season he has just thrown that option away.

I still hold out the hope that he will change things up and revert back to the innovative modern manager he was.

[Gregorys Boy]

Quite a few in the last few weeks on this thread have been using the lack of possession in the Hull game to criticise Lambert despite that being our best performance of the season by a mile.

Wouldn't you say Liverpool was our best performance?  We weren't as good in second half against Hull, and to win and keep a clean sheet at Anfield is some going despite their start.

[andyh]

Why do we think he will change his approach or tactics now?
What's different to the last couple of years? He hasn't changed before, why would he now?

[SoccerHQ]

Quite a few in the last few weeks on this thread have been using the lack of possession in the Hull game to criticise Lambert despite that being our best performance of the season by a mile.

Wouldn't you say Liverpool was our best performance?  We weren't as good in second half against Hull, and to win and keep a clean sheet at Anfield is some going despite their start.

Liverpool was our best result but we should've been 5 up at half time v Hull which you rarely say with our attacking play.

[Gregorys Boy]

Why do we think he will change his approach or tactics now?
What's different to the last couple of years? He hasn't changed before, why would he now?

I don't know if he will change that much tactically, but we did look harder to beat and played more as a team in the early weeks of the season.  We need a result Monday and will have to see where we go after that.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Why do we think he will change his approach or tactics now?
What's different to the last couple of years? He hasn't changed before, why would he now?

I do because he has changed things up, many times in the past, always at Norwich but also for us.

His first season notably he changed almost every game through November, but also last season he started out experimenting with some 4-2-2-2 and other formations before reverting to our usual counter style.

If he was not capable of getting his teams playing attractive football I would have given up on him a long time ago, but he is, which makes it very frustrating that he doesn't.

[brian green]

Playing attractive football is an important consideration but the bottom line for me is how many times in the last four years I have driven home with my family in total silence after another home defeat.   We lose too many home games.  Nothing good will happen to the club while that goes on.

[ciggiesnbeer]

True, winning comes first but I am more than a little tired of the jokes aimed my way by friends who support other teams.

Besides keeping the ball might improve our win rate rather than always trying to rely on the counter.